Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-19

like veal, but somewhat dry and insipid,
and "not agreeable.
Sir Spenser st. Johns book. already
referred to, contains the following ghast.
ly anecdote:
FEMALE FIENDs.
"An old woman-a midwife-died at
,Jacmel, and Just before she expired,
moved by the prickings of her col.
science, she told her attendants to
dig in the ground under the bed, and
they did so. A pile of infantile bones
and small skeletons was unearthed. The
old wretch exclaimed, I've eaten them
all, and gave up the ghost quite tran.
GULLY and apparently very well content
with her reparation for her crime"
Still another incident, equally horri.
BILE, from the same authority;
"In certain lying-in establishment,
where great many children were annu-
ally born and LETT by their mothers,
near Jeremie, one of the conscientious
projects of police noticed that the ma
iority of the infants reached the ago OF
eight months and then suddenly died.
He made an investigation, which re-
suited in his obtaining the confession
from the old negress who conducted the
establishment, that she always killed the
babies when they got to be eight months
old and ate them"
To this date it is positively asserted,
none of the Haytian gentry allow their
children for an instant out of their sight
or the care of trusted servants.
voUDoo HAYTIAN RULERS.
Reference has been made TO the fact
til President Getfrard attempted to put
down Noudooism. In this he attempted
something which scarcely any of his pre-
de ecessors or successors dared to do. 1t
is even asserted that the first Chief
Magistrate, President solomon, is a
Voudoo worshiper, in support of which
the fact is mentioned OF his having,
some years since, ordered three days
suspen ion of all business during the
continuance Of Voudoo fete. A for-<
mer President, Sainave, who at first at
tempted to put down the sect, finally
became a worshiper, and according to
popular belief, participated In cannl-
bal feast. Emperor Soulouque was also
Voudoo, and the story is told OF some
eighty or more members of the sect,
who were arrested at Port.au Prince
during his reign for eating human flesh,
defying the Governor of the city to pro-
seed against them.
IF You want to try us, they said,
''let us beat the sacred drum, and then
try all who answer its sacred sum mons,
for they are Voudoos and dare not dso
bey its holy call. L'Emperor Soulou-
que himself will come with the rest. In
our society he is not better than the
lowest, and he who does not come when
the drum is beated dies, as sure as it is
that he lives" An examination" was
all the trial that these creatures had, |
the case was conveniently disposed of
1t is utter laxity In the punishment of
the Voudoo offenders which has SO en-.
couraged the growth and permanenee of |
the sect. The authorities, from the |
President down to the lowest subordi-
nate, live in abject terror of its agents.
They are known to be perfectly ac.
quainted with the properties of every /
poisonous herb in tie island, and in.
stances are numerous where they have
extended their fatal vengeance upon the |
objects of their deadly hatred by means
which il was impossible to discover.
There are cases also where supplying |
drugs bave been used to produce the ap
parent death of children, and even
adults, the still living bodies being ex-
humed after burial and offered sacri-
fee to the Unsuitable "cerpent God. y
". Y. World.