Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-04-05
THE HERMANOs PENITENTEs.

Horrible seII-TOrtures by Religious
Fanatics in New Mexico,
Denver Dispatch, March ..
There are in the territory of New.
Mexico about 1900 persons belonging
to the "llermanos Penitentes,"
fanatic religious sect who believe in tho
periodical latoncmcnt Of sin by intlict-
ing ON their bodies agonizing tortures.
They were originally connected with
the Roman Catholic Church, but Arch
bishop Laney, shocked by their bar
barous crueltics, promulgated a de-
cree baniShng them from that COM
munion. lis membership has greatly
decreased since, and those now belong
ing to the order reside principally
in but four counties of the territory.
Great care is taken to prevent the dis
cOycry of their identity, all bci-g
masked. While conducting their an.
nual penanCe the devOtecs often travel
hundreds OF miles to undergo the pre-
scrbcd tortures. Los Griegos, small
Mexican village near Albuquerque,
boasts of the great body of the peni-
tents. Yesterday morning their cere-
monies were begun by Il procession,
containing about thirty men and
women. The process of publication
by torture began at 10 o clock. Five
men, naked to the waist, burefOoted
and wearing black robes and hoods
that completely concealed their identi-
iy, were seen to issue above the lodge
house of the sect, led by the master of
ceremonies, who carried 4 genuine cat
o'-Rine-tails. Two huge wooden cross
es, weighing 2j0 pounds each, were
placed ON the shoulders of two of the
sclf,tortmcrs. The sharp edges cut in
to the naked flesh, causing the blood
to jet ont and drop to the ground. One
penitcnt produced 4 sharp goad, which
he thrust ilto the flesh of his fellow
sufferers from time TO time, while the
procession moved the street singing
a wild chant in Spanish. Hating once,
the crosses were transferred TO the
shoulders of others, the attendants
meanwhile applying their rawhide
whips mercilcssly, each blow taking of
skin and bits Of lle,h. The procession
again started and took its way to the
Jail, half milo away. During the
march not Il groan was heard nor was
Il word spoken, but Just before reach
ing the jail, Il snail adobe hut. an
m dcal,waS encountered which tried the
nerves of the boldest. For some dis
tance before the door cactus plants had
been thickly strewn upon the ground,
and as the barefootCd cross-bcarers ap.
preached it one hcsitated. Instantly
half dozen whips descended upon his
bare shoulders, and with n bound he
Sprang into the thorny plants, his every
step and the footsteps of his followers
being marked with blood. As the tor
iure grew more terrible the chant grew
louder and the thongs fell with more
yigor. Reaching the door OF the house,
the procession was lost sight of, SEN
Iincl guarding the entrance, and only
broken whips and poles and blood bear
witness of what occurred within. Is
suing from the house the procession
reformed and turned to their house of
and so the horrifying exercises
continued, one band of penitents sue
cceding another until night, when
grand procession and chant wound up
The exercises of the day. During these
to and from the house of
refuge the scene at times was too sick
aning for description. Powerful men
submitted their bodies to the most mer-
,iless fagellation until, in some in
stances, the bare muscle was seen
luivering at every blow. The whole
proceeding was savage attempt to
honor the Easter season. Hitherto the
law has made no attempt to check these
wild exel cises, although once peni-
.ent who threw another bearing cross
INTO the river near San Juan and
drowned him was lynohed by the infu-
,iated witnesses.