The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-14

manner and along the lines suggested,
! could easily grow into the undiscriminat-
! ing homicidal fury. At any rate, to such
/ extremes the society went. In the middle
/ of the present century it first began 10 De
/ formidable and 70 be recognized by clt-
| zens and government alike as power to
/ be reconed with. At first all the members
( Of the socierv we're negroes, and ;he backs
| greatly preponderats even to the present
day. From time 70 time. however, the
ranks of the Nanigos were swelled by the
! accession of white men, who had become
| d 5sDeradOes and outcaSts from the society
| OF their kind. Thus the society became the
! refuge of all the worst criminals in the
| in the West Indies, and many murderers'
! escaping from the scene Of their crime
in the United States and Europe, sought
shelter under its sable wing. As crime
drew these desperate outcasts closer TO-
gether the ties of organiZat ton were drawn
/ severe Secret incantations and ceremon-
les somehow sprang into existence, and IN
Havana homes many weird stories are
told about these mysterious rites. Moth
ing definite, however, is known, although
a good sized volume might easily be filed
with Cuban folk tales about them.
Not until about thirty years ago did
the members of the society come to be
be known as Nanigos This name was
first applied by the common people, and
soon was accepted by the society as a
mark of distinction. II in the secret coun-
ellis another designation was used, it has
never leaked out The members proudly
coll ,borocaI,,as fsNarioos Tins acca1+iDp-
a term designed to express the horror and
boasts openly boasts of his membership,
and actually, in the palmy days Of the
society, Haunted his badge in the face Of
outraged public and cowed officials.
In the early sos the Nanigos reached the
summit of their power. At that time there
were over 5000 members in Havana, with
powerful branches in all the principal cit
les of the island, as well as the larger
towns, The membership was not limited.
Anyone who had courage 10 do 50 was
permitted to join the society. Admission.
however, was attended by such tests OF
courage that they prevented the society
from becoming Overcrowded. The process
of initiatian was grewsome in the extreme.
and well calculated, as it was designed
element. The aspirant having told some
Mango of his desire to join the brother
hood, was notified to be at certain place
at a certain hour, and bring with him
game cock, which he must steal or pro-
cure by other illegitimate means. He must
also make his determination public. At
the appointed time he would be conducted
to the Campo Marti. There. in public,
he must kill the cock and drink lis blood
before the body grew cold. After this
appetizing prelude he would then be hur-
ried away to be fully Initiated. A skull
and cross bones were branded, with red
hot irons and in the crudest manner. upon
his chest and arms, and his right nostril
was pierced.
But the candidate was not admitted to be
a full fledged member until he had COM
mitted his first murder This he must do
at once. It sometimes happened that a
victim was designated by the society, gen.
orally some official or a policeman. On
other occasions the new brother was per
mitted TO select his own victim, and fif-
teen days was allowed in which to do the
deed. This the laws of the Nanigos forced
him 10 do openly in the street during broad
daylight. If he escaped after committing
his desperate act-and as a rule, he man
aged to do so-he was proclaimed a full
fedEed Mango, A small black shield with
a skull and bones embroidered in white
silk was given him. a stitch made with
red thread near the edge of the skull
marked the first victim. From that the
chief object in life of the new Mango
was to cover the skull with red stitches.
As a rule, his victims were to be chosen
by himself, unless he was selected by one
or the chiefs TO execute a sentenceof the
society. These commissions were invari-
ably performed ruthlessly and in the face
OF any danger. Sometimes it happened
that man lacked the courage to commit
his first murder or TO carry out the order
Of his chief. When this happened the de-
lnquents death was sure to follow.
Once month regular meetings Of the
Mango society were held, and these occa-
sions were made opportunities 10 further
impress the public There was, so far as
the police or public knew, no set dav for
these meetings, but some night during the
period Of the dark moon was generally
selected. \ parade always followed the
secret meeting, and this is how the periods
became known. When, some time be-
tween midnight and dawn, strange and
baroaric music was heard in the streets
Of Havana. respectable people feed to their
homes and barred the doors and windows.
for they knew the Nanigos were abroad.
Through thu deserted and otherwise S.
lent streets this strange and terrible pro
cession would rapidly move, many of the
h-deoUs blacks entirely naked, their shin
lnE bodies painted with dread emblsms
Of their brotherhood of death. their faces
smeared a CHASTITY white; laughing wildly,
shouting hoarsely, screeching, screaming.
making the echos OF the night resound
with all manner OF nerve-racking. sounds;
e3pins. running. dancing madly in time
t. the harsh crash of cymbals and dull
beating or com,oms; Garting here and
there 10 le5r -uJ0 some half-opencd shut
-5r Or scurrying up an alley in pursuit of
some helated wayfarer who had failed to
heed timely warning; Haunting symbolic
-aEs, brand shing knives and macnetes.
twisting limbs and bodies into groteSque
Gestures. d.st1r-ing features. firing riflss
and small arms-so the Nanigos swept
40 VII through the heart Of terror str.cS-
IN city Often murders were committed
during their professions
II seems almost inconceivable that il the
latter end Of the nineteenth century q
band OF mur5crcrs-fcr the Nan.g0s bv
their own claim wsre nothing else. could
30 brazenly daun- It's crimes in the face