The evening times., 1900-04-27
POISONED BY BRAHMINS
A Hind0O Girl Punished for Be
nOuneiHg Her Fathers Faith.
Animal, of the Ecu-
Priests Wrath-She Pines Away
From the Date of Her Conversion.
Efforts to Win Her Back Fail

NEW YORK, April 27.-Sooboonagam
Ammal-that is the name of young Hin
doc woman whose strange history will be
told to the Ecumenical Conference. 1t is
a story as strange as that of Dungara, the
God of Things as They Are. An apostate
from the Brahmin faith, she has, since her
conversion to Christianity, been pursued
with relentless malignity by her people.
Escaping from India through the aid OF
Miss Grace stephens. Superintendent of
Methodist Episcopal Mission at Madras.
who brought about "Sooboo's" conversion
TO Christianity, the young fugitive fears
that even here she will not be safe from
the Satanic ingenuity which has almost
cost her her life. Accompanied by Miss
Stephens. -Socboo" arrived on the Ger
manic late last night.
The subtlety of the Brahmins can be
appreciated by those who have read bow
Dungara's HindOo priest persuaded an in
nocent German missionary to set his chill
dren at work making cloth from poison
Gus weed. a cloth which, when worn as a
garment. burned the flesh like fire, and
convinced the wearers that they were un-
der a curse for having deserted the faith
Of their fathers Miss Stephens fears that
her young conyer. has been made a vic
tim in like manner, and that '-SOoboo."
as she is a1ectiOnately called. may prove
martyr O her new found faith 1t was
about sis months ago that she began to
pine away. without any ailment that could
be diagnosed She grew worse. and symp
toms of poison showed themselves In
spite OF all efforts. the source OF this poi-
son could not be discovered
Forty DAYS of feasting followed the birth
of ''Sooboo" " She was petted child. Her
jewels came from ancient temples rnd
were bought for her at fabulous prices.
She early exhibited mental precOcity. At
: the age of ten years Sc was married to
her nearest marriagable relative. Al
though the husband selected was a worth
less hanger-on of the family, he was Of the
purest caste. Ten thousand rupees we're
spent on her wedding. Animal was add-
ed TO her name when the marriage took
place. II means simply Madam" But
SoobOonag' m has deep significance 70
the HinGuC. being a compound OF an abb
breviation CT Subramanium. God Of Wis
dom. and nagam. the cobra, which is the
Hindoo type OF subtlety@
Belonging to a devout family, "Sooboo''
had been its most devout member. In her
mothers arm the sacred seal had been i'm
bedded in the flesh. "SooboO" asked for
this distinction, but the priests refused
because Of her youth. Instead they gave
her a sacred powder to keep always about
her person.
Besides the Hindoo Lares and Penatcs
SOoboo" had in her own room twelve i'm
ages and twenty-five pictures of idols II
was her duty TO decorate all the objects
of worship in the house with flowers to
drink little of the holy water after
placing it before each idol. and then. be
fore every one Of the images. to count
hundred beads. saying a prayer for every
one. until thousand had been numbered.
Ii was the thirst for knowledge that
brought about ''SOOboos' change of faith.
She was anxious to learn the Tamil dialect,
and the only place 10 learn il was at the
Christian mission. Miss Stephens at once
saw what an interest in the mission would
be created il she could make an impression
on young woman whose piety from the
HindOO standpoint Was so wen known She
did not press the Christian doctrine upon
'SOobOO." but led her to read the Bible for
herself. and it was not long before tho girl
had begun TO doubt her religion. A shocked
half comprehension OF this doubt led 500
boo'S' mo her TO persuade the husband to
send her > the Bsngalore Temple. There
'-SOObOO' made one more effort to restore
her confidence in the Vedss by course OF
fastirg and prayer, but without avail
Secretly the young woman packed up her
wardrobe and left the temple. II was on
Christmas Day. 1885. that she appeared at
the Madras mission. announcing her inten-
tion TO give up all for the Christian faith
Only few hours later a deputation of
venerable HsndOos, accompanied by police
Officers. came to he mission They de-
manded 10 see the girl. and were permitted
TO do so. She was firm. They stormed and
raved. but could make no impression On
New Years Day "Sooboo's" mother. her
aunt and little nephew. of whom she was
very fond came to renew the entreaty
They had with them a crowd of angry
men, But ''SoobOO" remained firm
The news Of SOoboonag gam Ammars ex-
peeted arrival here was cabled to Mrs. z
p Dennier. of I64 Eleventh Street. Long
Island City. the secretary of the wom-
an Foreign Mission Society of the New
York East Conference. Mrs. Deunier and
a party of friends met the Hindoo won-
an and Kiss Stephens who is with her
at tie pier.
A WOMAN SOLD AT ATCTTON