The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-04-30
I,EI-..NS N1TCHCRAFT.
WHAT tiR. FRANK n. CUSHING SAYS
OF ZuNI SoRcERERS.


Laying Spell ON AN Unfortunate.
Mr. Frank Ell. Gushing, the ethnologist,
the condition of whose health still keeps
him in Boston, was called upon the other
evening by his friend, Rev. Mr.. Ladd, of
Santa Fe, N NJ, and principal of the acad-
emy in that city. Mr.. Iadd showed him
copy of The Santa Fe New Mexican with
the account of the bringing to the county
Jail there, to await trial, of "a Zuni Indian,
charged with the murder of a woman in
the tribe.
Mr.. Gushing expressed much concern
over tie affaif, and silid that, unless all
the circumstances bearing npon the case,
originating with tribal law and customs,
were duly considered, there might be
danger of seriously affecting the interests
of the tribe and their friendly relations
with the government.
Mr. Cushing told some remarkable
things concerning the belief in sorcery ex~
isting in Zuni and the practices of the sor
eerers These things have great ethnolog-
ical interest, and show o remarkable resem-
blance between Zuni superstitions and
those of Europe and the Orient. The
practice of sorcery is deadly crime in
Zuni; in fact, it is the only capital offense
found guilty, he or she is at once put to
death. 1t may be recollected that when
the famous Zuni pilgrimage to the ocean
took place. old Ki-as-si, the junior priest
of the bow, ON the occasion of their visit to
Salem, preached little sermon at their
reception, commencing the people for
making such thorough work of their
witches, and thus riding the land of a
great curse, and he urged them not to
spare even their dearest friends or nearest
relatives should any of them hereafter
turn out to be sorcerers.
THE ZUNI GUILD OF soRCERERs
1t is O fact that there exists in Zuni
guild of sorcerers, which is necessarily
the most secret of all the secret fraterni-
ties there, since it's members would be at
once executed were they known. Occar
sionaHy one is detected while working in
carnations, and confesses his or her guilt,
but can never be induced to reveal anys
thing concerning their association. The
sorcerers really believe in the efficacy Of
their own spells, and consequently, since
they intend evil, deserve punishment, for,
strange to say, they do as much harm as
if they possessed command of magic
powers, as they always contrive in some
way to let their victims know that spell
has been wrought against them, and the
latter often droop and die with the very
ills which they believe the sorcerer is
working for, possibly because their faith
in the evil powers is SO strong as to affect
their imagination. When they recover,
they attribute it to tine fact that measures
for exercising the spell have been taken in
time.
Mr.. Cushing saw the trials of two sorcer-
ers and heard their confessions, from
which he learned many interesting facts.
He has recently come intoi possession of
some old manuscript records Of witch
trial in the old New England days, and
says that the questions and answers in II
read almost exactly like witch trial in
Zuni, and in his forthcoming work he pro-
poses to reproduce it, to show the resem-
blance. The s0rcerers are initiated into
the mysteries of evil working under the
greatest of precautions, one of those whose
trial he witnessed having received his in
structions among the wilds of the Sierras
Blancas in Arizona, scores of miles away.
The rituals of the sorcerers are travesties
of the sacred ceremonies practiced by the
various religious fraternities of the tribe.
The sorcerer contriVes in some way to get
hold of something from the person of his
finger-nail, or a bit Of cuticle, for they hold
that portion of the life principle of
person goes with any portion of his body"
no matter how minute, and that connec-
ton is maintained between the two, there
fore possession of tie part gives them
means of working upon the person.
THE WIZARDS MYSTERIOUS CEREMONIES.
Securing this they proceed to work.
They select some retired spot at the scene
of operations. One of the sorcerers In
question had gone to the neighboring ta-
BILE land, and taken four of the highest
spines from the tallest giant cactus which
grew on the highest place; then he went
to the neighboring mountain range and
selected from the rallest pine tree in the
highest part the four uppermost needles.
Next he proceeded to build his shrine,
which was found, as he had described, in
o wild ravine running down toward the
pueblo. The rushing waters had torn
away the ground, and it was chosen as a
place where the evil powers of nature had
wrought destruction. Within the shrine
he placed rude efigy intended to re-
present his victim, and in his incantations
gave the name of the latter. Inclosed in
the vital part OF this 'puppet" is the bit OF
hair. or the like, to make the connection
specific and complete. Into the portion
representing the vital parts he thrust one
of the cactus spines and pine needles, and
two of the others he ground up with sand
and other ingredients into fine powder.
With this he traced magic sign on the
ground, circle crossed by two lines at
right angles, and with one of the lines ex-
tended in the direction of the victims
house Upon this extension, which repre-
sented the road the curse was to traverse,
he placed the remaining spine and needle,
their points Indicating what direction on
that road the evil influence was to take.
While making these preparations the sor-
cerer repeated formula of rhymthic
maledictions with the greatest ferYor
three times, closing each time with the
name of the victim. He then left his
charm to do its work, probably managing,
as aforesaid, to let his victims somehow
learn that he was under spell. 1t is also
usual that the sorcerers give public notice
of their deeds of tracing the same magic
figure on the ground. while unobserved,
during some public ceremonial in the
dance place. The sign, when discovered
by the crowd, causes great agitation and
horror. Boston Herald
An Indian Doctor of Mohawk Blood.
Onontiyoh, a full blooded Indian, gradu
ated No. 1S I'm class of forty. eight at the
Buffalo Medical college. He Is the first of
his race to take honors in course ofmed-
icine in this country. His uncle, Oronyet-
ekha, Burning Sky), was graduated at
Oxford, England, and is now successful
practitioner at London, Ont. Onontiyoh
is of pure Mohawk blood, and his name
signifies Beautiful Mountain" Between
the Beautiful Mountain and the Burning
Sky the red men should certainly find
health and happiness Chicago Times.
Most Dangerous Nation on Earth.
Should the Chinese nation awake to the
advantage of modern improvements, build
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learn to navigate them, it would become
the most dangerous power on earth It
could assail the commerce of the strongest
foreign nation without danger of retalia-
ton, for it has no shipping Of its own,
while the invasion OF o Land hoasting of
100000 900 people equipped with the best of