The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-09-20
BURNING A WITCH.

MojGve Medicine Men Accuse q SquGw Of Prsc-
tioiag Witohorait, and Burn Her At the Stake.
SAN FRANCISCO. Sept. 1.-THE story
comes from good authority at Los An
geles OF, the burning of young squaw
by Mojaye Indians because she was ac-
cused of practicing witehcraft. The
scene of the torture was near the Col
Orado river, in the eastern end OF San
Bernardln0 county. For the past two
months q strange disease has attacked
members of the tribe. Its spread at
last became so alarming that the MEM
bers of the tribe became panic-stricken
and slaughtered their dogs and burros
as "A 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 medi-
cine men sat around huge pot which
was filed with herbs, while the bucks
were squatted in a semi-circle some
| distance away. The medicine men
watched the steaming of the herbs IN
til the mess had been boiled down
to tea cup fun of liquid, then a male
pigeon and his mate were taken from a
| basket and held by the medicine men
while the liquid from the herbs were
poured down their thrOats. The male
bird when released flew away; the
female bird futtered few yards and
then fell helpless and dying to the
ground. The medicine men now
seemed crazed with excitement they
/ leapod to their feet and danced while
the Bucks sat in sullen silence. While
the medicine men were in the midst OF
their orgie, they declared that there
was witch in the camp. The female
bird had died while the male bird had
flown away in the night, the test de-
termined 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
harbOring the witch in his cabin, but {
test was to be made. With yells anC
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. The
squaws were driven in single file with
the medicine men watching witt
nervous excitement the face of eacl
as she passed the bird. Finally ;
young squaw, the daughter of Crosses
a sub chief stepped out of the rank
and was about to pick up the bird
when the medicine men with lOuC
yells seized the girl and pinioned hel
arms. The unfortunate squaV
, pleaded pitiously for her life, which
she seemed to know was in peril. bu
the medicine men persisted in drag
: giDg her to the council place. Thu
death of the female pigeon was con
elusive evidence that a squaW was
witch. The first squaw to touch tn
, bird was the fatal test. The poo
girl, who was but eighteen years oil
: was stripped of her clothes, tied to :
: stake, and slow fire wa!
! built under her. For two hour
she lived in agony and Will
her death screams held out tn
, braves danced about the fire and tn
! medicine men muttered lamentations
! When morning came nothing but tn
whitened bones of the girl and tn
black embers of the fire remained abou
the stake. The disease from which s
3 many of the Mojaves braves died is b
lieved to be malignant typhoid fevel
The details of this story was brOugt
Q to Los Angeles by ranchers who ha
D been attracted to the camp OF the Ind
!. ans by the noises which attended th
+ terrible death of the girl.