, 1889-08-15
AN ALASKAN PRINCESS.
She is Disreputable But Rich and
From One of the First
Families.
The Alaskans Firm Believers in
All Sorts of Soroery and
Witchcraft.
Juneau Iettcr.l

To-day, on the steamer Elder there
departed from Juneau for Sitka II notori-
ous character called Mrs, Tom, or more
commonly the Indian Princess, not that
she is a princess of any sort, even
among the Indians, but that she Is rich,
ways Than one, but in none that Is re.
spectacle. She laid the foundations of
her fortune In the most disreputable of
callings, and added to her gains In any
sort of trade that left the profits all on
her side, Mrs. Tom is not u
millionaire in the San Francisco
sense of the term, but she Is generally
supposed to be worth about $4,000, and
IL she had more than $2500, AS well in
formed Sitka man told me to-day she
would be millionaire in the Tlinket
sense of the word. Mrs, Tom has been
visiting her Tlinket friends at Juneau,
and although she is no princess, she
holds her head very much higher than
any such women could outside of a las
ka. When we saw her yesterday her
arms were covered with bracelets,
which she was ready to sell for a good
cash consideration. Tourirts find
such princcly consideration attrac-
tive, and in her assumed character as
the Indian Princess Mrs. Tom drives
some very good bargains. When she
reaches Sitka she Will probably en-
counter that Raymond party OF tourists,
and enrich herself with their spoils.
The poor T'linkets throughout the ter.
ritory still believe in wichoraft, and
many II poor wretch Is miserably pun
ished for acts of sorcery which he has
never committed. The punishment in,
flicted upon supposed witches and sor.
corers is that OF tying" and two me
are now in Jail at SitlIa for tying witch.
An Indian at Sitka who goes by the
name of DR.. Peate has an accomplce in
his business of detecting witches, and
them. When tho relatives of sick
Tlinket come to believe he is
bcwitohed they send for DIR. Pcatc
After receiving Il fee in blank
cts which Is chocrfully handed over by
the patients friends, the doctor sets to
work. Doctors bills are not booked i'll
Alaska or at least by Tlinket Nj. D's.
The payment of the fee is essential to the
success of the physician. That point,
therefore, being duly attended to, DR..
Peate appears at the patients dwelling
accompanied by a member of the family
bearing IL tom-tom. Then he enters in
fantastic attire, or rather almost without
attire, since his dress consists only of q
short garment of hide and the gcw-gaws
and masks used in his exercises. Among
his pharaphernalia are masks, wands,
u
tiossy material. Tho doctor leans over
the patient, puts his hand upon the
seat of pain, covers his face with the
mask which he thinks appropriate to his
disease, and begins "a wild chant to his
totemi Presently he marches round
and round the patient, chanting
more and more loudly while his assis-
tant thundcrs away on the tom-tom.
The march quickens to a dance, and
. a. % Il t,.l;
impaled on the horns of the doctors
mask detach themselves and tloate,oyer
the patient and the performers. AS he
dances, the medicine man grows frenzied
and exhibits his excitement by leaping
wildly into the air, until at length he falls
down into u sort of fit while his body
quivers with muscular excitement.
After some hours of this work he de-
parts to his own house and there makes
known the name of the witch or sor-
cerer. When he has done SO, his task
for the time Is ended.
The relatives of the patient have now
the duty of catching the guilty party
which they generally accomplish by
lying in ambush and leaping upon him
unawarcs. The victim seldom knows
beforehand that he has been accused.
When he is captured the doctors assist.
ance is called in to tie tho prisoners
head back, His hands are also tied he
hind him. Then the doctor himself
appears and exhoris the culprit to con-
fess his crime Ii he does he is asked
why he bewitched the patient, and if he
gives an answer and promises repentance
ho is often suffered to go free.
III he does not confess, or If he is not at
once released after confession, hc is
secluded and starved, while he con
tinues tied in the same cruel posi-
ton, and is constantly guarded to pre-
vent his escape or relief. Often he is
tortured in very brutal fashion.
In the ehd the victim is pretty sure to
confess, and after he does, the doctor,
whose skill the confession proves, is
pretty sure to let him off on proper con
ditions. He Is required, of course to
pay fine in blankets and generally also
to go through certain ceremonies by
which the effect of his sorcery is averted.
He is sent 10 the grave of some colebra-
ted Indian medicine man to fetch a
lrinket previously deposited there.
With that and bunch OF swans down
he goes to the sea shore and blows away
bits OF the down with his breath to sig
Nifty the dissipation of his previous
charms against the patient. That done,
he is purgcd of his ofionse (whether he
has committed any or not), and the doc
tor retireS covered with honors, as well
as with his well-earned blankets.