Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-24
TREE FEARED BY MEXICANS
Many Fatal Accidents Have Happened
Under it and People shun
the Locality.

Because of the many fatal accidents that
have occurred under huge tree that
grows in the Haciendita ranch in the Ia
mora district, Michoacan, peasants Of the
region are growing more and more super
sttious about it's supposed fatal omen and
they began to call 1t "arbol Maldito" (cursed
tree).
The tree is supposed to be over 70 years
DID, and is said to have been planted by Il
man who, because of his numerous crimes
and his forgetfulness of the Divine law
was swallowed up by the earth. That man.
according to tradition, was un hombre muy
malo. He never went to mass never con-
fessed, did not have the image of a saint
in his house, did not carry a 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"
(old coins equivalent to ~ cents) from him.
He never gave anything for the church and
never took off his hat when he met a pa
drecito" 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 had a
compact with the devil, and whenever he
invoked his satanic majesty the latter rem
dered him either invisible to human eyes or
smaller than an ant, so that he could easily
escape danger. He had no friends nor rela-
tives, because he was Stunned by all
One thing he loved-birds and trees He
planted numerous trees and fed big flocks
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; it was Good Friday
everybody in town had attended the re-
ligious 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 en-
veloped by thick flames and smoke and dis
appeared beneath the surface of the earth.
This was considered a most deserved
punishment. While the faithful were in the
church the cursed man was loafing around
and having seen big crucifx upon an altar
erected on the street. as was done in those
days, he placed burning cigarette in the
lips 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
planted. 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 attempt 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 approach and remove it.
Since that day numerous persons have
met tragic death under that tree. A
pedestrian who went under 1t for shade on a
hot summer day was bitten by a snake and
died in two hours. Three men on different
occasions sought shelter from rain under
its branches, and were struck by lightning.
A woman who was hanging some clothes 10
dry from the trunk of the tree was at
tackled and killed by billy goat that came
from nobody knows where and that was
never seen again. Two years ago a little
boy who was riding a burro innocently led
his animal to the tree. The burro threw
him off and kicked him to death The last
victim OF this fatal tree was a man named
Melquades Arevalo, who, three or four
days ago, during a heavy rainstorm, ran
under the tree for shelter: like his predeces-
sors on such occasions he was struck by
lightning
The horror that peasants have for this
tree is so great that poems refuse TO work
on the fields half a mile around it. Propero
Garcia. the owner OF the ranch where that
tree grows, is said to have made up his
mind TO have It blown up with dynamite,
but he has been unable to find a man who
is willing to do the work, so It seems prob
able that he viii have to do 1t himself
Mexican Herald.