The Washington herald., 1920-12-15
Knapp Report on Marines
Rule of Island Tells of
Barbarism.
HEART OF YANKEE
OFFICER TORN OUT
Native Worship of Snakes
And Orgies in Blood
Arouse Horror.

Haitians' widespread belief In
voodoo and snake worship. entail
ing human sacrifices with the drink
ing of blood and eating Of human
flesh, was disclosed yesterday by
Rear Admiral H. S. knapp's report
to Secretary of Navy Daniels on the
investigation of the American Ma
rines' policing Of the island
He defended tn Marines against
the charges that native men, wom-
en- and children had been killed in
discriminatory. He denied that
there had been any unnecessary
bloodshed. and drew a thrilling pic
ture of the voodoo priests and their
following to show what the Marines
had to contend with.
Tells of Incident.
Pointing out. how 95 per cent OF
the Haitian population was admit
tsdly following the teachings of the
bloodthirsty priests, his report re-
lated one incident as follows:
"a voodoo priest has lately been
tried and sentenced and the proceed
ings of the military comission are
now in Washington awaiting action.
This man is said to have killed. at
one time or another, thirteen chill
dren. whose blood was drunk and
whose flesh was eaten by persons
present at the rites. Consecrated
waters used in the Roman Catholic
church at mass were mixed with the
flesh and blod of the victims, and
were obtained by the voodoo priest
sending women of his household to
communion service at the church.
Only three cases of the voodoo bar
barities affecting members of tho
American military forces have been
discovered to date. In one of these,
the case of Lieut. Muth. It was
shown that the officer falling into
the hands of the natives Was terri
bly, mutilated. The report showed
that his heart had ben cut out and
was probably eaten"
Marine Burned at stake.
The other known cases affected
privates in the Marines. Private
Lawrence's charred remains were
found bound to a stake by telegraph
wire. but it was impossible to deter
mine whether he had ben burned
beforeb br after DEATH The third case
was a mutilation incident now re-
ceiyng attention from the Mayo court
of inquiry.
Haytian officials in high place,
he said. will not take action
against peksons accused of voodoo.
ism. either because of their owr
belief in IL or because of fear
born of their own knowledge oi
the extent to which voodooism 4.
prevalent among the population
Of incurring enmities.
He contended that despite tn,
law and order existing now as &
result of Marine occupation of tn,
island. the natives would rapidly
slip back into banditry il the mill.
tary forces were withdrawn at this
time Hhe showed that the mos
bloodshed responsible for thr
charges. had been inflicted upor
the bandits and outlaws. no womer
and children.
Says Time Required.
AT least a generation must pas,
before Hayti can produce sufficien
men of high enough standing t
provide personnel for an homes
administration and a background
of honest population for its sup
port" was an expression of tht
general survey of the future o.
the Haytian Republic.
The admiral denied fatty tha
strangulation and fiogging had beer
resorted by the American .occupai
tional forces. He admitted that thu
"corvee" or enforced labor system
had been in vogue and he defended
it., pointing to the resultant road:
helping the country toward a state
OF civilization
Regarding the charges that som,
murders and tortures had been com
mitted Rear Admiral Knapp frankly
stated that possibly there had beer
isolated cases of abuse of power or
sthe part of Junior officers of the
native gendarmerie and of enlisted
men. He said that 1t would bt
strange II such cases did not de-
velop but insisted that in all sucf
instances the offenders were. pun
ished.