The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-09-05
MEXICo's DEVIL TREE
Death for All Who Rest Within
Its Fateful Shadow.

Because OF the many fatal nccldonta
that have occurred under Il huge tree
that grows In the Iaclendlta ranch, IN
tho zamor;l district. Mlchoacan peasants
Of the region are growing moro and
moro supersttlous about It's supposed
fatal omen. and they begin to Gull II
''arbol mnldto" (curscd tree).
The tree Is supposed to be over SOW
cnty-five years old, and Is said 10 have
been planted by a man who, because
Of his enormous crimes and hts forget
funess OF the divine law, was swallowed
IN by the earth. Tho man never went
to mass, never confessed. did not have
the image of a saint in his house. did not
carry q rosary around his neck, and never
made the sign OF the cross. There vas
not a beggar In tho town who hid ever
received "talco chlqulto" told coins
equivalent to 1,1-2 cents) from him. He
never gave anything for the church and
never took off his hat when no met n
''pndreclto" on the street. ssf
1t was rumorcd that he was RESPONSE
BILE for many murders and other afro
cio,ls crimes but he WIS never IN jail,
neither could ho be incarcerated because
he had compact with the devil, and
Whenever he invoked his satanic majesty
the latter rendered him either Invisible
to human eyes or smaller than an ant.
so that he could easily escape danger.
He had no friends nor rcla tivcs, because
he was Stunned byanl.
Two things he loved. birds and trees
| 1Io planted numerous trees and fed big
| flocks of birds that knew him and came
! TO his homo every morning to pick the
crumbs OF bread which he threw In tho
| patio
Many years ago, and this lis we'll re-
| membered by the peasants. It was Cool
| Friday. Everybody In town had attended
| the religious services of the morning and
! they were going to their homes when a
terrific noise was heard They rushed to
| the street where It came from, to find
| out what It was, aud saw how tho cart II
| had opened under the cursed mans feet.
Flo was cnvelopcd by thick flames and
| smoke and disappeared beneath the sur
face Of the earth. This was considered
| most deserved punishment.
While tn faithful were in the church
| the cursed man was loafing around, and
having seen big cruciflx upon an altar
| erected on tho street. rs was done In
those days, he placed a burning cigarette
In the lips Of the image Scarcely had he
made eight or ten steps, when he was
/, engulfcd by the inferno.
That day all tho trees he planted. except
the cursed one, dried up. and all the blrd1
no Ind fed died,
] An attempt was made to cut down the
tree that had not dried UP, but the man
i who made the ATTEMPT dropped dead upon
stepping upon the shadow Of It's foliage.
The mans body had to be left there to
be eaten up by crows. because nobody
had the courage to approach and re-
move 1t.
Since that day numerous persons have
met tragic death under TINT tree A
Z pedestrian who went under It for shade
on hot summer day was bitten by q
snake and died in two hours. Three men,
on different OCCASIONS sought shelter
from rain under It's branches. and were
struck by lightning, A woman who was
hanglng some clothes to dry from the
trunk Of thctrec was attacked and
killed by billy goat that came from no.
body knows where. and that WINS never
seen again. Two years ago little hoy
was riding n burro innocently led his
animal to tho tree. Tho burro threw him
off and kicked him to death. The last
| victim Of this fatal tree was man
named Mclquiades Arevalo, Who three
or four days ago. during n heavy rain
storm. ran under the tree for shelter;
, like his predecessors on such occasion
, he was struck by lightning, -Mex lea
] 1Ierald.i