The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-08-17
INDIANS AND
THE "SUN DANCE"

WASHINGTON, August 6-The Blu
reau Of Ethnology will investi-
gate the case OF the two Government
scientists who are alleged to have PAID
Kiowa Indians SIS apiece to do the
sun dance recently disclosed in press
! dispatches.
Indian Superintendent Seger who
SCR Dorsey OF the Field Columbian
| Museum and Professor Mooney OF Ine
Bureau OF Etnnoiogy that they had
pald the INDIANS 10 engage IN the
barbarous sun dance is now in WASH
| ington, accompanied by Byron l.
" mite, superintendent or the Canton
| ment Indian School OF the indian Ter
ritory Tor the purpose Of pushing
these charges.
These Indian officials take the ground
that this sun dance has aroused the
! old barbarous instincts of the Indians
and undone all the good work accom-
| pIished by years of patient teaching
and study. The Bureau of Ethnology
will report TO the Indian Department.
1t is said however. that the money
was not paid for the lariat and the
stick which was thrust under the skins
of the Indians. Here is how Mr.. White
described the torture:
The camp of the Indians was ar
ranged in the shape of a horseshoe
The Indian selected for the torture
barred his back, and two parallel Sits
were made just back of and below
each shoulder blade. These were each
about three inches long. a knife blade
was then thrust into the neck from SLIT
TO. slit and through the hole thus made
a stick was thrust. The lariat led
out from the back for a few feet and
then the ends were knotted together
AT the knot one end of a single
strand of a lariat was attached and |
at the other end the head of a fresh |
ly slaughtered beef was attached In |
the published reports, which 1 have |
seen of the incident, reference is made |
TO a Dunalo head There are no |
buffaloes in the Southwest procurable
for this or any other purpose. The
Indian with the head dangling behind
him started from in front of the camp
of Dorsey and Mooney, running swift
ly around the arc of the horseshoe.
Superintendent Seger, who had spent
the night before with me, was there
and saw the Indian. Mr.. Sel-er started
in pursuit, and although he came very
close to the running man he was I'M
able to positively identify him. He
was undoubtedly an Indian from Sc
gers colony, but he was so decked
out in feathers and had his face paint
ed so grotesquely that Mr.. Seger is
not sure of his identity. He is con-
WINGED, however, that the tortured In
dian was either Yellow Leggins or I
VOLTS Belly. =
ut is expected that in the race a a,
round the camp the stick will pull
through the Indians flesh. But on
his occasion the dangling beefs head
was not heavy enough for this, or else
the stick was too deeply set into the
Indians back After he had made a
single circuit of the camp he stopped
and the strips of skin and flesh be-
tween the Sits in the Indians back
we're cut out. 1t was these that were
purchased by the scientists.
I'm the old time sun dance it was
he custom to make similar Sits in
he breasts of the tortured Indians,
md after a rope or lariat had been
thrust through them the Indians were
pulled off their feet by the lariat be-
ng thrown over a pole, and the In
liam allowed to hang by the flesh of
he breast. At the sun dance 1 am
describing the scientists wanted a
similar exhibition but it did not prove
success. An Indian was induced to Il
lave his breast cut and the rope in
erted but when the effort was made
% suspend him in this manner the
kin and flesh gave way releasing the
ope and leaving gaping wounds"
SOCIETY WOMAN WHIPPED.
MILLEDGEvILLE (Ga.), August l.
The whipping of Miss Mamie De
crist, known as Georgia's Diamond
Queen who is serving a two years
at the prison farm for rob-
,ing Savannah jewelers., promises TO
10 more to shake the State convict
ystem than anything that has yet oc-
urred.
Miss De Crist was accused of being
efractory, and on Wednesday she was
AIKEN into the office of the physician,
orced to partially disrobe, was tied
o post, and then was dashed. The i
MUSICIAN watched Miss De Crist to see
hat she was not whipped beyond her
lowers of endurance.
Much secrecy has been observed in |
he matter. but it is said that Super
ntendent Fisher and all other Off
ials concerned in the whipping will |
e discharged.
Miss De Crist is a pretty woman,
f a good Savannah family. She Sc
ured jewelry worth thousands of dol
ars from Savannah firms, and went |
o Atlanta, where she was received in
-ood society. Six months later she
vas arrested, taken to Savannah and l
ried. A plea of insanity did not save
Ter.