Las Vegas daily optic., 1907-04-08

MISFORTUNE CANS tree Plant.
co Bx CAD MAN.
sapersstsseus Mesleans Believe I'm.
plaeatiy in Story Of NAsspsns Lie
and Its punlsnmens-Tra8ae
Deaths Have Been Many.

Deaths Have 8sen Many.
The tree Of Tuia and the Tree of saa
| .i<hr are anown Throughout the wogla
but there Il tre~ In Mexico which
has acquired local reputation sonss-
| what shady
FL Arbol Maldito In said 10 have
been planted by gentleman who had
| The misfortune To be swallowed ~ BY
Mother Earth on account uf his crimes.
he was known throughout the country
as unhombre muy malo. he never
went 10 mass. never confessed hls
sins. nor did be- have the image of d
saint In his house, wear q rosary
around his neck or make the sign of
tot' cross as respectable man should,
tie never gave a heggax even a centa,
vito. and when he met "A padrecito On
the street he did not deign to remove
his hat
Now IL was rumored. says Modern
Mexico. that this gentleman was re-
sponssble for many murders and afro
cI"As crimes OF every description. but
ee vas never confined In Jail because
IL was known thai he had a compact
with the devil SD 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 a fock Of
birds every morning
II 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 a terrific noise was heard
They rushed - the street where II
came from, and there they saw how.
the earth had opened up under the
feet OF that hombre muy malo file
was envetoped by thick flames and
smoke and quickly disappeared BE-.
meath the surface OF the earth.
This was considered a 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 10 do but place a
burning cigarette between the Rps OF
an image on big crucifix, carried by
an altar on the street II was then
that the convenient cavity opened up
and he was engulfed by the earth.
That very day all the trees which
ne had planted. except El Arbol MAJ.
ditto. dried mp and died-and so did
the birds which he had fed from his
""n hand. An attempt was made to
Cut down the tre" that did not dry
''n. but the foolish man who made the
attempt dropped dead on stepping un-
der the shadow of the foliage. As no
One had the temerity to approach and
remove 1t the mans body had to be
left there to be eaten by the crows.
Since that day many have met
tragic death under the tree A pedes.
train who went under 1t for shade ON
summer day was bitten by a snake
and died In tow hours. Three men on
litferent occasions sought shelter from
ain under its branches and were
struck by lightning.
A woman hanging some clothes to
Try from the trunk of the tree was a,.
acked by a goat that came from no
'ody knows where and was never seen
'saln. Three years ago a little boy.
iding a burro, led his animal to the
rec. He was thrown off and kicked tn
leath.
The last victim of this fatal tree
vas man by the name of Melauiades
Arevaio. who ran under it for shel,
er during a rainstorm year ago, and,
Ike his predecessors, he was struck
y lightning
The antipathy that the poems have
Or this tree is such that they refuse
D work In the fields for half a mile
round 1T. Some time ago Prospero
arcia, proprietor of the ranch where
il Arbol Maldito grows, resolved to
ave 1t blown up with dynamite. but
o doubt he has been unable to find a
an brave enough to venture near
zee which shows such symptoms of
haunted life.