The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-04-06
Panatioal Torture.
THE CRUEL PUNISHMENT sELF4INFLICrED
BY THE nERNIANos PENfTENTs.

The Hermanos Peuiteuts, a fanatical
religious sect numbering about 2000
persons, in the territory of New Mexi-
co, who believe in the periodical atone
ment of sin by inilicting on their bod
les agonizing tortures, were originally
with the Roman Catholic Church, but
Archbishop Nancy, shocked by the
'barbarous oruelties, promulgated de-
cree banishing them from communion.
The members have greatly thinned out
since, and they now inhabit principally
but four counties in the territory,
Great care is taken to prevent the dis
covery of their identity by the inspect
or, and all are masked while conducting
their annual penance. The devo.ees
often travel hundreds of miles TO un-
dergo the prescribed tortures. Los
Griegos, small Mexican village near
Albuquerque. boasts of the great body
of Penitents.
Yesterday morning the ceremonies
were inaugurated by an Introductory
procession containing about thirty men
and women. The procession of purif-
cation by torture began at ten o'clock.
Five men, naked to the waist, barefoot
ed, and wearing black robes and hoods,
completely concealing their identity,
were seen to issue above the lodge
house of the sect, led by the master of
ceremonies, who carried the veritable
cat t-of-nine-tails. Two huge wooden
crosses, weighing two hundred and
fifty pounds each, were placed on the
naked shoulders of two OF the self tor
turers, the sharp edges cutting in to
the naked flesh causing the blood to
squirt out and drop to the ground.
One penitent produced sharp goad,
which he thrust into the flesh of his
fellow sufferers from time to time while
the procession moved up the street to
mild chant in Spanish. a- .-....
Hating once the crosses were trans
fer,ed TO the others shoulders, the at
tendants Applying their rawhidc whips
mercilessly, each blow taking off the
skin and bits of flesh, The procession
took its way to the goal;a half a mile
away. During the march not a groan
was heard or a word spoken. IS
:. For some distance before the door of
the "holy house" cactus plants had been
thickly strewn upon the ground, aud
as the barefooted cross-bearers APP
Iproached it one hesitated Instantly
half dozen alps descended upon his
bare shoulders, and with bound he
spfang into the tborny plants, his every
step and the footstep of his followers
being marked witb'biood As the tor.
ture grew mofei terrible, the chant grew
loader,a ,and the.thongs fell With more
vigor. Reaching the door ofthe house,
the procession was lost sight Of, a sen
tinel guarding the entrance, and only
broken whips and poles and blood bear
witness Of what transpired within.
: lssling from the house the process
sion reformed, and turned to their
house of worship, and so the horrifying
exercises confined, eband Of ptnitents
succeeding, another until night, when a
grand procession and chant wound up
the exercises for the day. During
these marches to and from the House |
of Refuge the scene at times was too
sickening for description. Men sub
mittted their bodies to the most merci-
less fagellationsuntil, in some instances,
the bare muscle was seen quivering at
every blow. The whole proceeding was
a savage attempt to honor. the Easter
season. Hitherto the law has made
no attempt to check these wild exer-
cises, although once apenitent, who
threw another bearing cross into the
river and drowned him, was lynched by
the inftiriated witnesses.