The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-26
PURIFICATIoN BY TORTURE.
Horrible Easter Ceremonies of a Religious
Sect in Colorado.

DENVER, March 24.-The Hermanos Peni-
tents, a faratical religious sect, numbering
about 1000, in the Territory of New Mexico,
who believe in periodical attonement for sin
by inflicting on the bodies agonizing t~ortures,
were originally within the Roman Catholic
church, but Archbishop I.amy, shocked by
the barbarous cruelties, promulgated a decree
banishing them from the communion. Their
numbers have greatly thinned since, and
they now inhabit principally but four coun-
ties in the Territory. Great care is taken to
prevent the discovery of their identity by
spectators, and all are masked while they
conduct the annual penance. Devotees
often travel hundreds of miles to undergo
prescribed torture. Los Griegos, a small
Mexican village near Albuquerque,
boasts a body of penitents, a fact known only
by the brutal ceremonies taking place there
every year. This morning the ceremonies
we're inaugurated by the introduction of a
procession containing about thirty men and
women. The process of publication by tor
tire began at 10 o'clock. Five men naked
to the waist, barefooted. wearing black robes,
and hoods to completely conceal their identi-
tY, were seen to issue from the abode lodge
fouse of the sect, led by the master of cere-
monies carrying a veritable cat'o-nine-tails.
Two huge wooden crosses weighing $50
pounds each were placed on the naked shouI-
ders of two self-torturers. The sharp edges
outing into the naked flesh caused the blood
to squirt out and drop to the ground. One
P~enitent produced a sharp goad which he
thrust into the flesh of fellow-sufferers from
lime to time while the pro-
qssion moved up the street to a wild
sibberish chant in Spanish. Hating once
Ehe crosses were transferred to the other
shoulders, attendants applying the raw-hide
Whip mereilessly. Each blow taking off the
skin and bits of flesh. The procession took
It's way to the goal, half a 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 en-
sountered which tried the nerve of the bold
est. For some distance before the door cacti
plant had been strewn thickly on the ground,
and as the barefooted cross-bearers APP
preached it one hesitated. Instantly half a
dozen whips descended on the bare shoulders
md with a bound he sprang into the cacti,
bis every step and followers 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. S%entinels guard
ing the entrance, and only broken whips
and pools of blood bore witness to what
transpired within. Issuing from the house
the procession reformed, turned to the house
of worship, and so the horrifying exercises
continued, one batch of sentinels succeeding
another until night, when the grand pro-
cession and chant wound up the exercises for
the day. During these marches to and from
IGhe House of Refuge the scene at times was
too sickening for description. Powerful men
submitted their bodies to most merciless
flagellation, until in some instances the bare
muscles were seen quivering at every blow.
The whole proceedings were a savage attempt
to honor the Easter season. Hitherto the
law has made no attempt to check the wild
another bearing the cross into the river neal
San Juan and drowned him was lynched by
Infatuated witnesses.