Salt Lake Tribune | 1913-08-31 | Page 11 | "Human Leopards" Retain Their Hold

"fill LEOPARDS" RETAIITHEIR ROLD Murderous African Chiefs Rule Through Superstition and Shedding of Blood. FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, West Africa, Af-rica, Aug. 30. Tho murderous native organization of Sierra Leone, known all up and down the west const of Africa as the Ilumau Leopard society, is being be-ing relentlessly pursued by tho British authorities to its furthermost hiding places. Tho determination is to oxtir-pato oxtir-pato it, but the task will bo difficult, tor this sinister and baneful association associa-tion has obtained such a strong grip on tho superstitions of tho natives in its sevornl hundred years of existence that it will fight and die hard. Iug society is a secret organization. It has operated with particular atrocity of recent years in the northorn Shorbro district, a'nd most if not all of the principal natives of this region belong to it. Some Pay Penalty. Between twenty and thirty murders have been committed bv members of tho society sinco 1007. T'ho purpose undoubtedly un-doubtedly was to provide human flesh for their fellow members, but whether this was done merely for tho gratification gratifica-tion of the lasto for cannibalism, or whether tho killings were a part of somo secret rite of the organization whereby the natives beliovo their mental men-tal anil physical powers are increosed has not beon conclusively learned. Mat-tors Mat-tors reached such a crisis a fow monthB ago that a spocinl court was appointed and many arrests were made. Among the members placed on trial were sov-eral sov-eral paramount chiefs. Eventually, under a special ordinanco passod to sup press the society, seven men wero executed exe-cuted for murder, two condemned to ue Imprisonment and eleven wore expelled ex-pelled from tho protectorate. Blood Thirst Rules. In a roport on tho society and its ro-cent ro-cent atrocitios tho governor of Sierra Leone, Sir Edward M. Merewother, ex- firessos the opinion that while his dras-ic dras-ic actions will tond to chock the activities ac-tivities of the society, yet tho blind belief be-lief of tho natives in tho efficacy of the medicines concocted by the organization; organi-zation; the fact that periodical sacrifices sacri-fices are considered necessary to re-now re-now the power of the remedies, and a tendency on the part of some of the natives "to cannibalism pure and simple, are causes likely to contribute to the rarvival of th organisation.