The Washington bee., 1899-06-03
INDIAN TORTURED.
"Doc Obija" Tells of Horrible Treatment
Inflicted Upon "Bad, Medicine Man.

Inflicted Upon "Bad" Medicine Man.
This is the story told by DOC
Obija," reliable Navajo Indian. of
the horrible tortures his tribe inflicted
upon Bine NlmalgO, medicine man and
Sorcerer:
when the spot-sickness (smallpox)
came upon the Navajos they knew
that there was magic. That was why
our men were dying and our young
women's faces We're pitted.
"Bne Nimalgo was bad Indian.
He deserved to die. His medicine was
bad medicine. We had long known
that; this was only why he had been
driven out by the tribe long ago and
lived away from the tribe. He had
his revenge.
1T is not true that the sick went 10
him to be cured. They would not do
that. He did not cure people, but
made them ill. They feared the bad
medicine.
'Bine NimalgO was very strong and
very wicked. He had magic bow
and arrow, with which he could shoot
from very far away the spot-sickness
and other bad things into his enemies,
and lie hated everybody because he
! was bad.
+ He alone had the bow and arrow.
Many had tried to find them. but they
+ could not. He had we'll hid them.
! There was bad magic in the cache. so
| that no one found it, BY night he shot
! the arrows and we fell ill.
1t was this that made hundreds lie
/ down, and many of them died. When
they felt the bad medicine in them
| ri, IT-it
| blankets and sat waiting. They died
/ bravely.
I'VE could not find the bows and ar
rows and the tribe was dying. Soon
there would be no one left. And the
NavajOs are greatest of all the Indian
people. This is known
This is why they went TO the hogan
(hup of Bine NimalgO. There were
seven squaws and five fighting men
who went. do not know their names,
but they We're all Navajos. They did
not fear death for themselves, they
went for the tribe.
Il have said that the angry one was
far off. The chosen twelve went to
his place. do not know their names.
They reached the hogan and danced
the death dance long time; they tied
Bine to Il tree, that he might see the
dance 1t was dance for him.
Then they told Bine NimalgO how
one by one he had slain the young men
and the babies. And one by one rs
they told him this they broke the
bones in him-brOke them in short
pieces, beginning with the little bones
and after that the great ones that
do not break easily.
"Ie lived long. for he was a very
strong man. The bad medicine made
him strong.
They took off his scalp. for he was
an enemy. They cut off 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 who did this.
When they were weary they fired
| twelve bullets into the body.
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
together. Then they set fire to the
hogan, singing and dancing about it
, and it burned very fast. The fire ate
up all the bad medicine. The ashes
We're clean.
, This is the true story. Whatever
else has been told is lie"
Doe Obiia was with difficulty in
duced to tell his story. A small bribt
, that looks large to an Indian was the
inducement finally offered. He be
lieved firmly that the sOrcerer wa:
guilty and his punishment just.
, OF course. Obija. like all the rest O1
the Navajos, knew who the guilt!
twelve were. but he will never revea
I their names.
The crime was committed in wha
is called the kearns Canyon country
3 Arizona. Officers went out from Hol
brook as soon as they heard of it. bu
their visit was perfunctOry. The.
S knew very we'll that no Indian is il
the least likely to turn infOrmer.
y Monstrous Scrap Book.
What is beyond doubt the largeS
: scrapbook i'm the world has just beel
' completed for DR.. Peter Fahrney, o
Chicago.
The book. which weighs tritie owe
1.2OO pounds. is full bound, with mar
q, bic edges. 1t is handsomely finished
blank book magnified many times. Tn
:, boards are fifty inches from top Il
bottom and thirty inches wide. Th
book measures from outside hubs t
: front of board fOrty-twO and one-hal
inches: the hubs are one and seven
eighths inches high: the title panel
; are nine and seven eighths by twenty
. four and five-eighths inches. The sid
" covers of the book have sunken panel
- five-eighths of an inch deep The bac
= of the book contains 1000 leaves, bu
: every tenth leaf has been cut Out
. leaving the stub two inches wide i
e order to allow for the pasting.
The boards are made up Of trun
!, boards combined with wood. and ar
= split like ordinary blank book board:
II the flap has a stiffener of iron, and tn
y back is made of steel and tarbOart
:; The material used in the book is a
% follows: Three side cowhide, one bur
- die No. trunk board, one bundle NJ
g II. 26X3S, cloth board; one bundl
strawboard for hubs; six medium tai
:, boards for back: for end papers twelv
cbootS marblpd manor and two wards r