Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-30
Revolving Story of Human Sacrifices
Offered in the Foodoo Orgies in
Hayti.
Children are Devoured by Negroes
Amid Barbaric Rites of a Re-
pulSive Nature.
A Traveller Calling for Soup Finds
i'll His Dish the hand of
Child.

A recent dispatch from Hayti has the
following description of the practices of
canni5alism as practiced in that country.
In "a recent telegram mention was made
Of voodoo alteration and of human sacri-
fees in Hayti, not tar from Port au
Prince. The fact has since been verified.
Maurice Feldmann, Hungarian mechanic,
employed in the machine shop at German,
eight miles from Port au Prince, learned
some time ago that there was to be hui
man sacrifice not far from where he lived
at $50 o clock in the afternoon. 1t was
to be conducted by the Papaloi or voodoo
priest of German.
Accompanied by his assistant, named
Schmidt. FeIdmann made off in the direc-
ton in which he had heard that the
sacrifice was to be performed. The expedi-
ton was not devoid of danger, for the
negroes, feeling undoubtedly that their
butchery of children would arouse the
wrath and opposition of the white in
habitants of the island, were exceedingly
careful to carry out the atrocities in the
seclusion of unfrequented graves The
two men were armed with heavy regolvers.
and were careful In the selection of their
route. When they reached their destina-
ton they climed into the branches of a
small tree from which they could plainly
see what was going on below without be-
ing seen From their position they wit
messed the voodoo sacrifice.
The ceremony was begun by the burning
of aromatic plants around the sleeping
child, or three years old, which had been
put to sleep by herbs. The papaloi step.
ped up to the infant and severed the head
from the body with one stroke of SHARP
knife, and passed it to all present. While
the head was being passed around, the pa.
paloi cut up the body, which was thrown
into q large iron pot with some red peas
rice and other native vegetable. During
the cooking the negroes danced around
the fire.
The bamboula dance is native negro
dance of the most revolving sort, consisting
mostly of contortions of toe hips and the
abdomen. The end is reached when the
participants become so excited and exhaust
ed that they throw themselves upon the
ground. where they walIow over each other
and howl. When the dancers had re-
covered for the feast and devoured every
particle of the child. Having finished,
they gathered the bones in a hole N the
ground, buried them. and erected a wood.
cross over the grave. After the two OBJ
servers had given the caEni 2als time
enough to reach their homes, they climb
ed down and went back to German.
The Haitian negros do not always seel
secusions for their cannibalism, as they
did on this occasion. On March Is, 1890
Mr.. Emile Huttinat, acting consul Of
France at San Domingo, stopped in 6
small restaurant on the north road. only q
mile from Port au Prince. At this resort
every Sunday the negroes hold vood0od
day. Mr.. Buttinot called for soup, but
when it was served he found in the bottom
of his plate the hand of child. He i'm
mediately rode into town and notified the
police, who searched the restaurant anC
found a child's entire body in the cooking
pot. The woman who kept the place wa,
arrested, but suffered only three days i'm
prisonment for her ofense.
The gentleman who gave information IL
an interview of Jul 7, said that he knew
personally woman named Ulysse, living
at LaCrois des Bouquet, ten miles from
Port au Prince, whose seven children were
eat IN at voOdoo dances during her absence
by their own grand mother and the neigh
bors That such cannabalism is well
known to the authorities is shown by this
quotation from the official organ of the
Hay tan Republic
official Notice No. 2,201-Flom the
commissary of the government at the civil
courts to the judges of the peace of the pre-
cinct: In my official notice Of November
26, No. $40, asked you to order the ces
sation of all voodoo dances and supersti
tious practices which attest belief in g
gross and absurd religion. | also added
that counted on you to suppress these
things, which you know are condemne1 by
moral sense and punishable by law. Hav
ing learned to-day that the voodoo dances
which had for time been stopped, have
recommenced | order you to strictly en-
force the law against all who abandon
themselves to these prac ices. In this way
you will aid in the establishing the true
principles of civilization on this island
Among other reports which have reach
ed here concerning voodooisnl, human
sacrifice and cAnnlbaiism, is one which
says that it is a we'll known fact in Port au
Prince that it is unsafe for person not
DESTROYS of becoming anthrophegous to
buy ''lamb chops in the public market.