Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-19
HAYTIAN CANNIBALS.
VOudoo WOrshipers and
Their CHASTITY Rites.
lUMAN SACRIFICES AND ORGIES
Inrrowing Tales of Incredible De-
pravity and Barbarism-What
Eminent Authorities Say.

IL seems difhcult co believe tnat IN tnls
1ay of civilization and enlightenment
1here should exist within two days sail
rf the coast Of the United States, a
tpantry nominally civilized in theory,
nf least, free republic, governed by
President and representative body OF
1oeislators, where, nevertheless, prac-
Noes are pursued and horrors committed,
which are commonly supposed to belong
6uly to the most irredeemably savage
ontives of Central Africa. Yet such is
Ms fact, but often as mention has been
made through the press and otherwise OF
Hay tian Voudoo worship, human sacri.
1ces and canabalism, with vast pro-
portion of this and other civilized coun.
tries the tales told have been received
IS the horrible imagination of profession
~ romancists or sensational newspaper
writer's.
Vcudop worship, which no one de.
nies, permeates the whole social and re-
Iieious fabric of Hayti, does not neces-
narily imply cannibalism, the latter hor-
rible practice being confined to the more
rigid devotees of the sect, who, as
rule, are TO be found among the debased
and ignorant. In itself, the worship of
Voudoo implies a belief, in and adora-
1 tion of the ''Great Supreme God,
which is believed to exist in the form of
the non-venomous snake so common in
Hayti.
THE HIGH PRIEST AND PRIESTESS.
This god is supposed to know all
things, but as it does not condescend to
: eommunicate directly with mortals but |
. nnly through the great High Priest and |
i Rriestess-more especially tho latter
tho election of these officials, who are
chosen for life by the faithful, becomes
: necessity. To be more precisely cor
rect, it should be stated that only the
Priest is usually elected, his wife or
mistress beng then considered as ele-
waited TO the corresponding rank. 1t
does not appear that there is but ona Of
the elevated couples at the head Of You
& doOism in Hayti, but, on the contrary,
there are various local branches of the
order, each with its own priest and
priestess. These are known by the
names of skiing" and ''queen, master"
+ nnd ssmistress. The latter names in
the native patois are papaloi and mama
Moi.
Upon all followers of Voudooism a
blind and unquestioning obedience to
Z ofIicials is enjoined under the direst pen
A1ties.
Among these who have interested
themselves in obtaining information
ppon this horrible and at the same time
fascinating subject is the present Brit.
fGh Minister to Mexico. Sir Spenser St.
John, who formerly held like position
1t the capitol of Hayti. In his book
upon ''Hsyti; or the Black Republic"
he furnishes much interesting informa.
1son upon the subject, and makes the
assertion that up 10 1879, the date of
his departure from the island, both can
nibalism and the offering of human sac.
rilices prevailed there. and, as be firmly
believes, do SO still.
WHAT THE BRITISH MINISTER TELLS.
In Sir Sponsors book is given the fol.
lowing account of the scenes witnessed
By Catholic priest in the district of
Arcahaie, who, disguised as a negro la.
borer, with the aid of some of his colored
parishoners, was enabled to gain admit.
lance toa Voudoo festival in the year
1869.
"a white cock and a spotless goat |
were killed, the blood being used to
,&noint the faithful After these sacri. !.
ices had been male the meeting seemed
~t 70 wi I
brawny negro, stripped to the waist,
approached the Queen, who presided, =,
and asked that, as the last offering, the
goat without horns should be sacri-
6ced. Assent was immediate A
crowd of demons who had surrounded a
temporary shed suddenly separated, and
= little, big-eyed sacred child was re.
vealed. The innocent little thing sat
on a stone. It's hands and legs were
tightly bound to its body, and to the rope |,
which secured the ankles an ordinary
pully was attached. Through this ran
rope, one end of which was attached
to the ceiling, the other in the hand of
= second brawny brute.
AN AWFUL CRIME.
At signal from the Queen this man
pulled the rope, and the helpless little
child, its screams partially siifed by a
dirty handkerchief tied across its mouth
swung feet foremost, head down, into !
the air. The rope was fastened, the
body hung in mid-air, and before the
borrifed priest could make an outcry
the cruel knife of the barborous exeeu.
tioner had pierced its tiny throat Then
the priest gave vent to an agonized
scream and tried to save the victim, but
his parishioners seized him .and carried
him bodily away. He tried 10 get the
police to 60 back with him, but they alb.
solutely refused to have anything TO do
with the case until the following day,
and the next morning was found the
boiled skull of the child, in the shed,
and little way off lis bones were lying,
and they showed every evidence of hav.
ing been cooked. Scratches in the
larger bones indicated that the cannibals
had knawed them as beasts would have
done.
Another incident equally as horrible,
which is related, refers TO the dreadful
experience OF a prominent native gentle.
man, an intimate friend of the Secretary
of State, whose " lie was taken suddenly
i'll while they were riding out one day
through the thinly settled district back
Of Port au.Prinee.
TREAcHERoUs ENTERTAINERS |,
Shelter was sought in lonely cabin, ,
which they were delighted to find siuat-
ed near their road. Two men aud
woman--all negro9s-were the sole oc-
cupants of the dwelling, and they re. ,
ceived the travellers with every bolster.
GUS manifestations of hospitality. They
were particularly affectionate in their
conduct toward the lady. and when she
became worse suggested that her hus-
band should ride over to the house of a
doctor. which they said was near, and
secure his assistance. The gentleman
acted upon their advice, and received
kI,o f,,fl<,ot diraotions no ~, The ro,,to h. ,