Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-26
HORRIBLE ORGIES.
A Blood Curdling Description of the At
tempt of Fanatical Sect to Honor the
Easter Season.

A Blood Curdling Description of the At
tempt of a FanaticaI Sect to Honor The
Easter Season.
DENVER, Col, March 24-Thomas Her
mans Penitents, a fanatical religious sect
numbering about 1000, in the territory of
New Mexico, who believe in periodical
atonement of sin by inficting on their
bodies sgonizing fortunes, were originally
within the Roman Catholic church. but
Archbishop Lamy, shocked by their bar.
barous cruelties, promulgated decree ban.
ishing them from communion, The mum.
Der is greatly thinned since
and they now inhabit principally
but four counties in the territory. Great
care is taken to prevent the discovery OF
their identity by spectators, and all were
masked while in conduct of the annual
'penance. The devotees often travel 1OO
miles to undergo prescribed torture.
Los Griegos, small Mexican village
near Albuquerque, boasts body of peni.
tents, the fact being known only by brutal
ceremonies taking place every year.
This morning the ceremony was in.
| augurated by an Introductory procession
containing about thirty men and women.
The process of publication by
torture began at 10 O'Clock
Five men, naked to the waist, bare-footsd,
wearing black robes and hoods to com.
pletely conceal their identity, were seen to
issue from the Adobe lodge-house of the
sect, led by the master of ceremonies car
rying veritable cat o'nine tails. Two
wooden crosses, weighing $50 pounds each.
| were placed upon the naked shoulders of
two of the self-torturers, the sharp edges
cutting into the naked flesh, which caused
the blood to squirt out and drop to the
ground.
One penitent produced a sharp goad
which he thrust into the flesh of his fellow
sufferers from time to time, while the pro-
cession moved up the street to the wild
g1bberish chant in Spanish. Hating once
the crosses were transferred to other
shoulders, the attendants applying raw
hide whips mercilessly, each blow taking
of the skin and bits of flesh.
The procession took its way to a goal
half mile away. During the march not
a groan was heard, or a word spoken, but
just before reaching the goal, a small
adobe hut, an ordeal was encountered which
tried the nerves of the boldest. For some
distance before the door cacti plant had
been strewn thickly on the ground and as
the barefooted cross bearers approached
it one hesitated. Instantly a half-dozen
whips descended on his bare shoulders and
with bound he sprang into the cacti. His
every step and those of his followers were
marked with blood. AS the torture grew
more terrible the chant grew louder and
the thongs fell with more vigor. Reaching
the door of the house they were lost sight
of. Sentinels guarded the entrance and
only broken whips and pools of blood Lear
witness to what has transpired within.
Issuing from the house the procession
reformed, turned to house of worship
and SO the horrifying exercises continued,
one batch of penitents succeeding another
until night, when 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. Powerful
men submitted their bodies to the
most merciless fagellation, until in some
instances the bare muscles have been seen
quivering at every blow. The whole pro-
ceedings were a savage attempt to honor
the Easter season. Hitherto the law has
made no attempt to check these wild exer-
cises, although once penitent, who threw
another bearing cross into the river near
San Juan and drowned him, was lynches
by the Infatuated witnesses.