Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1889-09-08
ELKo, NEVADA, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER s, 1889
HAYTlAN VouDOO ORGIES.
Horrible Rites nni Sncr.ncos prLc:lcp,
Ia I'm AE..t..a l....aLl.LiI.-


In t.is nccro i:crUDIic.
AT dusk OF Christmas Evo many al
tho lowest OF tho blacks left Port an
Prince on foot for tho valley nj tho
foot oi tho Lascello mountains, some
twc.vo mllcs south Of tho town. where
scvcra! thousand of the believers in
voudoo.sm were found assembled. the
greater portion being from the
vicinity OF Jacmcl, the most barbarOus
portion OF tho island. The corrcspund-
ent. disguised and blackcncd. under
the protection OF libcrally paid
guide, arrived on tho spot just before
midnight There each of tho per-
former put on q pair OF sandals anl
fastened around his otherwise nakcl
body number Of red handScrchicfs,
The King of the Voudoos having an I'm
usually largo number, with blue
glrd:c, and rcd haudkcrchic!s bound
around his head and worn rs a dia-
dem. Tho Queen. clothed in tho
charming simplicity OF u single broad
rcd sash, was seated with til, Kin. on
= large box. whore tho falg:css SER
pcmt representing the Deity was kept.
OF tho serpent, lasting about thirty
minutes, and ending in wild salur-
MALTA o! dcliium. The scene. amid the
Glaring OF burning torches ana bon.
fires. can hardly be described. AL
present took part in dancing around Il
large altar. erected in ;hc center Of IN
open space. between the dances
abundant rotationS OF the vilcst native
rum aud gin, Favored with herbs and
roots tending 20 increase tic dclirium,
were indmlgcd in by all. After the
dancing the crowd separated and. ac-
cording 10 seniority, approached tho
serpent in tho cage. Dropping on
their stomachs they c"nwlcd forward
implorin9 tho aid Of the voudoO for
blessings on themselves and friends
and malcdictionS on enemies, known
and unknown. Tho answer TO these
appeals was interpreted TO the i'm
Dec.lc crowd by tho queen. they never
doubling the most monstrouj absurd
iiy. nhl only knowing how TO obey
what Is dcspoticaly dictated 10 them.
They then bound themselves by tho most
cNcc"aDlo oaths to obey tho dictates OF
the Queen and minor pricstcsscs until
the next annual nsscmb.agc. On
this occasion white goat WAS sac
riliccd. bnt my guide informed inc that
last year no WAS present at tho samc
asscmblHge, four miles north Of JAG
mel, where female child was stuDc-
lied by drugs. its veins opened. and
tho blood sucked thcrcI..um BIZ the
King. Qlccn and minor seniors. while
tho r:tbblc toro tho corpse limb from
limb ana dsrourcd the Il ,sh, still
warm, the bonc' ana a1h2rinI slip, Of
flesh. with the head. being thrown
into II kettle OF boiling water with the
bodies of small snakes. The broth.
scasoncl with herbs md rum, wal
eagerly partakcn OF by all present.
Thi, snn'n' incro 'ihln but wc:i M
tncnticutCd cases where recently burice
bodies havo bccn oXhumcd. cooked
and dcvou"cd by tho almost complcto-
ly barbarous inhabitants OF tho south
crn dcpartmcnt--tho brutalizcd de-
sccndants OF tho lowest tribes OF
Africans boon hcurl OF.
In February, 1881. NJ ST. Marc
cask OF so-callel pork was sold 10 u
foreign ship. Fingers and lingcrmails
being discovered, further invcstisu-
ton proved all THO ncsh. therein.
TO b. human. An English colorcd
clergyman near Capo llaytian re-
comfy found TINT his wifo Ind pur.
chased humah flesh instead OF pork Ia
public market Four people wcro
fined in tho cape for eating corpses.-
Cor n. Y! World. ........ -.