Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-03-24
THE CRIME OF SUTTEE.
Recent Case of Death on a Funern
Pyre I'm Bengal

Recent Case of Death on a Funeral
Pyre I'm Bengal.
British law has stamped out many
and barbarous customs, and the crime
or suttee, or widow burning, is usually
included among the number. Occa-
sionaliy, however, cases occur. An
authenticated instance is reported
from Behar, one of the districts of
Bengal, chiefly noted for its indigo In
dustry. Thirteen men were prosecuted
on charges OF culpable homicide or
allotment OF suicide. A realistic de-
scription of the grewsome scene was
furnished by the deputy magistrate. In
committing the accused to the sessions
court he said: Though the thirteen ac-
cused committed for trial have been
divided into distinct patches, the
charges nevertheless are with refer
ence to one and the same transaction.
This was the immolation Of a Hindoo
widow on the funeral prye of the de-
ceased husband, or, as 1t is termed in
the vernacular, a case OF suttee. which
may be described as a CHASTITY offense
against nature, against humanity and
the law of the land. Happily the Of
Tense is extremely rare. Indeed, II was
hoped that this great blot on uindoo
rites and ceremonies had been effec-
tually and permanently exterminated.
1t is therefore not little startling to
be thus presented with instances of a
revival of the barbarism OF the dark
ages.
There Is evidence to show that one
Chaudrhi Misslr, alias Chatturbhuj Mis-
sir, a Brahman of Sanchari village,
having died Oct. 1S last, arrangements
were made for the cremation of his
body at the 'devi sthan' of that place,
on the banks of small river. A place
was cut in the ground in the shape of
a st. Andrews cross, and the funeral
pyre was built over 1t. The body be-
ing laid on the pyre, the widow, having
bathed in the river and adorned herself
as for her marriage, took her seat on
the pyre and called on her son, the ac-
cuSed Juggernath Missir, to do his duty
as devout Hindoo. Juggernath light
ed some wheat stocks and, having
walked round the pyre three times, ap-
piled, according to custom, the fire to
the mouth of the deceased. This failed
to ignite the pyre, and 1t is said that he
and the four Brahmans accused-Bal-
kishun Missir, Dwarka Missir, Ram
Charan Missir and Lacrman TowarI-
performed the humad, which consisted
OF the burning of incense and the plac-
ing of lighted chips of wood dipped In
ghee butter) under the pyre until it
ignited.
by this time a vast crowd had as
sembled. When the flames reached the
widow she is said to have moved
about or writhed, and finally stood up
ana turned toward the setting sun, but
Immediately fell back on the pyre, APP
parently overcome by the increasing
flames. Amid cries of Sat Ram! 'Slta
Ramv SAT- Mai Ki Jair the beating Of
drsms, the clang OF cymbols and blow
ing of the sank, or shell, she was burn
cd to ashes with the corpse of her hus-
band"
A unanimous verdict of guilty was
returned against the following, who
were sentenced to the various terms of
Imprisonment mentioned; Juggernath
Missir, five years rigorous imprison-
ment; Balkishun, three years; Dwarka,
three years; Ram Charan, one and q
half years; Sonar Choukidar, one year;
Gunga and Dilchand Chamars, nine
months each. The rest were found not
guilty.-Chicago News.