Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-03-15
A Hindeo Sacrifice.

The Rfahmins we're very busy over
poor srinkled Old nan, ukoss ewes we're
bloodshOi, and whose knees shook TO-
gether with nervousness This miserable
being had been partially stuPched with
drink, and Vas = sacrifice 10 Kali They
made him kneel upon the ground, and
then three men stopped over him, and
commenced pinching up the skin Just be
tween his shoulders. They kept knead-
ing this about in their fingers as wei as
they could, although the poor old man
vas 10 thin that his skin was drawn al
most A. tightly ~ parchment over drum.
The manipulators managed, however, 30
get hold Of n little pinch Of il, and kept
working At il 80 as 10 render il numb.
They then brought some red paint aud
put a little daub Of IL ON the place they
hal been pinching. The heat in the
shed was intense, everybody in il look
ing rs il they had been dragged through
pond. The old man was nearly faint
ing, and called out feebly, "punkah
lao bring q fan. They gave him some
water and waved a fan over him, and
then brought two sharp and strong steel
hooks. The point was put upon the
spot which had been made with red paint,
and thrust through skin and flesh until
the hook came ont at some other spot.
The victim yelled diSmally, but the
priests and onlookers set up a shout Of
/ triumph, the tom-tOms were beaten, and
amid the general noise the old mans
cries were lost. The flesh ON the other
shoulder was similarly punched and
lneaded, the hook was thrust through,
and n lOtah Of drink was handed TO the
victim. II must have been some highly
intoxicating draught, fol after he had
taken 1T he seemed like one in a trance.
A band was now passed underneath
the hooks, and made fast to rope, and
procession was then formed to the
pole. walked by the side of the vic
tim, but he took little or no notice
of the crowd, and seemed then to be suf-
fering little pain. He was soon hoisted
to the top of the pole, one end of the
rope being fastened to the capstan, he
was swung at great speed round and
round. At the very first movement the
flesh was torn in an awful manner, and
the band between the hooks, pressing AL
across the back, seemed alone TO prevent
the flesh being pulled out in a mass.
There was no blood while the man was
ON the ground, but now it streamed freely
down his back. The pain probably re-
called him to his senses, for he made Q
salaam to Kali, and united handker
chief which had been put into his hands
and from it cast down sweetmeats among
the crowd. Twelve men were now push
Il IL. la
and the victim was being swung round
at rate which made the eye dizzy tC
look at him. The crowd seemed to be-
worked to the highest pitch of excite
ment by the sight of the mans mangled
flesh, and the uproar they made would
have drowned any cry of pain which
! might have been wrung from the unhap
by wretch above. Presently he made {
, sign to be lowered, and when he reached
} the ground child was brought to hin
! and placed in his arms. 1t was pathetic
: sight to mark the affection with which
the poor creature gazed upon that child
and the earnestness with which he kisseC
: it. 1t may have been that he was poor
and had subjected himself to these suf
; ferings in order to earn little none,
| for his family. The child cried loud,
on being taken away from him, but tn
priests and the crowd were alike GROWN,
impatient, and it was necessary for hin
) to be once more hoisted to the top o
the pole.
Then he was swung round for anothe
! ten minutes, while the crowd became
! gradually more indifferent to him, seeing
that he was not likely to fall. In tn
: meantime, other backs were being pre-
, pared for the hooks, and one or two mel
were being got ready to have a skewe
thrust through their cheeks. Their
, were others who were candidates TO
! having an iron rod thrust through thei
tongues, and there were rumors of bar
/ barities to be performed far more dis
gushing than these.