davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-27
n Contends With Queer Superstitions in Sunny Islands

meath him. He laughed and fire came
out of his mouth.
You had TO do what | wanted,
he said. because | am wizard. If
YOU had not done what / asked you to
YOU would have died. If YOU follow
me to the jungle now you will die. As
4 is. perhaps YOU will live 10 days.
Then he took my rife and ] looked
at him and he was gone. Then sud
denly / became awake and ] saw that
truly he was gone, and that | had let
him go. And his cha RIM is upon me
and in eight days more | must die
When he came out of the door. wa g
he standing very straight | asked
If man stands on his toes his legs
look far straighter than they do other
wise.
Yes" he said. "he was. His legs
were very straight"
"iiow did he have his hands," ]
asked
He thought for a minute and then
answered: His hands were raised SO
that they reached as high as coco
nut PALM He looked like a COCO
palm, leaning over d hut
THUS did F'utia vanish into the Jun
gle, and this time he was gone
ds coTNpleteiN az tnOuSn ln0eeu ne ma Il
been sorcerer. He had vanished like
"A jungle mist, and, strange as it may
seem. the sentry developed listiess-
ness from which we could not rouse
him and died few DAYS later. Then.
9 tipe went on, tales began to come
in from quite distant places of a wan
dering warrior who burst into villages.
armed with a rife and bayonet. de-
handing and obtaining whatever he
wished.
Sometimes, in wanton cruelty, hav.
ing terrified village and taken every.
thing he wanted. he shot the old chief
leaving with some dire threat of occult
revenge to he visited upon any one
foolish enough to attempt following
him. One day he was here. and the
next he simply was not, and q week
later somebody suspiciously like him
the identifying feature was always the
rife and bayonet-would turn up in
quite another district.
Many moons afterwards one Of the
officers OF the Australian military ad.
ministration was investiga ting the
condition of villages in one Of the re.
mote hill Businesses VI an island of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-27

~ a
II top of New Ireland. in the
~ Bismarck hipela e o,
4 straight into the Pacific. just
below the equator. A low
sand dune is set inland few hundred
wards from the shore.
Behind that swamp runs back To
the west for some 20 miles. and east
ward lies kaewienG, near IN old tribal
battle-ground. To the northwest
many small islands. a large number of
them nameless, are scattered over the
ocean.
Ii was there that | spent several
months as chief medical officer for
New Ireland and the adjacent islands
And there. as | came in contact with
the natives | became familiar with
their strange customs. their supersti-
tions. their tribal beliefs. These are
impressed upon one particularly in
times Of sickness and of death.
One of the most striking and memo
rabe incidents illustrating the eXtraor-
binary and, to the Occidental mind.
barbarous customs of the natives
came as an aftermath to an epidemic
of influenza which. after sweeping the
nearby islands. spread TO New Ireland
There il was as a presidential Scourge
About go per cent of the inha Anita nj :
Of Kaewiene and the surrounding vii
ages were sick. and nearly third Of
these died.
With inadequate accommodations at
the hospitals and with q depleted
stock of medicine. Taylor. my Austria
Ian assistant. and I fought the cpl
demic, but our efforts TO save lives
seemed hopeless. We were fed up
with the whole proposition. and after
a while we just watched the natives
die. There was nothing else 10 do
One morning, while in a depressed
mood. ! noticed that down on the
beach half dozen natives We're on the
point of depoSitinG three stretchers
they had brought in. Another half
dozen were weeping Copiously.
The sick natives were an old man
Young man and young woman
The two men were pretty far gone
but the girl looked AS if she might have
Al least a chance. She was q fine
specimen. tall for a Melanesian and Of
fair complexion. and she had very
good eyes-clear brown-rati,er I'M
common in a native.
II suddenly struck me that she was
worth the effort il would takeSta save
her. I had native assistant wrap her
in a blanket and bring her up to my
own house. where | could look after
her.
At the same time other hospital boys
were sorting the dead from among the
dying and carrying them off to be
buried and ii seems. though, Of course.
/ knew nothing of this at the time.
that a report circulated. and eventu-
ally travelled hack 70 the village of
NEawelus. from which Lawusa-that
was the girls name-had come, that
ehe, too, had been taken away and
buried
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-27

can he found in Mexico who have
done that.
Following their FL Paso visit came
at length the three weeks of fighting
attendant upon the final capture of
the cities Of Gomez Palacia. Lerdo
and Torreon. On the afternoon of
the day subsequent to the fall of the
last mentioned place one of Villa =
officers. colored man we'll known to
the writer and who had been a res
taurant keeper in that city visited
the correspondents car for the pur-
pose of reporting TO them that during
the severe fighting of the previous
day an american, whom he believed
to he newspape correspondent
had been killed in a remote and ad-
Nanced portion of one of the dry irri-
eating canals that served most ef-
iectiNely az trenches for the be
sieeers.
As none of the party Of seven or
eight correspondents occupying the
car was missing. the thoughts of all
at once turned toward Bierce, and the
idea was advanced that perhaps he
had attached himself to some of the
other generals In comma nd of corps of
Villas army. and had thus remained
aloof from the latters central head
quarters and hence out of the ken of
the other Americans
The officer was closely questioned as
! to the appearance of the dead Ameri-
can. but his description did not CORE
spond with that of the missing man
although il was somewhat vague in
some respects, as the body was in
such condition when 1t was seen
. that an accurate description was diff
cult. However. the locality was indi-
Gated with sufficient definiteness, and
on the following morning at an early
| hour a party of the correspondents
with guide set out to investigate
They found the spot indicated by
their informa but to their disap-
pointment learned that the dead had
been gathered in piles, as was Gus
tomary, combustibleS placed over and
around them. oil poured over all and
! they had been changed into unrecog-
MIA BILE masses having little enough
resemblance to huma nifty.
x
FOLLOWING this event occurred a
constant and persistent watChful-
| ness for any evidence Of Bierce's
whereabouts. American newspaper
men who had visited Mexico at the
special invitation of Huerta and had
been carried about that portion of the
country still under his control in Pull
i''h '"i - tiidbNCu " I've III lolEeOIl
during the early days of the attack by
Villa. They had been assured the in
tereSting spectacle of the complete.
absolute and very sudden humiliation
of that leader and of his troops. and
awaited the sight with interest and
enthusiasm. But when, after a few
days, it became apparent to the fed
eral comma der that the -perform-
ance would again. have to he post.
poned, that the shoe was in fact. very
much upon the other foot and that
his own defeat was only a matter of
a short time, a quite short one. it
proved, in fact. the visitors were hur-
ried away. but>not until the federal
comma nder had. with his own hands.
killed one Of his subordinates who had
held an outpost against five repeated
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-27

any active part in the present dis
CuSSion.
At last he got up and left the as
sembly As he walked off somebody
asked him where he was going. and
he said he was going into the jungle
with his son kamubut, ia hope that
through communion with the spirit
there "A proper solution would he
vouchsaf fed TO him. Then the two
men went off past Lawusa : house. on
the far side of the village
In about half an hour. kamubut
came back alone. The women were
preparing the vans and tn. men were
still deSultorily talking. BY tacit
understa nding, they were waiting for
the return Of Gomulu. sure that he
would tell them what to do about
the property.
When they saw kamubut stride into
the clearing. they called out. Where
is your father
He has gone into the hush.
'lias the solution been found"
The solution has been found"
Need the property I've given back
The property need not he given
back"
Put Lawusa? Does she agree"
There is no disa greemeut." kamu-
hut answered. but do not mention
'lI' llsli VI llit utdu- ne lidIilc VI
the dead is taboo
And Gomulu?" they asked. startled.
When the proper number Of days
is accomplished. he will return" IA
mubut replied quietly.
Then. realizing that. as custom re-
uuired. Gomulu had gone into the
bush To purify himself for having
killed one of the tribe they gazed
silently at Kamubut in the fading
light.
TALES of psychological deaths
brought on merely by the belief
that an evil spell has been laid upon
a certain person by powerful witch
doctor. are common enough through
out the islands. Until | actually saw
dea tbs of this sort. | thought that
the reports of them were more or less
faxed" or that death was due to
starvation or some equally specific
cause.
! am now convinced that it is the
easiest thing in the world for a hys-
terical native to die of fright and
that deaths from this source con
tribute not little to the rapid falling
off of the Melanesian race. You have
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-27

DR.. Cilento, a member of the
Department Of Health Of the
Commonweal It'll of Australia. has
had many vivid experiences
among the primitive inhabitants
of the South Sea Islands. Be
ginning with the days imme-
diately following his graduation
in medicine. when he shipped as
a sailor on trading vessel
traversing equatorial waters, he
has been in close contact with
these peoples.
Last week DR.. Ciiento re-
counted the plight of tax-col-
lecting expedition when their
boat was stra nded on an un-
charted coral reef. Suddenly
they rea lized that they were
without ammunition and at the
mercy of warlike natives who
completely surrounded them. 1t
required considera BILE diplomacy
to extricate them from a.difficult
situation
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-27

but Futia was in the cell, and the
voice came out of the cell. 1t came
out of the cell and stood on my shout
der and called my name right into
my ear.
II was frightened. / tried TO force
the voice away, but ii would not be
forced. The voice said. Come closer
| did not move. Then suddenly the
voice grew stern and said. Come
close And l came close until | was
right against the door of F'utia's cell
open the door said the voice. Ny
hands were not my own hands. Sud
denly the door opened and Futia came
out
''He was tall. He was not like
man. Eight feet tall he was He
looked like cocoanut palm, and he
Swallowed me over and ! felt small be
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-27

1t was obvious that the story was a
manufa ctured one. ] determined to
elucidste the mystery. The sentry
was not to be shaken in his testimony
and kept insisting that F'utfa was no
natural man. and that he actually had
escaped by witchcraft. Presently |
saw that IL would he useless to ridi-
Guile this assumption. As soon as !
accepted II the man became more
communicative
Il was standing outside the sentry
post and il WAS late in the night" he
said in substance. 1T was the time
when the first light begins to come in
the sky and everything is very, very
quiet. Perhaps | was asleep. i do
not know. Suddenly | heard some
body calling my name.
1T was Futia' 8 voice calling me,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-27

assaults of the enemy. and only aba n
dnned the place when his men de
serted him-that is. those few who
We're left alive.
One of the correspondents who tried
10 send dispatch to his newspa per
presaeing the forthcoming defeat Of
the Huertistas was put under arrest
at HiDolito, A desolate spot in the
desert. was taken under guard from
the train. and imprisoned in filthy
hovel for over a week. almost foodless
and waterless, then WAS found and
released by the Constitutionaiists in
their progress toward Saltillo. in pur-
suit of the fleeing federals The writer
inspected his place of confinement and
found IL poor sort of shelter for
even the swine of the camp.
Half A dozen others of the guests"
of Huerta were transferred from their
comfortable Pullman cars TO the de-
cidediy uncomfortable cells of the
penitentiary at Saltillo. lest they. too,
should essay to send out DANA ing
but entirely truthful reports of actual
conditions. and were kept there sew
eral days under threats of death. They
also were released when the advance
forces of the Eillista troops took the
city from the Huertistas. who fed
lea wing a number of their dead in the
covered nd locked reservoir on the
hill that supplied the place with drink
ing water. and where they were not
found until after the commencement
of an epidemic of poisoning started
an investigation.
1t was thought that perhaps Bierce
might in some manner have joined
forces with the aforesaid guests Of
Huerta, but careful inquiry did not
fn~
port this idea.
Five years passed, and the fate Of
Ambrose Bierce still remained
unsolved. Then the writer. after
some interesting service in Mexico
City with the committee on public in
formation Of the American Govern
ment during the European war, found
himself, after the declaration of the
armistice. engaged in the publica ton
of a magazine in that place. Associ-
ated with him was a bright young
man from Durango. Don Edmundo
Melero who had been educated in
Philadelphia institutions, spoke and
wrote English to perfection, and had
a good knowledge Of newspaper and
magazine work.
In the course of conversation one
day Don Edmundo cha need to men
ton that he had been an officer in one
branch of Villas forces during the
early portion of the revolution. He
had held this position in 1913 and the
early portion of 1914.
IF YOU were with Villa s army dur
ing the latter part OF 1913 and early
ct
by any possibility YOU ever ran across
or heard anything of an America n
newspaper man and author named
Ambrose Bierce, who was supposed to
have been with the Copstitutionalist
forces about the time you mention.
He has been missing ever since and
I have tried in every way possible
to learn something of his fate
Ambrose Bierce Did l know
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-27

Panic Develops When Dead Girl
Returns to Her Village-Tribal Beliefs
in Sickness and in Death-The Figure on
the Funeral Pyre -Using a Potent
Charm to Thwart Witch Doctor.
The Wizardry of Murderous Chief.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-27
RY X. ". SILENTO.

AEWIENG looks out from the
" top of New Ireland. in the
~ Bismarck Arc h pc a & o.,
4 straight into the Pacific, just
below the eouator a low
New Britain herald., 1925-11-09
SAYS NEW ENGLAND IS
 FACING REAL DISTRESS
Coal Shortage serious, Representa- tiyc-ElcCt Mrs. Rogers Tells
 President Coolidge

Washington, Nov. tP>-Predict- ing distress in New England unless anthracite production is resumed shortly Mrs. John Jacob Rogers, representatives elect of Massachu- Sctts, urged President Coolidge to- day to appoint an impartial board of Inquiry to attempt settlement of the hard coal controversy.
 She said later that she received no encouragement, the president a1hering to the view that the fed cral government can do nothing un- der the law and that nothing could be gained by initiating an investiga- ton.
 While industry in the Lowell dis trlCt, which she had been elected 10 represent as successor to her late husband. is fortified with an ap- parent adequate fuel supply for the winter, houscholders in New Eng land, she reported, already are feel ing the pinch Of a coal shortage In diWdualS are unable 10 buy anthra- cite substitutes in more than 100 pound lots she said, and prices all ready have skyrocketed four to five dollars q ton.
 In advocating appointment of a board of inquiry Mrs. Rogers said she was conveying to the president the desire of her constituents in Cluding coal dealers.
New Britain herald., 1925-11-09
PATROL BOAT FIRES
 ON AMMUNITION SHIP
Mistakes Powder Laden Craft for Rum Ship
 Off Portland

Portland, Me. Nov. (P,- Coast guard patrol boat CG-151 opened fire today on a suspected rum run ner which proved 10 bo an army steamer loaded with two tons of explosive powder. Two one pound shells passed close 10 the army craft before Its signals were recognized.
 The army boat, the |. s. quarter masters steamer I.-49, had deck load Of cases of powder, which at tractcd the attention of the patrol craft. The ammunition had been taken on board at Cow island and the steamer, in command Of Sergeant 1soMd ctaoin shrd miw oiw oiwoa Mckinley. short distance away in Casco Bay.
 As the army vessel swung off inc CG-l51 started in pursuit. Not realizing that his vessel was being pursued Sergeant kasper had the T-iA put on speed, and the firing began. Frantic signals were made by the army men as the shells whiz2cd overhead. The commander of the patrol boat explained his 1c- tion, Sergeant Kaspcr said, by say ing:
 "It looked very had, with cases piled on deck and you running away from a coastguard boat"
 The incident was reported 10 army officials here, and it was said an in vestigaton would be started.
New Britain herald., 1925-11-09
Jury Is Completed to
 Try Rhinelander Case

White Plains, N. Y, Nov. g Rl-- Eleven men were selected in the first hour today for the jury which will sit in supreme court to hear the an- nulment suit brought by Leonard Kip Rhinelander against Mrs. Alice Beatries Jones Rhinelander on the ground that she misrepresented her race to him prior to their marriage.
 The jury was completed tenta- lively shortly before noon and court was then adjourned until afternoon 10 afford Rhinclnnder a chance to appear before the jury was made permanent
New Britain herald., 1925-11-09
FLAPPERS SIGH AS VALENTINO BOWS
 AND KISSES HAND OF MIME. PETROVA
"The Sheik' Appears in Court, Attired in Multi
 cOIOred Outfit and Wearing Gold Chain Bracelet

New York. Nov. Pl-Rudolph Valentino, appeared today in the supreme court as an expert" wit ness for Olga Pctrova, Enssia actress and playwright, at the resumption of the trial of the $35.U00 suit brought against hor by William Henry Robert, naval stores keeper of the British government in the West Indies, who clams the actress stole his play, "Thc Red Wig" and put it out as "Tho White Peacock. '"
 Valentino created something Of a sensation when ho appeared, at- tired in grey tweod> surmouniing rcddencd tan shoes with cloth up- pers of gray and his right wrist adorned with a chain of gold.
 After his testimony which was brief, Valentino and Madame re- trova lift the court room together and posed for camera ana ,Sovio men.
 Valentino was late in arriving and reached fine courtroom after tho dc fense had rested, bul was permitted to testify, He went immediately to
New Britain herald., 1925-11-09
Sensational verbal Cannonqde Turned On WarAnd MagyDepts
 MtcheU Says HeW Prove AZ
Accused Officer Repeats Charges -S Says He
 Himself Was Denoted For Telling Truth.
2 IPl--Anothor IIocs nf conrrcss.

WashinElon, Nov. P'--Anothcr levcrDcratIng cann6nade of aCcusa- tions was turned looso today by Colonel William Mitchell against those in charge of the military and naval air services. Through his counsel, Representative Frank R Reid the colonel informed the court martial trying him because of his previous utterances in the air con trovcrsy, that he was fully prepared to prove his charges of criminal and almost reasonable negligence in government aviation,
 Among the multitude Of offcnsos of which the, defense counsel prom ised to furnish proof were these;
 sums up Charges
 That the Shenandoah went on her fatal western trip unfit and against the will of her commander Zachary Lansdowne.
 That a naval officer sought to have Lansdowne's widow give false testimony.
 That those who arranged the un- successful Hawaiian flight Of the PN-9 No. were Incompetent"
 That high army and navy officers had testified falsely before commit
New Britain herald., 1925-11-09
REVENUE INSUFFICIENT
Postmaster General New Says that Income from Dept. Is not Enough to Pay Wage Increases.

Washington, Nov. LP -- The recently increased postage rates will only about half meet the pos tai wage increases, Postmaster General New said today In a state mcnt to the congressional special joint subcommittee on postal rates.
 Having held hearings in various cities preparatory tO new postal legislation at the coming session of congress, the committee resumed it's hearings here today and after listening to the postmaster general. received extensive data from Jos cph Stewart, executive assistant 10 Postmaster General New, submit ted estimates based on the first three months Of the present fiscal year, showing the probable in- crease in postal revenues as a re- suit of the increased postage rates would be about S32,000,oo0, with total revenues estimated al SG69,- 00O,00o. The pay increase voted by congress approximatcs S6S,ooQ,Q0O a year.
New Britain herald., 1925-11-09
BACKS NEW HAVEN R. R.
Waterbury Manufacturer Says They Must RecOup Losses by Bus or Boost Freight Rates.

Hartford, Nov. 9 GP' - Frederick s. Chase, prominent Waterbury manufacturer, at continued hearing before the public utilities commission today made a lengthy plea in favor of the co-ordinatcd rail and bus program of the New Haven road. Either the railroad must be permitted to recoup on passenger receipt losses by opera ton of busses on the highways or freight rates must be materially increased and the latter would be q blow to Connecticut manufaCtur- ing interests, Mr. Chase maintain cd
 The proposed bus lines between Hartford and Danbury were under consideration. Representatives Of several independent bus lines op- posed the petitions which are pre- scented by the New England trans portation company. subsidiary of the New Haven road.