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Show WIDOW-BURNING IN INDIA. Although for many years suttee or sati, to use the modern speUlng has been practically stamped out by the action ac-tion of the Indian Government, cases occasionally occur, says the London , Telegraph. Of the most recent, which took place in Behar, an account Is glv- ! en below, showing that the horrible ! custom is still regarded with approval by many Hindus. The report of the magistrate, who committed the perpetrators for trial, contains the following passages: "The evidence goes to show that one Chaud-hrl Chaud-hrl Missir, alias ChatturbhuJ Mlsslr, a Brahmin of Sanchart village, having died on October 8 last, arrangements were' made for the cremation of his body at tha devi S than of that place, on the banks of a small river. A piece was cut in the ground in the shape of a St. Andrew's, cross, and tha funeral pyre was built over it. The body (being laid on the pyre, the widow having bathed in the river and adorned herself her-self as for her marriage, took her seat on the pyre and called on her son, the accused Juggernath Mlsslr, to do his duty as a devout Hindu. Juggernath lighted some wheat stocks, and. having walked around the pyre three times, applied, according to custom, the fire to the mouth of the deceased. This failed to ignite the pyre and it is said that he and the four Brahmin accused, viz.. Balklshun Missir, Dwarka Mlsslr. Ram Charan Missir and Lachman Te-wari Te-wari performed the Humad, which consisted of the burning of Incense and the placing of lighted chips of wood, dipped in ghee, under the pyre until It lrnlted. By this time a vast crowd had assembled. as-sembled. As the smoke from the Incense In-cense ascended and the flames reached the widow, she is said to have moved about or writhed and finally to have stood up and turned toward the setting sun. but immediately fell back on the pyre, apparently overcome by the Increasing In-creasing flames, and amidst cries of 'Sat Ram,' Sita Ram.' 'Satl Mai Kl Jal.' the beating of drums, the ' clang of , cymbals and blowing of the Sank or , shell, wss burnt to ashes with , the , corpse of her husband. Sewar Choukidar, the watchman of the village, vil-lage, being present, refused to lay any information before the police, though the necessity of doing so was suggested to hira. It is an unfortunate circumstance that tha msjorlty of the witnesses are Hindus, and as such the accused have the full, benefit of their sympathies. Of this several of the witnesses wit-nesses gave every Indication, and some of them were distinctly unwilling witnesses." wit-nesses." The case having come to the sessions, the following were convicted and sentenced sen-tenced to the various terms of imprisonment impris-onment mentioned: Juggernath Mis--sir, five years rigorous Imprisonment: Balklshun Missir. three years; Dwarka, Dwar-ka, three years: Ram Charan. one and & half years; Sewar Choukidar, one year; Ounga and Dilchand Chamars (two drummers employed during the burning), nine months each. Several others were found not guilty. |