The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-12-11
FANATICS TORTURE
SELVES UPON CROSS
REVOLVING CEREMONY STILL is
PRACTICED IN SECRET BY
A SUPERSTITIOUS SECT.

Picture of half-naked man, with
torn and bleeding shoulders, nailed
to a cross on the summit of a small
hill Though faint from his ordeal his
zeal is undated and the glare of
fanaticism shines in his eyes as he
strives to keep from moaning under
the torture to which he has subjected
himself.
The cross he has borne dragging
behind him across sandy plain,
studded with cactus, up the rocky
road to the top of the hill and, once
there, has submitted to having great
spikes driven through his feet and
through the palms of his hands to the
wood of the cross, even as centuries
ago they nailed the Saviour. Muir
murs of anguish have been wrung
from his tightly pressed lips in spite
of his efforts not to betray by any
sign what he is feeling,
It is a sickening sight and shock
ing to civilized eyes, but the rite is
once practiced in our own country,
among the barren lands of New Mex
leo, many, many miles from a rail-
road, where superstition and igno-
rance still hold sway and where ad-
herents of Los Hermanos Penitentes
(The Penitent Brothers) still believe
in self-torture as the key which un-
locks the gates to Heaven.
Numbers Are Dwindling.
The Pentitentes originated in
Spain, emigrated to Mexico and there,
in a land accustomed to barbarity,
the cruciixion of those who volun-
teered became part of the ritual.
Gradually, as civilization penetrates
deeper and deeper into the isolated
hamlets where the Penitentes dwell,
the number Of those who belong to
the order or accept its mandates is
dwindling. The secrets of the ritual
and other mysterious features was
obtained when { handful of Ameri-
cans invaded the Mexican village of
Taos, seventy-fve miles from a rail
road, and there obtained from the
effects Of dead Penitente a book
containing them
In some parts of Southern Colora-
do, as well as in New Mexico, you
may perchance run across a man who
IN his younger days had submitted
himself to crucifxion. If you should
ask him about the ugly nail scars in
the palms of his hands he probably
would lie to you, but there are many
who know-and ask no questions.
1t is said that the usual mailing to
the cross gradually is being done
away with, that so many have died
while thus emulating Christ that the
remaining Penitentes have substitut-
ed the binding of the victim to the
cross with hempen ropes. However.
it often happens $50 say those who
have inside knowledge of the Peni-
tentes) that fanatic will insist upon
nails being used.
The Penitentes, most of them, are
old now. They have been driven to
the deserts in order to practice their
rites. The Flagellantes. or self
scourgers, who have engrafted them
selves upon the order are forbidden
the use Of the churches by the bish-
ops and in going through their tor
lures disguise their features with
great black hoods On the way to the
crucifiXion lit is an annual AFFAIR."
the Penitentes fay themselves over
their bare backs and shoulders until
the blood comes and eren then they
DO not cease. Perhaps some overly
Jealous member breaks from the
ranks and further tortures himself
by leaping into a bunch of cactus.
Ceremony Is Revolving.
As dawn breaks the procession
leaves the morada, or 0,..iing place.
OF the victim and, led by Il musician
and priests or reader, slowly wends
It's way to the summit of the hill
Calvary, they call it-and all drop to