Show APPOtiAIDOO THE AGHORE = = = = = = = = r r A i loiiBlor Who PliilvoH on Oannon With I tiunuii rlenh as DOHFCM tc = = = = r 1 POO III HUMAN fJ Ghoul t Not all rj thegruetomenets ol that word U too meaningful I a r Description I now Old Ier linn traditions gave form lo the word golf tram formed Into ghoul In our language I as dcctlblng a being In human form who feasted and fattened on the decayIng decay-Ing flesh of men and animals This ana an-a ptnonose told modern enlightenment en-lightenment but today the iiinetecnir century clvllliallon must attest the record rec-ord of the vole at a reality an actual living being not In the wilds and mountain moun-tain lastncMe of Persia but In thAt city which for more than two hundred and filly e An has been Iho ttronghotd l of British control India Appu Naidoo the aRhoie or corpsecater has made his appearance at llilitor just wett of the Mouths ol the Ganges It what Is I known at IktUsor 1 Koad where In I6t5 the agents ol the Ilritish l > as t India company tilled Into the estuary of Twisting rivcrmaiked on them the-m nM by the native title ol Ilurabalang literally the Old Twister Sixteen miles up the river they went but only eight miles Irom the seashore AS the crow flies and located the III i lo town of Ilppli In the midst ot a country occupied occu-pied I by a hostile and unciv lllied people Generally Ihey woiked their way Into trade vvllli the nitivet forming the ball ol Ilrltish I realness In India llourlthlng IItf II llso In spite ol theoppreiilv enett of Mahoinc tin governor and when needful assets ing their claims to respect by force ol arms In 1641 they established Italaior which now contains a population ol more than jooco souls and It directly under Ililtlsh adrilnlttratlon The country coun-try there miy be classed In three divisions divi-sions I Hie ball tract along the coast m The Arable tract or rice country 3 The SubmonlAne tract or jungle land In the Salt tract tlugglth brackish tlieams creep along between tankicf land black mud occasionally I marked by timlhlllt carpeted with deepen and wild convolvulus llalasor It on the Arabic tract and Inland the country tprcads out Into prairies of I coarse long grass and scrub jungle whlcli aDord shelter and support for wild animals In plenty and throughout a vast region there scarcely a hamlet and only palettes of rice cultivation at long Intervals to the west north and t nil c4 Appii 1 Naldon and lilt four pariah dogs entered llalasor from the south In July I I last His tint appearance attracted little attention lor there was nothing unusual about him that was known He 1 proceeded 10 ono 01 the ihorc lani outside of town where carcasses ol diseased cattle and corpses ol those dead from small pox or cholera urn disposed dis-posed rn by birds I and beasts r prey boon the newt spread I that tho Saku as he was called by the natives lor ho claimed magic powers of curing disease In tout seam Anti 01 charming owa > sterility In womenwas IIevoulnl the diseased corpse and crowds gathered lo acmes I him engaged In the unholy repitt sills i reputation ai a ciriloneater attracted at-tracted people to him rather than other wife borne rear ectable townspeople tullermg from liver or spleen diseases u cut to Interview him and submitted to hit cure tits consisted of being anointed with human oil obtained Irom boiling up diseased human flesh and eating n portion of a iwcetmeit first b ttcn In liilf by Iho nghore In one Instance a well todo proiestlonil man ol the town sent a conveyance In order I i lsS oc l vel hoO to bring the badu to hit house to tee hit ton and cure him of tome dlteaso Crowds people came to see Appu Naidoo disposing of hit thistly nasal fo surrounded I lb hit dog Arrest him r Mid an lnghshman who was attracted by curlo > liy and was dligusled at the rlot dl t sight tr lint Is tic use of attempting to arrest him sir sail n respectable Bengali clerk In reply He cannot be arrested save at his awn will for he hash has-h power r nt once rendering himself 1 1 1 Inv isible I and ol transporting himself else 1I3 g I ahem I Such llrl U the depth of Orissa superstition He Is I eating uholesomo lood and pretending to eat carrion was the kiigktstlon of one observer Hut no ho had been teen In the dusk of tho even Inc carving up 1 a human corpse lor his diet Further he had been observed many tlircn 1 taking the llesh of lo animal I that had died of disease and hiving prepared It had partaken of It at food I C it tfn JIII lie I i was asked II rrt did 1 not I fear the I diseise from inch a source And replied that he secured Immunity from danger by anointing his body dim with human oil obtained by boiling liuniin llesh I hum yean he had I made his abode In I the dire dank chame houses of India feelIng feel-Ing on carrion of the vilest description et was strong and hearty Here Is a ease for the explanation ol scientists and authorities on germs a ease for health boards sanitarians to ponder over hough anpircntly I iHhythla I human ghoul I was by no meant hsndsome at least from the Caucasian point of view it le was about 3S ears ol nltelnd of com parath ely smail stature Dressed In a tout uaistcloth and ol repulsive lea I lures he auto the usual hllhy matted lock of the Hindu I mendicant reaching reach-ing to hit waist lac balllles adorned his wrist and on one arm he wore nOne n-One burrs tusk as nn armlet With blackened teeth and black hairy body and face he t seemed more devil than man Why Interfere ullli mel I want nothing Irom you said he too crowd I who mobbed him upon the Statement that two corpses had disappeared from Ihlasor and that AppuNaidoj had taken and eaten them The superstl llous brought rice and native spirits to rcpltlate I him but the better Informed were angered Though this human vul lure was looked on by the Ignorant and credulous ns l supernatural being the sentiment the more enlightened portion por-tion compelled the authorities to net notwithstanding they had no irlsdlctlon J outside the town I and the huullsh I proceedings pro-ceedings ueiu e Ijei a civilized I i curt Appu Naidoo was charged with I tteil I Nr dTh tug iwi human corpses Fit charge I WI not ilnlncd lor he had not stolen Hi m Hut the bodies ol two tenons woo had died of disease ase been placed outside of the town These he Informed the court he had taken possession pos-session of and devoured Wule always way an nghore t Ni he said and then he told the story of his life lie was a MAdras llrahmin and seven years ago he was inn Mitvlnz condition when he was Initiated I I bv a Guru at llenare Into eating human flesh So them were other ghouls thin he At present lie mid he was obliged to cook his food lint he hoped In time be ahlo lo dispense with this sign mortal a uaknen Then he followed with a detailed recital ol gum particulars of his diet and hi preparation So the authorities ordered him to move on There was no law against eating carrion ttw the moral effect of Appu Naidoo example uai M dim aging that his I presence could not be endured 1 J longer The ghastly scene which loaned on IlaUsnr 1 In IyI 1891 I and continued for several weeks was closed Irom Iho view of the people there and the cannibal moved to more remote parts t lo continue hIs mode of hie heir II would IJ lets objectionable bll lo the European I stomachs because It was outside of the range of Immediate all t nlion There Is Packer the Colorado man eater who Is In jail I on a charge of mur der for killing nI the victims i he ale Ills admitted that he was Inline Hut the Hindu ghoul was not to considered he hid been taught In A time of necessity In hlmscll to devour human llesh yet the fact of his Instruction as Hated by himself levcal that In India there arc ghoul Irom choice who cultivate and cratlly atrocious appetites In the belief that thereby they ol tain supernatural posers fortunately their numbers are rOlell lew and far between and may they become be-come fewer and farther still slutGncasg |