Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-23
TREE FEARED BY MEXICANS.
Many Fatal Accidents Have Happened
Under It.


Because of the many fatal accidents that
have occurred under huge tree that
grows in the Haciendita ranch. In the
Zamora district Michoacan, peasants of the
regions are growing more and more super
stitious about its supposed fatal omen, and
they begin to call 1t "arbol maldito" (cursed
tree)
The tree IS supposed to be over seventy
five years old, and Is said to have been
planted by man who. because of his nu-
merous crimes and his forgetfulness of the
divine law. was swallowed up by the earth.
That man. according to tradition. was I'm
hombre muy malo. He never went to mass.
never confessed, did not have the image of
a saint in his house, did not carry rosary
around his neck and never made the sign
of the cross There was not beggar In
the town who had ever received 'tlaco
chiquito" Gold coins equivalent to Ia cents)
from him. He never gave anything for the
church and never took off his hat when he
met "padrecito' on the street.
1t was rumored that he was responsible
for many murders and other atrocious
crimes, but he was never In JAIL neither
could he be incarcerated because he mad
a compact with the devil, and whenever ne
invoked his satanic majesty the latter rem
dered him either invisible to human eyes
or smaller than an ant, so that he couid
easily escape danger. He had no friends
nor relatives, because he was shunne9
by oil One thing he loved: birds and
trees. He planted numerous trees and fed
big hocks of birds that knew him and came
to his home every morning TO pick the
crumbs of bread which he threw In the
patio.
Many years ago-and this is well remem-
bered by the peasants; 1t was Good Fri
day-everybody in town had attended the
religious services of the morning and were
going to their homes, when terrific noise
was heard. They rushed to the street
where it came from to find out what II was,
and saw how the earth had opened under
the cursed mans feet He was enveloped
By thiex names and smoke and disappeared
beneath the surface Of the earth. This was
considered most deserved punishment.
While the faithful were In the church the
cursed man was loafing around. and hav-
ing seen big crucifx upon an altar erec.-
ed on the street, as was done in those days,
he placed a burning cigarette in the Hips
of the image. Scarcely had he made eight
or ten steps when he was engulfed by the
inferno.
That very day all the trees that he plant
ed, except the cursed one, dried up. and all
the birds he had fed died. An attempt was
made to cut down the tree that had not
dried up, but the man who made the at
tempt dropped dead upon stepping upon The
shadow of its foliage The mans body had
to be left there to be eaten up by crows.
because nobody had the courage to APP
proach and remove 1t.
Since that day numerous persons have
met tragis death under that tree. A Pc
destrian who went under 1t for shade on
a hot summer day was bitten by snake
and died In two hours. Three men on diff
ferent occasions sought shelter from rain
under its branches and were struck by
lightning. A woman who was hanging
some clothes to dry from the trunk Of the
tree was attacked and killed by a billy goat
that came from nobody knows where. ana
In HNyxyfx a
a little boy who was riding burro inno-
Gently led his animal to the tree. The
burr0 threw him or and kicked him to
death. The last victim Of this fatal tree