The Cairo bulletin., 1909-08-09
vOODOO RITES
CATTLE KILLED
MEXICAN POPULATION or SAN
ANTONIO, TEXAS, ACCUSED
OF CRIME.
WAVE OF SUPERSTITION
Rites Date Back to Ancient Aztec Re-
li1on-cows Found Slain
With Hides and Hearts 1
Removed.

| San Antonio. Tex. Aug S.--An out
break of voodooism is responsible for
the mysterious killing OF many fine
cows In the vicinity OF this city.
Many owners of cattle 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 generally disclosed her body
, at the chapparal. G. A. Davis of this
city was one OF the first to miss his
I valuable Jersey in this manner and
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. 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.
Sheriff Lindsey and his deputies have
been working day and night to get
a clew that might lead TO a complete
solution of the mystery, but SO far
they have not been successful The
|offer of substantial reward has now
been called to their aid
Though the Mexican population OF
San Antonio is a very orderly and
law abiding one as a whole. there is
Ienough of an Indifferent element
among them that would not be averse
to committing thor depredations IL
IspurreJ on by what they would con
slider a religious motive. AS is we'll
tkaowr. the Ind.aA strain IL very
prominent in the lower class OF Mexi.
cans As a matter of fact. In large
percentage of them the Spanish or
other Aryan blood Is a negligible
quantity. That some OF the old In
dian superstitions should have SIR.
ylved in them and be liable to periodi.
cal outbreaks Is therefore not 10 De
wondered at. s.
Old Aztec Rites.
Indian yoodooism as practicei after
| the fall of the Aztec empire, Is realg
nothing more than a continuation Of
| the old Aztec religion. the principal
| feature of which was humaa sacri-
| fee. The victims of the old Aztec
| RESTS suffered death by having
their hearts torn out of their bodies
| by main force After the Spanish
| lad succeeded in stamping out this
lbarbarous practice the Indian tribes,
lstill 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 animals heart the
object today is TO get possession OF
the blood contained in II. To this fluid
are ascribed a number of miraculous
properties of disease combating na.
ture.
The authorities OF this city and
county are in no mood to permit as
noxious a practice as voodooism to
flourish under their very noses.
Though a number of arrests have
been made, more important clews are
now beisg followed. and further de
ve.opments are anticipated as a re-
suit of the reward offered OF all
people the low class Mexican is the
least able to withstand the lure OF
money.