Connecticut western news., 1884-01-09
CANAAN CONN.,, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1884.

girdle of his companion, while he used the sword in his hand to hack away at his own head.
 It wns an awful sight, and a weird one The moon, half covered with clouds, peeping over the domes of the roof on the opposite side, threw its light in upon the red firelight of tho torches in the great, dingy kahn, with its crowd of frantic and gesticulating devotees, mak. ing one imagine he had been suddenly changed to a being of another world. When they next passed us the torches were burning low from the charred wood, and an attendant, stepping up to the one opposite to us, poured oil into it. As the glare of the flame leaped up, it showed men whose heads were covered with fresh blood-clots, their breasts drenched with the streams from their wounds, yet cutting vehemently as they passed along Some so weak from loss of blood that they were fainting, held tightly to their neighbors' girdles and pulled the whole line into confusion as they reeled about; others in Q burst of frenzy rushed hither and thithcr until they were siezed and calmed down.
 Attendants mopped the blood from the faces of those whose eyes were blinded by 1t, and threw the soaked cloths upon the ground. Others stand ing behind the line with sticks tried to prevent the maddest from cutting them. selves to death. noticed one man the shape of whose head indicated more brutality than brain-become so wild that he would have killed himself but for their interference. When they had passed us they all left the court and paraded no more, but were succeeded by another band which the same spiri tortured and tore. Thus they went past us twice with more bowling, bleeding and fainting, the last time headed by musicians, who increased their fervor by wailing flute notes and clashing cymbals A horse which bore upon the pommel O its empty saddle the green turban of it slain rider, another little child of Illus sein, mounted like the first, and two horses with empty-cushioned saddles were added, to impress upon all the fatt of the unhappy house. But these swordsmen, like the first, just as they seemed at the height of their fury, wen out at the same side door, like torcl dropped in water. This was the clost of the exercises, the procession of breast beaters and back. .beaters dissolved, tn, European and Turkish guests retired and their places were taken by melan choly, lnw-voiced Persians, who np peared to be musing over the events commemorated.
 Then the beings who had so terribl! mutilated themselves began to emerg from their hiding places, and cross th, darkened court, their heads bound m in the once white garments they haC worn, and their faces covered with thu gore that had dried upon them. Some of them could not walk alone and hat to be supported on each side, but mos of them clupg to their swords as if the, could not trust them out of their hands After one of them had left his weapon il the hands of another friend and had gon away, we approached and asked him tn price of bis charge. "No," he said, |" will not sell it. The sword has becom sacred with the blood of believer; if yor want swords buy them in the baEars."