FINNISH HORROR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 109, 30 December 1931, Page 2

FINNISH HORROR

SECRET CULT BELIEVED TO BE PRACTISING BLACK MAGIC SCOTLAND YARD QUEST JMysterious flashings of coloured lights and secret meetings at dead of night in a graveyard, the discovery of human arms and legs at the bottom of a well, and over 40 eorpses indescribably mutilated — these are among the gruesome details discovered by the police who are investigating the Black Magic horrors in Finj land. I What they have learned has eonvinced them that there is a widespread cult of satanism or necromaney, involving the mutilation of ' eorpses. The leader of the seet is believed to be a naturalised Englishman, living in London, and the Finnish authorities have communieated with Scotland Yard, asking the assistance of their skilled Special Branch detectives. Bodies, and parts of bodies, have been found all around Helsingfors, the Finnish capital. In each case the bodies had been mutilated and dis- ! membered soon after death, and it is now evident that they were all those 1 of persons without relatives. In a lonely forest a few miles from the city is a well which hid one of the most gruesome discoveries. A peasant who had gone there for a drink of water was horrified to see a human arm showing above the surface. He rushed to fetch the police, who recove'red the arm, not long severed from its body. The suggestion that more remains might be at the bottom led to the well being drained, and, resting in the ooze, were found over a dozen arms and legs and several human heads. Gruesome Find Suspicion was directed to the mortuary attached to Malm churchyard, people living near-by having complained of meetings that took place there after dusk. Inquiries showed that the mortuary caretaker, Saarenheimo, was interested in occult practices, and frequently remained late .at night in the mortuary, and he was arrested. A search of Saarenheimo's house revealed suspicious articles, as well as photograps of dead bodies lying in their coffins, and a quantity of occult literature, including an English book on black magic. It is thought that he was inspired by a "Black Bible," that existed in Finland some years ago. This book reeommended gruesome mutilation methods and black magic. Among Saarenheimo's belongings, it is alleged, was a*healing document o£ a Panacea Society, with an address in Bedford, England, recommending "divine water cures." As many of the severed limbs were found in a well, the theory has been advanced that Saarenheimo wanted to get "divine water" by that means. Since his arrest Saarenheimo has spent his time in gaol singing hymns and psalm tunes with cabalistic words, though he denies all knowledge of the mulilation horrors in his mortuary. As most of the identified bodies appeared to be without relatives, and as many paupers' bodies had been placed in the charge of the arrested mortuary caretaker, the authorities decided to open all the new paupers' graves. The result was that 34 mulilated bodies of both sexes were discovered. Exhumations will continue for some time as the police believe that many more eorpses have been mutilated. Satanism, or Black Magic, was popular in Russia before the war, and it is supposed that some of the refugees who arrived in Finland have carried their practices with them and established a cult there.