Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1918-08-03
Marry Johnson, colored Soldier,
Split a Lot of Hun Skulls
With the Weapon.
MAS ADOPTED FROM MOROS
war Department Now Issues the Ter
s5bIe cleaver to Some of Our
Troops, and the Germans
Don't Like 1t at All.


Washington.-A year ago Henry
yahnson, q. colored citizen of Albany,
~ T., was peddling Ice, coal and wood
ga contented obscurity. Today Henry
johnson, soldier of the United States,
Hs wearing the coveted French war
xsvss with palms, because he proved
himself brave man, and because at
IRE critical moment he got his hands
81 q b0lO knife.
The cable has told of Henry's ex-
Hsoit-hOw on night duty with COM
NaniOn in an American listening post
- took on" "a marauding Germans
In . swift rough-and-tumble, killed
soGne of them with his rifle, bombed
sthers from his basket of grenades,
and then, even after he had been
wounded, split so many skulls with his
6OiO that all the enemy left on their
Sect after meeting Henry became sud-
seniy and violently homesick.
The bolo knife which Henry welded
30 well weighs one pound and three
suDces without it's scabbard, and has
. broad 14-inch blade. 1t is sharpened
sc razor edge, and near the end
suns abruptly to a thrusting point. But
one of its chief virtues as a small-arm
Is fits cleavlng power. Most Of the
weight of the knife is distributed along
che back of the blade.
Americans first ran up against the
sSlo in the Philippines. Over there it
sas originally an agricultural tool, just
aS the machete was in Cuba, and
Biacksmiths at country crossroads ham,
Dered it out infinitely and in all sorts
II forms. The kris with its curly
Shade is form of bolo. and the cam
aiian" is bigger bolo.
Was Weapon of the Moros.
II was up among the Moros that it
xas developed for war purposes. In
xhe underbrush 1t proved very ter
slble weapon, as many trooper found
20 his cost. A stroke in the tropical
nfght-just one-counted for major
american casualty. After while our
soldiers found there was no particu-
ar knack In the Malay use of the bOlO
shey could not master. Then they be-
gan to capture bOlos. And SO, after
she war ended, bolos kept coming back
% the United States as souvenirs.
But 1t was not until 1910 that the
9ar department tried the experiment
Il issuing the bolo knife as regular
part Of the American equipment. 1t
Sas used and tested by our men In
Mexico. but there 1t was employed
chiefly as tool rather than weapon.
II was not until our khaki-garbed boys
vent down into the French trenches
Tint the bolo knife proved its right to
be considered 1.-THE last line of defense"
xsd Q hfe-saver to the man who I'M
sheathed 1t.
Our colored troops display special
aptitude and affection for this weapon.
The white fighter is inclined to rely
upon his automatic pistol In an. emer-
gency at close quarters, but the col
cred man In uniform takes as natural
h to the bolo knife as he does to
WELL as ne does to the name of "Mr.
Johnson"
Issued to v. S. Troops.
The bolo knife Is issued to our
troops In two sizes-the smaller size
ct the type which Henry Johnson used,
and u larger knife employed exclusive
~ by field artillery batteries. This
latter is practically short sword,
ecmparable to the principal weapon
81 the old Roman DICTIONARIES. 1t is
two feet long and weighs between
three and four pounds. OF course, be-
ing issued only to artillerymen who
are not ordinarily actually at grips
With the enemy, 1t is intended mainly
a sort of underbrush cutter. But
b the hands of desperate man fight
Eng for his life il Is terrible per-
Sunder.
The bolo Is In no sense a trench
Knife That is issued to every man
IN the ranks and Is special tool not