Witchcraft Was
Practiced By the
Chilcat Indians
OLD PAPER TELLS OF
TORTURES PRACTISED
ON BODIES VICTIMS
Punishment for witchcraft was
not confined to the straight-laced.
New England states of early his
tory, it was revealed in a set of
old Alaska papers belonging to
Mrs. Les Harvey of Anchorage.
“THE NORTH STAR,” dated
August, 1888, and according to its
miasrthead published at Sitka in
the interests of schools and mis- ^
sons in Alaska, tells as grue
some a tale of torture among an
old Indian race in Alaska as ever
came out of old Salem.
“Witchcraft Among the Chil
cats,’’ is the title.
“This heathenish practice has
been pretty rife here at Haines
the past winter. It has been very
noticeable that when the ther
mometer ranges the very lowest,
and the winds and storms are |
raging, witches are very much
more likely to be flying here than
at other times. Many of the Chil
cat Indians during the past win
ter months accused others of be
witching them, and approached
their medicine man and inquired
who might be the cause of the
sickness. The Shaman generally
gave the name of some one of the
lower class and possessing but a
few friends, which person was
thenceforth looked upon a witch
and shunned by all.
The first sickness which Doctor
Skundoo was called upon for was i
in the case of Emma, one of the
higher class and wife of John who
succeeds Claynot as second chief.
The response given was that an
old Indian woman, the mother of
Ann, who recently died at the
Sitka Home had bewitched Em
ma, and thereupon the husband
and father of the latter w'ith oth
ers, proceeded to tie said woman
up as a witch, although she was
one of the higher class. After
endlss hours in the cold she suc
ceeded in freeing herself and
then deliberately hanged herself
from the shame and chagrin she
suffered at being a witch.
“An inmate, hearing her strug
gles, cut her down and her life
was saved by the barest margin.
“The next victim to this most
agonizing torture was Minnie, an
18-year-old girl, she having been
accused of bewitching her aunt
or near relative and she in turn
upon being asked who had be
witched her replied it was Kad
ashan, he who recently was res
cued and taken to Sitka by Doc
tor Jackson, as he was afraid of
his life in Chilcat.
“Minnie was tied up on about
March 18 in the manner that be
witched persons are tied with her
hands behind her back and her
head drawn back at right angles
to her body and fastened in that
position by tying her hair to the
lash that bound her wrists. Ac
cording to custom it was neces
sary for her to remain in this ex
crutiating position until Kada
shan should return and confess
his guilt. Then after the usual
forms had been gone through
they might both be released and
given a generous potlatch to cele
brate the departure of evil spirits.
“Kadasihan on his return from
Juneau to vindicate Minme, on
March 27,was immediately bound
and upon being questioned as to
his guilt, declared that Minnie
had made an entirely false accu
sation against him and that he
would neither confess nor give a
potlatch. He remained bound
for six days when he etiher es
caped or was released by some
friend. Immediately upon being
released he came to the writer
for shelter and was told he was
welcome. Whereupon he sealed
himseilf and cried bitterly at the
thought of that cruel treatment
that he had endured and being
compelled to leave his family
and possessions.
When he could control his
grief he explained the nature of
his torture—how his hands were
fastened behind him, and his
head drawn back by a rope Wi j
ch was drawn thru his mouth &
fastened to his wrists, while a
stalk of devil’s club was thTust
down between his hands and
bare back, the sharp thorns caus
ing an ugly sore by continued ir
ritation. When he was so exhaus
led he could stand no longer he
fell and found himself impaled
on sharp limbs and dead branches
which had been haggled off into
sharp points.
"A few hours after his escape
on April 2, Minnie was released
she having suffered punishment
similar to that of Kadashan for
15 days. During that time she
was given scarcely a morse] to
eat and only salt water to drink.
Fortunately it rained a great deal
and she was able to catch fresh
Wat : in h r mouth. Her parents
allowed her to be thus treated
saying they would ratheT she
would die than harbor a witch in
the:r house. But Minnie was very
tenacious of life and evincing
grit that is rarely met with was
found to be still alive when she
was released and recovered.”
A prefix to this startling tale
states that “scores of Indians are
tortured to death every year for
witchcraft.” The Jackson men
ti'-nad in this story was Dr. Shel
don Jackson, D.D., an early Alas
ka missionary and ore of the
editors of the “North Star. The
Sheldon Jackson school still re
mains at Sitka, a monument to
his memory.
Anyone wishing bank checks
printed in the next few days, wall
please make arrangement with
the Nugget, as we will set aside;
a certain day this week for print- j
ing bank checks, thus enabling us 1
to do this class of work at rea-:
sonable prices.
I
MORSE'S WHISKERS.
These circuit racers must be well-groomed. Their chiu vvk.i.,l>-ts
must be kept trimmed. Twilight Song, another Hambletor.tr r>. >
is being subjected to such barbering by her groom. Look ou to.
those ears, boy!
DOWN THE TRACK.
The barrier slips, and out dash a phalanx of imo.iv.eiu su.-<... ana icnse leinsmen. In this action
picture is Primrose Polly, two-year-old pacer owned by Dr. S. \\. Harrison of V'nion City, fr.d.. as
she takes the “pole.” stretching out against the taut reins held by Tom Berry. Four feet off the ground
nostrils wide, ears back—there eoes the flllv!
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