Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-08
EASTER HOLY DAYS.
PORTRAYAL OF THE TRIAL AND
CRUCIFlXIbN.
A Procession OF Angels
With the Virgin and Pun
ishing Judas.
Especial Correspondence of the REooRD-UsIos. !
TLALPUJAHUA, Mexico, April 80 1856.

Especial Correspondence of the REcoRD-UNIoY. !
TLALrUJAHUA, Mexico, April 50, 1886.
The great event of - Holy Thursday y
was. of course, the trial and condemnation
OF the Savior. After the Cure, and his at
tendant priest with the red umbrella, had
taken their stand in the purple-draped
pulpit the wooden Christ which we had
seen captured yesterday in the garden. was
brought in among a crowd OF Jews. Phari-
sees and High Priests. Then the mock
trial proceeded, testimony being given and
sentence passed, as gravely as ever a living
offender was dealt with in a tribunal OF
justice. Pontius PLATE was personated by
an old man with flowing white beard and
enormous goggles, which gave him an owl
ish look of judicial wisdom. The High
Priest and all the various actors in the
drama were dressed with the same eve to ap-
propriateness; while a score of hideousv-
masked bows. continuity cutting capers
and uttering dismal bowls, were supposed
to represent the Powers of Darkness -
During the progress of the trial-which
was very minute in all its legal phases
the most mournful music imaginable was
kept up on the curious reed instruments
before mentioned, which added not little
to the effect. Finally from the pulpit the
priest proclaimed " Behold the iniqui-
tous senterce
BEHOLD WHAT is WRITTEN !"
And at the same moment man, masked
like goat, rushed out of the Courtroom,
holding high over his head, upon which
was placard, bearing lin Spanish) these
words Jesus of Nazareth, King of the
Jews condemned TO death by Pontius
Plate President Of Galileen Presently
the other Christ was brought forth-not
the figure We bad seen tried and sentenced
but that of " the Column nearly naked,
horribly bloody, the head crowned with
thorns and the back painted to represent
one mass OF bruises from the cruel scourg-
ing. The procession of to-day included
all of yesterdays actors, with many
additions. There was tie spy,
with the boar's mask Judas
the betrayer his face still covered with
black Grape: Jews, soldiers. Pharisees, all
were on hand. Some wore feathers like
wild Indians. others helmets and armor
and some wreaths of green and gold bound
above their tangled locks. One very hand
some man, with scarlet cloak, long curls
and olden crown personated the Roman
around the church Enclosure, preparatory
to doing the towu-still to the sound of the
mourniul muSic-the cuIate continued his
discourse, aud wound up with an eloquent
eXhortation Ia abstain from Sn-a piece of
advice. | regret to add which was evidently
lost upon one of the crowd. 4 silver dol
lar just then falling at NY feet called atten-
ton 10 the fact that some thief IN the con-
fusion of dispersal mad slashed the bottom
of my handbag with his dagger or pogn-
ard, ana appropriated all the contents
even 10 a bundle of hairpins and patent
crimperS leaving nothing to tell the
tale but the dollar aforesaid.
Tha, night was a solemn time in every
Mexican church, even in those places
where no professions are allowed or Pas
sion Play occurs. Every sanctuary in the
land was ablaze with lights f ON crypt to
dome. each having We'd with its neighbors
in putting forth all its magnifcence of
jewels, vestmcnts. ornaments and music.
Every altar was one glare of light, and on
Its steps rose and orange trees were maSSed
in pyramids. while below stood long lines
of priests. candles in hand, where, on this
night, in days not long past. cowled monks
used to stretch themselves prone upon
their faces. Meanwhile organs were peal
ing, and vast crowds pressing, slowly but
eagerly, toward one point-all anxious to
kiss the feet of the wooden Savior, or to
kneel before the crape-yailed image OF
OUR LADY OF SORROWS
In every church corner was set apart
and barred off by iron gratings to repre-
sent prison. From within this miniature
Jail issued strains of doleful music from
flies and tiddles. and behind the window of
each stood figure of Christ, his ewes ban
daged, and heavily loaded with letters :;
while Jews, standing guard on either
side, continually clanked the chains, as if
from the motion of Jesus arms. 1t was
noticeable that the thrifty fathers had
placed an open contribution-box near, and
the crowds who continually passed before
the prison windows weeping and kissing
the letters, were liberal in their donations
On Good Friday morning, long before
the usual hour, the whole Enclosure about
the church and TO a great distance beyond
1t, was solidly packed with people-among
them few rich MexicanS in their costly
-, carriages but our own were the only
Anglo-Saxon faces to be seen that dav
With great difficulty We made our way to
the pulpit. and again climbed to the top of
the Crumbling tomb. Soon the procession
appeared from within the church, bringing
Christ from prison 10 his crucifixion 1t
was again the bloody figure, but now bear
ing heavy cross which seemed to weigh
him down. Upon the same platform was
one who personated Simon, the Cyrenian.
assisting to bear the cross. The latter was
an aged man dressed in scarlet cloth-a
real man-who, iii a painfully STOPPING
posture. without once moving his body,
was carried about for hours with the tropic
sun pouring its MONDAY rays full upon his
uncovered head. Ii is said that these diff
ferent presentations are eagerly sought by
the Indians as browning act of penance,
although death has sometimes been the re-
suit. We are told that i'll many instances
living man
REPRESENTS THE SAVIOR,
Who allows himself to be buffeted. beaten.
crowned with thorns, and is finally cruel
fed by being tied to the cross Any num-
Der OF Judases may be hired for a dollar
per day, who aspire to the honor of per-
uniting the crowd TO revile them and spit
In their faces. and who, we are told in
some cases actually represent the traitor so
faithfully that at the close of the farce they
gu and hang themselves to a tree, trusting
10 some friend to kindly cut them down
before death ensues
Closely following this procession OF
feaihered and helmeted Jews, Phari3ees.
etc, came another, all of Indian woman,
who slowly and sadly brought up the rear,
bearing upon their shoulders a platform
upon which stood an image of the Virgin
Va SpiAtN HtNSetu III mourning. Inc
cure. with the crimson umbrella held over
him as before. made first an address to the
Virgin, who was carried up to the pulpit to
hear II, and then another to the Savior.
during which the audience listened with
breathleSS attention.
At last, after more than an hours dis
course-during which the unhappy Cyren-
ian was undergoing penanee of extra
ordinary severity, for he kept his stopping
position without moving muscle while
the sun blistered the top of his bald head.
the procession formed into two lines.
Shortly afterward man with plumed
helmet, mounted upon a fiery horse. came
dashing through the ranks, holding paper
upon the point OF his lance-the sentence
pronounced by the goggled Pontius Plate.
On arriving at the pulpit, he handed up
this paper to the cure, who received it with
well-feigned look of horror, tried to read
IT. and threw it to the ground with an air
oil indignation. The messenger galloped
back more furiously than he came; and
then followed the parting address to the
condemned Savior. whose bearers brought
him up to the pulpit, followed by the
mourning mother. An hour later we went
TO see the