The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-03-28
Some Indians Who Sacrifice Ba.
bies to Sacred Snakes to
WARD OFF TROUBLE,
The Huge Living Reptiles Are Kept Shut
Up Ia a Cave In the Mountains
and Ped on Human S,cifi.
cial Flesh by the Fa.

The grand jury of Bsrnadillo Coun.
ty, New Mexico, was presented with
evidence recently which apparently
shows that human sacrifice Is still be.
irg praotisfd among other barbaric
religious rites by our American In
diars. A considerable amount of
testimony was produced as to the
practices Of %witchcraft and the COM
mon habit Of the Indians Of murder
ing men and women who are suspect
ed of being EVIL Spirits" In fact,
Joe Luis, chief medicine man Of the
Papago tribe of Arizona frankly &C
knowle6ged that he Is the slayer OF
Josefa Anton, Q woman, whom the
Papagos Of q native village near
Covered Wells in the Gunsight county
accused Of being an evil spirit who
bewitched them and was r 'sponsjble
for their misfortuces. During the
Summer q great msny cattle belong.
ing to the Indians sickened and died,
and starvation stared them in the
face. Later some Of the leaders o:
the triba succum led to q mysterious
disease, and the savages, who still
believe In withcraft, held Josefs An
Jonr q woman OF the village, reSpon.
slble for the conditions. Luis, the
medicine man, believed 1t bis duty to
rid the village If the witch, 80 be lur-
ed her out into the desert and muir.
dered her.
But the most shocking testimony,
says the correspondent Of the New
York American was given by a Catho-
lie missionary who was admitted to
some Of the sacred rites CT the Indians
of the PUEBLO Of Ia, the most isolat-
ed Of the savages ID New Mexico.
Here the priest was led to q cave in
the mountains, the mouth OF which
is enclosed with q stone wall 6fseer
feet thick. In this wall there Is q
hole eight or ten inches In diameter,
and In the cave lives q huge sacred
snake, which at timss emerges
through this hole. The indians keep
q watch at the cave and regard the
appearance Of the serpent as 8 man.
date upon them to produce q human
sacrifice for the creature.
Usually, the witness ssid, the sacri.
fee was voluntary, some Indian moth.
or being ready, under the spur of re-.
ligious enthusiasm. to Cf5r her In.
FAINT. II, however, the exhOrtations
Of the frenzied medicine man failed to
6nd willing response, then q council
OF the old men Of the tribe was held
and a baby was picked out by vote.
In either case, willing or unwilling,
the mother was led forward to the
entrance of the cave and kept there
until the snake appeared. As tie
huge serpent wriggled forth through
the hole the mother crept forward
and delivered over her child.
After this q dance was begun by
the chief medicine man, which was
joined In by the others Of thu tribe,
and the ceremonial kept up until SUD-
rise.
I6 Is known that a very similar sys-
tenn of sacrifice of babies and adults
was practised until recently by the
Glorieta Indians, who lived In the
Pecos Valley, of New II x;eo. Thirty
miles north Of the village OF G.oIieta,
in the mountains, Is q cave similarly
sealed up except for q hole lsr o
enough to admit a large snake. Tris
is well known to all residents Il that
section. Several years ago when the
Glorieta Indians were snake worship.
pers, a huge sacred serpent made his
abode in the cave.
A human sacrifice was made at r,g
ular EeriodS to this snake, the cere.
mony connected Herewith being one
of the most sacred tenets Of tho In.
dian religion. Sometimes the sacri-
fec was Voluntary on the part Of TT Q
victim, and sometime was pl8csd on
the altar by his comrades. Finally
the tribe dwindled down to one man
and one woman. When the time Of
sacrifice again came around, the wo
man was ss:zsd with terror, as a VIC
man was Away considered preferable
as an Offering to appeass tho great
spirit through the medium OF the
snake. Unknown to the man, she
fed before the fatal hour arrived.
Loft alone to face the grussome Or
deal, the man was also seized with
fear and fad the country. Other In
dams Of other tribes know Of the
cave, and cannot be induced to go
near 1t.
The grand jury was impressed with
The need of q thorough Investigation
Of the secret practices Of the Indians,
and q resolution was adopted calling
upon the United States authorities to