The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-03
NEW OUTBREAK BY
TEXAS YOODOOS

San Antonio, Tex, August 2-(Special)-
An outbreak of voodoois1n Is responsible
for the mysterious butchering of many
fine cows in the vicinity of this city.
Many owners of fine bovines living in
the suburbs have looked in vain for their
milk purveyors in the morning The
gentle friend of the family was found to
be missing and the instituted search
usually disclosed her carcas in the
chapparal. G. A. Davis of this city was
one of the first to miss his valuable Jer-
sey In this manner and since then others
have sustained similar losses.
The odd feature of the case was that
nothing but the hide and the heart of
the animal were missing. Evidently that
was all that was desired by the thief
At first 1t was thought that the animals
had been killed for their skins. but a close
watch kept over the dealers in hides has
shown that so far none of the hides have
been disposed of by the malcreants
Sheriff Lindsey and his deputies have
been working day and night to get a
clew that might lead to a complete solu-
ton of the mystery, but SO far they have
Il
substantial reward has now been called to
their aid.
Though the Mexican population of San
Antonio is a very orderly and lawabid-
ing one as whole, there is enough of
an Indifferent element among them that
would not be averse to committing these
depredations II spurred on by what they
hc Ia
well known the Indian strain is very
prominent In the lower class Mexicans.
As a matter of fact in the large percent
age of them the Spanish or other Ayrian
blood is a negligible quantity. That some
of the old Indian supersitions should
have survived in them and be liable to
periodical outbreaks is. therefore, not to
be wondered at.
Indian voodoism as practiced after the
fall of the Aztec empire il really nothing
more than a continuation of the old
Aztec religion, the principal feature OF
which was human sacrifice. The victims
of the old Aztec priests suffered death
by having their hearts torn out of their
bodies by main force. After the Spanish
had succeeded in stamping out this bar
barous practice, the Indian tribes, still
adhering to the faith of their fathers.
though nominally Christians, took to
sacrificing animals in the same manner
that human beings had formerly been
sacrificed, and like all primitive people
thought to appease their gods best by
sacrificing that which was considered
most cherished. In tearing out the ami.
mails heart the object today is to get
possession of the blood contained in It, To
this fluid are ascribed a number of mir
aculous properties of disease combating
nature
To what extent the possession of the
hide figures in voodooism of this kind is
not clear. Positive information on this
point seems difficult to obtain, but 1t Is
thought that the application of the warm
and bloody skin may be regarded as a
cure for muscular or other exterior all
ments.
The authorities of this city and county
are In no mood to permit as obnoxious
practice as voodoosm to flourish under
their very noses. Though a number of
arrests have been made, more important
clews are now being followed and further
developments are anticipated as result
of the reward offered. OF all people the
low class Mexican Is the least able to
withstand the lure of money. Every effort
will be made to get the high priest or
the cult into the clutches of the law. Tho
punishments that will be meted out will
no doubt be such as to make adherence to
voodooism and its attendant features very
undesirable.