The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-05-04
Terrible Self-TOrture Committed by
Fanatics in Colorado.

Fanatics in Colorado.
A CORRESPONDENT Of the st, Louis
Globe Democrat writes from Sagauche, Col,
describing the peculiar observances of the
Penitents: Early in the week here it was
reported in town that a man was :, he
crucified OF the Friday following. lie
the south of Sagauche, about fifteen miles,
there is large settlement OF Mexicans,
called Carneros. 1t sit. close to the foot
OF the mountain range, and its inhabitants
are engaged in stock herding and agri.
culture, In company with exMayor
Barker, OF Denver, your correspondent,
ieft Sagauche at ten a. M TO witness this
strange performance. We arrived at Mr.
Royals ranch at about one p. m, and
after hasty lunch, repaired to the scene
which was taking place about mile up
the creek from his house, and Immediately
back of his ranch. We were Informed by
Mr.. Royal that the fun had just COM
Inenced, and were in time,
Four heavy, wooden crosses, about fiji,
teen feet high, had been erected at inter-
walls of about 800 feet, each, with one ex-
ception, bearing Latin inscription.
On the first cross was this legend, MI
nfsi Cruel" naught but the cross. On the
next, "Nisi Dominus fiust5u," "Lest
God be with you, toll is vain," and on the
third, "Omnia ad Det glorjam," "All
things to the glory of God" The fourth
your correspondent has forgotten. There
were eighteen penitents-divided up into
groups of four, and six attendants to each
group. Each penitent, with two eScep-
lions, wore black mask or sack drawn
completely over the head, and fastened
about the neck. The other two wore red
masks. Whether the difference of color
in the masks represented different de-
gree OF crime or not we failed to ascertain.
The leader of each band carried some
thing resembling watchman's pttle.
He was followed by another attendant
playing small reed flute. The other
four attendants chanted in a low, monot-
onous tone some Spanish words that we
could not understand Aside from the
masks the penitents wore nothing but a
PAIR Of the thinnest kind of knit drawers.
Each one OF the group, penitents and at
PENDANTS, carried an "azotc," or scourge,
made from the leaf of the p-wced. 1t
is very tough and tibrous, and was braid
ed into clubs about four inches wide, ana
perhaps three feet long. The line of
march was from one cross to the other,
and at each cross halt was made of about
five minutes.
Atevery step they dashed themselves
with these "azotes," until the blood fair
ly spirited from every pore. They took
sharp pieces of flint, and lacerated the
tleshy parts of the body until they were
literally a mass of bleeding flesh.
Whenever one fell down from exhaustion
and loss of blood, which occurred every
moment or two, one of the attendants took
his scOurge and beat him until lie got up
again.
In one group a heavy log chain was
fastened to each ankle of the penitent,
and the attendants took hold and dragged
him feet foremost over beds of cactus OF
prickly pear plants, which abound in this
country. Occasionally they would all
give sudden jerk together, and fairly
lift him from the ground. This dragging
would continue perhaps ten minutes each
time. Another penitent had a cowhide
cut up into strips, and would wind it as
tightly as possible around his arms and
legs until the circulation was completely
stopped, and the flesh seemed to be burst
ing and black. He remained, or was to
remain, in this condition twenty-foul
hours. Every time they reached cabin
that stood near the upper cross, an at
tcndant came out, and, with large
sponge, washed them with vinegar. Oc-
caslonally the monotony was varied by a
penltent taking on his back huge cross,
and bearing it until he fell PROSTATE under
its weight. The cross was about a foot
thick either way, about eighteen feet long
and the arm about nine feet. On this
cross was actually painted in letters Of
pi''t- La dSolDii GI SiCl ~, cp:lulSLi
and signifying Suffering by faith"
Two pcnitents had died the night be
fore we got there from this treatment, and
one had been actually crucified. We
were not permitted to 90 to the spot where
the crucitiXion took place, rs, being totaI
strangers, they feared our mission on the
grounds. The only American gentleman
who saw the body on the cross was 6
ranchman living in the immediate neigh
borhood. Nails had been driven through
each foot, just above the ankle, and
through the hands. A gentleman who
was on the ground on Saturday says thai
three more will not recover
Last year, on this same spot, man
was crucitied also, aud these same afro
cities pcrpctrated. No one dare say b
word, and the whites in the vicinity are
powerless to interfere, as their stock
barns and houses are at the mercy OF
these people.
These pcnitents believe that if they die
undergoing this self-imposed torture they
and all their relatives go straight to
heaven. If they survive, their sins are