The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-11-17
WITCHcRAFT IN new MEXICO
HOW ZUNI INDIANS PUNISH SUS-
PECTED SORCERERS.
They Are Very SuperstiUiOus, and fl ave Elk
ecuted and Tortured Many of
Their Members.
TIL cir Members.

Their Members.
The Zuni Indian reservation, cOmpris
ing 215 900 acres, is situated in the west
ern part New Mexico, fifty miles south
of the Santa Fe Pacific railroad. 1t has
larger population than any of the other
eighteen pueblos scattered throughout
the territory, according to the last cen
sus the tribe numbering l ,621 men, wo-
men and children. Tie Iunis are very
superstitious, and their belief in a sup
posed witch has led to The execution and
torture of many of their members, who
have been brought before their high trl-
hunal, tried and found guilty of witch
craft If the governor of the Zunis or
any Of his assistants are taken sick the
witches are charged with bringing on
the atflictOn; failure OF crops, seasons of
drought OF heavy rains are attributed to
their power: CalamitIes of all kinds are
supposed to be the result of witchcraft
Only a few years ago a woman was ac-
Cused of Bringing on plague of grass
hoppers to the Iuni valley, and she and
her son were executed in horrible man
ner.
The sheriff Of Valencia county, with
an escort of United States cavalry from
Fort Wingate, APP cared at the village of
Huni about the middle Of September last
and demanded The Indians who were ac-
cused of maltTeaung a squaw named
Marta, whom they called a witch. Four
of the Indians were arrested and placed
IN l. i,T, I 81
their preliminary hearing September 20
were bound over to the grand jury in the
sum Of S. 900 each. Tomelike, or Nick,
an Ind, an who had been fearfully tortur.
ed was also taken to Los Lunas as wit
n 3ss. Miss de Settle, the principal of tt 9
school at Zuni, al Miss FaurOte, her
assistant, who are expected to testify
against the offenders, rem aimed at the
Indian village under the protection of
United States caval,Y.
These arrests were mainly brought
about through the efforts of Capt. Chas
E. Nordstrom, United States army.
The captain in his last report TO the
commissioner Of Indian affairs graphical
~ states: The village Of Znni was re-
Gently the scene Of an occurrence recall
ing all the horrors of the days when our
God-fearing ancestors of New England
pOusly devoted their neighbOrs and
friends to tie stake. A poor old woman
70 or so years old, having been reported
as witch, the society of the Priests of
the Bow ordered her tortured until she
should confess. The emmissares of the
society accordingly went to her house in
the dead of night, dragged her from her
bed, and almost literally dragged her
down the five stories to the ground, car
Ticd her off t. the torture corral, where,
tying her hands behind her, until bile
TO endure the agony longer. she confess
ed to-nO one knO VS. what. 1t was, how
ever, enough to satisfy her judges, for
she was let down ana allowed to crawl
back to her miserable abode as best she
could. Hee she lay for days, no one
caring to 0 near her, or if they had any
compassion on her they were afraid to
disp aY it for fear of sharing her fate as
a witch, together with the infictiOn of
the same punishment. Two or three
days afterward, "A rumOr of what had
taken place coming to Miss de Settle, the
estimabie principal f the school, she
accompanied by her assistant, Miss Eau
rOte, went to the old wOman's house.
where she was found more dead than
alive. For days the noble woman, at the
probable risk OF her life, and at the GER
tain risk of the undyinL enmity of the
priests OF bow, persisted in her heavenly
minisUati3ns to this poor old creature,
until finally she was restored to life
again and the enjoyment Of such health
as her shattered constitution will be able
to support. This tragedy, tragic in more
than one sense, happened last February.
At my visit in the June following saw
the victim of this barbariSm, who barred
her poor old striVeled arms and showed
me where the cruel cords of the tortur-
er had cut the flesh through to the
bone.