The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-14
FRENZY OF THE PENITENTS.
Celebration of Holy Week by the Fanat-
ical Sect Of New Mexico.
Frightful Self-TOrture Inflicted Through Re-
ligiOus InsanityHOrrible Ceremonies
Walking Barefoot on Cactus.

Albuquerque Letter in st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
This being holy week, the fanatical religious
sect of New Mexico the Penitents, have begun
their horrible performances, and will continue
them until after tomorrow, Easter Sunday,
when their cruel self torturing will eliminate in
their most awful self-imposed agonies. Yester-
day they began their ceremonies simultaneously
all over the Territory, the scenes of their per-
formances being in Mexican towns, which are
visited at every season by numbers of American
sightseers. At Los Griegas, near Albuquerque,
which is the stronghold of the Penitents in cen
trail New Mexico they began their services yes
terday by initiating neophyte, boy eighteen
years of age.
The penitent had been prepared by tying wide
bands of tin around his legs above his knees,
and also around the calves of his legs, and then
by taking sharp punch and perforating these
bands like crater, driving the tin into his flesh
with each perforaton. He had been wound about
from the loins to the nipples with a small rope,
which was drawn as tight as two or three men
at each end of the rope could draw it, and then
it was tied. His head was wrapped in a black
cloth, while he was hugging closely to his
breast horrible image of death with drawn
bow and arrow. His feet were joined with
chain about twelve inches long, and in this
condition he was marched to the church and
back to the dungeon. When half way back the
procession was met by the other penitents, who
were stripped to the waist and scourging them
selves over their backs with scourges made of
soapweed. After kneeling and going through
with some mummery they all marched to the
dungeon. At the door the scourging members
stopped, surrendering the scourges to the at
tending brethren, and bent their backs to the
strokes of these men for full ten minutes, after
which they paraded themselves before the door
with their arms extended and their faces in the
dirt. Then the leaders marched over them.
stepping with one foot on each of their bare
backs and bearing their full weight. These
proceedings, and worse, will be repeated until
Easter night
At Taos. in Taos county, Ethee9 Exercises of the
penitents are still more terrible, Taos being the
headquarters of the sect for the whole Territory
They have full sway, and are entirely uncon-
trolled by law. Some of the actions of these
penitents when recounted seem incredible to
those who have not seen Them but the truth is
hard to exaggerate Converting in some out-of-
the-way towns, the members of one district be-
gin their performances few days after the com
mencement of lent. They first meet in some
little house, where they strip don cotton draw
ers, and arrange the order Of their procession
Then linen masks are put on their faces, and
thus attired with the whole upper part of their
bodies naked and only the loins covered
with cotton cloth, they start on their
march to the church, generally about
hundred yards distant At the door
of the house from which they emerge stands
cross, to which previous reference has been
made One of the neophytes or, if there are
none the youngest member lifts it, with the
assistance of several Others to his shoulder,
where it Immediately begins to cut and bruise
the flesh. The bearer pales the spectators
shudder but the remainder of the penitents
mark the agony of the youth with grim satisfac-
ton. He is to De purged Of his sins. By each
side two or three of the band walk with
scourge or goad. At every few steps this is
used upon the bare flesh of one of those in the
line. The blood streams, but no groan comes
from the sufferer To give any indication of
pain, matter what his torture may be, would
be followed by reduction in rank.
The cross bearer, the sweat pouring from
every pore in his body, his chest heaving with
pain, but no sound escaping from him, is fanked
by two men, each with whip made of the
twisted spines of the soap-weed plant, with
which they strike him as fast as their arms can
move on the legs, chest and head. The blood
spurts but he cries not. He struggles to retain
a groan of most intense suffering. The process
sion arrives at the church, an adobe building
ugly and grim. Over a space extending ten feet
out from the door have been strewn bits of cac-
tus chopped up with a Ratchet, to depth of
perhaps four inches, and the bare feet of the
penitents shrink as they approach. The thorny
pathway must be trod however, and
without sign of pain. The line nears the
door, the first man hestates visibly, but RECEIVERS
himself, and while the Latin words of the chant
which they have been mouthing since they left
the other building rise higher in the air and
louder he plants his feet upon the cactus and
walks without vince into the church The
rest follow, continuing the chant until it comes
the turn of the cross bearer.
The poor youth fiinches at the last moment
Cotton drawers might be red flannel now so be-
smeared are they with the blood which has
dropped from his lacerated body torn by the
whips of those at his side. A lash from both
whips, and he places one foot upon the needles
of the cactus Another and then he bounds for
then o1ic
of his torn, and pierced, and cut body forces
Shrek shrill and awful an appeal to civilization
from barbarism. Other hearts of those looking
on stand still while their blood curdles. Then a
terrible leap, but, with the weight of that cross
on his shoulders, he does not reach the door of
the church He lands with both feet upon the
sharp cactus, staggers and falls, face downward,
every pore of his body pierced by those terrible
needles. The penitents, those who are in the
church and those who have not yet brayed the
ordeal, rush to his assistance, lift him up and
carry him into the church. The doors are locked
and the sight-seers know nothing more. It is
hard to realize that such things exist in this civ
ilized country, but the half can not be told and
would hardly be believed
The Penitents of Rio Arriba county, New
Mexico, have tied one of their number with his
own consent to a large block of iron and thrown
him into the Rio Grande river, where he
drowned amidst the shouts of frenzed delight
from his friends and relatives. The Penitents
of Taos county in 1880 crucifed man who had
begged to die this way Three of them were in
dicted in 1882 by an American grand jury and
acquitted by Mexican jury. The religious ex-
altation of these people reaches the point of &C.
tual insanity, The Catholics of New Mexico
are now trying to stamp out the Penitents, but
so far they ave met with poor success.
In Taos Rio Arriba, Mora, San Miguel
and Santa Fe counties the organization
still fourishes. The Legislature is apathetic
as to this subject, and officers of the law make
no attempt to prevent their cruelties to them
selves and one another. The fanatics are dying
out however, as publicity is given to their pro
ceedings, and probably the Penitents in New
Mexico have but a few more years of life
The origin Of the sect is shrouded in mystery,
although some historians stoutly assert that the
society had its origin in Spain This is doubted by
many of those who have studied the Penitents
and their acts. Those who have lived the
lnrnest in Now Meyicn haua Ettln To sa1. n1,a-