The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-09-10
VOUDOU HORRORS,
Cannibalism Openly Practiced in the Island Of
Hayti BY Serpent Worshipers.

Cannibalism Openly Practiced in the Island o.
Hayti by Serpent Worshipers.
Some months ago an Englishman of rank
and fortune, after thoroughly exploring tht
West Indies and Visiting part of the Spanish
Main in his yacht, came to this country on his
way home. While here he submitted certain
entries in the vessels log and certain passag es
in his own diary to the inspection of American
friends who earnestly advised him to pursue
the hints therein gwen with an eye to Concen
tratlng public attention on the progressive re
lapse into barbarIsm of society In the vast and
beautiful and once splendidly productive is
land of Hayti. This advice he seems to have
taken, for we find in the London Vanity Fan
of Aug IL the following resume OF his obser
vatOGs:
The religion of Hayti is ostensibly Roman
Catholic. An archbishop, four bishops, and
nearly 100 priests are established in the coun
try, but they are really pOweress In the face
of secret religion called 'VOudou' or serpent
worship.
"The professors of Voudou, who have the
'scrpenthouse' in each village wood (as msy
also be seen on the west coast of Africa origl.
naly came from the Congo coast, and were OF
the tribe called Mandingoes, celebrated for
their skill as sorcerers and secret prisoners
ana for beng serpent-wOrshiper chlld.slayele
and cannibals. They appear to have brought
their arts with them from Africa but while
Haytl was under French rule they were oblig-
=, ed to practice them IN secret,
at was, however, manly owing to the pow.
er of Voudou that Hayti was lost to the
French. Many of the presidents have belong
ed to 1t; the present president either cannot or
will not suppress it, and it fouiishes openly.
1t would be improper for me to give my
authorities. It's sufficient to say that they are
of the highest, and that the facts are indisputa.
BILE, being vouched for to me by cye.witnesscs.
Out of over 100000 inhabitants of Hayti there
are only 10000 that do non openly belong to
VOudOu,
"rhe priests Of this religion have got abso-
lutte power, owing to their knowledge of herb
poisoning and Of the antidotes. Owing to this
Knowledge, ,whith nothing will induce them
to divulge, tney can poison either slowly or
quickly, painfully or the reverse and can pro-
cure a death'lke sleep. They are consequent.
ly resorted to BY people who wish to get rid of
Others either for gain, from jealousy, or the
like.
"The secret poisoning is carried to an enor-
nous extent. 1t goes on, indeed, under the
name of 'Obl' wherever negroes are found. In
Hayti while the French had the island, 1t was
sternly repressed, more so than either in ia
malGa or Cuba-but since then 1t has increas-
ed to such an extent that q suppressed terror
prevails among all classes IN Hayti.
"The great feasts of the V0udou are al
Christmas, at Whitsuntide and at Easter. The
drum is beaten at midnight, aud the people
assemble. The ceremony commences by the
most terrible oaths of secrecy. Then dancing
begins aad the excitement IS kept up by copl'
Gus libatons of rum till one or more Of the
performers fall down IN fit, when the spirit
Of Voudou is supposed to have entered into
them. These orgies last generally three nights,
and sometimes longer. On the first night a
cock is offered up at the altar, and its Flood is
drunk warm. On the second night goat is
treated in the same way. But on the third
night children are brought in; their throats
are cut by the priest; their blood Is handed
round and drunk warm, and their bodies are
then cut up and eaten.
Before the sacrifice takes place the priest
orders as many children as he requires. They
must be of pure Africaa descent, and not over
10 years of age These children are invariably
forthcoming either by being voluntarily given
up or obtained by being stolen by women who
make a profession of 1t. They are expert at
their trade. Entering house At night naked
and oiled, they steal the ch,.d, and by admin
istcrlng narcotic poison, render 1t lnsenslble.
1t is then conveyed to secret place till requir-
ed for sacrifice, when an antidote brings it
IL; then its throat is cut. Children are often
voluntarily gwen up by their mothers for the
sacrifice.
in order to be initiated into Voudou it is
necessary to have killed some human being; a
child is preferred.
Another horrible custom in HaytI is the
devourlng of corpses.
so strong is the taste for human flesh that
midwlves have been known to devour the chll
dren they have just brought into the world.
The parts most preferred are the knuckles and
hands.
"Lest it shOnlu be imagined that these are
not facts will give one or two Instances
"In MAY, 1879, two women were caught eat
ing female child 1t was proved that the
child had been first drugged and rendered In
sensible The parents supposing it to be dead
buried It, These women ImneiIGtely dIsin
TERED It, restored II to ITS senses by antitotrs
and then inserted reeds through its side and
sucked the blood from It's heart This hap
pened at Port an Prince.
"a Haytian of good position was also caught
with his family eating small boy. Another
was fOuI lied Co a tree close by. The man
was pointed out TO me.
These offenses were punished, 10 one case
by months Imprisonment in the other by
six weeks imprisonment, the fear of Voudou
not allowing greater punishment
an January, 1881, eigh, people we're fined
for dislnterring and eating corpses.
in the same month the neck and shoulders
of man were exposed for sale in the market
at Port au Prince and were purchased and iden-
titled by an English medical man.
ain Eqbruarv 1SSt af ST Mark's n cask nj