Acehnese Murder Shook the Marsose Netherlands

Friday, October 10, 1913. Wilhelm Bernhard Johann Antoon Scheepens was a bit late coming home. At that time, his wife was pregnant. The Marsose division commander and the head of government in Sigli had to attend meusapat (adat court). An unpleasant decision should be taken.

A commoner struck the son of an uleebalang (nobility) who looked to be called Titeue. Anakulalang has been indifferent to the wife of the commoner. For the sake of honor of his wife, the commoner dared to hit the noble boy.

In the feudal society's view, hitting a noble boy is a mistake, no matter how innocent the child is. Even though the commoner who became a victim, he must receive a very severe punishment.

The case of this beating, as written H.C. Zentgraaff in his legendary book, Atjeh (1983), "an ordinary people is supposedly very guilty if he dares to use his hands against a son of the uleebalang" (pp. 85-87).

Scheepens, as a Marsose officer involved in the Aceh War (including joining Gayo-Alas Expedition), can be regarded as an enemy of Acehnese who is considered evil. But, as the head of government charged with protecting civilians, it is obligatory for him to uphold justice.

Before leaving, Scheepens said to his great pregnant wife, "This rat has its tail." That is to say, the boy who was hit was a son of a magnifying man. Scheepens went to me. The meeting was the last time Mrs Scheepens had seen her husband in a dashing state.

In the meusapat it, the uleebalang so eager to demand the heaviest punishment to the commoner. Scheepens had reminded the uleebalang that the punishment he wanted was outdated.

"Three months of krakal (confinement) law is more than enough," Scheepens' verdict, after consultation with the native Chief Prosecutor.

Noble noble base, uleebalang not accept and say: "That I do not accept."

It remains three months. After the case, "said Scheepens keukeuh on the verdict so that cases that he thinks has been terminated as fair as not protracted.

The uleebalang went berserk. He pulled out his rencong and thrust it into Scheepens's stomach. Some Acehnese who become messengers also lifted klewang. With anger, they also pull out each klewang and managed to knock down uleebalang.

Scheepens tried to be calm. Even trying to assuage the anger of the messengers. Scheepens, known to be a formidable commander, knew perfectly well what would happen to a man with a stomach piercing so deeply: dead.

"Calmly he went home," Zentgraaff wrote. When he got home, little blood was seen in his wife's eyes.

"It's okay just a skin scratch that does not mean anything. Let's drink a glass of champagne for good results, "Scheepens said to calm.

After the bottle was opened and the champagne poured, his wife, as well as his close friend, van Galen Last, drank together. His wife and Galen know Scheepens's wounds are serious. Until Scheepens was rushed to the hospital. The famous surgeon Doctor Dubinsky was even brought in from Kutaraja. From Sigli, Scheepens was taken to Kutaraja in a state of dying. He finally died a few days later.

Due to the Aceh War Revenge

Scheepens was not the only Dutch who had been struck by rencong Aceh after the Aceh War. "Although the armed (large) armed resistance of the people seems to be extinguished by the Dutch, the attacks on the Dutch military and employees continue," Rosihan Anwar wrote in the Indonesian "Petite Histoire" Small History, Volume 1 (2004: 70).

This is what the Dutch call the Atjeh Moorden or the Killing of Aceh. Between 1910 and 1920, there were 75 cases and thereafter, from 1920 to 1930 there were 51 cases. R.A. Kern once investigated the murder of Aceh. Simple conclusion, this happens because of revenge on the Dutch people called kaphe aka kafir. This killing is sometimes done in crowded places.

In July 1933, nearly 20 years after Scheepens died, another Marsose commander was stabbed as well. Although not in trial meusapat. "Captain Ch. E. Schmid, Commander of Division V Marsose was stabbed by an Acehnese named Amat Leupon in Lhok Sukon, North Aceh, "wrote Teuku Ibrahim Alfian in War on God Road: Aceh War, 1873-1912 (1987: 134).

According to Rosihan Anwar's notes, Amat is not seen as a person who hates the Dutch very much. But, Amat is a man who will not forget how the Dutch military killed his father when he was 10. Vengeful Amat was completed ten years after the murder. Vengefulness is more likely to be understood, at least by a vengeful, rather than a selfish Tineue.

Not only Scheepens and Schmid who became victims of the Marsose. Captain Joannes Paris was also killed on 3 April 1926 in Sape (Bakongan). Likewise, First Lieutenant W. A. ​​Molenaar who was killed on August 11, 1926 at Teureubangan (Bakongan) and Captain Antonie Joris Haga took turn on 19 December 1933 in Glé Breuëh (Lhöng).

Book Gedenkboek van het Corps Marechaussee van Atjeh en Onderhoorighed (1941: 295) mentions, Scheepens who was born Ambon, 13 April 1868 was declared dead on October 17, 1913, a week after stabbing. His wife became a widow.

Scheepens had a son named Willem Jan Scheepens (born in Nijmegen, May 13, 1907). Like his father, Scheepens junior alias Wim enters Marsose. Before World War II, the boy had become the first lieutenant and had crossed Mount Leuser from Bakongan to Blang Kejeren.

In Dutch troop commando Corps Speciale Troepen, Captain Wim Scheepens was once his commander. Then he was replaced by his best friend, Captain Westerling, who had led the Ratu Adil (APRA) rebellion.