Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-14

" AITTS special Mardi Gras fea-
RI ture a few weeks ago, the exc.
cution of two voodoo cannibalS
"a man and a woman-again brings
TO attention the practices of that hor-
rible sect 1t was hoped that the exc
cution would once more strike terror
TO the voodoo fanatics of the West
Indies. The culprits were marched
through the town to the cemetery and
there beside the grave of the murdered
child shot to death by squad of
soldiers. 1t is a singular fact that
while voodooism flourishes among the
blacks and half breeds of tropical
countries, yet the superstitious rites
horrible and otherwise, of other tana-
tics are of the same class of insane
phenomena observed since the begin
ming of time in different parts of the
world.
When a mans mind becomes tainted
with this belief he often runs to some
professional voodoo for advice ana
help. 1t may be a fortune teller,
Clairvoyant, a bogus priest of some
tcutlandish cult, a medicine man among
the Indians, snake charmer in India,
a native doctor in China or an un-
scrupulous fortune teller of the Bow
cry in New York
In Louisiana in slave days the man
who took dislike to an overseer sent
for a. conjuror to come and voodoo the
overseer. The voodooist would ask
$50 but finally reduce the price to a
pittance. Such practices are the be-
ginning of criminal vOodooism, which,
carried to the limit in tropical coun-
tries, ends in mutilation and all sorts
Of criminal practices as ordered by the
voodoo priest of the neighborhood
Crime, murder and the sacrifice of
human life are the climaXes.
Devout voodooists will actually eat
human flesh. According to many ac-
counts they have hideous rituals of
worship. including dances in caves and
darkened temples and often ending
with the widest forms of excitement
and debauchery.
Down in New Mexico the Devil
dancers dance on beds of live Goals
and cactus thorns, winding up by
mutilation-the eating of tarantulas
scorpions and rattlesnake heads. They
do not seem to mind the torture, with
all it's hideous suffering.
The Sioux Indian buck wins the ad-
niration of braves and maidens by
riding up and down on a tight rope or
1ariat, running through his flesh and
proving his prowess by enduring the
agony longer than other contestants,
In this state of frenzy almost any
kind of crime, bloodshed or butchery
may be committed. Even on our Jer-
sey coast there was voodoo queen,
who died in 1893, greatly beloved and
widely lamented.
Marie Levean, who died some five
years ago in New Orleans, was also
If this cult. Her fame as voodoo
priestess was so great that half the
Colored population of the city went in
to mourning. She was an expert hair
dresser and had the entree of many
families. Thus she learned much of
their personalities and home life and
it is said was enabled to work her
voodoo charms with great financial
success.
Winked at l.
In Haiti o.ay half naked ne
crosses cook their bananas in drawing
rooms once resplendent with the social
90 .iest1 nF
years ago. Ruined temples and
churches built by the French are
nightly profaned by the hideous rites
of the voodoo. 1t is said that many Of
the native negroes there are growing
more African than were their Da-
homeyan forefathers when brought
over in slave ships two centuries ago
1t is not long since it was declared
that the rulers of Haiti not only
winked at voodooism, but it was saiC
that high officials, even President Hip
polyte himself attended the annual
Voodoo festivals when the islanC
was ransacked to make it the one
grand event of the year. Government
money was scattered among the fana-
tics and their favor sought as if they
were the power of the land. Once the
priest gets his clutch on a man he
loses strength Of mind and character
once a member he attends all the fes-
t:vals and joins in every orgy.
The ceremonies begin with a bath
of goats blood. Then the sacred SER
pent is brought out i'm a cage and the
candidate for high office mounts the
box for inspiration holy recognition
and acceptance. The virtue of the
serpent is supposed to ascend through
the bare feet into the body of the can
ddate. While priest or queen is getting
wisdom the serpent I'm the cage Il
poked with stick from behind, ant
made TO go through unusual eontor