The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-08-16
supERsTlT.ous MExIcAns.
scoursIug Each Other with the Terrible
Cactus Cane-A Good Friday Event.

oktut lSal altl tNliStouo 1tttt VI IuC
Mexican cowboys" said G.. P. Horton.
proprietor of the Lonpas cattle ranch
n New Mexico, to u New York Sun
correspondent. 1.-The laceration of
their flesh with thorny cactus in time
of danger or trouble, as a pcnance for
their sins, is n common act among
them, autEmany is The herd of cattle
tl,ab has suffered enormous loss through
MeNicans in charge Of them attaching
more Importance to their barbarous
atonement for Dast wickedness than
they did to the cattle in their custody.
] once knew a herd of $500 cattle to
be stanlpeded in q thunderstorm be-
canse the McXicans who We're trailing
them were afraid of thunder and light
ming and threw themselves from their
horses, stripped themselves and lashcd
their naked bodies with cactu as a
Precipitation of the elements, while the
herd rushed wildly away in all direct
ions and hundreds were lost.
sit is not an uncommon thing for
Mexican cowboyst to stop on the trail
to punish themselves for their sins.
Frequently their cries while giving
themselves the thorny tlagellation
cause n disastrous stampede of the
cattle they have been intrusted with.
lhave many q time seen these Mexicans
walk barefooted for rods over patches
of cactus spikes, while a companion
followed and dashed their naked backs
with the same thorny plant-the for
midablc cane cactus. Once l was in a
town in northern Mexico and witnessed
an astonishing exhibition.
~ had n friend down there who was
looking after the interests of q mining
company, and as l had been asked to
go into the concern | went down to
look the ground over. 1 nrrivedin tire
p!uce on Friday-just a year ago last
Good Friday.
".You're just in time,' exclaimed
my friend when we met. They're GO
ing to give this community its annual
sin-cleaning by flashing u greaser till
you can't tell him froni d side o fdressed
beef. aud Wen 20 and see low, 49,.
TIC inc" explained to me that on
every Good Friday at least one Mexican
IN TIC parish had to submit to public
--ggGiiasien with cane cactus. as a
l~ehancc not only for his sins for the
year past, but for those of the com
munily III general. ! accompanied
NY friend to see how M official flag
citation was conducted.
1--WE went first to the church, which
was an ancient one. In the altar stood
Y Young Mexican stripped to the waist.
Tho priest was saying prayers over
him and all the people were kneeling
and telling their beads.
"sIhats a chap they call Bad Lopez,
whispered my friend, lie has evident.
lv Beaten the record for wickedness
this year, and will get the ticklcr.'
The ceremonies of the church were
soon over Then Bad Lopez took up
Il heavy cross that lay neal the altar,
threw it across his shoulder and fol.
lowed tho priest out of the church. The
cross was made of timber eight inches
square. 1t was not less than eight feet
long, with cross arms iii proportion.
Lopez bent under its weight. The
people in the church followed Lopez.
1 didn't see the priest after we left the
church. The procession marched
nearly half Il mile, and the Mexican
couldn't have carried that heavy cross
another rod. But the destination was
reached. A cross had been raised Oh
the spot aud around this Lopez walked
Qiice and laid his on the ground.
The crowd surrounded the standing
cross. Two stout MoNicans stepped
forward. Each had in his hand a stall
of a II cactus. A stalk of cane caclu.
is about four feet long. A man cal
i,,Sf nfon1y. ,,nn.t ,,,N,u,l ~ l,,,t $50
get Il firm hold of it. The stalk tnpers
to Il point, and has numerous branches
four or five inches long. Stalk ans
branches are covered with thousands
of needle-like thorns. These are al
inch long, aud rs poisonous as q bee
singer. Every wound made by one
of these spikes is bound to swell, and
tester, and itch worse than %ncttles.
lit was with II of these encourag.
ing weapons that each of Lopez
scpurgers was armed. They were APP.
parently anxious to purify the parish
without delay, for they did not hest.
tate 4 moment when they stepped from,
the crowd, but started right in tc
thrashing the young Mexiean's bare
back Us if they were simply rafting
out q floor of grain. Around and
around the o Lopez marched, his
tlageliators at his heels, aud welding
their frightful weapons with vigor ant
regularity, while the spectators ehanted
q wiord and discordamt hymn. At the
first blow of the cactus the Mexican's
backwas laccratcd as if it had been Gu
by %lances, and the blood ran down il
streams. A visible tremor shook his
frame, and he drew himself down con.
vulsiyoly under the pain of the iirsi
blow, but not a sound escaped his lips.
The poison spikes were pounded into
his flesh as long as there were any
branches to the cactus stalk. BY The
time the terrible scourgers were worr
out there was not Il spot of whole Skin
of uniform flesh from the Mexican's
shoulders to his waist. Scores of til,
thorns had broken off in the flesh, au(
protruded from the laccrated mass like
p%orcupine quilts.
As oon as the mcreiless beating wa.
over Lopez was marched back again Il
the church. AT the church door {
smooth bar of wood was passed ovel
his mangled back from the shoulder
down, to remove such Of the spike!
and adhering sections of the cactus Il.
would come off with scraping. Thos,
with other bits of cactus that TIN
spectators had picked up around tit
cross. were thrown on the ground il
front of the church door, and owe
these Lopez walked in his bare feet
to and fro several times. Then til,
sacrifice was over. The Mexican hae
atoned for q whole parish's sins ant
his friends took him home. l dom
know whether he ever got we'll or not
but | was told that it was a commo,
thing for the victims Of these ilagclla
tons to be six months recovering from
the effect of the punishment and tina
once in n while one died"
The Florida vegetable growers ar,
having a very prosperous season.
wouldn't Bite Twice.
When Morrow, the jury briber, wa