Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-02-20
SURGEON STOPS
A BABY SACRIFICE
Ships Doctor DiSp0rSeS Hal
tlan VOOdOOiStS.
STUMBLES INTO CEREMONY.

That voodooism in all its horrors Is
practiced in the interior of Haiti by
the superstitlous natives has long been
known or suspected by residents and
visitors to the tumultuous island. The
white men who have ever had the eI-
perlence of seeing the voodoo worship
ers in the midst of their fearsome
orgies might we'll be enumerated on
the eight fingers. One Of the few who
have had the ghastly experience arriv.
ed In New York recently. He is Baron
Hendrix van Renken STAN. the ships
surgeon.
DIR. STAN has had many thrilling ex-
perlences, but it remained for the VOC.
doc worshipers Of Haiti to give him
the thrill Of thrills.
"Talk about the spinal shlvers," said
the surgeon in discussing his expert.
ence, "well, had them for fair.
had the experience about two weeks
ago, and my sleep is disturbed with
frightful Nightmares yet.
Hobby Leads Him Ashore.
my hobby since my college days has
been botany, and In my rambles about
the world have always taken the op-
portunity to explore the out Of the way
places for botanical specimens. 1t was
this hobby that made me a witness Of
the voodoostic ceremony. The ship
was lying in the harbor of Port au
Prince, and / took the opportunity to
80 ashore with my collecting case to
seek rare flowers In the hills back Of
the Haitian capital.
''I started early in the morning, and
midafternoon found me wandering
about through the hills. started back
blindly, and in few minutes the real
ization came over me that l was lost.
"As l marched bllndly through the
wooded hills heard the sound Of
drums reverberatlng. At first the drum
beats sounded afar, and then they
came nearer and nearer. thought
that must be approaching some set
tlement and at the thought l quick
ened my footsteps. Then dlscerned a
faint light and felt certain that a vii
lage was near.
Stumbles on Worshipers.
"As / neared the light the sound Of
the drumming became more and more
intense, and then distinguished voices
raised In a wild chant. Like n fash
the realization, swept over me that
was coming upon voodoo worshipers
in the midst Of their weird rites. |
had heard the story of the voodoo wor-
shippers for years, and at the thought
of seeing the natives in the midst Of
their ceremony | forgot danger and de-
cided to see for myself what voodoo
worship was
"The nearer | came to the light,
which soon saw to be n big fire, the
more cautious | became in my move
ments, soon found It necessary to
get down on my hands and knees and
crawl through the underbrush. The
beating Of the drums was awful, but
the noise served to cover my not alto.
gether silent approach through the
brush
crawls Through Underbrush.
'rNearer and nearer | crawed toward
the fire, and then found myself in n
clump Of bushes from which | could
see the natives in their orgy not two
score feet away, About thirty blacks
were In the party, and they stood or
sat about the FIRE, the half dozen drum
mers pounding their Instruments for
dear life, while the others raised their
voices In the awful chant During all
this native, with face besmeNred with
vermilion streaks and with trinkets
hanging about his neck and waist that
ratified as he moved. strobe up and
down before the fire, chanting some
wild incarnation, Suddenly he Np.
preached n native holding bundle In
his arms The chant grew wilder and
the drums beat the louder.
"The bundle which the medicine man
or vOodoo chief seized was a living In.
fant. Above the sound Of the voices
and drums ! caught the infants wall,
| saw the voodoo man raise n knife
above the child. and, blind with rage
and forretful Of my own safety, !
sprang to my feet and dushed from my
place Of conccalmcnt toward the
heather. " the devil himself had sud.
denly popped into their midst those
voodooists could not have been more
astonishcd. The chant broke of sud.
denly, the drums ceased their thun.
dcrlng, and half OF the worshipers
tock to their heels into the forest
FeIls Medicine Man.
"The voodoo medicine man stood with
mouth 0gOpe watching my approach,
and the next Instant I had hit him
over the head with my coi!9atIng case,
and he dropped like n potot OK.
passed through the remaining wSrship.
ers and into the dark. As | ruh my
fear Increased and, with the growth OF
fear my speed Far behind me could
hear the howls OF my pursucrs, but
had n good start and n great fear to
keep me moving,
Luckily / had headed right in my
ran, and about the time had exhaust.
cd myself saw the lights Of Port an
Prince, and ] kept at my best effort
uuti was in the town"
A woman was recently divorced In
one Of the divorce colonies at ~