Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-12
SKILLED IN POISONS.
Wonderful Craft of the Cree Indians
III Brewing PoisOnS III a Mysteri.
Gus MANNER.
Death Invariably Follows Their Use
Often Swiftly and with Terri
ble.AgOny.
They Possess the Secret of Drugs Pro
ducing Results Unknown to Medi.
cal Science.

Among the Cree and Salteuax Indians
the administration of deadly poisons has
been reduced to an exact science These
tribes never go on the war path. They
have not learned the uses of the scalpine
knife and tom lhawk Such a thing as
shooting from ambush never occurs. When
Cree Or Salteaux Indian gets ready TO
dispose OF an enemy or rival he consults
the conjurer of the tribe, and that individ-
ual deals out poisOns that are not known
in any other place on earth. These poisons
battle the most sklllful doctors and unoln-
lists.
British armv surgeons who have exam
ined victims of the Cree and Salteaux
poisoners Saw that the deadly mixtures
used 10y thxm are absolutely unknown to
science. Missionaries and trappers who
came to Winnepeg with stories of the fatal
liquids were not believed. The only way
they convinced the doctors was by taking
several victims before board of examin-
ing surgeons. These poisons are brewed
IN the most mysterious manner by the old
conjurers of the tribes. That is their
chief occupation. They go into the forests
alone and come back to their wigwams
with strange herbs and banks, which are
converted into liquids that work terrible
execution among the bucks singled out fol
death. No remedy las ever been found tc
operate against the drugs. Death in
variably follows, sometimes swiftly and
with awful agony, but more frequently
after the lapse of months OF dreadful suf-
fering. Fourteen braves have been sent
to the good trapping grounds by this
box, RI IL l,olz i,.I-
hand IN threatening GESTURE to Rev.
Egerton &. Young. missionary who lived
twenty years with the tribes.
LIFE AMONG THE sAvAGEs.
Rev. Mr.. Young tells q thrilling story
of his life among these savages. The mis-
slonary is a man Of powerful physique and
athletic proportions. Il lived with two
Of the tribes so long that they all called
me their little brother" he said. They
are a powerful race. TIE men are large
and very strong. AS you may know, the
Cree and Salieaux Indians are the last
tribes we find on this continent before
reaching the Esquimeaux. Ny work as a
missionary was In a country about zoo to
1000 miles north of Winnipeg. The line
that separates the Indians from the Es-
quimeaux is not marked, and, while their
hunting grounds are not far apart in some
places, the customs of the people are very
different. The Cree and Salteaux Indians
are not bloodthirsty, but if once their anger
or envy is aroused, death more terrible
than that inflicted by the scaIping knife
or tomahawk awaits the victim. Their
knowledge of poiscns is extraordinary.
saw many victims of the deadly drugs ad-
ministered by old copjurers, and during
my twenty years experience with the
tribes had frequent occasion to administer
to the victims, for | was doctor, magis-
rate, preacher and teacher for them
Many is the time have been called from
my bed to go 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 con mon 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 apparently 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 remark
able 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
a gain took ore of the afflicted Indians
with me. y The surgeons spent nearly a
week in examining him. This is Ger
tainly the first case of the kind that has
ever been reported to the medical pro-
fession' was taeir verdict when they finish
ed the examination.
ARE REMARKABLE ATHLETES.
1.-The only means of travel in that
country" Rev. Mr.. Young continued, us
by means of sleds drawn by dogs. The
Indians are remarkable runners and pride
themselves On their powers of endurance
in that line If an Indian is so unntortu-
ale as to excite the envy of a rival runner
he is very apt to get dose of poison
The drugs given In such cases are equally
as mysterious in their effects as those adj
where death is to be produced.
Some OF these drugs paralyze the legs Of
the runners, but have no other effect.
Other drugs simply stiffen the limbs. But
to return to the powers of endurance of
the Indians. In my travels about the
country | was invariably accompanied by
a scout, or pilot, who ran ahead Of my
sled and pointed the way for my dog.
This Indian led H.e on a journey over the
snow of $50 miles in i've and one-half
days, running every step of the way. He
seemed as fresh when we stopped as the
day we started out"
During the first two years | carried a
but learned that 1t was OF no
use, aid after that elied entirely upon
my guide. The instinct of these men. Or
whatever it is that leads them safely
though the forests, is truly amazing. They
never falter, but go on and on, without
varying from their course in the slightest
degree. at times the brilliant aurora
boreaiis makes tr<vel by day almost i'm
possible. The brilliant coIors are reflected
from the snow in such manner as 10 al
most blind a traveller, and give hi n a dis
ease of the eye that is both painful and
dangerous. At such season We travel by
night. have been led through dark for
ests by my Indian scout during these
at the same speed that he made
during the day, and always came out at
the right place. He never swerved from
the course.
Often billiards would sweep across our
path, and We would have to get ont and
walk, but no mat er how the elements
ragged, my good scout always pointed the
right path Of course roads are unknown
in this country. We might travel between
two places a dozen times and never follow
exactly the same track. NJ dog weighed
$50 pounds when In good condition to run,
and ne and my Indian friend have been my
only companions OF many a long and per-
ilous journey
GREAT POWER OF THE CONJCRERs.
the power exercised by tie conjurers
over their tribes IS very great. and they