Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-11-29

From the Reno (Nev.) Gazette, Nov. Ii.
It will be remembered that old
Winnemucca, the aged chief Of the
Piutes, died on the 21st of last
month; that previous TO his death he
accused his young squaw of having
bewitched him and made him sick,
and that he ordered her to be stoned
to death. The young squaw was
ordered to go to spring and wash
herself, that she might appear before
the Great Spirit in the happy hunting
grounds in a becoming condition of
cleanliness. She feigned obedience,
and, knowing her fate, attemted sui
eide by hanging, but the attempt was
frustrated by watchful Piute, who
cut her down and brought her back
to a miserabl, realization of her inn
pending fate. Since that time, until
few days ago, it has not been posi-
itively known what became of her.
though she disappeared. The facts
concerning her disappearance have
now come to light and are reported
by half-breed called Grizzly John,
who is fully acquainted with the cir>
| cumstances of her death. He was
an eye witness of the horrible scene,
which he described to a Gazette re-
porter in passable English.
The evening before old Winner
mucca died, about 100 Indians took
the squaw to a large spring, where
| she had been ordered to battle.
Other squaws stripped her and wash,
ed her from head to foot, and then
sprinkled her with fine ashes. They
then started for a range of hills
few miles from Coppersmith Station,
leading the squaw naked and bare,
foot. Upon arriving at a certain spot
they built circle of fires, which
lighted up space of ground about
100 feet in diameter. In the centre
of this was stump eight or ten
inches high, to which the trembling
squaw was securely bound by one
| foot with raw-hide strap. She
j still held her child, a bright little
pappoose about two years old. When
she had been secured each buck
sought for certain number of
stones about the size of q mans fist,
and laid them 10 pile within the
circle of fires.
When all was ready for the sacri-
fee, the Indians joined hands and be-
gan monotonous chant, which.
lasted for O few minutes, when one
OF them stepped within the ring and
began to harangue them. AS ne
continued to speak, the poor,
agonized squaw gave vent to piercing
shrieks, crouching upon the ground
and pressing her babe to her breast
This lasted for some moments. Then
at signal there was silence, except
| the walls of the intended victim
Suddenly the speaker sprang toward
her and grasped the child. She
struggled frantically, but unavail-
ingly, to retain it, and was compelled
by force to let it go. The fiend inn
mediately swung the infant around
his head, holding it by the ankles,
bowling like a demon, and being
echoed by the red devils about him
but the squaw did not raise her
head nor emit single sound.
Suddenly he dashed the chlld against
a rock and killed it instantly. Then
he resumed his place in the circle,
which swung around again, chanting
as before, till the one who killed
the babe came opposite the pile
of stones he had collected, when the
movement stopped. Stepping for
ward he picked up a stone, and going
to within ten feet of the crouching
victim, he hurled it at her with all
the strength possessed by his brawny
red arm, The missile struck her on
the side and was answered by
shrek of anguish. He returned to
his place and the circle revolved
again until another indian was en-
titled to a murderous fling. The
wretched creature at the stake was
crouching In such an attitude that
only her side and back were exposed.
It was forbidden to hit her upon the
head; and the second savage, choos-
ing the most available target,
launched rock at her with the pro-
jectile force of ,catapult, striking
her between the shoulders and cuts,
ting fearful cash, from which the
blood flowed down her back 10 a
small rivulet. He then retired to
his place and the circle moved on as
before.
Thus they continued their MUIR
derous pastime until the poor pitiful
object lay prone upon upon the
ground, bleeding, senseless mass
| of mangied flesh. As she lay upon
her back the savage who had
harangued the band at first, raised a
large rockiover his head with both
hands and inflicted the comp de grace
by smashing her skull. Then there
was pandemonium for a few mo-
ments, after which they dispersed
and collected wood for pile, upon
which the remains of the luckless
squaw and her babe were burned.
A few were left to keep up the sac
rifcial fire, while the others returned
to old Winnemucca to care for his
dying moments with the assurance
that his young squaw had preceded
him to the Indians happy hunting
ground.