The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-08-09
vOODOO RITES
CATTLE KILLED
MEXICAN POPULATION OF SAN
ANTONIO, TEXAS, ACCUSED
OF CRIME.
WAVE OF SUPERSTITION
Rites Date Back to Ancient Aztec Re-
ligion-cows Found Slain
With Hides and Hearts !
Removed. =

San Antonio. Tex, Aug. S.--An out,
break of voodooism is responsible for
the mysterious killing of many fine
cows in the viciaity 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
! 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 n whole, there is
enough of an Indifferent elemen.
among them that would not be ayerse
to committing thtc depredations IL
spurred on by what they would con.
slider a religious motive AS is well
kaowa, the Indian strain Ia very
prominent in the lower class OF Next.
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 sur.
vlved in them and be liable to periodi.
zeal outbreaks Is therefore not 70 De
wondered at.
Old Aztec Rites.
Indian voodooism as practicei after
the fall of the Aztec empire, Is rea'lg
nothing more than a continuation of
the old Aztec religion. the principal
feature OF which was hnmaa saeri-
| 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
barbarous practice the Indian tribes.
|stil adherng 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
{ hject today is TO get possession of
the blood contained In IT, To this fluid
are ascribed a number of miraculous
properties of a disease combating na.
ture
The authorities OF this city and
county are in no MOOD to permit as
noxious a practice as voodooism 10
flourish under their very noses.
Though a number of arrests have
been made. more important clews are
now beisg followed. and further de
velopments 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.