The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-07-30
Suffering for Sin.

a correspondent writing from Los
Vegas, New Mexico, relates some Of the
remarkable doings of the religious de-
votees III that part of the world, where a
class OF Penitents, whose order originat-
ed i'll Europe in a former century, still
has representatives. These people seek
to make atoncmcnt for sin by inhicting
upon themselves severe corporal punish
ment. The following are examples of
their peculiar performances:
On Il mesa or tableland to the west Of
the city, 1, with number of Americans,
went early this morning to see the last
''seancc" of the Lenten season. A num-
Der of stalwart Mexicans were stripped
TO the waist, some wearing nothing moro
than a.brcechcl0th, while Others wore
nothing but coarse merino drawers.
These great hulks Of superannuatel
manhood were each provided with thong
or cudgels. With all their strength n
their athletic limbs they lashed their
backs with their Instruments OF torture
until streams of blood tricllcd down
their backs and stained the only garment
they wore. Whack! whncE! whack! fell
the blows, and the knowing ones tell us
that for six weeks just such MI ordeal
had to be passed through every day.
While standing on the outskirts OF the
arena i'll which the men were playing
tag with themselves 1--WE could not ap-
pronch nearer than u stones throw on
account of voluntary Mexican guards
probably friends OF the religious cOntor-
tiOnistS) we heard II tumult and our at
tcntlon WAS directed to Il jical, or rude
stockauc-housc, and we saw Il sight sell
dom witnessed even in this God forsnken
neck of the woods. Half Il dozen stout
men were dragging IL woman by the
heels across the stony, stubblcd prnirie,
She was almost, if not entirely nude, land
ns she was being dragged along she ut
tered the most Sorrowful lamentations
imaginable. Her inhumnn escorts hauled
: her over the rough ground fora distance
OF two or three squares to q place where
Il heavy cross, roughly hewn and prmi-
lively joined, wns lying. Here they re-
leased her. Without II protest she help
ed to raise the heavy burden to her bnck
and, fnirly tottering under the load, made
, her way back to the house whence she
, had come, her mule companions follow
ing alongside to see that the task was
imposed to it's fullest extent. Two or
three times l thought she would surely
fnll and be crushed under the heavy
> weight, but she trudged bravcly OH and
/ passed into the narrow portal of the jical.
y
impeded its going further, and the frail
penitcnt who had carried it fell upon the
; floor more dead and alive. asked what
II Ind been the oilense for such lnborious
; confessional, and was told that she had
Il been too pr0tligate in her conduct to-
.. ward men, and this was to eXpinte the
trnnsgrcssiOn. 1t was indeed II mcniul
q calisthenic.
!, Before We Ind left the strange scenes,
l. | saw several females dressed in IL man-
g ii'i nitC, t"i n"Ai.fvAv, "o,.iI II" fvs +l.e
n South Sea Islands, walking on their OK
posed knees up and down IL stony hill
II side. Their limbs were bleeding pro-
II fuscly, and the ground over which they
passed was stronkcd with blood Sick
C encd ut the sight of the bnrbarous puni-
tions, we were glad enough to leave the
> spot md seek more cheerful scenes
L remember two years ago being at
; Chlhll, Col, where very extraordinary
!, pcmtontlal performance was gone
If through with. a native had committed
Il prodigious error and asked to bo put
~ through good trouncing, something
. more severe than he himself could in.
y tllct. He was accordingly sewcd up in
), long gunny sack, to the foot of which
p was attached IL strong lariot. When all
n was Ill readiness a broncho was brought
forth and the lariot fastcnetLto tho horn
, > OF the saddle. While in this helpless
II and horrifying condition the horses was
: driven around n circle. This punish.
If mcnt was apparently not sufficient, sc
Il about twenty men armed with clubs fol
J. lowed the horses and beat tho fanatic i'll
side the bag until he was speechless
When released, his tormentors gave
IL another club exercise, and the resul
'f was the man wandered off on the plains
= and died. In Mora county, year ago
e pcnitcnt was actually nailed to til,
:, cross after he had carried it 80 far tina
o his Strcuptl rnYn out