Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-05
CIRCLE OF THE SKULLS
A GHOST-HAUNTED VILLAGE IN
MEXICO.
Sensation at the Pueblo of Coatepec de
Morelos-An Ancient
Grave
From Modern Mexico.

r rom houeTu heAico
Coatepec de Morelos. near zitacuaro. in
the state of Michoacan, Mexico, has al
ways had a reputation for ghosts and
spirits There is not an inhabitant, man,
woman or child, who will not tell you con-
fdentiaIly that he has seen one or more
Of the inhabitants of the air, or the
streams, or the graves of the many dead
that lie buried all about the village, for
the place is a very old one.
short time ago Coatepec had a real,
live ghost sensation, and there are dozens
in the village who would swear upon the
hottest altar In the parish church that they
had seen his ghostship himself. One could
gather evidence enough in Coatepec, In ten
minutes, to satisfy the most skeptical OF
juries that ghosts actually do exist, and
that moreover, they take an interest in
the affairs of humanity.
If YOU go to Coatepec, and are fortunate
enough to have a letter of Introduction TO
some one high enough in the social scale 10
insure you an entree into the right society,
you will probably meet Jose Miranda, and
will be assured by dozen persons, before
the day has passed, that he is "a very IN
telligent person. very intelligent with a
decided accent upon the word very. Yet
Jose Miranda was the man who not only
saw the ghost. but secured proofs of its
material existence, If a ghost can be SAID
to have any material existence.
Ghosts of Coatepec.
Ghosts have always been more or less
fond of Coatepec. In early Aztec times 1t
was a place of great renown, being one of
the several holy cities of Mexico. And the
titular god of the place was Quetzalcoatl,
the winged-serpent god. And the city still
bears his name; for Coatepec means the
hill of the serpent, referring not to the
| animal but the god. Thus the people of
Coatepec will gravely tell you that they
and their ancestors, away back beyond the
memory of history, have been favored with
sights of ghosts and spirits and gods.
The people of Coatepec claim to be
Christians. But there are those who are
uncharitable enough to say that the lower
class people have their old Aztec gods hid
den away in the caves of the mountains
nearby and that they observe the Aztec
religious ceremonies.
For more than year ghosts and spirits
| have been wandering about the streets of
Coatepec, and over the neighboring noun
| tains like colony of restless night owls.
And they have never been the least bit shy,
| like ordinary ghosts, for they have been
seen by hundreds.
Jose Miranda himself is one of the most
intelligent men in the village, landowner
and a councilman. One night, some weeks
ago he was coming home from a neigh
boring village, when ghost, all in white,
it's grave-cowl fallen back upon its shout
ders. leaving its head exposed to view met
moon which was shining brightly through
the hollow sockets of the eyes, and bullet
hole in the skull. 1t stood still and pointed
with one bony hand toward the mountains.
Miranda was unable to move. But as soon
as the horse caught sight of the ghost 1t
took to its heels and made for the village
as fast as it could. and it never slackened
pace until 1t reached home.
Caught by Phantom.
A week later Jose was riding along the
same road when the ghost met him in the
same place. But this time 1t anticipated
any shy on the part of the horse. for 1t
seized the animal by the bride with one
hand and pointed with the other in the.
direction of the hills. Jose saw at once
that he was In for 1t. so he decided that
he had better hun,or the ghost He, there
, fore, turned he horses head in the direc-
ton indicated and started off rapidly. In
about a quarter of an hour they arrived at
the foothills, where the ghost stopped and
pointed to a huge stone at the foot of
| tall tree, after which he Immediately dis
! appeared into the earth. Jose spranS from
his horse and marked the place with
couple of sticks in the form of cross, as
! indicative of his willingness to do the VIII
of the ghost Then he rode slowly home
ward.
| 20 go with him and help him dig up the
big stone 10 see what was beneath it But
| the story was enough for the villagers
Every one decided he was ghost-haunted,
and that II was unwise to have anything
| to do with such a man. At the end of two
weeks however. he succeeded in persuad-
ing an Indian from a neighboring town and
! a Protestant missionary from Mexico City.
| who happened to be in Coatepec at the
| time, to accompany him.
The three ghost hunters set out one night
! at midnight, armed with picks, spades and
crowbars When they got to the place
| they tried to remove the big stones but
they could not even move it. At last they
dug under one side of 1t and let it roll down
| the hill. Then they began to dig into the
place where. the stone had been. After about