The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-12-25
RED-SKlNNED PRISONERS.
Tribes of Indians Whose Only Weapons
Were Deadly Potions.


sons has been reduced to an exact
science. These tribes never go on the
warpath. They have not learned the
uses of the scalping knife and the toma-
hawk Such thing as shooting from
ambush never occurs. When a Cree or
SalteauX Indian gets ready to dispose
of an enemy or rival he consultS the
ronjurer of the tribe, and that individ-
nal deals out poisons that are not
known in any other place on earth
These poisons battle the most sllilful
doctors and chemists.
British army surgeons who have ex-
amined victims of the Cree and Salteaux
prisoners, say that the deadly mixtures
used by them are absolutely unknown
TO science. Missionaries and trappers
who came to Winnipeg with stories of
The fatal liquids were not believed. Tho
only way they convinced the doctors
was by taking several victims before
board of examining surgeons. These
poiSons are brewed in the most mys-
FERROUS manner by the old conjurers of
the tribes. That is their chief occupa
ton. They go into the forests alone
and come back to their wigwams with
strange herbs and barks which are
converted into liquids that work terri
bic execution among the bucks signalled
out for death. No remedy has ever been
found to operate against these drugs.
'bedth invariably follows, sometimes
swiftly and with awful agony, but more
frequently after the lapse of months of
dreadful suffering. Fourteen braves
have been sent to the good trapping
grounds by this hand" said one old
coniurer, shaking his hand in Il threat
eninG gesture to the Rev. Egerton Il.
Young, a missionary who lived twenty
years with the tribes.
The Rev. Mr.. Young is visiting friends
in Chicago He tells a thrilling story
OF his life among these savages. The
missionary is a man of powerful ply
sique and athletic proportions. 81 lived
with two of the tribes so long that they
all called me their little brother" he
said. They are a powerful race. The
men are large and very strong. AS you
may know, the Cree and SalteauX Indi-
ans are the last tribes we find on this
continent before reaching the Esqui-
maux. My work as a missionary was
in country about roo to 1000 miles
north of Winnipeg. The line that sep
arates the Indians from the EsquimauX
is not marked, and, while their hunting
grounds are not far apart in some
places, the customs of Che people are
very different The Cree and Salteaux
Indians are not bloodthirsty, but, once
their anger or envy is aroused, death
more terrible than that inflicted by the
scalping knife or tomahawk awaits the
victim. Their knowledge OF poisons
is extraordinary. l saw many victims
of the deadly drugs administered by old
conjurers, and during my twenty years,
residence with the tribes had frequent
occasions to administer to the victims,
for | was doctor, magistrate, preacher
and teacher for them. Many is the time
] have been called from bed to 90 and
stitch up some poor fellow who had
been clawed almost to death by bear.
some of these poisons operate in the
most mysterious manner. One Of the
drugs in common use when | first went
among the Indians caused great sores
to appear on the face and body of the
victim. No matter what season of the
year this poison was given its effects
were not visible until spring. Then
the sores would appear. After
while these sores would APP
parently dry up and scales would
appear. When these scales dropped
off great tufts of hair sprung
from the sores. Then death followed
] told some army surgeons at Winnipeg
of these remarkable drugs and their
effects. but my story was not believed.
Such things are not known to medical
science the doctors replied. When |
went back to Winnipeg again | took
one of the afflicted Indians with me
The surgeons spent nearly a week in
examining him. This is certainly the
first case of the kind that has ever been
reported to the medical profession was
their verdict when they finished the ex-
animation.
The only means of travel in that
country is by means of sleds drawn by
dogs. The Indians are remarkable run
ucIS anu pIulS JllcIASCiNtS Oh IIlciE
powers of endurance in that line. If an
Indian is so unfortunate as to excite
the envy of rival runner he is very
apt to get a dose of poison. The drugs
given in such cases are equally as mys-
FERROUS in their effects as those admin
istcred where death is to be produced.
Some of these drugs paralyze the legs
of the runners, but have no other effect.
Other drugs simply stitfen the limbs.
The power exercised by the conjur-
ers over their tribes is very great, and
they know that the missionaries come
to break it. When an Indian feels an
inspiration or an inclination, whatever
/ Iszmay be, to become conjurer, he
goes through singular course of train
ing He will sit alone for hours at
night on the summit of the cliffs, talk
ing to the clouds and listening to the
sounds of the winds. During the day
time he is secreted in n cave. An air of
mystery shrouds his life and move
ments. He starves himself almost to
death. Months after absenting himself
from the tribe he comes back. Then
he is conjurer, Chicago Herald
The Ways ct Woman.
A family in Harlem were just sitting
down to dinner the other evening when
a messenger arrived in hot haste with