The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-03-28
The Huge Living Reptiles Are Kept Shu
Up ia Cave in the Mountains
and Fed or Human Sacifi.
cial Flesh by the Fa.
nafcs.

GeSClWCny WdS PIOuuC@u aS W Gue
practices OF witchcraft and the CON-
mon habit cf the Indians Of murder.
ing men and women VITO are suspect
ed OF being evil spirits" In fact,
Joe LUIS, chief medicine man Of the
Papa9o tribe Of Arizona frankly ac-
knowle5gsd that be is the slayer OF
Josefa Anton, a woman, whom the
Papagos Of native village nsa'
Covered Wells in the Guas;ght county
accused OF being an evil spirit who
oswitched them and was r soonsjb:e
for their misfortur es. During the
Summer great n any cattle belong
ing to the Indians sickened and dleo,
and starvation stared then in the
face. Later soue OF the leaders o;
The tribe succum bed to a mysterious
disease, and the savages, who still
believe in wlthcraft, held Josefa An
ton, a woman OF the village, respon-
sible for the conditions. Luis, the
medicine man, believed it his duty to
rid the village Of the witch, so he lur-
ed her out into the desert and mur-
dered her.
But the most shocking testimony,
says tie correspondents OF the Ne"
York American was given by a Cathc-
lie missionary who was admitted to
some OF the sacred rites CT the Indians
of the pubeio Of a, the most isol :
ed OF the savages il Noa NIX c..
Here the priest was led to cave ir
lie mountains, tie mouth OF which
ls enclosed with stone wall fifteen
feet thick. In this wall there is a
aole eight OF ten inches in diameter,
and IL the cave lvas huge sacred
snake, which at times energes 8
through this hole. The indians keep
a watch at the cave and regard the
appearance of the serpent as a man
date upon them to producs hucan
sacrifice for the creature.
Usually, the witness ssid, tee sacri-
6ce was voluntary, some Indian moth.
sr being ready, under the spur OF re-
ligious enthus:a m. to cfsr her ir-
fant. i, however, tEe exhortatiops
Of the frenzied medicine man failed to
find willing response, then council
Of the old men OF the tribe was held
and baby was picked out by vote.
In either case. wiling OF unwilling,
the mother was led forward to the
entrance OF the cave and kept there
until the snake appeared. AS the
huge serpent wriggled forth through
the hole the notcer crept forward
and delivered over her child.
Alter this darce was begun by
the chief medicine man, which was
joined In by the others Of the tribe,
and the ceremonial kept up until sun
rise.
It is known that very similar sys-
tenn Of sacrifice Of babies and adults
vas praclised until recently by the
Glorieta Indians, who lived In the
Pecos Valley, OF New NJ ;xieo. Tairty
miles north OF the village OF Giofieta,
in the mountains, is cave similarly
sealed up except for hole lsr 9
enough to admit a large snake. Trls
Is well known to ell residents ct that
section. Several years ago when the
Glorieta Indians were snake worship.
pers, huge sacred serpent made his
abode in the cave.
a human sacrifice was made at reg
ular periods to this snake, the cere.
mony connected there with being one
the mcss sacred tenets Of the IN
dian religion. Sometimes the sacr!-
fee was Voluntary onsthe part OF tie
Vic:in, and sometime NSS placed or
the altar by his consa1es. Finally
the tribe dwindled down to one man
and one woman. Wien the time OF
sacrifice again came around, the wo
man was s...zsd with terror, as a VIC
man was alway considered preferable
as an cffarlng to appease the great
spirit through the medium OF the
snake. Unknown to the man. she
fed before the fatal hour arrived.
L.ft alone TO face the gruasome o.
deal, the man vas also seized witt
fear and fed the country. Other La
diana ct other trib:s know OF the
cave, and cannot be induced to 81
near it.
TIE grand jury was impressed With
the need OF thorough Investigation
of the secret practices OF the Indians,
and a resolution was adopted calling
upon the United States authorities tt
sift the matter to the bottom ano
taks means stop fnreVer the prac'
tice If human sacrifice. Ia view Of
the great difficulty a white man has
in penetrating the ssc cts OF the In
dians, it Is not surprising that the
Govern ment officials are ignorant o1
these c ual ceremoDials. In fact
many villages OF Indians In renotS
mountain districts are hardly kno@r
70 even the wandering mining pros
poets, and are never visited by agent:
of the Department. OF the 1ouerior'
It must be remem bered, too, thai
New Mexico is a big territory, witt
an area as great as the combined
ares of New York and the New E G.
LAID States, and events may transplre
in certain sec uded sections OF 1t aUc
be as little known to many othel
sections as il the inhabitants dTell
at q much gseat;r distance from TIM
scere of these events. The highesI
forms OF civilization and prospe1it!
exist in certain parts Of New Mexico
out there are. still SINE Ildian pueb
los, or villages, little known to th
white man.
In one form OF another this stor.