The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-27
.CANNTBALS OF HAYTI.
Fragment Of Darkest Africa On the western Hemisphere

government very naturally regards
that island republic as a mere nest of
black barbarians Indeed, notwith-
standing it's pretense of civilization, it
is undeniable that Hayti is pretty near
to absolute savagery in many respects.
1t is little more than fragment of
darkest Africa close by the shores of
the United States, it's inhabitants being
largely given up to the practice of the
infamous rites of voOdOo, while the
cannibalism incidental to that primi-
tive form of superstitious worship pre-
walls to an astonishing extent in every
province.
So slight are the relations, CONNER
cial or otherwise, which connect Hayti
with the United. States that such mat
tiers have obtained little publicity in
this country The worship of the great
yellow serpent, with it's incidental an
thropophagy, as practiced on the IS
land has attracted only occasional
press notices." as it were. Yet there
is evidence to prove that scores, if not
hundreds of human victims, nearly all
of them children, perish annually The
whole republic is actually rotten with
this strange moral disease, and the best
authorities who have written about it
assert that the government itself sup
ports the abominable cult, using its
secretaries as a secret police. Indeed,
there is no doubt whatever that per
sons high in office in every administra-
ton are at the same time eminent in
the councils of voodoo.
The people of Hayti-the mass of
them, that is to say-have advanced
very slightly beyond the absolute saw
agery of their African ancestors. The
latter, when imported in the eighteenth
oo1ot11rv G cloupc To work in the great
sugar estates, brought with them their
religion, which-variously known as
ism," "Ju-Ju' and "Mumbo-Jumbo''-
is one of the most ancient faiths in the
world Practically all of the natives
of the Dark Continent, barring the Mo-
hammedans, believe in it. The worship
of the serpent is it's most conspicuous
feature, and the great yellow snake-a
harmless specie of ophidian indigenous
to Hayti-was promptly adopted as a
god by the imported negroes. 1t is
supposed to be an incarnation of the
arch fierd.
Devil worship, of course, is the most
primitive form of religion. Man Wor-
ships what he is afraid of long before
he learns to revere a deity of good. The
religious idea of the savage is the
Precipitation of the powers of evil, lest
they ifljure him. This requires sacri-
fees, and the most acceptable sacri-
fees, from the viewpoint of the fiend
is a living human being. In Hayti the
great yellow snake is never thoroughly
satisfied unless gorged with human
flesh, and infants are particularly &C
ceptable. Hence the frequent slaugh-
tering of children in various provinces
of the black republic, particularly at
certain seasons. One of the most re-
markable features of the business is
that mothers often connive at the MUIR
der of their own offspring.
Only within the last few years
through Stanley and other explorers
has it become known how common ano
even general the practice of cannibal-
ism is among the native tribes OF AT
RIGA. The taste for human flesh was
brought over by the blacks originally
imported into Hayti, apparently, ano
their descendants have not lost the
craving. At all events, canibal1sm is
most important feature of the religion
of Voodoo on the island. After the
victim-technically designated as the
kid without horns" -has been slam
the soup pot and the saucepan hnlsf
the business. For obvious reasons Il
| is undesirable to go into details respect
| ing such horrors, but it may be sale
that the human sacrifice at VoodoC
orgie in Hayti is invariably eaten oN
those who take part. Furthermore, the
capture and killing of victims is con
| tinually going on, without much inter
! ference from the authorities.
| The population of Hayti is about l.,
] 600. 600, and consist almost excluslVel!
of blacks with hardly trace OF Whlt'
| blood Having been segregated origin
! ally on large. plantations, remote iron
/
! dav almost all of their aboriginal traits
and customs They have not degene
! rated. as has sometimes been alleged
but have simply maintained their prlm
! tive condition, with slight improve
| ments. Hayti today is almost as Al
rican as the most remote interior o
| the dark continent. The country i
| largely mountainous, and Singular.
! we'll adapted, as to climate and other
wise, for easy savage existence. Her
! is the true western home of Obeah-;
religion which exercises most pow
erful influence all over the West In
| dies. even the best educated white PEG
pie being infected with a dread OF 1t
mysterious and truly diabolical powers
A brotherhood of sorcererS AM
poisoners extends all over Africa
Their fraternity is of most ancient orr
Gin. and concerning many things the.
| possess unusual knowledge. In par
ticular, they are acquainted with veg
etabIe and mineral poisons, includln!
some drugs unknown as yet to science
/ BY means of certain mysterious decoc
tons they are said to be able to pro
luce insanity paralysis, idiocy, or SLOW
decay of body and mind in a victim
In Africa these priests OF Fetish com
monty act as secret police for the ma
tive chiefs, smelling out as witches an
persons whose destruction may be de
sired. The same brotherhood runs tn
machinery of the Voodoo faith all owe
the West Indies, and it is represente
in many cities Of the United States b
doctors who enjoy a large practice
among the colored people, their pre-
scriptions consisting mainly OF lov
! potions,,,' spells to destroy enemies
shoodoo'' charms, and other material
of witchcraft.
In Hayti this system of superstitio
| is known as Naudoux, the word signi
flying an all-powerful and supernature
being, namely, the Great Yellow Ser
! pent. All knowledge, past and presen
/ dwells in the reptile. but its will ca
/ only be communicated through il
priests and priestesses. The person
ages are generally distinguished by
peculiar knotting Of their curly WOO
which must be a work of considerabl
labor. Commonly they lead most de
PRAYED lives. Such is the terror ir
4 spired by the priests that few wome
of the lower order dare resist their ad
& vances. Next to unrestricted licer
/ tiousness, the highest happiness fro1
the viewpoint of 4 bad negro is III
limited, rum and in this luxury tn
offerings of his followers enable tn