The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-06-30
A STRANGE SECT
Who Nailed a Young Man to a
Cross Good Friday.
AS A RELIGIOUS RITE.

AS A RELIGIOUS RITE.
His Hands and Feet Were Spiked to the
Cross Beams of the Structure
They Called the Cross, Where
the Victim Remained Until
Taken Down Dead.
On Calvary Hill," near Torres,
Colorado, in Las Animas County, an
accident happened on Good Friday.
A young man named Jesus Gonzales
was nailed to CROSS during the Eas-
ter religious ceremOnia'5 Of the Peni
tentes, and expired in view of the
we.struck spectators. He had vol
unteered to take the part of the Sa-
viour In the solemn ritual Of the sect,
aud his wrists and ankles had been
firmly bound to the Cross with ropes.
At his own request nails were then
driven through his hands and he was
spiked to the Cross beam Of the cross.
at eignal from the high priest OF
the PenitenteS the cross was elevated
and the ceremonial continued.
Following literally tho New Testa-
ment narrative OF the Saviour g cruel
fixion, every incident and episode was
initiated. Some Of the Penitential
Brothers performed the part Of Ro-
man soldiers, aud one of them pressed
a sponge OF vinegar to the lips Of
Gonzales. The pseudo Christ smiled
feebly and whispered the Saviours
last words, Father, forgive them for
they know not what they do" Tue
PenitenteS then divided Gonzaless
clothes and cast lots for them, as told
In the Scriptural account. a brother
then seized spear and plunged it in
to Gonzales's side, and his face light
ed up with the beaLific smile OF mar
tyr.
Meanwhile the various episodes Of
the crucitixion were executed with
solemn zeal, while the victim hung
weak and bleeding on the cr,ss over.
head. a priest approached and re-
peated the wOrdS Of ST. Luke, He
saved others; let him save himself. If
he be Crist, the chosen of God." Some
( the brothers who took the part OF
Roman idolaters, then crowded up to
tile cross, mCcking and s;ofrng and
shouting, If thou be the King OF
the Jews, save thys;lf!" Finally the
inscription. written in Spanish, This
Is the King Of the Jews" was nailrd
on the cross, and thcn Mary "a Mar
tina and the women Of Gallee { M pef-
sonated by women OF the s.ct) az
prOached.
This was the signal for lowering
the cross-but the smiling lips Of
Gonz lies were silent forever; the eyes
upburned to the sky were rigid In
Death. The Penitentns looked at each
other In startled surprise and said
Gods will bs done.' The agony OF
the Cross had been too mucb; the
half hour they had intended 10 keep
him there had stretched to nearly two
hours; in religious frenzy of lamen-
taticns the Penitentes carried the
swollen, bleeding body Of Gonzales to
tt mb il the cemetery over the hill
The county authorities have made
efforts al an Investigation of this
Good Friday tragedy, but with little
success. The Penitentes are Mexi-
cans, speaking little but Spanish, and
they refuse any information what
ever. The penitential brothers. or
Los Hermanos Penitentes." have
been cast out by the r )man Catholics
and have been pursued by the local
authorities in Colorado and new Mex
ico until they have been driven to re-
mote mountain places where the
could conduct their rites without in
reference.
The writer witnessed a part Of the
cereUonials Of Easter time as per
formed by the Peuitentes near Clay.
ton, New Mexico, last year. Starting
from Clayton, a small town on the
Gulf road, we rode all day across the
hot, dry prairies on which the only
signs OF life are herds OF cattle, plenty
OF antelope and the shrill whistling
curlew. We knew the danger of ex
citing the Brotherhood, but we d, ter
mined to see, and photograph all we
could OF the ceremonies, and to that
end had literally armed ourselves to
the teeth-dressed like Mexicans to
attract less attention, and hid the
camera under the writer's coat. AS
cending hill we unexpectedly came
upon the scene Of aZtion, and never
can we forget the sight. 1t was late
In the afternoon of hot, clear day,
not q breath OF wind was stirring.
Below US stretched a small valley
whose side hills were scantily covered
with growth Of scrub oak and pine.
The little stone chapel was at the
head OF the valley; about five hundred
feet away on a small knoll, represent
ing the hill Of Calvary, was erected a
huge wooden cross
Grouped about this, kneeling de.
voutly, were perhaps fifty people, and
when they began to chant the Mis-
erere" In melancholy wall the feet
was wonderfully weird. When this
ceased, the Procession of Cross
Bearers" left tho chapel. Men chief
ly take part in the actual caremoni 8
though women are present. The
crosses are large wooden affairs. and
weigh over two hundred pounds each.
Those doing peDance frequently con
ceal their faces with black cloths, and
the officers may be known by the fiji
cts on their heads. The procession is
headed by a piper. Then comes
brother walking backward and wear
ing crucifix. He is followed by the |
comrades, who are naked, except for !
ot, - -