Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1877 — Burying; Lepers Alive. [ARTICLE]

Burying; Lepers Alive.

One of our India correspondents writes to us: Among the social peculiarities of Rajpootana, leper-burial is entitled to no tice. When a leper is past all -hope of living more than a few days or weeks, his nearest relations arrange, with his approval, for his immediate interment. Selfdestruction by burial is called samadJi, and is regarded as so highly meritorious that the disease is sure to die out in’ the family of the victim. So lately as 1875 a leper flamed Oomah, living and lingering at Berohi, entreated his wile to put an and to bis misery. A Bunnia, or tradesman, was accordingly engaged to make the necessary arrangements, which simply consisted in hiring a couple of laborers'to dig a hole, into which they thrust Oomah, consenting to his own death. The dubar, coerced ire the British Government, at length took cognizance of this incident, and fined the witness 100 rupees. The Bunnia was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, and the grave-diggers each to two vears, but it is very unlikely that they will undergo half that punishment —Pad MaUOuutte. —How to take life easy—be careless with coal-oil.