The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-10-16

stored her 70 life aud hea!.a.
THE MEDIUM HOME KTvALED
According 70 Mr.. Goodwin. in his
.Hi>.nl1 D.; the Necromanrpr~. ' il was
a eomluu., .,-lcrice at the Tis.,,. lie wrote.
fifty year ago. for Juggier. IL the mar
ket-Diaces of the English towns TO make
the scales of balance move at com
mand. alternately ascending and de-
scending.
THE ORDEAL OF FIRE.
Much stress has been laid by the advo-
Gates of Spiritualism upon the ability of
the medium Home to handle live Goals
without injury or showing a scar. He
has been seen TO put red-hOt Goals on
7. his head. and the hair was not singed
The fire ordeal is a very old and IA
miliar one to necronancers. One of the
most ancient feats of magic was the art
/ of breathing flame. During the insur-
rection of the slaves in Sicily, in the
| second century before Christ, a Syrian
named Ennus acquired by his knowl-
| edge the rank of their leader In order
! to establish his influence over their
| minds. lie pretended to possess miracu-
/ lous power When he wished to inspire
( his followers with courage he breathed
flames or sparks aE-ong them from his
mouth, At the same time he was rOus-
ing them by his eloquence. st. Jerome
| informs us that the Rabbi Burchochebas,
/ who headed the Jews in their last revolt
| against the Emperor Adrian, made them
believe that he was the Messiah by vom-
iting flames from his mouth. And at
! later period the Emperor Constantius
was thrown into state of alarm when
| Valentinian informed him that he had
seen one of the body-guards breathing
out fire and flames. Sir David Brewster,
who quotes these instances i'll his inter
esting '4etters on the Natural Magic"
was not able to explain the exact meth
ods by which these effects were pro-
duced; but he said Florus informs us
that Ennus filled a perforated nutshell
with sulphur and fire, and having con-
cealed it i'll his mouth, he breathed gent
ly through it while he was speaking.
this act is performed more simply by the
modern juggler Having rolled together
some fax or hemp so as to form a ball
the size of walnut, he set it on fire,
and allows it TO burn until it is nearly
consumed. He then rolls round it while
burning some additional flax, and by
these means the fire may be retained for
ment of his exhibition he introduces the
bail into his mouth. and while he
breathes through it the fire is revived,
and a number of burning sparks are
projected from his mouth. The sparks
are too feeble to do any harm, provided
he inhales the air through his nostrils.
Tie kindred art of
WALKING on BURNING GOALS
or red-hot iron belongs to the same an
tiquity The priestesses of Diana at
Castabula, in Cappadocia, were accus-
toned, according to StrIbo, to walk
over burning Goals and at the annual
festival which was held in the Temple of
Apollo. at Mt. Socrate, in Etruria, the
Hirpi marched over burning Goals, and
on this account they were exempted
from military service, and received other
privileges from the Roman Senate. The
power of resisting fire was ascribed, even
by NarO, to the Use OF some liniment
with which they anointed the soles of
their feet. OF the same character was the
art of holding red-hot iron in the bands
or between the teeth, and of plunging
the bands into boiling water or melted
lead About the close of the seven
teenth century an Englislnman named
Richardson rendered himself famous by
chewing burning Goals, pouring melted
lead upon his tongue, and swallowing
melted glass. Brewster says that these
effects are produced partly by deception
and partly by previous preparation of |
the parts subjected TO the heat. The |
fusible metal composed of mercury, tin, |
and bismuth, which melts at a low tenn |
perature, might easily have been substi |
tuted in place of lead, and fluids of easy |
ebullition may have been used in place |
of boiling water. But though the con-
jurers with fire may have availed them |
selves of these singular proprieties of |
individual bodies yet the general secret |
of their art consisted in rendering the |
skin of the exposed parts callous and in |
sensible to heat-an effect which may |
be produced by continually COMPRISING |
or singing them till the skin acquires |
II horny consistence.
HoUDIN's TRICKS.
One of the most adroit jugglers of the
present age was Robert Houdin,
Frenchman, who, for many years, gave |
fashionable entertainments i'll Paris.
Houdin wrote his autobiography, and
related many curious feats performed by
him in the course of his professional ca
reer. On one occasion he was invited to
display his art before King Louis Phil
ippe and his court at the chateau of st.
Cloud. Houdin invented a trick espe-
cially for his royal and noble assemblage,
and received unbounded applause for
his success. He borrowed from the
King and his courIiers six handker-
chiefs, which he made into parcel and
laid on the table. Then, at his request,
different persons wrote on cards the
names of places whittier they desired
their handkerchiefs to be invisibly trans
ported When this was done lie begged
the King 10 take three of the cards at
hazard, and choose from them the place
he might consider the most suitable.
Let me see, said Louis Philippe, what
this one says, L desire the handkerchiefs
TO be found beneath one of the Candida
bra on the mantlepieee'." ALI. that is
too easy for sorcerer, so We will pass
on to the next card: The handker-
chiefs are to be transported to the dome
of the Invalidcs.' That would suit US,
but it Is much too far-not Tor the
handkerchiefs, but for US All, ah."
the King added, as he looked at the last
card. Il am afraid, Monsieur Hobert
Do you know what this card proposesE
HOudin, with a respectful bow declared
that he did not. Well, -" responded his
Majesty, lit is desired that you send the
handkerchiefs to a spot beneath the
roots of the last orange tree on the right
of the avenue of st. Cloud" Houdin
affected the utmost nanchalance '-Only
that, sir" lac said. ''Deign to order and
will obey The King gave certain di-
rections in a low voice, and Immediately
a number of his attendants hurried off
TO the orange tree TO watch l. He then
said. Il select the orange tree HOu-
din's first business now was TO send the
handkerchiefs on their travels. So he
placed them beneath bell of Opaque
glass. and, taking his wand. ordered
them to fiy TO the spot the King had
chosen. He raised the bell; the parcel
was no longer there, and a white turtle
dove had taken its place. The King then
walked quickly TO the door, whence he
looked in the direction of the orange
tree TO assure himself that the guards
were there. and when this was done he
bepan To smile and shrug his shoulders.
s.Ah, Monsieur Robert Houdin.- he |
said. ironically. Il fear much for the
virtue of your magic staff" Then he /
added a. ne turned 10 the end of the /
room where several servants were stand |
inr. Tell William TO dig Immediately |
below the last tree at the end of the ave /
nue.. and bring NE carefully what he |
finds tbara-if he does find ANYTHING -