El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-14
IL the horrors Of voOdooism.

"A with sacrifice Of human life,
4 A have been revived here by
fanaticaI negroes Of the rice-belt in
whom atavistic Tenderness have for
some reason become rampant The
authorities confess their inability
to cope with the situation
Twenty-six persons have already
been murdered in the rites OF the
Sacrifice Sect, as the new high
priests of vOodOoism are known
Infants in arms, older children and
adults have been butchered in cold
blood and the fact that IN many
cases the victims have apparently
acouiesced in their slaughter makes
the tragedies none the less horrible
while it only emphasizes the intense
fanaticism Of the benighted vOodoo-
worshippers.
This outbreak is regarded as the
worst in the whole history Of VOC
dooism. Never before has the cult
obtained such a hold upon its fol-
lower or provoked them to more
heiRous excuses than in the pres
ent instance.
For twenty years OF more vOOdO-
ism has been practised in the United
States only in the mildest sort OF
way. The older negroes down here
have always recognized and feared
the Dower Of vOOdOO-the cult Of the
sacred serpent-but in recent years
II has not led them to serious ex-
cesses.
Apparently, however, the only ef-
feet Of this long respite has
been to increase the sus-
ceptibility Of those to whom
the mystic cult naturally ap-
peals, for now that the
smOuldering embers Of fan
atheism have at last been
famed into fame, they are
burning with a fierceness
never before equalled.
The latest outrage laid at the
doors Of the Sacrifice Sect was the
murder Of the five members Of the
BrOussard family at Lake Charles
two weeks agD. This tragedy was
typical of the methods followed by
the voodoO wOrshipers.
Felix BTOussard was a good type
Of negro. He was industrious and
intelligent and lived happily with his
wife and three children. Although
none of the family was sick, he is
said to have remarked to a friend
the day before the tragedy that
they were all going home to glory,
and going mighty sOon," a circum-
stance which is pointed out as indi-
eating that although he was aware
Of his impending fate and that Of
his family, he either acquiesced in
it or was too terror-stTicken to avert
it.
The morning following, the bodies
Of the five victims were found
stretched upon their beds. Felix
Broussard and his pretty wife were
found in one room Drained with an
axe, which was found under the bed.
The blade was clean, indicating
that the blunt head had been used
to crush the skulls of the Victims
Strangely enough, as it seemed at
first, the investigators found little
blood to mark the scene Of this
butchery. The explanation was ap-
parent however. when a visit to the
room disclosed that the
blood of the victims had been caught
in a huge bucket which, having done
service at the slaughter Of the par
ents, had then been removed to the
ehildren's room to perform a SINH
lar office there.
Perhaps the strangest feature Of
this tragedy was the fact that the
fingers OF each hand of the victims
were stretched apart by the murder
ers, those Of the children being
Wedged open with paper and fast
ened with pins! The significance
OF THIS discovery became more ap-
parent when 1t was found that above
the door Of the BrCussard house the
words Human Five had been in
scrloed. and suggests that the Sacri-
nee Sect shared the belief in the