Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-08-03
WITCH SWINGING.
A Barbnrous Custom stin Practiced in
India.

A clearly-proved case OF witch swing
ing lately occurred in Oodeypore, show
ing that this baroarous practice still
prevails among the Bheels of that wild
tract in the extreme southwest of o.
deypore, in spite of the-possibly
/ feeble efforts of the Dunbar to put
it down. The head-man (Gounthee)
of Bheel village was taken i'll, and
one Lemba Bhagoree, bhopa Or witch
finder, was employed to discover the
witch who had caused his sickness.
That mans account of what happened,
given before the Political Assistant at
kotra was as follows:
Dhuna Doongri took handful of
grain, and having waved it over the
body of the Gounthee Sukra, asked me
to look at the grain. | looked at 1t,
but never spoke or said word, nor
did | show that any one was a witch.
remained perfectly silent.
On this Champa, knelo, and the four
sons of Sukra, said to me: "Why are
you silent, and do not speak We
have already arranged everything. -
Deeta, Lois wife, is the witch, and she
has has made the Gounthee i'll let us
go and put her to the test" On this
everyone rose, went and seized Deeta,
and took her to the water-test, which
is the following: A strong bamboo, is
embedded at the bottom of any piece
of water. The accused goes to the
bamboo, holds it, and by it descends
to the bottom. In the meantime, one
of the villagers discharges an arrow
h., |
to pick it up and bring it back to the
place it was launched from. If the
unfortunate woman is able to remain
under water until this is done, she is
declared innocent bit if she comes up
to breathe before the arrow is returned
to the bow man, she Is true witch,
and must be swung as such.
The bowman was kumla kasota his
fathers name, Nurhingh, of the village
of khara. The fetchers of the arrow
were two of Sukra's sons, kumala and
Joyta. was also present at the time
of test The woman failed in the test,
and thus became witch. At this
great cutlery was raised, and the woman
was seized and tied up and taken away.
/ returned to my home. Other evil
dences, however, showed that after look
ing at the grain, Lemba had declared
Deeta the witch. What happened then
is told in Deeta's own words: "Seven
Bheels of Jhanjur and kumla of anoth-
er village came to my house and told
me was witch, and that l had made
Suka Gounthee ILL., They seized me,
saying, Come and undergo AN ordeal.
I
put me to the test of taking out rupee
from heated oil. Twice took out the
rupee from the burning oil without in
jury to myself, and was innocent. They
allowed me to go home.
:" At the time of undergoing the or
DEAL my husband, Deeta Loi, and his
elder brother, Lalla, were present on
my part A month after this, the
above named seven Bheels again came
to my house, seized me, and said they
would put me to the water test. They
took me to the river and told me to per-
form the test. [ refused, and did not
enter the water They then took me
to tamarind-tree behind Sukra's
house, and applied bandage of red
chillies over my eyes, tied me to q rope,
head downward, from the tree, and be-
gan to swing me backward and forward
They swung me for two whole days
the third day they swung me till II
O'Clock NJ. They, thinking me then
dead, undid the ropes and left me
there. Budda Palgee, who belongs to
my fathers village, and whom | call
brother, took me to his house, and at
tended to my wounds and my mani
mate state. Having little life in me,
| recovered.
The rope, it appeared, had been tied
round her ankles. During the swing
ing, the Bheels kept on shouting. and
urging her to confess. They used to
take her down at night, but not to un
tie the rope; and they gave her food.
Two of the neighboriag Thakoors tried
to stop the swinging, but the Bheels
would not obey; but at last period
was put to further torture, either by
the influence of the Meewar Vakee, or
by the impression that it's victim was
already dead The Political Assistant
sentenced Lemba to five years imprison-
ment i'll the Ajmere Jail. The punish
ment of the villager who swung the
woman had been committed by the
Dunbar to neighboring chieftain, and
he executed it in such barbarous man
ner as to call for severe animadversions
on the part OF the Brstish political of
ticers.
ASIlken Newspaper.