Camden gazette. (Camden, S.C.) 1816-1818, March 28, 1818, Image 2
J>1 isceli u neons.
shiLrtn.mrt+iTKhY.
Tiic nllwiug account of the sa
crifice -of a llimlo woman, ou tin* '
t'jaer .1 pile Ji fcer husband, may In
* iv lied on a* authentic, it w An ex
trun ai <i teller flrom ' Mrs. 8. Tr
I?ewtoh, a resident in Calcutta? to
her friauds in this countrv, one of
. * 7
whom tots jxrtitely favored u? with
? a copy /or publication. -Mrs. New-*
4pton Is a native or Plttsfield, (Mws.)
where her parents riow reside.
Genesjzr]fyr<*er.
CalcvtiUi , June 18. 1S17.
I open my letter, ray dearest
friends, to tell you I have witnes
sed oniy of the most extraordinary
and horrid scenes ever performed by
jAumm beings ; namely the self im
/fiolation of a woman on the funeral
"pile of he/ husband. This dread
ful sacrifice his made aa impression
on ray mind thai ytSrs will not ef-~
ftice. 1 thank my God that I was
born in a ChrisLan land, and in
structed in the Christian religion,
-This event is s<>! recent, I cart
linrdly compose myself sufficient to
Relate it. East nig&tj I could ffot
close mv eyes, no# could 1 drive
this mart v re J woman from mv ra
> . %r c.
collection. I am almost sick to-day,
and [ am sure you will not wonder
lit it, 'Hut this ceremony is so much
?Celebrated, and by my countrymen'
wno much doubted, that I was resol
ved to see if such " deeds could be."
J have seen, and the universe would
not iuduce me to be present on a sim
ilar occasion. I cannot realize what
1 have seen. It seems like a horri
ble dream. - - ...
Yesterday morning, at 7 o'clock,
this woman was brought in a palan
^ quin to the place of sacrifice. It in
> pn the banlts of the Ganges, two'
miles onlv from Calcutta. 1 Her lius
* band ha*l been previously brought to
the river to expire, ' His disorder
Vras hydrophobia ? (think ottoe ago
jny thin must have occasioned hlin.) Ue
Imd now been dead twe nty^four hougfc
and no persuasion coulil prevail til
the wife to save herself. She had
three children, whom she committed
* to the litre of her jnotUer. A* Woman
. called the undertaker was preparing
-the pile. ;Jt was composed of bam
boo, fire vood, oils, rosin, And a kind
of flax, altogether v^ry combustible,/
It Was elevated above the ground, I
should say, twenty inches, and sup
ported by strong stakes. Thfc dead
body was lying o&a lt.Je couch, ve
ry near, covered with^ white cloth*'
The oldest child, a* boy of seven
years, (w!m> was to light the pile)
was standing near the corpse. The
woman sat perfectly unmoved during
all the preparation ; apparently at
jprayer, and counting a stringof beads,
which she h?4d in her hand. She
Wai ius I thisty years old, her hus
band twenty -seven years older#
The government threw everv ob
noft to violent measiires,.to pr#*e%t ,
this abominable custom Nothing
but our religion can abolish it, and I
do not. believe there is a particle of
Christianity in the breast of a single
native in $ll India* .
These obstacles delayed the Cere
mony until live o'clock, when the per
mit from one of Uie chief judges ar
rived . Police officers were station
ed, to prevent any thing like compel
?ion, and to secure the woman at the
last moment, if she shuold desire it.
The corpse was now placed on the
{pound in an upright posture, anil
clean linen crossed round tlie head
and about the waist. Holy water
was thrown over It by the child, and
afterwards oil by the Hramins. It
was then placrd upon the pile, and
towards the left side* The
Woman now left the pa|;\tv|tiiti, walk
* 1 ?nto the riVer, supported by her
brothers, who were Agitated and rr
fjturevl support more than lierirself.
Hhe was divested of all h?r orna
ment*, Iter h lir hanging dishevelled 1
shout her face, which expressed per- '
fc ;* reHgnation. Hit forehead and
f**\ \v^? staifutil w it U a Uc?^> r*J.
I She 1 iathrd in fhfc v!vrt, find drank a 1
I Litiie water. which was the only nour
I ishment she received after her hus
I Sand'-* death. An oath was ad
I ministered by the attending llramins,
I a iiich is done by patting the hand in
I u>ly water and repeating from the
Shaster a few lines. This was giv
I on seven tiroes. forgot to say
I the child received an oath before
I -tie corpse was rsmtived. The bro-'
I i hers also prayed over the hotly and ,
[sprinkled themselves with consccraT
Fled water.) She then adjusted her
I own dress, which consisted of long
I ctdths wrapped around her form and
I partly over tl?e Head, hut not so as
I to conceal the face. She had in her
I hand a little Upx, containing parting
I gifts, which she presented to her bro
I there and to the Braruin, with the
I greatest composure. Red strings
I wertUien fastened round her wrists ?
I her child How put a little rice in her
I mouth, which was the last thing she
I received-. She raised her eves to
? ? w
I Hea\*n several times during the ri
I ver ceremonies, which occupied
I ten or twenty minutes.? * She took
| no notice of her child. having taken
I leave of her female friends and dhll*
J dren early m the morning. A little
I cup of consecrated rice was placcd
I by tlie child,at the head of the corpse.
I She now walked to the pile, and
I bent with lowly reverence over the
1 fcetdrWfr husband ; then, unaided,
I she passed three times around tlie
? She now Ibemed excited by
[ enthusiasm ; ^ome say of a
I ous natuto, otters by affection for
I the dead; I do not pretend to say
j what motive actuated her, but she
I stepped upon thfi pile witll apparent
J delight, unassisted by any one, and
I threw herself by. the side of the body
clssping his fteicV with her arm.
The corpse was in the most horrid'
I putrid state* She put her face close
to his 5 a jrord was lightly passed
I over both ; light faggftts aud straw,
I with some combustible frosin, were
I then put on the pile, a strong bam
bdo pole confined the whole : ail
f tjijfl was doftr^Uy her brothers.;
Tie child then applied the fire to
1 tlie head of thepile, which was to
I consume both parents. The whole
I was instantly on fire. The multi
I tude shouted, but not a groan Was
heard from tlie pile. I hope and
trust the poor victim expired imme
diately. She uqdotihtly died #Uh*l
out one struggle* Her feftt and arms
\yere not con^ned, and after the
straw and faggdta were burnt, we
saw them in the same position she
had placed them. ?
It was a 'voluntary act. She'
wa? resiggefl, self-collected, and her
self. Such fortitude, and magnani
mity, such resofdtioii, devoted af-.
fectiou, religious zeal and mad de
lusion combined, I had not concei*
ved of, and I hope, never to witness
again. Hundred j witnessed this
tccne. Some admired tfce heroism
t^of the woman ? some weir ready to
tear the liramins to pieces ? for mv
?els, 1 was absolutely stupified wiih
pity and horror at litis dreadful im
molation I am grieved to ?i<y, this
is not an Qttoftfcuaoii instance.
I l>elieve I haVe glVw* ypu all the
particulars ; nut them in In better
form, and tell this almost tticredihloj
story to some of my friend*. Tiiert^
were present ubout forty Ametiefttts,
and a few English. I do ndt, know !
the number of natives, but may safe- 1
iy say many hundreds*
Yesterday was also ope of the I
feasts of Juggernaut. In returning I
home, we passed through a street, I
two miles in length, entirely filled J
with temples, consecrated to that I
gud, drawn by Worshipping thou- I
sands and myriads, striving for that I
houorj they were offering gold, fruits, I
and the most beautiful flowers, to the ]
different idols placed within these I
temples. The air was perfumed I
with tl*e most precious odours* The I
house tdp# w ere covered with j>eo- I
plw, dressed in the most expensive I
and fantastic manner, and children I
covered with jewels. Bands of na- I
tive music preceeded and followed I
Iear h temple, making the most d is* I
wuiUaut *eu.ids. IVopU who hftti I
nothing to giv*. screamed and pros
trated themselves before the innume
rable idoU that were standing in t'p'*
streets.* The horses were stopped
twenty times at least by the crowd,
gathering to c?Ter sacrifices to thesc
images. (Guards were placed in all
directions to keep order.
I can giver no idea of this country
I ani awe struck, but feci no incli
nation to worship. I thank God,
we are not Hindoos ; and for all his
mercies praise him.
Farewell, my dearly beloved friends.
* "
Castellans Trial and Execution*
The trial of John Caste I Uw for the
inufOer of Henry Slaughter, w hich
has excited much load, if not gen
eral interest, came on at the la*t His
perior court of Jasper cottrwy. The
}>ublic pfeeiudice agairibt the prisoner,
rom the almost universal belief of
hi* guilt, and the amiable char&cicr
?of tli# deceased, wad *6 that
considerable difflc vas experien
ced In obtaining an im partial jury,
most of the persons sttnuuoned as ju
ror*, ninety-six in nnml>er, having
66 formed ami expressed an opinion
dfence against him was entirely cir
cumstantial ? several -witnesses were
introduced, who, deposed to the fol
lowing facts : ? The prisoner and the
deceased were near ^jieighbors ?
threats of personal violfcftcshad been
made by flip formcy against the latter,
tfror 15 diys prior to the murder*-'
thfe prisoner had recently complain
ed of the conduct of the deceased, in
not qualifying him lo an affidavit of
illegality, in arrest of a judgement
entered up against him by the de
ceased, who was a* magistrate'? on
the day the mnrder was perpetrated,
the prisouer and the deceased were
seen together in the town of Mon
! ticello ? l ite in the evening, about
? A J 1 ' * "" * ' ~
sui:se!, tney were standing near each
other, with their horses ? the deceas
observed* " I * Am for home
to which the prisoner replied,
don*t go home to night" ? a little
whit# after, they left town together,
the prisoner appearing to be in a pns- i
si<>n as lie wis heard to swear fre
quently. ' About three quarters of a
. tiile frfcia Monticello, and before
they 4iad reached the fork of the road "
where they should have parted, -n
Slaughter was found dead by his
eoru from whom some cause had re
mained behind, but followed on 4
few minutes after ? The alarm was
given, an itlqtos) summoned,
who w^re of opirtfonf'that the de? eas- 1
ed came to his death by a hackhantt
ed blow with a knife, or some sharp
instrument, which entered the left
side of the neck under tbe angle of
the jaw, cut the. main artery, and
and made an incision alxKlt two inch
es deep and one inch wide? C'astel
taw was that flight arrested on sus
picion of being; ti# murderer. ? When
told the cause of his apprehension,
he asked, " if the deceased was kil
led dead ? ' He was brought to the
?body and made to look at it, under a
belief that he would not be able to
conceal hi* guilt if he had committed
the ad* hi raised the winding sheet,
and rfffed upon the corpse without
0, inolfyn ?poke of tlie deceased in
jpspectful terms, and manifested none
of those " compunctions visiting* of
conscience4' usually attendant upon
'guilt ; but afterw ards, it was thought
by one of the witnesses, be appear
ed frsthr and uneasy. For some I
blood on kifft^lothes, he did not sa
tisfactorily account, although he at
tempted to prove it came tlieir by
docking a colttwo or tlnee months
previous ; nor did he make any ef
fort to shew, frank tohat Cause and by
what .mciins he ' And tlie deceased
were separated, except that he re
marked to one of the Witnesses, " he
Was drunk, Ike did not Rofew how lie
got home, and that if *4ie killed
Slaughter, of which he was not con
scious, lie ought to die.*** it was
near midnight before the testimony
closed? the argument of counsel
waa eonaeqaently deterred till next
morning, and lusted the whole day:
After an impressive charge from the
Judge, Urn jury, nearly txitaustod,
fUs* ?> W7
*
rM'rcfl <\*)Out i^vA, rrn\ in a
-linri tune returned w ich avtrdM of
'*L LL'i'Y. The prisoner,, who
./ rngftoui ti>e trial, ^beved no ap*
'.-ueusion* of danger, mainUuncd. at
w\r critical juncture, vhis u?ual coin
(>uotire ? but niter a while, the a^jmy
ii\\A piercing criea of his wife, who
had hun^ around hitn from his ap
prehensions till that moment, .and
?jveu to him and to the_ ovarii
uie strongest . proof of. conju
gal aUectioo, apparently overcame
him. uud for a short lime he was
deeply ailccted* When the court
asked, v ir* sentence of cleat F *houlJ
not I>c pronounced against him, ha
replied, he had many reasons, hut
he presumed it would be useless >to
state to them. Ilu intimated, how
ever, that sevehd. of the witnesses
had sworn falsely, or given to their
e vidence an improper coloring. Be
ing informed that his execution,
wo dd take place ott tl<e follow ing
Friday, he observed, " that will ne
% % I a
ver lie/' intending, it is presumed,
to commit suicide, as be made seve
ral attempts t:i do so, but was pre
vented by the guardi The morning
of bis execution he ate heartily, and
walked with firmness to theHgallows*
To the last he pertinaciously refused
to make Any confession of guilt, thof
he did' not, it is believed, toaka
any particular apscrvatioiw of inno
cence. A pious gentleman who
vrtitr present, kiudly offered to pray
for him, but he declined excepting
his service*, and requested thai lilt
execution ?ight be hastened* ? -As h?
swung oil, lie imjJored the mercy of
that (iod, at who^e tribunal he wA
soon to appear. A very large num
ber of persons, it is supposed be
tween 7 and 8000, assembled to
witness this mournful spectacle.
' Goorgia Journal .
.V
THE 1WR1JLL. V* 4
" 'TXb done!" said Eiumeline SI
I entered ike room, ? ?* 'tla done ! and
now hi* little spirit lias passed ike
confines of mortality ! "?I drew back!
*uid remained uuperceived. 46 Yea, ^
continued l?mmeline, lcauing over
her lifeless babe, an she wiped the
repining tears i u he is gone l-r*the
deliglil of my existence in tor ever
enntUu d from my maternal embrace*!
, But he is not dead : ? he only repose#
<lu the ' jum* of iumiorUlity,
whence 1 shall again receive. him 1
iP.lptiiUS father: ? ah! my beloved
partner 1 litUe do&t thou think of this
t&Kbter. ISo, thou art distant, and
ur\couHcious of it. When thou re*
turnest, how .w ilt tliou bear the long
of thy little Henry !" ? " My amiable
friend/' said 1/ approaching ; the
weeping Kmmeline, " 1 was comc to
enquire respecting the health of your
infant, aud I see that lie is well."? *
" Weil !" repeated JSinmeline. " hi
m well ; ?His enough ; hjbUorrowf
arc past! Mjr Brteuiv^iiaid tlim
charming mother, " 1 did not once
imagine that 1 could have resigned
myself to a dispensation so severe."?
4: And what/' interrupted I, 44 has .
| ejected such a happy change in your
? disposition ? " All 1" replied ifim
| meliue, u 1 was then young? inatten
tive to truth, and ignorant of true
peace 1# Like most young people, I
never perused a volume from w hich
I have since learnt in what happinea*
consist* ; to be resigned to the will of f
Providence hero, and trace by the
chart which he hat given us divine
truth, the rofcxl to a brighter state."
* but," demanded I, " have you
never * any apprehensions that ihi*
chart may be erroneous ?" " N one;"
rejoined Kinmeliric, ''for though I
never examined Uie external authori
ties, which 1 am told confirm my
guide ; and' though I hear of man/
who have done it with more wisdom
and peuotratiOn than 1 can boast, aver
that it is defective; I have an evidence
that compels me to rigecttheir doubts.
My .tlasarl, whenever 1 peruse the
pages of holy w rit^ beats so in uni
son with their contents, that nature.
Which philosophers teli us should b*
our director, must l>c mistaken if I
am wrong,"
When the corps of Ilenry was te
lie inter tea, Krauiolitic attauiUd it to