Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1899-05-23
TORTURED AND BURNED.
The Navajo Indian Medicine Mans Bor-


nble Dean.
A few weeks ago TIE CITIZEN exclu-
siyely published a brief account OF the
torturing and burning OF the Navajo In
dian medicine man by the braves sad
squaws Of that tribe. The story was
written more fully to the New York
Journal. and Ia ~ follows:
Holbrook, Ariz.. Nay li.-This Is the
story told by doe Obija," q reliable
Naval Indian, OF the horrible torlures
medicine maD and s0rcereT:
When the spot sickness (smallpox)
came upon the Nayajos they knew that
there was magic. That was why our
men were dying and our young wOmen's
faces were pitted.
"Bine Nimalg0 was a bad Indian. He
deserved to die. His medicine vas bad
medicine. We had long known that;
this was why he had been driven out BY
the tribe long z and lived away from
the tribe. He had his revenge.
ut Is lot true that the sick went TO
him to be cured. they would not do
that. He did not cure people, but made
hhChf ttF thtI iNnhtu hhC bhu hltuitluts
THE MAGIC BOW AND ARROW.
"Bine Nimalgo was very strong and
very wicked. lie had u magic bow and
arrow, with which he could shoot from
very far away the spot sickness and
other bad things into his enemies, aud
he hated every body because he was bad.
He alone had the bow ana arrow.
Many had tried to find them, but they
could not. lie had we'll hid them. There
was bad magic In the cache, 30 that no
one found IL. BY night he shot the ar.
rows and we fell III.
ut WAS this that made hundreds lie
down, and many Of them died. When
they felt the bad medicine In them they
covered their faces with their blankets
and sat waiting They died brayely.
I'VE could not find the bows and ar
rows and the tribe was dying. Soon
there would be no one LETT. And the
N~avsjoes are greatest Of all Indian PEG
pie. This IL known.
This Ia why they went to the hogan
(hut) of Bine Nimalgo. There were
seven squaws and lye lighting men who
went. | do not know their names. but
they were all Navejje They did not
fear death Tor themselves. They went
for the tribe.
81 have said that the angry one was far
oil. The chosen twelve went TO his place.
| do not know their names.
They reached the hogan and danced
the death dance u long time; they tied
Bine to a tree, that he might see the
dance. Ii was u dance for him.
ToRTURING THE WIZARD.
ssrhan thai snII DaA. N....x Az,u
n by n he had slain the young men
and the babies. And u by one, ~ they
told him this. they broke the bones In
him broke them In short pieces, begtn-
ming with the little bones-and after
that the great ones that do not break
easily.
'He lived long. for he was a very
strong nan. The bad medicine made
him strong.
They took of his scalp. for he was All
enemy. They cut of his ears, Where he
has gone they will know him by these
signs. | think they cut away his arms
and legs. They danced the death dance.
and sang to him his bad deeds. while they
did these things.
Il do not know the names Of the
twelve that did this.
when they were weary they fred
twelve bullets into the body. Each fired
one bullet.
Then they cut the thongs that held
the body to the tree. and they put Bine
into the hogan. His legs and arms and
all the parts OF his body they put In TO-
getber. Then they set ire TO the hogan,
singing and dancing about II. and 1t
burned very fast. The fire ate up all the
bad medicine. The ashes were clean.
"This IL the true story. Whatever else
has been said II a lie"
TIL GUILTY WILL ESCAPE.
Doe Obija was with difficulty induced
TO tell his story. A small bride that
looks large 10 an Indian was the induce
ment finally offered. He believes firmly
that the s0rcerer was guilty and his pun
isbment just.
OF course, 0bija, like all the rest OF the
Naysjos, knows who the gully twelve
were, but he will never reveal their
names. Any Navajo would cheerfully
undergo torture rather than reveal them.
The crime was committed In what Is
called the keam canyon country. Of
dcers went out from Holbrook as soon
as they heard OF II, but their visit was
periunctOry. They knew very we'll that
no Indian Ia in the least likely to turn
infOrmer.
Meanwhile, the smallpox, perhaps be.
cause IL has run its course, perhaps be-
cause OF the effect OF Bine's death upon
the minds OF the Nayajoes, IL certainly
Eliminating In intpuaity.