Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-07-09

other occasion she was compelled TO do
part Of tho journey on her hands and
knees, and was then confined IN the bell
tower OF the church, and, by way OF
variation TO this treatment she
was forced 10 make her bed In the
crypt amid the tombs Of the dead.
The villagers OF Fins Haul watched
the martyrdom of Henrlette Gay with
keen satisfaction. Her own family
shared this feeling, and her parents
were witnesses OF the worst indignities
and torturcs which their daughter ex-
perenced. Hut the priests and the old
women OF Fins-Haut decided that their
campaign against the devil had been
unsuccessful, and more radical meas-
ures vera necessary SO they held
counsel regarding an improved method
OF treatment.
one Saturday afternoon the entire
village OF Fins Haul was startled by
the sound OF the church bells ringing
an alarm peal. At FIRST the people
thought that they were being summon
ed to extingulsh fire, but soon the
word was passed round that the priests
commanded the attendance Of all the
villagers at the parish church. AT
o'clock the church was packed with an
astonshed, wondering crowd and the
senior priest, one Jean Pallet, ascend
ed the altar steps and announced that
he had summoned them all TO assist IN
exercising the evil spirit with which
Henriette Gay was possessed. The
doors OF the church were locked and
punctualy at O'Clock the priests be-
gan the process of exercising the spirit.
The process OF eXorcsm lasted all
Saturday afternoon, all Saturday even
ing all through the long hours of SAT-
urday night and all Sunday morning,
For ~ hours Hcnriette Gay the mar
tyr, was subjected 20 every conceivable
form OF indignity and cruelty In the
presence of grlnning mob Of rustic
mountain barbarlans. The girl was
dragged by her hair round and round
the church while the priest stopped
every few yards to beat her on the
face and body proclaming all the
while to the credulous congregation
that II was not the girl but the evil
spirit which he was thrashing. She
was beaten with whips, with sticks and
with rods The priests belabored her
face with their fists and, members Of
the congregation showered blows on
her body. Her limbs were twisted I'm
their sockets iii they threatened To
break and burning candles We're held
close To her fair skin. Her prosecutors
spat In her face, ana I'm the early hours
of Sunday morning she was immersed
II, a large font of consecrated water
In the hope of washing her clean. The
agonized shrelts OF the poor helpless
victim made no impression on her tor
mentors, who really believed that they
were dealing with an evil spirit
Henriette Gays martyrdom would
undoubtedly have ended in death II
chance had not brought n newspaper
man into the remote village OF Fins
Haul. This intruder from the outside
world published accounts Of the suf-
fcrings OF Henrlette Gay I'm the lead
ing newspapers OF Geneva and Zurich,
with the result that the attention OF
the police was directed to the atrocities
of the mountain village,
The priests victim was rescued and
placed under the care OF nuns In con-
vent near Geneva, The Roman Cath
Ollie archbishop I'm whose diocese Fins |
Haul Is situated issued a public state
ment repudating the barbarous prac-
tises OF the two village priests. who |
have been suspended from their Office. |
a medical examination of Henrlette |
Gay revealed that she was suffering |
from epileptic hysteria, produced chief |
~ through the maltreatment TO which |
she had been subjected. This COM
plant, however, was accompanied by |
symptoms which strengthened the ig-
norant villagers In their belief that an
evil spirit was inside Henriette Gays
body ELSA WALLACE.