Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-07-26
the more intense the smell the more opera.
tive the poison hence the necessity on the
part of the attendant to avoid inhaling this
concentrated poison.
A Gipsey Divorce.

A Gipsey Divorce.
A writer on the habits of the Gipsies
gives the following account of the ceremo-
MES of divorce. He says:
Divorce is common. 1t is performed
over the body of horse, which is sacrificed
for the occasion. The ceremony must take
place, if possible, "when the sun is at its
height" All the parties concerned in it
carry long slaves in their hands. A horse
without blemish is led forth, and a member
of the company is chosen by lot to act as
priest on the occasion. He walks round
the animal several times, repeating the
names of all the persons in whose possession
it has been, and extolling its rare qualities.
1t is then let loose, and several Gipsies set
off in pursuit of it. If it is wild and in.
tractable, leaps bitches, kicks, and will not
allow itself to be easily caught, the guilt OF
the woman is looked upon as enormous but
if it is tame and dociIe, her crimes are
thought to be less beinous, and the death of
the horse is sufficient to wash them away.
But sometimes both woman and horse used
to be sacrificed together.
The individuals who.ca the horse bring
it before the priest. They repeat to him all
the faults and tricks it has committed lay.
ing the whole of the crimes of which the
woman is supposed to have been guilty to
its charge, and upbraiding and scolding the
dumb creature in an angry manner for its
conduct. They bring, as it were, an accu.
sation against it, and plead for its condem.
nation. When this part of the trial is fu-
ished, the priest takes large knife and
thrusts it into the heart of the horse and
its blood is allowed to flow upon the ground
till life is extinct The dead animal is now
stretched out upon the ground. The hus
band then takes his stand upon one side of
it, and the wife on the other, and holding
each other by the hand, repeat certain ap.
propriate sentences in the Gipsey language
They then quit hold of each other, and walk
three times round the body of the horse,
contrawise, passing and crossing each other
at certain points as they proceed in opposite
directions. At certain parts of the animal
(the corners of the horse was the Gipsey's
expression such as the hind and fore feet
the shoulders and launches, the head and
tail, the parties halt and face each other,
and again repeat sentences in their own
speech at each time they halt. The two
last stops they make, in their circuit round
the sacrifice, at the head and tail. At the
head, they again face each other and speak;
and lastly, at the tail, they again confront
each other, utter some more Gipsey expires.
sions, shake hands, and finally part, the one
going North, the other South, never again
to be united in this life Immediately at-
ter the separation takes place, the woman
receives a token, which is made Of cast iron,
about an inch.and-a half square, with a
mark upon it resembling the Roman char
aoter T. After the marriage has been dis
solved, and the woman dismissed from the
sacrifice, the heart of the horse is taken and
roasted with fire, then sprinkled with vine
gar or brandy, aud eaten by the husband
and friends present; the female not being
allowed to join in this part of the ceremony.
The body of the horse, skin and everything
about it, except the heart, is buried on the
spot and years after the ceremony has Ia
ken place, the husband and bis friends visits
the grave of the animal, to see whether it
has been disturbed At these visits, they
walk round about the grave, with much
grief and mourning.
Tue husband may take another wife
whenever he pleases, but the female is never
permitted to marry again. The token, or
rather bill of divorce, which she receives,
must never be from about her person. If
she loses it, or attempts to pass herself OFT
as woman never before married, she be-
comes liable to the punishment of DEATH
In the event of her breaking this law, a
council of the chiefs is held upon her con-
duct, and her fate is decided by majority
of the members, and, if she is to suffer
death, her sentence must be confirmed by
the king or principal leader. The culprit
is then tied to stake, with an iron chain,
and there cudgeled to death. The execu.
TONERS do not extinguish life at one beating
but leave the unhappy woman for little
while, and return to her, and at last com.
plete their work by despatching her on the
spot.