Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-09-20
BURNED AT THE STAKE,
Days OF Witchcraft Revived in This
Country.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1.-THE story
comes from good authority at Los
Angeles, Of the burning of q young
squaw by Mojave Indians, because she
was accused Of practicing witchcraft.
The scene of the torture was near the
Colorado river, in Eastern San Berna-
dina county.
For the past two months, a strange
disease has attacked members of the
tribe. Its spread at last became so
alarming that the members of the tribe
became panic stricken and slaughtered
their dogs and burros as sacrifice to
appease the anger of the Great Father.
This proving Of no avail a council was
held. Every buck in the tribe was
present. The medicine men sat around
huge pot, which was filed with herbs.
while the bucks were squatted i'm a
semi-circse some distance away. The
medicine men watched the streaming
OF the herbs until the mess had been
boiled down to u teacupful of LIQUID.
Then male pigeon and his mate were
taken from basket and held by the
medicine men while the LIQUID from the
herbs was poured down their throats.
The male bird, when released, flew
away. The female bird fiuttered few
yards and then fell helpless and diving
to the ground.
The medicine men now seemed
crazed with excitement. They leaned
to their feet and danced. while the
bucks sat Ia ~ullen silence. While the
medicine men were In the midst of
their orgies they declared that there
was witch In the tribe. The female
bird had died, while the male bird had
flown away into the night. This test
determined the sex of the witch. When
the bucks heard the words of the medi-
cine men they became wild with rage,
Each brave suspected the other of har-
boring the witch in his tepee or cabin,
But nnal test was to be made. With
yells and imprecations the frenzied reds
drove their women to the place where
the council had been held and where
the white pigeon still lay among the
herbs and grasses. The suuaws 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 daughter
of Creso, u sub-chief, stepped out of the
ranks and was about to pick up the
C.t WHS" wiz iuCuNiuc Iucu, Wlt0
loud yells, seized the girl and pinioned
her arms. The unfortunate suuaW
pleaded plteously for her life, which
she seemed to forsee 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 squaw was the witch. The first
squaw to touch the bird was the fatal
test ofguilt.
The poor girl, who was but 18 years
old, was stripped of her clothes, tied to
q stake and y slow fire built under her.
For two hours 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 morning came,
nothing but the whiteued bones of the
girl and the black embers of the fire re-
NAMED about the stake.
The disease from which 80 many of
the Mojave braves died, is believed to
be malignant typhoid fever. The de-
tails of this strange story were brought
to Los Angeles by ranchers who had
been attracted to the camp of the H.
dians by the noises which attended the
terrible death of the girl.