News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-07-25
HORRORS OF HAYTI.
AN ALMOST INCREDIBLE STORY
OF CANNIBALISM.
Sickening Ceremonies introduced In
the Practices of Voudooism-Hu
man Flesh Sold In the Market
Places.

| Slckenlng Ceremonies introduced 1r
the Practices of Voudooism-Hu-
man Flesh Sold In the Market
Places.
! When it is Remembered that Hayt
was once a French colony, and that, al
the outset, large contingent of French
citizens We're engaged in the work Of
civilization, it seems strange that sc
little that is valuable and beneficial
should have resulted from their labors.
| This may be partly due to certain in
herent defects in the native character,
| but there are other reasons, and foremost
among them must be ranked the terrible
! superstition that rests on the country
like a mufky cloud, sitting all noble as
| pirations and honest ehdeavor.
When, several years ago, an English
man, Sir Spencer st. John, took upon
himself to print in book form the result
of his Investigations regarding VoudOo-
ism in Hayti, there was deafening
clamor raised by the residents of the
island against what they were pleased
to term IAN indictment of whole ma
tion;" but Sir John stood valiantly by
his guns and would by no means retract
a single one of his many damaging
statements. Instead of this he made
fresh researches, and has just published
the result in a second edition of the
original work. A glance at this latest
issue will show that the author, instead
of retracting anything, has now fortified
his former assertions by fresh evidence
brought down to date.
As result of his inquiries, Sir Spen-
Ger finds that the degraded African
religion not only retains its hold upon
Hayh, but is actually being extended.
The Emperor Sou1ougue was firm
adherent, and General Therlonge was a
high priest, as was also n recent prime
minister, "whose bloody deeds will be
an everlasting reproach to his memory.
President Salnave at first seemed dis
posed to court the educated classes, and
for a time kept clear of the practitioners
of the voudoo rites, but he finally gave
way and consulted a well-knOwn
''papolai, or priest, near Port al Prince.
BY the latter's orders he bathed in the
blood of goats, made considerable pres
ents to the priests and priestesses, and
then feasted with the wOrshippers, who
gave themselves up to all manner OF
debauchery, and kept up these testify
tiles so long that even the iron const1tu-
ton of the President gave way, and he
was confined to his bed for many days
thereafter. 1t is also added that in
order to secure from the priest a full
assurance of victory over his enemies,
he actually consented to take part in
the highest ceremony of all-the being
Amounted with the blood of a "goat
without horns" or child, but regarding
this Sir Spencer was not able to secure
entirely trustworthy information.
That cannibalism is n common prac-
tice in the island, and that it is ignored |.
and winked at by the authorities, is also
asserted by Sir Spencer st. John. In a
local paper, LePeuple, the following |
paragraph appeared on January %, 1886:
Last week Gen. Alfred Milford, com
the town and commune of
Grand Goave, accompanied by the Chief
of Sections, proceeded to the arrest of
ten or twelve men and women, who
carried ON the business of killing people
and selling their meat in the market
at Grand Goave"
This statement raised a storm in
official circles, and the editor was
ordered to publish an official contradic-
blOuy Iil6 luCGS were us SUdU6u, anu
the prisoners were tried the following
year. In 1873, two women were arrested
IN hut near Port au Prince in the act
If eating child's flesh raw. On further
it was found that they had
irst sucked all the blood from its body.
md that part of the flesh had been
alted for future use. in 1869, g still
more horrible case was brought to light.
I =
we're taken to LaCoupe. In prison they
we're beaten numerically, and tortured
by the thumbscrew and by cords tighten
ed around their foreheads. As a result
tlIeY confessed, but not placing much I
confidence in avowals thus extorted, Sir
Spencer induced q friend of his, a priest,
to visit the culprits. On these occasions
they repeated their statements. Mortified
by the details the priest questioned a
mother: GLOW could you eat the flesh
Of your own children % to which she
replied coldly, "And who had a better
right!''
AS to the sacrifice of the "goat with
out horns, it is thus described by a
young Catholic priest who was an eye
witness of the horrible rites:
The mamanloi stood on the box contain
ing the serpent. At first she wentinto q vio-
lent paroXysm, then into sort of half
trance, when she promised all that the people
asked. white cock and then white goat
were killed, and those present were marked
with their blood. Presently an ath-
letic young Negro came forward and knelt
before the pIiestess and said:
"Oh, maman, | have favor to ask"
What is it, my SOM"
Give us, to complete the sacrifice, goat
withoU4 horns"
She gave n sign of assent; the crowd in
the shed separated, and there, on the floor
was child sitting with its feet bound. In IN
instant rope, already passed around the
block, was frightened, the child's feet flew up
towards the roof, and the papolai approach
ed with Il knife.
At this point the victim shrieked, and
the young priest, Mortified at the deed
about to be committed, shouted, "Oh,
spare the child" This drew on him
the anger of the worshippers, and it was
with the greatest difficulty that he
alive. He at once went to the
police, stated the facts, aud endeavored
to induce them to interfere, but in vain.
The next morning, however, he pre-
vailed on the officials to go with him to
the scene of The murder, where they
found the remains of the feast, and,
near the shed, the boiled skull of the
child.
Sir Spencer asserts that such cases
can be multiplied indefinitely by the
careful inquirer, despite the attemp pts in
official quarters to conceal the facts,
from which he draws the conclusion
that there is little reason to hope that
the native population will ever rise to
better things Indeed, it is evident
that until this degrading superstition
IAN be rooted out, and the minds of
.hese poor creatures enlightened by ed
lcation, even free institutions will re-
main poNerless to confer upon them any
asting benefit New York Mail and
Express.
Soldiers Burnt to Death. !