The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1908-01-30
BATH OF BLOOD IN INDIA.
Price of an Heir-An Oriental SupeN
stition.

tricP OF an Heir-An Orientai SuPeH
stition.
At the beginning of June the Punjab
chief court passed Judgment in an ex-
traordinary case that had come before
it on appeal from the Umballa sessions
court, says the London Telegraph.
correspondent of the Spectator briefly
recalls the facts as stated in the ses-
sions court. In the town of Jagadri,
about forty miles from Umballa, there
lived merchant of some position. Like
all Hindoos he was keenly anxious to
have a son, but all the children that
his wife bore were born dead. Last
year 1t seemed probable that she might
again hope to be a mother and the
merchant sought advice from a relig-
ious mendicant In order to secure that
the expected child should be born alive.
The jogi told the merchant that If his
wife bathed in human blood her child
would live. This seems to be very
ancient belief, and, revolving as it must
have been to Hindoo woman, the anx-
iety Of husband and wife for a son
brought them to assent to the crime
for which they were tried. A boy,
Ar1an by name, about 8 or 8 years of
age, was kidnapped, and, after being
kept a prisoner for thirty hours, was
strangled. His blood was collected in
a brass vessel, and after certain charms
had been repeated the expectant moth
er smeared the blood over her body and
so fulfilled the rite. The boy was soon
missed and the crime came to light
through the confession of the man who
had kidnapped the child and had re
ceived rupees for doing So To the
Western mind the whole affair is mark
ed by cruel folly, but the common fOli
Of the Punjab will pass that by, fol
the merchants wife gave birth to liv
ing infant while in jail All Jagadr
will believe that the spells and the rit
have proven potent.
This is the story of the murder ant
its sequel as heard in the sessions court
In the high court the sentences passes
, by the sessions judge were reversed o.
a question Of the validity of the ev
j, dence and on point Of procedur
which to the lay mind does not seer
a of first Importance, and the high cour
4 judges considered the story of murde
4 on account Of the superstition improl
able. 1t may be that the summary r,
port received does not put the judge
position clearly. AS stated, 1t indicate
Il want of familiarity with the though
Of the country folk that is surprising
. That the accused committed the Grim
= with which they were charge
may or may not be true. Without ii
full evidence 1t Is impossible to arriy
at the truth, especially as the big
\ court judges have declared that the
:, found it quite impossible to get at tt
% truth of the murder. But it is wild
:, spread belief that in some mysterio,
- way human life may purchase
, guarantee the favor Of the demon poy
=. ers that can do most harm, and wi
be constantly hostile unless SO prop
tiated. This belief works In mar
ways, and such cases as the above an
that which occurred in the district
- Bellary, In south India, in which
. was shown that child had been saci
- fed to propitiate deity thought
guard a hidden treasure, are pro
"A that in spite Of the 100000 schools
70 modern India, the mind of the commt
- people holds to 1t still.