Charges of witchcraft are investigated by the grand council of the
tribe. When the accused is adjudged guilty, he may appeal to
supernatural judgment. The test is by fire. A circular fire is built
on the ground, through which the accused must run from east and west
and from north to south. If no injury is received he is adjudged
innocent; if he falls into the fire he is adjudged guilty. Should a
person accused of having the general reputation of practicing
witchcraft become deaf, blind, or have sore eyes, earache, headache,
or other diseases considered loathsome, he is supposed to have failed
in practicing his arts upon others, and to have fallen a victim to
them himself. Such cases are most likely to be punished.
_OUTLAWRY._
The institution of outlawry exists among the Wyandots in a peculiar
form. An outlaw is one who by his crimes has placed himself without
the protection of his clan. A man can be declared an outlaw by his own
clan, who thus publish to the tribe that they will not defend him in
case he is injured by another. But usually outlawry is declared only
after trial before the tribal council.
The method of procedure is analogous to that in case of murder. When
the person has been adjudged guilty and sentence of outlawry declared,
it is the duty of the chief of the Wolf clan to make known the
decision of the council. This he does by appearing before each clan in
the order of its encampment, and declaring in terms the crime of the
outlaw and the sentence of outlawry, which may be either of two
grades.
Pages:
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28