Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-02-01
Left EVIL LEGACY
MISFORTUNE BANS TREE PLANT.
ED BY BAD MAN. ( n F.
superstitious 'Mexicans Believe I'm.
p'ieitIy in Story Of .Misspent Life
and It's Punishment-Eragie-
Deaths Have Been Many,


and It's Punlshment-sTragie-
Deaths Have Been Many.
The tree of Tula and the tree of Sad
Night are known throughout the world
but there is tree in Mexico which
! has acquired a local reputation some
what shady. ST.,
Ell Arbol Maldito Is said to have
been planted by a 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 respectable man should.
He never gave beggar even centa-
vito, and when he met a padrecito on
the street he did not deign to remove
his hat. 4ssv,.5.~ .
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 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
neither friends nor relatives.
But 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 flock of
birds every morning.
1t was many years ago that the
event Of his departure took place, but
Is still remembered by the ancient In
habitants of the neighborhood. Every
body on the Haciendita ranch had at,
tended the religious services OF the
morning, and they were returning
home when terrific noise was heard
They rushed to the street where il
came from, and there they saw how
; the earth had opened up under the
feet Of that hombre muy malo. He
was enveloped by thick flames anG
, smoke and quickly disappeared be
, meath the surface of the earth
This was considered just punish
ment in view of the situation, ani
every one was exceedinly, pleased
While the faithful had been attending
the services of the church the curset
one had nothing else to do but place {
burning cigarette between the lips o
ain image on big crucif3,, carried b!
!, an altar. On the street. It wasF the,
that the convenient cavity opened VI
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 di,
the birds which he had fed from hi
own hand. An attempt was made t.
cut down: the tree that did not DIR.
up, but the foolish man who made tn
. attempt dropped dead on stepping un
a der the shadow of the foliage. AS n
, one had the temerity to approach an
remove 1t the mans body had TO b
left there to be eaten by the crows.
i Since that day many have met !.
tragic death under the tree. A pedes
train who went under it for shade on
! summer day was bitten by a snak
and died in tow hours. Three men O
different occasions sought shelter fro1
| rain under its branches; and wer
struck by lightning. =. * .<EJy =:
A. woman hanging someA clothes t
| dry from the trunk of the tree was a
\ lacked by a goat that came4 from n.
body knows where and was never see
! again. Three years ago Little DO.
= riding a burro, led his animal to: til
tree. He was thrown off and kicked t
| Heath. 80 -, ~
The last victim of this fatal tire
| was man by the name of MelQuiade
Arevalo, who ran under 1t for she
| ter during rainstorm yea, ago, an,
ike his predecessors, he was struc
/ ~ lightning. "a
u 1 The antipathy that the poems hay
ior this tree is such that they refus
- 70 work in the fields for half a mil
% around 1t. Some time ago Prosper
Garcia, proprietor of the ranch wheu
- 81 Arbol Maldito grows, resolved 1
II nave 1t blown up with dynamite bi
no doubt he has been unable to find
ban brave enough to venture near
tree which shows such symptoms (
II haunted life. 49,. s Luz, !, = ~, 2HsE s
j., Chess as Mind Drill. rs.