Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-03-29
GALLIPoLIs OHIO ROE 90 1885,

walking up to it, lifting it up by Che
neck; putting its head into his month.
and allowing it to run down n
throat.
l shuddered, and half believed the.
iuggler possessed ofa devil, if moi a
devil himself -
He next produced a tube chat
looked like brass, aboptssw feet
long and half an inch liz. diameter,
and next the ball 0: twine again.
Where these things came from, or
went to could not tell. They
seemed to be in his hands when he
wanted them; but l never observed
his hands passing near his dress,
either when thew appeared or disap.
peared. When 1 looked for the cup
that / had lifted from the snake. il
was gone, and neither myself nor
any of my attendants had seen l.ss
wonderful man pick it up: It FasI
indeed jugglery, if not magic, of fss
most unquestionable kind!
Through the brass tube the con
jurer now passed one end of the
twine, which he put between his
teeth. He then placed the tube be
tween his lips, threw back his head
and held it perpendicularly with the
ball of twine on the upper end. Then
suddenly this ball began to turn, and
turn rapidly, and evidently grow
smaller, TIL it entirely disappeared,
as if the twine had been run off on a
reel. What turned it or where it
went to, no one could see, The
juggler then set the tube the other
end up, and new ball began to
form on the top, but apparently of
ribbon, of half an inch in width and
of different colors. This rolled up
as if on a bobbin, till it formed q
wheel two or three inches in diane
ter, when the performer seemed to
toss ribbon and tube over his shoul-
der, and that was the last 1 saw of
either.
He next produced what appeared
to be the same cup had lifted from
the snake. showed something that
looked like an egg, advanced the
same as before, and placed the lat
ter on the ground and the former
over 1t, and again requested me to
raise it, which 1 declined TO de-;
fearing ] should see another t1r-
pent, or something horrifving.
"Will any one lift the cup?" he
said to the others.
No one volunteered to do so, but
all rather drew back.
At this he took up the cup himself,
and appeared to throw it into the
air, and there sat in its place q
beautiful dove, which few up and
alighted on his shoulder He took
1t in his hand, muttered over some
unintelligible words, seemed to cram
it into his mouth, and thai was the
last1 saw Of that alsa,
Psrfornad.-essh6 5tier tricks
lar to these .7aud eqneiaied with
the mysterious bag-which somehow
came into his hands, as did ali other
things e used, in q manner unknown
to myseif-was from two to three
feet long and about a foot wide. 1t
looked as if it was used to hold some
kind of -four, and l certainly saw
something like the dust of flour fly
fromit when he turned it inside out,
and beat it across his hands He
turned it back again, and tied up the
mouth of it with string, nuttering
a low incantation all the time. This
done he threw it on the ground, and
stamped on it, treading it all ont fiat
with his feet. He then stepped back
a few PAGES. and requested us all to
fix our eyes upon it. We did so;
and after lapse of perhaps thirty
seconds, we saw 1t begin to swell up,
Ikea bladder when being expanded
with wind. 1t continued TO swell
till every part became distended,
and it appeared as round and as solid
as if filed with sand. Its solidity,
however, was only apparent-for
when the juggler went up and placed
his foot on it, it yielded to the pres
ure, but Immediately sprung back,
or rounded out, as soon as that was
removed. He then jumped on it
with both feet, and 1attened it all
out as at first. He then went away
again; and the bag, being left to
itself as before, began to rise or in
fate, but this time as if some animal
like cat were inside it. In fact l
could see where there appeared to
he legs, and then, to my utter amaze,
ment, 1 may almost say horror, it
began to move toward me, as if i'm
PEELED by the unknown something
in it.
l do not think / am a coward
my worst enemy has never accused
me of being one at least-but / con-
fess that on this occasion my nerves
would not let me remain passive,
and 1 retreated from the advancing
mystery, and informed the magician
that had seen enough to satisfy me
of bis wonderful occult power. At
this he smiled grimly, walked up to
the bag and trod it down again,
picked it up and beat it with his
right hand across his left, and caused
it to unaccountedly disappear from
my sight, and then made his conclu-
ding salaam.
How these wonders are performed,
by what art, power, or magic--I do
not and never expect to know, l
conversed with many persons who
have seen quite as strange and un-
natural things, but never heard any
one give any explanation; that con-
sidered satisfactory. I simply re-
late what ! saw, but scarcely expect
any one to credit my statement, web
knowing that I myself would not
have received such marvels as facts
on the testimony Of the most reliable