Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-14
INDIAN WlTCHCRAFT.
WHAT Mr.. FRANK Il. CUSHING SAYS
OF zuNi soRcERERs.

goms Remarkable Fhi1gs Conserving the
Mv.terious Practices Of Diabolical
Guild-Ritual Of the zani sorcsrers-
Laying . Spell On n Unfortunate.
Mr.. Frank H. Cushing, the ethnologist,
the condition Of whose health stu 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-
envy in that city. Mr.. Ladd showed him
= copy of The Santa Fe New Mexican with
the account of the bringing to the county
iail there, to await trial, Of Zuni Indian,
charged with the murder Of woman In
the tribe.
Mr.. Cushing expressed much concern
over the affair, and said that, unless all
the circumstances bearing upon 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.. Gushing told some remarkable
things concerning the belief in sorcery ex-
isting in Zuni, and the practices Of the sor-
cerers These things have great ethnolog-
ical interest, and show remarkable resem-
blance between Zuni superstitions and
those Of Europe and the Orient. The
practice Of sorcery is . deadly crime in
Zuni; in fact, il is the only capital offense
recognized by their laws. Ii any one Is
found guilty, he or she u at once put 10
death It 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 a little sermon at their
| reception, commencing the people for
making such thorough work Of their
| witches, and thus riding the land Of
| 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
TEE ZUNI GUILD OF soRCERERs.
1t is a fact that there exists in Zuni Q
| guild Of sorcerers, which is necessarily
| the most secret of all the secret fraterni-
ties there, since its members would be at
once executed We're they known. Occa-
| sionally one is detected while working in
| carnations, and confesses his or her guilt,
but can never be induced TO reveal any
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 - It q spell
| has been wrought against pr, he
| latter often drOop and die .; ~
ills which they believe j.
working for. possibly becaI AVA
In the evil powers is so stro. iect
/ their Imagination. When tg yer,
| they attribute it to the fact tn. ures
for exercising the spell have beer .sken in
! time.
Mr. Gushing saw the trials OF two sorcer-
crs and heard their confessions, from
which he learned many interesting facts.
He has recently come intoi possession Of
| some old manuscript records cf a witch
| trial in the old New England days, and
! says that the questions and answers in it
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 sorcerers 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
| Biancas in Arizona, scores Of miles away.
| The rituals of the sorcerers are travesties
various religious fraternities of the tribe.
| The sorcerer contrives in some way to get
hold of something from the person of his
intended victim, such as hair, piece of
finger nail, or a bit Of cuticle, for they hold
| tina; 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 the 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 tallest 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
a wild ravine running down toward the
| pueblo. The rushing waters had torn
away the ground, and it was chosen as IA
| place where the evil powers Of nature had
wrought destruction. Within the shrine
| he placed rude effigy intended TO re-
present his victim, and in his lamentations
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 a magic sign on the