Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-03-25
THE CRIME OF SUTTEE.
Recent Case of Death on Funerni
Pxre In bengal.


Pyre In Bengal.
British law has stamped out many
and barbarous customs, and the crime
OF suttee, or widow burning, Is usually
,nc,uded among the number. Ocea-
sionally, 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 OF
allotment Of suicide. A realistic de-
scription of the grewsome scene was
furnished by the deputy magistrate III
committing the accused to the sessions
court he said: Though the thirteen ac-
crsed committed for trial have been
divided into distinct batches' the
charges nevertheless are with REFER
once to one and the same transacuon'
This was the immolation OF hihuoo
widow on the funeral prye OF the ue-
ceased husband, or, as it Is termed Ill
the yernacular, case of suffice WHICH
NAV he described as a. CHASTITY offense
against nature, against humanity ana
tho law of the land. Happily the OF
fense is extremely rare. Indeed, II was
honed that this great blot ON Hindoo
,;tas and ceremonies had been enec-
finally and permanently extermlnateu'
II "a therefore not little startling 10
no thus presented with instances Oh d
revival of the barbarism or the uarh
ages. .,o. ors
ChaudrhI Missir, alias ChatturDhuJ MIS-
cir q Rrahman Of Sanchari village
having died Oct. 10 last, arrangements
xyara made for the cremation OF HE
Hodr ~ the .deyi sthan' of that place
on the banks of a small river. A place
wos cut in the ground in the shape OF
St Andrews cross, and the funera
nvre was built over 1t. The Dody De
Ing laid on the pyre, the widow, haVint
bathed in the river and adorned nelsei
os FOR her marriage, took her seat oi
the nvre and called on her son, the nc
cused Juggernath Missir, to do MS uu'.
{ as a devout Hindoo. Juggernatn ilsn'
od some wheat stocks and, having
E wolxed round the pyre three times az
: nI,ed according to custom, the nre l
{ the mouth of the deceased. This ialle'
, TO ignite the pyre, and 1t Is said .liae Il
:. and the four Brahmans accused-Ba
r kishun Missir, Dwarka Misslr, hai
t Charan Missir and Lacrman Towari-
e nerformed the humad. which consis'e
= of the burning Of incense and the pla'
e ing of lighted chips of wood dipped
: ghee OUTER under the pyre un'ii
n ignited.
: "Rv this time a vast crowd had d
: sembled. When the flames reacheu u
d widow she Is said to have move
y ahout' or writhed. and finally stood u
l, and turned toward the setting sum- D'
Immediately fell back on the pyre' a
d narently overcome by the increaslr
d flames. Amid cries of Sat Ram! 81
n RAM SAT- Mai Ki jail! the beating
y. drums. the clang Of cymbols and bio'
r ing Of the sank, or shell, she was bur
er ed to ashes with the corpse OF her hu
ID band"
s. A unanimous verdict of guilty w
" returned against the following, WI
m were sentenced to the various terms
Of Imprisonment mentioned; Juggerna
Missir, FIVE years rigorous imprisc
D. ment; Balkishun, three years; DwarH
tn three years; Ram Charan, one ana
r. half years; Sonar Choukidar, one YET
ed Gunga and Dilchand Chamars' III
"a months each. The rest were found
tie gullty.-Chicago News.