Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-01-16
FANATICS IN SUlU.
United States Finds Their Disarma-
ment Absolutely Imperative.

and Moro raids will no longer offel
J hope of battle to the peace worn sol.
, diers In Luzon. for orders have gone
, out that all the Moros In Mindanat
| and Jolo-better known as Sulu-bt
, disarmed.
, The expedition which Major Gen
eral John J. Pershing, commanding tn,
J, department of Mindanao, sent to carry
} out this order. did not find the Moro.
meekly ready to lay down their arms
} number of the outlaws died fight.
!, Ing. Some 600 others made a last
stand on the peak Of Bud Dajo, ar
extinct volcano in the center Of the
island Of Jolo, where they were starved
out and forced to surrender.
What can a Christian nation dc
when 1t comes up against a race
which believes that 1t can attain the
seventh heaven by killing Christians;
Other nations have had to deal with
this problem before. but the United
States met 1t first when It came face
to face in the southern islands Of the
Philippines with the Mohammedan
Moros. For twelve years the United
States has tried to answer that ques-
tor. and for twelve years the short
hand notes of that answer have been
list of murders, balanced by log
Of punitive expeditions.
Lieutenant Walter H. Rodney. Sec
ond United States cavalry, was mur-
dered in the quarters at Jolo eight
months ago.
This Is the latest of the crimes
charged to a juramentado, Moham-
medan who has taken an oath to shed
the blood Of Christians In this case
the fanatic, dashing down the street,
slashing right and left with his holo,
happened to meet Rodney and struck
him down before he had a chance to
defend himself.
Ever since the. United States set out
to keep the peace in Jolo 1t has used
every means to prevent these at
tacks; but, in spite of the utmost pre-
l d
Rodney is a periodical occurrence. 1t
Is apparently as hard to guard Amer
lean citizens against reckless Moros
as It Is to protect American presidents
against reckless anarchists.
| A juramentado Is anything but a
pleasant individual to encounter For
utter disregard of his own life he is fit
to rank with the most devoted Of the
companions Of that prophet to whom
he also has sworn allegiance, for the
Moro Is a Mohammedan and firmly
believes in the glory Of bloody death.
II he Is so fortunate as to take the
life of a Christian or two before he
dies his chances of making good in
heaven are immeasurably increased.
In the time Of the Spanish occupa-
ton Of Jolo most careful precautions
were taken against juramentados. Py
the side of the path that led from
the country to the gate a little white
slab marked the deadline. In small
building about fifty yards from the
/
sergeant, kept their guns loaded and
their bayonets fixed.
AS soon as the guard saw Moro
approaching along this path they
would shout Moro armada" and
that would bring the rest Of the SOL
diers out from the gate at double
quick with rifles leveled. Supported
thus from the rear. the outside guard
advanced to search the intruder Even
then they were not willing to trust
him. The privates stepped off ten
PAGES and covered him with their guns
also, while the sergeant advanced and
relieved him Of his arms. These were
not returned to him until he left the
town.
When the juramentado cannot get
through the military lines by reckless
fury he will often resort to subter-
fuge, even though It takes weeks OF
preparation for its successful accom-
plishment.
In 1884 a Mohammedan was found
on the desert island of Panay and
was promptly locked up as a sus-
picious character. Later he was
taken into the service Of the Spanish
governor, Don Manuel Castellon, who
had among his collections a fine set
of native arms. One morning the Moro
came bounding into the dining room
lbrandishing a kris in one hand and q
lance in the other and danced around
some Of his fellow officials in to
breakfast, was much amused at this
free performance. But their amusement
did not last long, for in an instant the
fellow. who was evidently juramen-
ltado, hurled the lance at the public
prosecutor The spear point cut that
officials watch chain In two, but then
lodged harmlessly in the side Of the
table Both men at once grappled
with the would-be assassin, while the
governors wife had presence Of mind
land pluck enough to pick up one OF
the table knives and plunge 1t into
the culprits body above the shoulder
Ibladc. The man fell to the floor ap-
lparently dead, but he evidently had
consciousness enough left to realize
that he was missing his chance for
the seventh heaven. This thought
gave him strength to jump up, rush
around the room and wound two OF
the servants before he was finally dis
patched by the bayonets Of the guard
Under American rule Jolo has main
tanned its reputation for lawlessness
and it's Moro inhabitants their reputa-
ton for daredevil bravery. The sui
tan himself and the dattos, who fore
saw the end of their rule. did every
thing they could to obstruct the en-
deavors Of the Americans toward law
and order.
A few years ago when Lieutenant
Colonel Edward w. Griffin was busy
at Illigan building up corps Of Moro
constabulary juramentado was over
come before he could do any dam
lage. A datto was being married, and