Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1888-10-03
Il Wild WEIRD TALE.

A YounR squaw, Suspected of Witchcraft,
Burned 1t . slow Fire--Her Own Reis-
lives Assist I'm Dragging Her TO the Place
or Torture.
The story comes from good authority at
Los Angeles of the burning OF young
squaw by Moiave Indians because she was
accused Of practicing witchcraft. The
scene Of the torture was near the Colorado
river in the eastern end Of San Bernardino
county. For the past two months
strange disease has attacked members OF
the tribe. Its spread at last became SO
alarming that the members of the tribe be-
came panic stricken aud slaughtered their
dogs and burros as sacrifice to appease
the anger of the Great Father This PROV
ing of no avail, a council was held. Every
buck in the tribe was present. The medi-
cine men sat around huge hole, which
was filed with herbs, while the bucks were
squatted around in semicircle, some dis
lance away. The medicine men watched
the steaming Of the herbs until the mess
had been boiled down to q tea cup full OF
liquid. Then pigeon and his mate we're
taken from basket and held by the medi-
cine men while the liquid from the herbs
was poured down their throats. The male
bird, when released, flew away. The
female bird futtered few yards and then
fell helpless and dying on the ground. The
medicine men now seemed crazed with ex-
element. They leaped 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 tribe. The female
bird had died while the male bird had
flown away into the night. This test de-
termined the sex of the witch. When the
bucks heard the words of the medicine
men they became wild with rage. Each
brave suspected the other Of harboring the
witch in his tepee or cabin. But final
test was to be made. With yells and i'm
precautions 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
squaws were driven in single file, with the
medicine men watching with nervous ex-
element the face Of each as she passed the
bird. Finally young squaw, the daugh-
ter OF Creso, a sub-chief, stepped ont of
the ranks and was about to pick up the
bird, when the medicine men, with loud
yells, seized the girl and pinioned her
arms. The unfortunate squaw pleaded
piteously for her life, which she seemed to
foresee was in peril, but her cries were Of
nv AVIAN, LtT own FeIatlNec usSlStlux Ill
dragging her to the council place. The
death of the female pigeon was conclusive
evidence that sqnaw was the witch. The
first squaw to touch the bird was the fatal
test Of guilt. The poor girl, who was but
IL years old, was stripped Of her clothes,
tied to stake and a slow fire built under
her. For two hours she fingered in awful
agony, and while her death screams filed
the air the braves danced about the fire
and the medicine men muttered incanta-
tons. When morning came nothing but
the whitened bones of the girl and the
black embers of the fire remained about
the stake. The disease from which so
many of the Mojave braves died is be-
lieved to be malignant typhoid fever. The
details of this strange story was brought
to Los Angeles by ranchers who had been
attracted to the camp of the Indians by
the noise which attended the terrible death
Of the girl.