The record-union., 1897-07-02
WeinStOCk, Lubn C Co, 4OO4I2 Street, Sacramento

The spectators follow silently at re-
spectful distance.
Half way out to the hillock, which
| is known in Taos as Ell Calvario, the
procession halts at tumble down
adobe house. While the pietro blows a
shrin penetrating air on a little flute
| the man who is acting the part of the
Savior comes forth. His only garment
| is a quantity of cotton sheeting or
| muslin that hangs flowing from his
shoulders and waist as is represented
in the pictures of Christ in Bibles and
church histories.
About the forehead of the man is
bound a wreath of cactus thorns. They
have been pressed into the flesh, from
which tiny streams of blood trickle
down his bronzed face and over his
black beard. In a moment a cross of
huge timbers, that would break the
back of many men, is laid upon his
| shoulders. He grapples tight hold of it,
and bending low under the crushing
weight starts On.
The pietro changes the tune and the
procession, with Christ near the head,
moves. The man pants and gasps at
times, but never looks up or speaks.
On the way a pathway of broken stones
has been made and the most devout
penitents walk over these with bare
feet and never finch. The counterfeit
Christ is spit upon by any and all. Lit
tie boys and girls run ahead that they
may more deliberately spit in his face
and throw stones upon his bending
form
When FL Calvario is reached the
great clumsy cross is laid upon the
ground and the actor of Christ is seized
and thrown upon it. The assemblage
joins in chorus of song while several
penitents lash the mans arms, hands
and legs to the timbers with cords of
cowhide. The bands are made as tight
as the big muscular vauueros and
ranchmen can draw them. The liga-
ments sink into the flesh, and even cut
so that blood runs out The arms and
legs become black and blue and then
black under the awful binding, but not
so much as sigh escapes the lips of
the actor. He repeats in a mixed dia-
lect of Spanish and Indian the words
uttered by Christ at Calvary and bids
his brothers to spare him not
When all is ready a dozen men lift
the cross and its human burden, and,
carrying it TO an excavation near at
hand, they drop the base in the earth
The hole is quickly filled and the peni-
tents gather about the foot of the cross
with uplifted faces. The women weep
and the children look on dumbfounded
Some of the men mock and jeer the
man on the cross; other throw clods of
sunbaked earth at him. and still others,
feeling that they must have some part
in the physical agony of the afternoon
call upon the multitude to lash and
beat them The invitation is never in
vain, for there are strong arms and
hands ever glad to lay the lash on the
backs of the fanatics and to provide
leaves of cactus to apply to the swollen
and bleeding flesh.
In several localities in Colorado and
New Mexico it was once the practice to
literally nail the hands of the acting
Christ to the timbers of the cross, but
the Catholic priests of this generation
put stop to that
There Is no doubt that some have died
from the tortures of the Passion Play
Only two years ago the Government In
dian agent in the San Rita Mountains
reported several deaths among the Pen
itentes because of poisoning by the cac-
tus thorns and the deadful lashing the
men had endured in the hour of their
fanaticism. The Penitentes believe that
no death is so exalted as that caused
by participation in the acting of the
travail of the Lord.
After the first half hour of noise and