The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-04-12
HoRsiBle RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES

Denver, March 2i-Thc NcTnoH-
PenitentS i n fanstical religious sect
numbering about = iE'l in the territory
of New Mexico, who believe in period
icslly infiictinr on their bodies agoniz-
ing tortures. They were originally
within the Roman Catholic church.
but Archbishop Lamvy shocked by
their harhaTiticS and cruelticS, prnmu-
lgated a decree bani~hinE them from
the communion nf the church. Their
number have thiHnri greatly since
then. and they now inhahit pTinci-
paiiy but four COUNTIES an the terri
tory Great care il taken Ia prevent
spectators from discovering their
identity, and they are all masked
while engaged ia conducting their
penances. The deVott- often travel
hundreds ni miles Ia undergo the pre-
scribed torture. Los Gricgor, a small
Mexican village near Albuquerque.
boasts the body Of the~s penitente
The fact j. known only by the brutal
ceremnnies taking place there every
year. This morning the ceremonies
were inauyurated by an Introductory
procession Containing about thirty
men and women. The process nj
publication by torture hecan at Ia
O'Clock. Five mrn. naked to the waist.
barefootesl, wcaTin, black rohes and
hoods completely conceaiing their
identity, are seen to Issue from the
adobe lodge house Of the sect, led hy
the master Of ceremonies. carrying a
veritahle cat-o'-nine-tails. Huge
wooden crosses weighing 30 pounds
each were placed on the naked should
ers of two of the scli-tnrturvTS. the
sharp edges cutting into the naked
flesh and causing the blood To- squirt
out and drop Ia the ground. One
penitent produced n sharp goal which
he thrust into the flesh IF his fei-
low sufferers from time tn time. while
the procession moved up the street To-
q wild gioheri>h chant in Spanish.
Hating once the crosses where trans
ferred TO other shoulders. the at;en-
dante applying rawhide whips mer-
cilessly, each blow taking off the skin
and bite of flesh The procession took
It's way to goal n half mile away. Dur
ing the march not n groan was heard
or o word spoken. but just before
reaching the goal. n small adobe hut,
an orv1eanw Twas encountered which trie,i
the nerve Of the boldest. For some
distance before the door cacti plant
had been strewn thickly on the ground
and ~ the hare footed cross bearers ap-
preached il, IL one he>itated, instant
IL half a dozen whips descended on
his bare shoulders and. with a bound.
he >prang into the cacti plsni. His
very steps and those Of his followers
were marked with blood. As the tor
ture grew more terrible the chant
grew louder and the thongs fell with
more vigor. Reaching the door of
the house they were lost sight If. SEN
tinels guarding the entrance. and only |
broken whips and pools of blood bear |
witness TO what transpired within. |
Issuing from thfhouse the procession |
reformed. turned TO the house of wor-
ship. and 30 the horrible exercise con-
tinued. one batch of penitents succeed /
ing another until night. when q grand /
procession wound up the exercises of
the day.
During these marches 10 aud from |
the house of refuge the scene nj times
was too sickeuing for description. Pow
efful men submitted their bodies to the
most R;rcile>s tiagella,ion. until in
some instances the hare muscles were
seen quivering at every blow. The
whole proceeding was savage at
tempt to honor the Esster season.
Hitherto the Law made no ATTEMPT
to stop this wild exercise, although
one penintent. who threw another
that was hearing a cross into the riv-
n San Juan. and drowned him, was
lynched by the iofaristei witnesses.