Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-07-31
HORRIBLE SORCERY
FLOURISHES IN HAITI
Relieve Cannibalism Is Resort
ed to in the Meetings of
the Voodoos.

M Y itA0kEA
vvri11en without reference TO the horri-
HE sorcery. called the religion OF Woo
doc. which was INTO the
country with the slaves from AFRICA.
Its creed is that the God Voodoo mas
the power usually ascribed 10 the
Christians Lord. n that ne SHOWS
himself 10 his good friends, the ne
groes. under the form OF a non-ve-
nomous snake, and transmits his pow
err through a chief priest or prlestess-
These are called either king or queen.
master or mistress, or generally as
papa-lois and mamma-lols. Inc prln-
cipaI act of Worship consists or a Wild
dance, attended by grotesque gestlcuia-
lions. which leads up to most disgrace
ful orgies. says the National Geo.
graphic magazine.
A secret oath binds all the Noodoos,
on the taking of which the lips or
the neophyte are usually touched with
warm goats blood, whlcn ~ intehoeu
to inspire terror. He promises TO sub
NIT TO death should he ever reveal
he secrets Of the fraternity, n TO
nut to death any traitor to the sect.
1t is affirmed, and no doubt Is true,
tifat on special occasions a sacrfHce
is made of a living child or the goat
without horns as it is called. ana
Their c~annibalism in its worst form is
INDUCED in. Under the circumstances
of taking the oath of allegiance IL
should cause no surprise that the Hal
tians claim that this is not true and
defy any white man to produce EVIL
dence of guilt. But, Notwithstanding,
no one can read the horrlDle talss pun
lished by Sir Spencer Saint John, one
of the British ministers to Haiti, which
describes in detail the revolving prac-
tives of the voodoos, together WITH
the proofs he brings 70 substantiate
the truth of the allegations. without
coming to the reluctant conclusion that
c%annibalism is resorted TO in these
meetings. OF course, nc white man
could long live on the island after nav
ing given testimony leading TO the
conviction of culprits in such cases,
and therefore the negroes demand for
proof can never be satisfied. Indeed,
it is aid that even some presidents
who have openly discouraged the vo-
doc practices have come to their deaths
from this cause.
Vicious Practices.
The character Of the meetings OF
he voodoos, which take place in Sc
cluded spots in the thick woods, are
well known. A description was given
of one of them by an eye witness, who
is an officer in our navy, which no one
could e without a shudder. He
states in brief that one day while out
hunting he abruptly ran into a camp
OF worshipers. which was located in
q lonely spot in the woods. and the
horrors he there saw made an indelible
impression upon his mind,
When his presence was discovered
he was Immediately se.sed by a fren-
zied crowd of men and women, n
for some minutes there did not seem
to be n question but that his life was
to be forfeited; but the papa-lois called
a halt and Il council, apparently to
determine what action should be taken,
and while this was In session a hand
full of coin, j~udiciously scattered, d.
verted the thoughts of the negroes for
the time being from their captive.
The usual sacrifice of a. white rooster
was now brought on, seeing which the
people were called back to their wor-
ship, and the ceremonies went on in
his presence.
In the horrible struggle which took
place for possession, the bird was
torn literally to pieces, n he had
no doubt that it's accompaniment. the
goat without horns" would soon fol-
low. While this was in progress his
presence seemed to be forgotten, and.
watching a good opportunity, he ran
for his very life, not stopping until
he reached the protection of his ship.
This officer has to his credit one
Of the most gallant deeds enacted dur
ing the civil war, for which he re-
ceived promotion by act of congress-,
but his comrades on board his ship
said they never saw a man more
frightened than he was when he re-
turned to them, and he himself says
the memory of the event produces hor-
ribpe nightmares which he will never
be able to overcome
There is no doubt these voodoo
practices keep the negro in touch with
that call Of the wild" which perhaps
even the Write man, If restricted in
efyilizing influences and treated as
they nave been, might be led to fol-
Tow: but it is to be hoped that edu-
cation, which the best of the Haitians
kare now acquiring for their own fam
flies and are striving TO make universal
fin the land, will in a few years stamp
out this horrible practice with all it's
evils.