St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-23

fully 200 feet high from which
at distance of about forty feet from
the top of al ledge of rocks. perhaps
twenty feet in width projected. As the
song reached its height two Pimas
stepped to the edge of the precipice and
began hurting rocks upon the ledge be-
low, and l could also see that others
were doing something with the pris-
ouer. In a few minutes the unfortunate
victim walked firmly to the precipice,
standing as erect as soldier on dress
parade and giving no evidence of trep-
Idation or dismay. He was entirely
stripped of his clothing and was
beautiful specimen of physical man
hood, who, to my horror, momentarily
expected to see hurled from the mighty
bluff into into eternity. My sur
prise, however, was greatly excited
when l saw him seat himself
on the edge of the precipice and
swing gently into the air, beng
suspended by stout rope which was
attached to straps around the breast
under the arms and over the shoulders,
all fastened together at the shoulder
blades, where it would be impossible for
him to reach the knot with his free
hands. Several more rocks were hurled
down upon the rocky ledge, and then
all was silent. While | awaited Subse-
quentdevelopmentsl in painful suspense,
in order to determine the object of the
strange actions of the Indians, the UNI
fortunate wretch was being slowly ana
carefully lowered to his fate, and when
but few feet from the projecting rocks
heard a sound resembling escaping
Steam from a distant engine. Fixing
oil fhn nI1nn WHARF, he
would soon stop, ! noticed that the little
rocky shelf seemed to be in motion.
Great heavens! Such awful depravity
of human nature, such sickenlng and
horrible atrocity could not witness,
and turned my head away from the
revolving sight. The poor Indian was
being lowered into den OF thousands
and thousands of loathsome, writing.
VenomouS rattleSnakeS, made blIndly
mad by the rocks thrown upon them,
and were waiting for revenge to strike
his naked body when it came within
reach-and the Kissing sounds | heard.
300 yards away, were their signals OF
warning. The poor recourse OF seeking
a preferable death by plunglng over
the cliff was denied the wretch, fol- the
six StalWart bucks who held the rope
above would never give it play enough
to permit Of such action.
There is an indeiinable attraction
about a scene of horror which few can
resist, and just as the Indians feet
touched the ledge Of rock my glasses
we're again fastened upon him. linen
ensued the most exciting. though dis
gushing and unequal, contest ever Wit
messed in my life. The young fellow
was as nimble as cat, and, brushing
tA,o IL
SOFAS to be able to stand on the rock. lie
moved with wonderful deXterity, born
of desperation. Hundreds of the rat
tiers he grabbed in his hands and threw
over the cliff without seeming injury to
himself, and l began to hope that he
would at last be able to clear a spot
where he would be safe from their at
lacks. For two or three seconds his
arm shot out like flashes of light. and
he appeared to be able to look in all di-
rections at one time, as he caught
the reptiles in his hands and flung
them from him. Suddenly cry Of de-
rsion arose from the group of SavageS
on the peak, and as the gladiator arose
saw that an immense RATHER had fast
ened to the back of his neck. Still he
went on with his futile work OF self
preservation. but his movements grew
slower and slower. In minute from
the time his feet touched the rattle
snakes den he staggered and fell, and
when the Indians began hauling him up
to the top of the precipice | could see
that fully dozen of the poisonous rep
tiles had fastened their fangS in his
flesh in manner SO as to be unable to
extract them. He was then i'll the con-
vulsions of death, and L hurriedly re-
turned to my horse and rode home:
being anxious to leave the spot where |
had unfortunately witnessed such hor--
rible barbarity, and to prevent which l
was totally powerless.
Juan afterward told me that if the
condemned witch had succeeded i'll
cleaning place around him where he
could have lived for half an hour with
out being bitten by snake his life
would have been spared and the medl-
cine men would have been the ones to
suffer. | fancy, however, that being
beaten to death by sQuaWs is preferable
to being bitten to death by rattlesnakeS,
and that ban of the unfortunates who
fall under the face of Witchcraft law OF
Pima superstition ever resort to an APP
peal to the higher Supreme Court.
-1lEH--