The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-11

his self-appointed eXecutioner, but an
Indian runner, for a monetary consid-
Grafton, found Lolli and brought him
into camp, accompanied by leading Ty-
ees of the tribe. Lolli was arraigned
before Magistrate Webster at Tele-
graph Creek, Aug. Is, 1898. The ser
wees or an interpreter were secured,
and, under the influence of proper ques-
tioning. Lolli deposed as follows:
LoLLPS BELIEF IN WITCHCRAFT
My name is Lolli; am Tahltan In
olan; have declared for hunt at which
Joe Cullihan is to be disemboweled by
me and his body sunk in Stikine, for
having bewitched girl in our tribe. I
believe in witchcraft. My tribe has al
ways believed in witchcraft, and exc
cuted witches. I do not know it is
wrong. [ believe it is right"
Magistrate Webster of Vancouver, B.
C., gave Lolli a. lecture on the enormity
of the crime he was about to commit
He also gave him ninety days in jail
at Telegraph creek in which to con-
slider the main points in the lecture.
Rev. b. Appleyard of the Church of
England, who is now in winter quarters
at Port Essington, B. c., then came for
ward, and asked the chief of the Tahl-
tans to give MIN charge of Little Joe
for five years, that he might be edu-
Gated. Lolli's rate had so frightened
the old Tyee that he evidently feared
the day of judgment was at hand, for,
placing one hand on the head of the
missionary and the other on that of
Little Joe, he sealed Joe to the min
lister for period of five years.
Joe, the witch, dressed in his first
suit of American clothes and first pair
of shoes, is absorbing knowledge and
C10X yarn ont OF
at Metlakat1a, B. c. Lolli, the witch
executioner of this day and age will
be out of Jail this month, unrepentant,
but resolved to move hereafter in more
mysterious ways his executions to per-
form.
COFFINS OF TIN AND ZINC.
On the summit of the mountain that
rises back of Telegraph creek there is a
burial ground of the Tahltans that is a
curiosity to all the white pilgrims who
go over Telegraph trail. The last rays
of the setting sun fall upon the burial
ground of the savages, and the graves
of the Tahltans reflect the sunlight
upon the town of Telegraph for an
hour later than the town could other
wise expect the suns light. Every
grave is above gTound-from five to
twenty feet above ground-and the cof-
The older inhabitants believe in ere
NATION, and when the time comes to
bury corpse they take the remains to
the graveyard, lay the body upon a fu-
neral pyre and ignite the pftchy wood.
When the body is destroyed they gather
up the remnants of the bones of the
cremated, together with a handful of
mixed ashes, and deposit them in a
trunk purchased for the occasion.
wbareI1Da1 tba trunk &c arao+o1
a pole as high as the deceased Indians
standing in the tribe. To the ceremony
come all the Indians in the. vicinity no
matter to what tribe they may belong.
Into the trunk. with the ashes are
placed new blankets, new guns and vail
liable articles of all kinds everything
new. 1t may seem strange to see an
enemy Of the dead Indian deposit a
new gun and new blanket in the trunk.
but there is method in his madness,
for the next of kin Of the dead man
must return the gun and blanket ten
fold at the next ''potlatch.'
TAHLTANs ARE GREAT GIvERs.
"Potlatch' means ito give An In.
dian ranks highest in his tribe accord
ing to the amount of wealth he has
given away. The Indian takes liter
ally to himself the text to the effect
that it is more blessed to give than to
receive, and the happiest day of his life
is when he can call an the Indians to-
gether and give away everything he
possesses. down to the clothes he stands
in The TahItan who has never given a
potlatch is buried but few feet above
the ground. He who has given most
potlatches of his tribe is the ''Fias
Tyee," or big chief, and his tin trunk
is thrust closer to the skies than are
those of his brethren
While eXcavating for an addition to
the local Jail at Telegraph Creek, dur
ing the past summer, the workmen IN
earthed collins of some of the younger
and more civilized Tahltans, who did
not believe in cremation, yet the fact
that they. even, were possessed OF. some
sUperstitions was proved by finding in
the abdominal cavity of each skeleton a
quart bottle of some white liquid, while
in the grinning jaws of each skull