Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-10-21
Smashed in Squaw's Skull
With Rock in Order to Have
Company to the Happy Hunt
ing Grounds.
BELIEVED HE WAS CHUCK
FULL OF BAD DEVILS
Interesting Trial of Cho-Gin-Sy
at St, John Brings Out Pic
tureSQue Indian SuperSti-
tons.

~, the Navajo Indian. who when told
that he was h%opelessly possessed Of
devils and would die, smashed in his
Wife's skull with a rock, was ac-
quilted of murder in the district our
an ST. Johns on a plea of insanity.
The killing of the squaw was a par
ticularly brutal one, her lord and mas
Ter beating her over the head with a
fou%rteen-pound stSne until her skull
was crushed To aRulp. There appears
to be little doubt, however. that the
Indian, crazed by the treatment given
him by the Navajo medicine men. be-
lieVcd that he was going to die and
simfly killed his wife IN order to have
her cheering company on dte long
and mysterious journey TO the happy
hunting grounds. 1t is probably the
first case on record where the
"brainstorm" plea saved the life Of
an Indian.
Attorney Leroy Anderson Of Pres
colt defended the Indian. In an in
terview with a representative Of he
Prescott Journal Miner Anderson thus
described the trial.
In a way. the trial Of Cho-sin-sy
was the most amusing criminal case I
was ever connected with profession
ally. He was acquitted of the murder
of his wife, Clab-yizzi-bi-tse. on n
plea Of insanity. The case was re-
plete with sensational revelations Of
tho customs and traditions Of the Nav
ajo tribe, as well as the peculiar meth
DDS in vogue with them for treatment
for sickness bv their medicine men.
was Full of Devils.
Previous 10 the killing Of Clab-
YizZi-hi-tse, on the night of April %.
@%ho-gin-sy had been i'll about one
month. The indian man of the tribe,
according To the testimony of the
murderer's mother, also his brother.
who CAV the name Of Laughing
Blacksmith's son. old the accused
that ne was possessed of a Navajo
devil. a foreign devil ami the spirit
of the wind. The medicine man in
formed the sick one and his relatives
that he could Danish the Navajo deyil
but that ,he could not chase away the
foreign devil. An Indian soothsayer.
or cnchantress. was then consulted.
and she old Cho-gin-sy that he was
possessed of several breeds of devils.
and that there was no hope for him.
He believed her ana became very de-
iected. She told him that he became
lNl7NtNHtu 81 a AMhAhfW ufNA III pass
ing over a hogan where a Navajo had
died a short time before. She said
that he got another devil while dig
ging in some ancient ruins. and that
the third. and worst devil of them an.
took possession while he slept in
blankets belonging to a dead MeNi-
an.
Takes Medicine Man Treatment.
fTf ufaa ffrlINr decided flaf the .N4a4fI-I
possessed man should be treated by
the medicine man, and he was stripped
naked for the dance and the mount
ain chant treatment. which the med
cine man testified ne always admin
istered in such cases. During the cere-
mony Cho-gin-sy's wife sat by his
head as he lay on the ground, so0Nh-
ing him. At the conclusion Of the
treatment he was informed that the
Navajo devil had made his escape, bat
that tAe foreign devil was stll in Him.
Kills Wife With Rock.
HI became very dowpcast when
informed that the foreign devil was
still with him. and was left In the
care of his wife. While the medicine
man and other Navaios Were still pres
ent. he walked a short distance from
the hogan with his wife and after
knocking her to the ground. crushed
In her skull with a rock weighing
fourteen pounds. When asked for his
reason for the murder. he explained
that he was satisfied he would die and
that IL was the Navajo belief that
when two persons die about the same
time they travelled together 90 che
happy hunting grounds. He also exc
flained that he was very fond Of his
wife and desired her company In pref
crcnCc to any other. Testimony was
introduced 10 the crect that this was
The Navajo heller. and in the case Of
the death Of "a prominent Navajo.
when no other death occurs about the
same time. IL is the custom To Kim
his best horse and place il on HE
grave. with a good supply 81 provisions
for himself and the beast. on the ride
90 the happy hunting grounds.
Had Two Wives.
1T also developed in the trial that
Cho-gin-sy had another wife. whom
De had abandoned for Clab-yizzi-bi-
tse. without going through the for
maiity ri securing a divorce. In eX-
pIanation Of this it was shown 10 Do
the custom among the Navaios that
when a man and his wife cid not agree
thew separated. and almost always
both married again without being d.
Vnr.ed bv law.
.-Dcmcntia Americana" saves Him.
MY only defense. after ] had
heard Cho-piusSy's confession. was
that with which Delmas endeavnred
tb clear Thaw. Demcntia Americana.
oniy in This case Sc was a p Navajo
hut I cleared nav client. However d
commanded a. the court that be- be-
held and examined on an insanity
charge. and this viii probably o.
done.
Another Interesting Ca-c.
scarcely les interesting vas D.
case 81 SaIlie Janfs trifd fof -hnHi-
ine Red smith and that 81 hcr Boz
band. Albert Ione~. accused ~ lrirE
h.r n.,-mvffea continued ATTORNEY