The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-21

-Poisons Brewed With Much Mystery
by Conjurors.
(From the st. Louis Globe Democrat
"The wonderful poisons concocted and
used with deadly effect by the Indian
tribes of middle British Columbia have
baffled tho keenest medical experts for
years. They can find no antidote, and
no analyses have been able to throw the
faintest light on their nature
These words were spoken by DR.. Aaron
Ripley of Winnipeg to small circle of
Listeners. He went on to say that the
medical fraternity is firm in the belief
that no poison exists, or could exist,
which cannot be positively identified
after the victims death, either by the
LESSONS produced in the organs affected
or by extracting from the corpse and test.
ing the poison itself.
''No doubt this is true,'' he continued,
"of the poisons that may be called staples
on the market, from the painless NOR
phia and similar narcotics on through
the series to hydrocyanic or prussic acid
Chemical tests are very effective and pre-
cise-so much SO that no poisoner could
ply his trade long without detection.
There was really no mystery whatever
| about the poisoning perpetrated by the
Borgias. Their crimes aud methods were
no secret, but their power protected
them.
"Yet among the Cree and Salteaux In
dams. 1000 miles north of Winnipeg, the
medicine men juggle with poisonous
drugs that defy analysis, and achieve
results unmatched and unheard of in any
other part of the world.
I'VE first learned of the almost incred-
ible particulars Thorough missionaries who
had passed many years among these
tribes in making vain efforts to over
throw the power of these conjurors. We
smiled at their stories in our self-conff-
dent, medica way until the proof came
to stampede us. We had been told, for
example, of one drug in use which caused
horrible eruption to break out upon the
| victims body. The poison might be adj
ministered at any time of the year, but
no signs of it's presence could be detected
| before spring, when the sores would ap-
pear. Later these would heal to all
appearance, and scales would appear in
their places. Then the scales dropped off
and were replaced by an abnormal growth
of hair. Shorty after this death always
ensued.
"One day missionary brought down
one of the Indians thus poisoned for the
army surgeons at Winnipeg to inspect
They did nothing but examine this poor
doomed creature, day and night, for a
week, noting each change up to the mo-
ment of death, and applying every con.
ani la tact fir,o 11xyf +
admit that no case of the kind had ever
been reported to the medical profession,
and that they were utterly unable to ex-
plain it. The deadly mixture used,
whatever it may be, is quite unknown to
| science.
1.-THE poisons used are brewed by the
conjurors of these two tribes in the most
mysterious and battling manner. 1t is
their main business, and the secret has
been closely guarded. No remedy has
ever been found. Death invariably fol
lows, sometimes swiftly and with dread.
full agonies, but usually after months OF
suffering almost unbeara5le even TIC
those rugged redskins, Injured to pain
and hardship from the cradle. The con
juror boasts of the number of victims
just as the Sioux boasts of the scalps OF
his enemies. %
4 The doctor then proceeded to explain
that the conditions of life among these
two tribes, their peculiar habits and
i traits, create demand for these conjurors
and their deadly drugs which is entirely
unknown among Indians anywhere elst
on the globe. GAS rule, although the
Indian will occasionally resort to ambush
and treachery, he delights to face his foe
and take the fortunes of war like brave
But the Crees and the Salteaux, away
on the borders of the Eskimo country
are cut from red skin cloth of different
texture. They are habitually peaceful
they never take the warpath at all : and
the Traditional scalping knife and toma
hawk are unknown among them. They
, have, however, enough of savage nature
to make enemies and to wish to get them
out of the way; and as they are hot &C.
customed to settle their disputes by open
combat, they go to the oonjuror with
their feud. He promptly comes to their
rescue with some sort of deadly decoction
1t is then the Indians business to see
that this fatal fluid in some way reaches
the stomach of his hated rival. After
that his anxiety is over, for the drug car
always be depended on to do the rest.
when called upon to perform this
death dealing service the conjurors stea
off in the forest where they collect vari
Gus unknown herbs and barks. These
are brewed with great care and plentiful
lamentations in their wigwams, no ONT
but fellow conjuror being allowed tt
cret is kept inviolate, and the conjuror'
power tn the tribe is unbounded. Ever
the chiefs take back seat when conju
Tor appears on the scene"
"Do these conjurors con stitute sort O.
hereditary priesthoods'' was asked.
mot exactly hereditary" replied thu
doctor, ''but the line is continuous ant
exclusive. 1t seems, from all can Learn
Of these strangely murderous people, tina
a conjuror is held to act on some sort O.
inspiration when he takes his first step
to join the order. He goes through 6
J singular and severe course of training
Mounting to the summit of the highes
cliffs, he will sit there alone for hours
through the night, communing in low
monotone with the clouds and hearing
the messages borne to him by the winds
During the daytime he lies hidden in
cave surrounded by great mystery. Fol
months he will continue this programme
starving himself until he is little more
than skin and bones. When the period O.
his spiritual probation is ended he re
turns to the tribe and is then looked up
on as qualified to practice the conjuror's
art: Undoubtedly the secret recipe by
\ which these mysterious drugs are brewed