The murder of of captain Johan Charles de Quant
In 1929 our relative Johan (Joop) Charles de Quant was murdered in Borneo. Combining several sources we can get an Idea of the circumstances surrounding his death.
In march 1929 a group of four Americans set of on an expedition to the island of Borneo. The espedition leader was dr. Seelmann. One of the expedition members, the radio operator Wells, kept a journal of the expedition and the encouter they had with Johan Charles, which is retold in a book about radio amateurs called ‘the world of Ham Radio 1901 – 1950‘ by Richard A. Bartlett:
This island is tropical, warm and humid, with swamps along the south and south-west lowlands while mountains in the interior rise to more than 13,000 feet. Under the towering trees of the rain forest were at least 15,000 species of flowering plants (nine percent of the world’s total) and 185,000 animal species (sixteen percent of the world’s total). Tigers, elephants, and rhinoceroses are among the fauna that occupy, or inhabit, the island. When the expedition set out, some of the island was still unexplored. Cannibalism and warfare among the native peoples still existed. In 1929, modernity was hardly affecting Borneo.
Their first glimpse of Borneo was not encouraging. “The heat,” Wells reminisced, “seemed to come rolling out to meet our small coastwise steamer. The shoreline was indefinite and appeared as a rather depressing maze of swamp and jungle.” They landed on the extreme south end of the island at the Dutch settlement of Bandjarmasin, population forty thousand, of whom just a few hundred were whites. From there the expedition started up the Barito River aboard a little Dutch river boat, the Niagara. Sometimes progress was almost blocked by the hyacinths growing from bank to bank. Wells was fascinated by the flora and fauna: The strange jungle odors, the bright-hued tropical birds flying overhead, the herds of chattering monkeys playing along the banks, the occasional wild boar or deer seen cautiously quenching its thirst, the crocodiles or snakes gliding through the muddy, sluggish water, all seemed to be saying, “this is the road to adventure and the real things of life.”
After a week the Niagara reached the village of Poerock Tjahoe (Poeroek Tjahoe), the last Dutch military outpost on the Barito, two hundred fifty miles from the coast and dead on the equator. The white population consisted of the post commander and ‘controleur‘ Johan Charles de Quant, two young lieutenants, and a doctor. Poerock Tjahoe would be the expedition’s headquarters.
Our relative Captain De Quant had been appointed as controleur (a mid level posting in the colonial government system) to a portion of central Borneo larger than all of Holland. He was the oldest of three sons of Johan Hendrik de Quant and Christina Ruempol. Johan Charles was the grandson of Johannes and Christina, the founders of the Dutch Indies branch of our family (see the family tree).
When the expedition members were acclimatised to the heat and humidity plans were made for the exploration of source of the ‘treacherous Murun river’, teritory never seen by a white man, while also searching for the namadic Punan Dayak People. The company set off in boats with the help of captain De Quant, five convicts serving time for murder and a few indigenous helpers. After three days they were at the edge of the Kiham Hatas, the longest single rapid in Borneo, “600 yards of water fury.” Wells added: The ensuing month was one continual story of man’s battle with the elements. There were days of hard paddling—days of roasting in the intense heat; sudden showers would soak us through; then the slightest breeze would chill us to the bone; swarms of insects gave one little rest. Rapids, waterfalls, narrows and whirlpools had to be encountered, where the slightest error in judgment might spell destruction for all. We were too busy and tired to heed any rumors of unfriendly natives. At last they arrived at Toembang Topus, the last village on the Murung and close to the headwaters.
They had to continue their exploration without Captain De Quant, who had business at another isolated village. Weeks later, but while the expedition was still in Borneo, Captain De Quant was brutally murdered less than an hour’s hike from the camp.
What happened?
So what happened that led to the murder? THere is an old newspaperarticle that sheds some light, but is somewhat illegible. What I can make up is that captain De Quant visited the kampong (village) Maroentoe and confonted hadji Doerasit about a log (wood) worth 50 guilders the was found floating in the river. Possibly the Dutch colonial government claimed rights to the selling of logs. In any case that log and others were numbered by captain De Quant and Doerasit wanted to now why. An argument ensued at which time Doerasit drew a knife and stabbed captain De Quant several times, after which he fell into the river and was picked up by an assistant, dead or dying.
Well’s report goes on to say that they came to know of the murder that day. Without radio the quickest the Dutch colonial government could be informed and take action was by boat to the coast and return, a matter of two weeks. Residents of the entire area in which the expedition was camped could have been massacred by then (there was fear of an uprising). With the expedition’s radio, however, notification went to ham (radio amateur) stations KAIAF at Fort Mills (USA) and KAICY in Manila (Phillipines) and from there to Bandjarmasin where, on the very night of the disaster, the Dutch received the message. Wells’s radio, by way of these relays, continued to aid the Dutch and helped prevent a general uprising.
This report is confirmed by another newspaper article I found concerning the funeral of the captain, from the Preanger Bode:
This article tells of the buriel of Johan Charles de Quant. He had just been given the honorary medal for 15 years of service, which arrived in Poeroek Tjahoe when his body was brought there. The leader of the expedition, dr. Seelman, spoke at the ceremony. He expressed his gratitude to the captain, saying De Quant had provided invaluable services to the expedition. Dhr. Seelman had travelled from Poeroep Tjahoe to lay a wreath in his memory. The article goes on to say that the expeditions radio installation had enabled the quick relay of the attack.
Johan Charles was married to Johanna van Wicheren. They had two children, Tine Pauline and Johan Willem. The latter emigrated to the US (California) as an adult, after the second world war. His descendants still live in the US to this day.
Written by Wouter de Quan