The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-03-07
HAITIAN vouDoo ORGIES.


Horrible Rites and Sacrifices zPrncficed-
In tho Negro Repnbilc.
AT dusk Of Christmas Eve many Of
the lowest Of the blacks left Port au
Prince on foot. for the. valley at the
foot OF the Lascelle mountains, some
twelve miles south OF the town, where
several thousand of the believers in
youdnnism were found assembled, the
greater portion being from the
vicinity CT Jacmel, the most barbarous
portion OF the island. The correspond
ent, disguised and blackened. under
the protection OF literally paid
guide, arrived on the spot just before
midnight. There each OF the per-
formers put on a pair OF sandals and
fastened around his otherwise naked
body a number of red handkerchief,
the King Of the Teaaess yin 6 III
usually large number, with blue
girdfe, and red handkerchfefs bound
around hts, head and worn as dia-
dom. The Queen, clothed In the
charming simplicity OF a single broad
red sash, was seated with the King on
large box. where the fangless SER
pent representing the Deity was kept.
---Then began the horrible alteration
OF the serpent, lasting about thirty
minutes, and ending in wild satur-
MALTA OF delirium. The scene, amid the
glazing Of burning torches and bon
fires, can hardly. be described. All
present took part in dancing around .
large altar, erected in The center Of an
open space. Between the dances
neutrality-suspicious. of the vilest native
rum and gin, favored with herbs and
roots tending to increase the delirium,
we're indulged in by all: After the
dancing the crowd separated and, ac-
cording to seniority, approached the
serpent in the. -cage.- Dropping on
their stomachs they crawled forward
imploring the aid Of the voudoo for
blessings on themselves and friends
and maledictions on enemies, known
and unknown. The answer to these
appeals was interpreted to, the inn
beetle crowd by the Queen, they never
doubling the most monstrous absurd
ity, aud only knowing how to obey
what sadeap tica.lly dietateth-t to thenT.'
they +iaen bound the rnsefves by the most
execrable oaths to obey the dictates OF
the Queen and minor priestesses until
the next annual assemblage.AOn
this occasion white goat was sac
rificed, but my guide informed me that
last year he was present at the same
assent llage, four ltil1ss-nurth of7Jac-
mel, where a female child was stupe-
fed by drugs, its veins opened, and
the blood sucked thereffom by the
King, Queen and minor seniors, while
the rabble tore the corpse limb from
limb and devoured the flesh,2 still
warm, the bones and adhering slips OF
flesh. with the head, being thrown
into a kettltAof boiling water with the
bodies of. small snakes. The broth.
seasoned with herbs and rum, was
eagerly partaken OF by all present.
This seems incredible.4but well att
thenticated cases whore recently buried
bodics,- have been exhumed, cooked
and deyoured by the almost complete
-ty barbarous inhabitants of the south
ern department-the brutalized de-
sceudants. of the lowest tribes OF
Africans have been heard of.
In February. 1881, at st. Marc a
eask of so-callod pork was sold to a
foreign ship. Fingers md 'fingernalls
being discovered. further investiga-
ton proved all the flesh therein
to be human. An English colored
clergyman near Cape Haytiaa re-
Gently found that his wife had pur-
chased human flesh instead Of pork In
public market Four people were
fined in the cape for eating corpses.-
Cor N. Y. World. r.