Richland beacon., 1888-11-10
BURNING a WITCH.
'curs MoInve squaw Sacrificed
10 tho superstition OF iIcr rpop,c

fc"ns MoIove >auaw Sacrifice
'" inc superstition OF Her People
Inc story comes Oh good authurit
at Los Angeles of Tie Burning of
Young squaw b. Mojavc Indians be
cause she was accused of practicin.
witchcraft. The scene of the tcrtur,
was near the Colorado river in th.
eastern end of san Bernardino coun
". For the last two months a stran U,
disease has attacked members of lii,
tribe. Its spread ut last became Sc
alarming that the Indians bccam,
panic-strickcn and slaughtered theil
dogs and burros rs Il sacrifice 20 ap.
| pcase the anger of the Great Father.
This proving OF no ava council WAS
| held.
Every buck N the tr be was present.
he medicine men sat around Il huge
| pot, which was filled with herbs, while
the bucks were sGua,tcd in semi.
circle, some distance away. The medi.
cine men watched the stcaming Of the
herbs until the mess had been boiled
down TO teacuD full of Liquid. Then
male pigeon and his mate were TAX
Ell from basket and held bv the
medicine man while the liquid from
the herbs were poured down their
throais. The male bird, when releas-
ed. flew away. The female bird tiu!-
tered few yards and fell helpless and
dying on the ground. The medicine
men now seemed crazed with excite
ment They leapcd to their feet and
danced, while the bucks sat in sulen
silence.
While the medicine men were in the
midst of their incantations they de.
clared that there was witch N the
tribe. The female bird had died while
the male bird had flown away into the
night. This test determined the sex
OF the evil docr. When the bucks
heard the words of the medicine men
they became wild with rage. Each
brave suspected the other of harbor No
the witch in his tepee or cabin. But Il
final test was to be made. With wells
and imprecations the frcuzied Iniians
drove their women 10 the place whcro
tho council had been held and where
the white pigeon still Law among the
herbs and grasses. The squaws were
driven in single file, with the medicine
men Watching with nervous excitement
the face OF each as she passed the bird.
Finally, young squaw, the daugh.
ter OF CreSo. sub-chief, stepped out
the ranks and was aboutt to pick up the
bird. when the medicine men. with
loud yells. seized TIE girl and pinioneG
her arms The unfortunate squaw
pleaded piteously for her life. which
she seemed 10 forcsee was in peril, but
her cries were of no avail. her own
relatives assisting in dragging her to
the council place. The death of the
female pigeon was conclusive evidence
that n sguaw was the witch. The first
squaw TO touch the bird was to be the
guilty one.
The poor girl, who was lut eighteen
years old, was stripped of her clothes.
tied TO stake aud a slow fire bu Ut
under her. For two huur she fingered
in awful agony. and while her death
screams filled the air the braves danced
about the fire and the medicine men
muttered incantations. When morn
ing came nothing but the whiiened
bones of the girl and the black EN- bers
Of the fire remained about the stake.
The disease from which so many of
the Mojave braves died is believed to be
malignant typhoid fever. The details
If this strange story were brought to
Los Angeles by ranchers who had been
attracted to the camp of the Indan
1v the noises which attended tho terri
DE death of the girl.