An interesting logic problem

Another answer:
The missionary was shocked and horrified to discover that marriage vows could be so easily ignored. Not making much headway among the natives, he decides that on his last day he will do what he can to destroy this abhorrent (to him) custom - and lies. He doesn't make up any details (details can be disproved) but makes an offhanded comment about the cheating going on in order to undermine the natives' faith in their system.

Each man who hears that will think that his wife must have cheated, but each of them will be told by others that the wife hadn't... Unless they had. So the number of women hung will be the number of woman who cheated - because in the chaos the husbands will learn about it. And the next missionary can help them put their society back together on a more "moral" foundation.

Goodgulf

My head hurts.

This story reminds me of the saying "how much wood can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" Like Caleb said, it makes ones head hurt.

Or indeed, "I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's mate. I'm only plucking pheasants 'cause the pheasant plucker's late".