The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-11
cvIpPEWAYS USE MAGIC.
,.~cIF sAM's ENEMIES AT LEECH
LAKE FOLLOW sORCERY.

secret Society at the Bottom of 1t.
,vomen Are Members.
From the New York Sun.
The Cbippeway Indians of Leech Lake,
--5on Uncle Sam has been fighting are
-,r,erers. They profess to have means of
e,bHrg at which ordinary human being
.,y well tremble. Their magicians say
,bsr are able to render men invulnerable,
q, draw the soul out of the bodies of
+nsr enemies, and to do other things that
-,sv excite dread in the minds of the sol
,,srs in blue uniforms sent against them.
II Is impossible to surmise how much of
tba trouble experienced by the troops in
che nejghborhood of Bear lake has been at
trhutable to the influence of these sor-
cerers. Early explorers, such as Hennepin,
after whom the famous canal is named,
more greatly astonished By the exhibitions
GIVEN by the Chippeway medicine men,"
and Father Marquette became convinced
,sqt their "manifestat ions' were of a su-
,,s~natural order. After witnessing one or
tuo of them he went so far as to leave
! she place, declaring that they were the
work of the evil one, and not fit for him
10 see.
The Chppeway sorcerers have always
1.sn strong opponents of the introduction
nj Christianity. To these Indians, indeed,
their own ritual is even more impressive
than the Christian religion is to the aver
ace civilized man. The magicians consti-
Il tuts a secret society, the object of which Is
10 give to certain ambitious persons suffi-
cent influence through their acknowledged
7.,v4r of necromancy and exoTcism to en-
able them to lead an easy life at the ex-
rense of the credulous. Members of the
socjety are believed 10 possess the power
Of committing with various supernatural
hangs. and their business is 10 sell to APP
pcants their influence with these spirits.
Fennep.n says:
These impostors cause themselves to be
reyerenced as prophets who foreten flu
unity. They boast of being able to make
Il wei OF dry, to cause a calm or storm,
10 render land fruitful or barren, and to
make hunters fortunate or unfortunate.
Bv the use of certain plants the Chip
Il paway. sorcerer is enabled to take up and
handle with impunity red-hot stones and
burning brands, and il said that, without
showing the slightest discomfort he will
battle his hands in boiling water or even
in boiling maple syrup. Through superns-
tural means he is acquainted with tile
IDEAS and intentions of men, and by calling
from any human being his or her shadow
he deprives the victim of reason, or in
i some cases of life. He holds special COM
munication with the Turtle, which is the
most powerful of the spirits, and through
that spirit with numerous other malevo-
lent beings, especially the Thunderbird.
Il When engaged in this kind of business he
occupies a lodge which consists of four
poles planted in the ground, around
which is wrapped birch bark or canvas in
Il such a way as to form an upright cylin-
B der When the sorcerer has seated him
self inside of this structure the latter be-
4 gins to sway violently from side to side;
Il loud humping noises are heard within,
n denodng the arrival of spirits. and laugh
+ ter and numerous voices are distinctly au-
4 dibe to those without.
4 one of the most astonishing feats per-
q formed by the sorcerers, from the point
4 of view of the uninitiated, consists in caus-
i ing an empty sack-a magic bag, of
\ course-to move upon the ground as if it
We're alive, This performance was wit
messed more than once by DR.. w. j. Hoff-
4 man of the United States bureau Of ethno-
s logy, who explained it on the theory that
4 house or some other small mammal was
4 confined in the sack. The magician has the
q power of changing himself into bear
A whenever he likes, using that disguise 10
Il Wreak vengeance upon unbelevers and
upon persons for whose destruction he
has been literally paid by others. Imme-
n diately upon the accomplishment of such
murder, he resumes his human form
thus escaping Identification and detection.
Il is understood, however that crimes of
q this sort are committed only by bad sor-
# cerers; for in this business there are benev-
o.ent and malevolent magicians, just as
a was formerly the case in the sOrcery of
Europe
~ The Chippeway sorcerers are able to
transform themselves not only into bears,
huJ also into wolves, foxes, owls, bats
and snakes Some of the members of the
secret society are women, and they pos
sess similar powers. 1t sometimes hap
s pens that such a witch, while in the shape
Of bear, is chased by hunters, and under
sleh circumstances she will run behind
tree or hill so as to be lost sight OF
Tor time by her pursuers. Then, in
stead Of seeing bear, they behold an old
woman walking quietly along or digging
q up roots, and looking extremely innocent.
ne fox witches are known by the flame
Oh IRE which comes from their mouths
n eyery time they bark.
a The magic sack already referred to is
mace OF the skin of a mink, to the nose
OF Which downy white feathers are fas-
'ehed as an ornament In this bag are
carried the sacred objects belonging TO
.ne sorcerer, such as colors for paintings
.he lace, peculiar red powder employed
OF hunters charms, small effigies, anu
Is's and various abnormal objects. One
Vi these last is described by DR.. Hoffman
as me leg of a goshawk, out of which had
grown, by a freak of nature, a super
ilumerary limb of smaller size. This fet-
zen was considered of great value, being
supposed TO be a medium whereby the
inunder-god might be invoked and his
anger appeased. This deity is represent
20 the Chippeway picture writing by
ne eagle, or frequently by some kind of
for the aid of hunters a special com
pound Is prepared by the Chippeway sor-
uIer' made up of the leaves and roots of
SFeral plants ground to powder A small
VANITY of this compound is put into the
s'il barrel with the bullet, and sometimes
esmal pinch Of it on the trail of an ami
aI to compel it to halt. When the or
oloX Indian contemplates a hunting trip
~ Hrst visits the magician, giving him