Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-17
scOURGED WITH CA AOTUs.
Faith That Sustains Mexican Pen
 tents Through Torture.

F8Ath EhaC Su9ta1ns M0X1c2n Hen1s
 tents Through Torture.
 "Any one who has ever been on the cattle trail in Texas or New Mexico has seen many illustrations of the profound fear and reli. gious faith of the Mexican cowboys" said c. P. Horton, proprietor of the Loupas cattle ranch in New Mexico, to g New York Sun reporter. ''The laceration of their flesh with thorny cactus in time of danger or trou- ble, as penance for their sins, is common act among them, and many is the herd of cattle that has suffered enormous loss through Mexicans in charge of them attach- ing more importance to their barbarous atonement for past wickedness than they did to the cattle in their custody. I once knew herd Of thirty five hundred cattle to be stampeded in thunder storm because the Mexicans who were training them were afraid of thunder and lightning, and threw themselves from their horses, stripped them- selves and lashed their naked bodies with cactus as a propitiation of the clements, while the herd rushed wildly away in all di rections and hundreds were lost.
 "It is not an uncommon thing for Mexican cowboys to stop on the trail to punish them- selves for their sins. Frequently their cries while giving themselves the thorny Hagella- ton cause disastrous stampede of the cattle they have been intrusted with. l have many time seen these Mexicans walk barefooted for rods over patches of cactus spikes, while a companion followed and lashed their naked backs with the same thorny plant-the for midable cane cactus. Once was in town in northern Mexico and witnessed an aston- ishing exhibition.
 sI had a friend down there who was lock- | ing after the interests of mining company, and as I had been asked to go into the con- cern, went down to look the ground over. arrived in the place on Friday-sust 8 year ago last Good Friday.
 "'You're just in time,' exclaimed my friend when we met. They're going to give this community it's annual sin cleaning by fishing greaser till you can't tell him from side of dressed beef, and we'll go and see lem do it. He then explained to me that on every Good Friday at least one Mexican in the parish had to submit to public fagella- ton with cane cactus as pensnce, not only for his sins for the past year, but for those of | the community in general. l accompanied my friend to see how an official hagellation was conducted.
 1 eve went first to the church, which was l an ancient one In the altar stood young Mexican stripped to the waist. The priest l was saying prayers over him, and all the | people were kneeling and telling their beads. l sFsThat's a chap they call Bad Lopez | whispered my friend. He has evidently
 beaten the record for wicksdness this year ! and will get the tickles.'
 l 'tThe ceremonies at the church were soon
 over. Then Bad Lopez took up heavy l cross that lay near the altar, threw it across
 his shoulder and followed the priest out of
 the church. The cross was made Of timber
 eight inches square. It was not less than
 eight feet long, with croas arms in proPor- | tion. Lopez bent under it's weight. The
 people in the church followed Lopez. didn't see the priest after we left the church. l The procession marched nearly half 8 mile, l and the Mexican couldn't have carried that
 heavy cross another rod. But the destina
 tiou had been reached. cross had beer
 raised on the spot, and around this Lopei ) walked once and laid his cross on the ground l The crowd surrounded the standing cross Two stout Mexieans stepped forward. Eact
 had in his hand stalk of cane cactus. l stalk of cane cactus is about four feet long : A man can just nicely reach around its but and get firm hold of it. The stalk tapsr' ] 1 to point and has numerous branches foul or five inches long. Stalk and branches ar' | covered with thousands of needle like thorns
 These are an inch long and poisonous as {
 bee stinger. Every wound made by one o1 ! these is bound to swell and fester and itct l worse than nettles.
 stIt was with one of these encouraging
 weapons that each of Lopez's scourgers was
 armed They were apparently anxious tc | purify that parish without delay, for they
 did not hesitate moment when they stepped l from tho crowd, but started right In tC
 threshing the young Mexican's bare back a'
 if they were simply rattling out floor o
 grain Around and around that cross Lopei
 marched, his fagellators at his heels ant
 welding their frightful weapons with vigo | and regularity, while the spectators chantet l weird and discordant hymn. At the frs | blow of the cactus the Mexican's back wa
 lacerated as if it had been cut by lances ant l the blood ran down in streams. A visibl . trsmor shook his frame, and he drew him
 self down convHlsively under the pain o | the first blow but not & sound escaped hl lips The poison spikes were pounded int his flesh as long as there were any branch 1 es to the cactus stalk. By the time the ter 1 rible soourgers were worn out there was no l a spot of whole skin or untorn flesh from tht
 Mexican's shoulders to his waist. Scores O
 the thorns had broken off in the flesh anc 1 protruded from the lacerated mass like DOT : oupine quills.
 .'As soon as the merciless beating was ove
 Lopez marched back again to the church l At the church door 8 smooth bar of woot was passed over his mangled back from tn shoulders down to remove such of the spike
 and adhering sections of the cactus as woule come off with the scraping. Those, wltl ! other bits of cactus that the spectators hat picked up around the cross, were thrown ol | the ground in front of the church door, ant 2 | over these Lopez walked in his bare feet t | and fro several times. Then the sacrlhc was over. The Mexican had atoned for ? l whole parish's sins and his friends took hir l home. I don't know whether he ever go 2 l we'll or not, but I was told that it was ' ' common thing for the victims of these fs 1. gellations to be six months recovering freI ' the effects of the punishment, and that ono in while one died"