The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-11-22
HAYTIAN VOUDOO ORGIES.

Horrible Rites and Sacrifices Fracticed
I'm the Negro Republic.
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
voudooism were found assembled, the
greater portion being from the
vicinity of Jacmel, the most barbarous
portion of the island. The correspond
ent, disguised and blackened. under
the protection of a 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 handkerchiefs,
the King of the Voudoos having an un-
usually large number, with a blue
girdle, and red handkerchiefs bound
around his head and worn as a dia-
dem. The Queen, clothed in the
charming simplicity of a single broad
red sash, was seated with the King on
a large box. where the fangless SER
pent representing the Deity was kept.
men DCEStl LIlC uDII4DlC d1OIdIiOL
of the serpent, lasting about thirty
minutes, and ending in wild satur-
MALTA of delirium. The scene, amid the
glaring 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
abundant potations of the vilest native
rum and gin, favored with herbs and
roots tending to increase the delirium,
were 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 i'm
beciIe crowd by the Queen, they never
doubling the most monstrous absurd
ity, and only knowing how to obey
what is despotically dictated to them.
They then bound themselves by the most
execrable oaths to obey the dictates OF
the Queen and minor priestesses until
the next annual assemblage. On
this occasion q white goat was sac
rificed, but my guide informed me that
last year he was present at the same
assemblage, four miles north of JAG
mel, where a female child was stupe-
fed by drugs, its veins opened, and
the blood sucked therefrom by the
King, Queen and minor seniors, while
! the rabble tore the corpse limb from
| limb and devoured the flesh, still
warm, the bones and adhering slips OF
| flesh. with the head, being thrown
into kettle of 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, but well au'
thenticated cases whore recently buried
bodies have been exhumed, cooked
and devoured by the almost complete
| ly barbarous inhabitants of the south
| ern department-the brutaiized de
scendants of the lowest tribes o
Africans-have been heard of.
| In February, 1881, at St. Marc I
cask OF so-called pork was sold to {
foreign ship. Fingers and fingernail
being discovered, further investiga
ton proved all the flesh therein
to be human. An English coloret
clergyman near Cape Haytian re
Gently found that his wife had pur
chased human flesh instead of pork il
public market. Four people wer
fined in the cape for eating corpses.-
Cor. n. Y. World.