The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-01-31
LEFT EVIL LEGACY
MISFORTUNE BANS TREE PLANT.
ED BY BAD MAN.
Superstitious Mexicans Believe Inn
pIlcitIy in Story of Misspent Life
ard Its Punishment-Tragie
Deaths Have Been Many.


The tree of Tula and the tree of Sad
Night are known throughout the world
but there is a tree in Mexico which
has acquired a local reputation some
what shady.
FL Arbol Maldito is said to have
been planted by gentleman who had
the misfortune to be swallowed up by
Mother Earth on account of his crimes.
He was known throughout the country
as unhombre muy malo. He never
went to mass, never, confessed his
sins, nor did he have the image OF a
saint in his house, wear a rosary
around his neck or make the sign OF
the cross as a respectable man should.
He never gave beggar even centa-
vito, and when he met 8 padrecito on
the street he did not deign to remove
his hat
Now it was rumored, says Modern
Mexico, that this gentleman was re-
spOnsible for many murders and afro
cious crimes of every description, but
he was never confined in Jail because
it was known that he had a compact
with the devil, so that whenever he
invoked his Majesty he was rendered
invisible to the human eye, or at least
so small that he could easily escape.
He was Stunned by all, and he had
either friends nor relatives.
But a peculiar thing about this man
was that he loved the trees, the birds
and all the animals. He planted a
great many trees and fed a flock OF
birds every morning.
1t was many years ago that tne
event of his departure took place, but
is still remembered by the ancient in
habitants of the neighborhooS. Every
body on the Haciendita ranch had at
tended the religious services of the
morning. and they wers returning
home when a terrific noise was heard.
They rushed to the street where it
came from, and there they saw how
the earth had opened up under the
feet of that honlbre muy malo. He
was enveloped by thick flames and
smoke and quickly disappeared be-
meath the surface OF the earth.
This was considered just punish.
ment in view of the situation. and
every one was eXceedinly pleased.
While the faithful had been attending
the services of the church the cursed
one had nothing else to do but place a
burning cigarette between the lips OF
an image on big crucifiX, carried by
an altar on the street. 1t was then
that the convenient cavity opened up
and he was engulfed by the earth.
That very day all the trees which
he had planted, except Ell Arbol Nal
ditto, dried up and died-and so did
the birds which he had fed from his
own hand. An attempt was made to
cut down the tree that did not dry
up, but the foolish man who made the
attempt dropped dead on stepping I'M
der the shadow of the foliage. AS nc
one had the temerity to approach and
remove it the mans body had to be
left there to be eaten by the crows.
Since that day many have met q
tragic death under the tree. A pedes
train who went under it f0" shade on a
GUNNER day was bitten by snake
and died in tow hours. Three men OH
different occasions sought shelter from
rain under It's branches and riere
struck by lightning.
A woman hanging some clothes tC
| dry from the TRUNK of the tree was at
tackled by a goat that came from no
| body knows where and was never seer
| again. Three years ago little boy
riding a burro. led his animal to the
tree. He was thrown off and kicked tt
| death.
The last victim of this fatal tree
was man by the name of Melquiadee
| Arevalo, who ran under it for shell
| ter during a rainstOrln q year ago, and
like his predecessors, he was STRUCK
by lightning.
The antipathy that the poems have
for this tree is such that they refuse
| TO work in the fields for half mile
around it. Some time ago Prosperc
Garcia, proprietor of the ranch where
FL Arbol Maldito grows, resolved tc
have it blown up with dynamite, but
no doubt he has been unable to find g
ban brave enough to venture near 6
tree which shows such symptoms Of
a haunted life.
The Sleeping Baby "SmiIe."