HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1585, 15 June 1887, Page 3

HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION.

A revolting caeo of human sacrifice lids been under magisterial investigation m tho Tirwadanai district of the Madras Presidency. The daughtor of one Santhian of the Pulla caste at Poolangudi was supposed to have been possessed with the devil. Kokangikarers (exorcists) were consulted, and one among them, after invoking the devil, said that nothing short of a human sacrifice would bo acceptable to the demon, llie father sought means to propitiate the devil. On a certain night, as previously arranged, the father, the exorcist, and five or six others found a victim, one Savathi Udayan. The unsußpeoting victim drank freely of a fatal cure till he became ns helpless as a ohild. Tho diabolic confederates caught him by the hair and threw him down, then another held him by the bead, two more by his legs, and having thus secured him, one of the gang deliberately cut off his head. The blood was collected m a chatty aad subsequently mixoi with rice, and a few balls of this mixture were thrown up into the sky for tbo misobievoua deity. Tl»b done, they returned to the corpse, which they hacked m sundry places, to deceive appearances, and to put the police on tho wrong scent, threw it into a tank.*