New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-01
THE MOJAVE MEDICINE MAN.
SOME ADVANTAGES THAT HE HAS OVEN
HIS WHITE BRETHREN.
HIS LIFE IS FORFEITED. HOWEVER JF HIS FIRE.
pIcTIoNs FAu,-REIIGIoUs CEREMONIES

r,bes have an immense advantage over tbeir breth-
ren the white doctors. for there can rarely ~ any
error about their decision TO the recovery or
death Of their patients Whel Mojave Irdinn feels
III the medicine IL called in He says nothhs'
but administers medicines and keeps quiet Tor
few days II his patient improves ana SHOWS
likelihood OF recovering willy practitioner sem
tentiousiy announces that the sick man WIZ ger
well. On the other hand. II The patient does ECU
give reassurlng signs OF conyalescence his fac IS
al once sealed The doctor makes statement
that he finds himself powerless TO overcome the PAD
spirit that has attacked MS patient, and that ne WA
die-and he does die. for all attempts 10 cure MN
are a; once Abandoned: this might alcne effect
cure but the poor creature ~ literally starved 10
death as he is deprived of al water and fooh' ana
"a soon as he loses consciousness. he is cremated
At can then readily b. that the medical men
OF the Yuma and MoIavc tribes are nearly niaiib's'
and they have no annoying posi-mortems or IN
quests their lot "a a rule il happy one. But
when they DO make error or at least one mat -
found out they are Immediately declared 10 be I'M
postors and killed without loss % time or ceremony
by the nearest relative Of The sggEieved patent.
some ii.tle time ago Yuma Indian was convicted
IA the Federal courts OF Los Angeles Of the murder
Of a medicine man. The prisoner made no attempt
10 deny his crime but PLEADED the Immemorial Gus
rom OF the tribe az his excuse. The medicine man
had been called IN to attend his child. and had said
that the youngser would recover, but on the con-
trary II died The father hsi killed the doctor. VINO
ID a
OF the tribe The indian however. was convicted
OF murder and wa~ sentenced 70 be- hanged. The
affair brought To the attention or me fTesi-
dent who committed the penalty 10 term Of I'M
prlsonment when al the facts were lsil before
him.
Another example Of this custom occurred at the
Needles a town on the Colorado River, where the
Atlantic and Pacific Railway crosses into ,rlz0na
II - years and the caief actor IN me
affair is known as shorty; ne il sort o.
local clown. whose legs irigntfnly deforned
A the overland train iarO the depot iae
Indians always crowd about the and offer
curios for sale. shorty" is a.ways IN the lead ana
for dime Will do a srot"slue dance. ana MAKE
a monkey OF himself generally. performance thaI
- always ended 10y his having PAL OK water
thrown into nj face.
Tn. Door wretchys history d. a baf1o0n dates from
the tim. when hr overturned the predictions Of a
medicine man Of the srib-. who had long held HIS
position without makina bad guess ana caused
his prompt execution. In fact shorty i tne only
Molave who T. alive after beng prouounc'l iNcar-
able by the tribes doctor ana ne nad r!narkdoiy
narrow escap-. I all intents ana purpose NJ a.
die. and his wake was ATTENDED Dy az lhr Gus
tomary ceremonies. His Juneau p>Te was ouht NJ
horses we're dubbed to death. aud tie torch va,
applied The flame mounted quickly about tn- ma,
dr. wood ANA al we've we'll, "hrh su11rhly
mendous commbtion m he pix followed and soon
SHORTY" bounded rom his position OF Dohvf an tH-
mourners At first the Indians thought Ga was the
supposed dead mans spirit but were soon convince1
acted accordingIy 'ShorIy" had evidently been ia
cataleptc condition AMI the neat had otopsn, mr.
had suffered most from the names aud w"rr twisted
into the curious shape they now nave
MEDICINE MANS TRIUMPH
Some time ago there was considerable excitement
among the tribe al N-edes for It lOon-l as II they
would once more have the privilege " killing their
medicine man. who had announced mat Honsha
would die. The sick mans medicine. food and
drink stopped. but the patient was obstinate
about the affair and hung upon lite desperately.
sl showing occasional signs Of recovery. The sick
mans family and friends became much excited and
praSsrs dsities Kept up BY MS pss.
his sufernss II he died and might bring about
recovery.
Needles the proceedings follows: The meGi-
cine man naturally became nervous and WINGED
but pending Honaka's fate. tn doctor was kept
the deprivson OF food and water Soon brought
about The End thsi Honakss strength hai manage:
medicine man appetite ana prestige came BACK to-
old Honaka wAs remarkably good Indian AMI
Was an important member OF the COUNCILS OF IN.
tribe. No one knew his age put ne could ten 81
many years ago before ne "niie man nsd been
IN California. He had been fascinating
young buck for h- had innumerable sauaws and
related by his children- marriages VITA nearly
every family the river. 81 IL was determined 20
give him funeral IN keeping with his possessions.
which large. and MS rank. which vas high;
The pyre was built about 800 yards from the old
frat dug about three feet vide eight feet Long
and four feet deep; me pr pr was ne h Mi'a ngn.
cross pile Of cottonwood logs. so laid that ne
depression the body was laid
Meanwhile. the squaws had prepared the corpse
for crema ton. and the rehsbiitated meiicine
exercised The evil spirits in me hut. Tne body
was rolled in blanket the ends of which were
he loops 50 formed and two biz bucks shoudered it
and marched aWSy to ine pyre foo~e en, ~ pro
All that morta, Of poor Horaka was placed in
he PORTION Of 0e PIE OF 0gs men sbo
i. and more OF the cottonwood logs we're piled on
% Sp 'q laid 's all the ' Of the dead
blankets brides. guns. ornaments and trnkets.
a circle about the pyre, and the religious ceremony.
called the spirit drive. began. Six young braves.
headdresses. appeared. They carried long wands ~
willow. 10 which + 'athers We're aitschea by rel
headed the procession as masters OF ceremony:
up the rear and a, snor, intervals would emit
haired man stood Up and delivered a long address.
which said to be eulogy Of the dead ieaier he
spoke first 10 the mOurnefs. then 10 the assembly
generally. and then TO the spirit drivers When
he had finished the old sqiiaw with tho steam
whistle gave her shrek three times. the psrading
braves followed with whoop. and fo-med into Two
columns the archers leading; and the "splr,
drivers" with the willow wands following and AZ
al full speed 20 point about TWO huniren tert
from the pile This taey kept repeating Tor about
hour.
KILLING THE DEAD MANS HORSES.
repulsve feature Of the affair followed. one
OF the sub-chlefs had been preparing HonaAas
horses FOR Their death as IT is the custom OF the
Indians to kin a mans animals AT his death. This
assistant priest had a sacred bead bride which M
would put on a horse and lead the creature out.
when ckening s,ght ensueg. Tor inc INDIANS,
armed with clubs and poles. would bea. ne poor
animal To dea IN. A. soon as one would iaI IN itS
death agony even before II vas dead. the sqna~s
would rush al il with Their knives ard cut from
the carcass the more desirable portions % the
flesh for the banquet that WAS 10 follow the ere
nation When the las horse killed there was
a brief tim. OF b-for" the ma. portion % the
/ ceremony.
Here occurred a pathetic Incident which PMS
i'm evidence 4 fact sometimes denied. fhat Indians
ore cspabs %, rtim-nt one OF me noufuefs
was a son OF HOnaka w only about twenty
wears Old and -nt rely overcome Nith gfief
lie had taken a position close 90 the pie ~ wood
which held his IA ther's body and when The torch
was applied IN. youth. "a frenzy of grief. en-
Iesvored to climb 10 the side % MS ,ainer Tie
b was pulled back. though not until after receiving