The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-11-13
INDIAN NECRONANCY.
a Magician. Buried for the Space OF Thirt
Days, Energies Alive from his Graye.

'meululnlStC trance, OF COlllh, inc aCC'uh
which follows was written for the iniorma
ton Of Col. II, S. Olcott, one of the dispu
/, tants, in the form of u private letter by gen
tleman who, ut the time of the occurrence de
/, scrbcd, was major on the general stati II
the British army:
New YORK, oct. s, lS1j.-DEAR Col, or
G COLT: Since we spoke on the subject OF an
cient Asiatic nccromany or magic now un
= derstood, | believe, as occultism, ii occurs Il
= me TO write you short account OF the buria
and resusCitation OF magician In the las
Indies, rs | witnessed ii.
V Some years ago when in India, VISITED
the Raiate of Puttiala, where resided rici
' and powerful baboo, by name Lall Chunder
j This gentleman was fond, occasionally, o.
entertaining his friends with various exhibi
T.: tons Of native cunning, including genuine
necromancv and to this end invited magi
clan of note, one Meechum Doss TO give an
exhibition of his powers of being burned
alive, and then eXhumed and resurrected at
ter some time had elapsed Meechum Doss
was to receive considerable sum in silver
rupees for the performance, and the time
named by himself to be quietly inurned'
was tour weeks,
| On certain day, the baboo having called
his friends together in durbar, or court, they
came from all parts, on elephants, camels,
and horses, 10 witness the show. The dlvan
! of the babOo was in the centre of "a circle,
while all the greater and lesser magnates sat
around enjoying their hookans, and elated
, with the noise of the tumtum wallahs and the
excitement of the nautch dancers which were
preliminary to tAe main object of the eXhibi.
tion Near the center of the circle u grave,
zealously guarded, some five or six feet deep.
had been prepared, and by it coffin WAS
placed. In due time the blowing of trum-
pets and sounding of gongs announced the
advent of Meechum Doss. He was dressed,
as magicians usually are in the east very
plainly, but very well; middle.aged man
in fine linen, who looked as If he Jared stump
tuously every Cay, though curried rice eaten
with the fingers was doubtless his only food
He descended from the gaily caparisoned
elephant on which he had travelled and made
many gracious salaams to the assembled
crowd. Having invited full inspection of
himself, the coffin and grave he proceeded
to perform various incantations by the aid OF
a fire which he kindled, and into which he
threw what appeared to be aromatic spices
He then spread over himself garment on
which he pronounced magical words
All this time committee, of which | was
a member, appointed for the purpose by the
baboo, wa. watching his every move very
closely. At length, after the various turns
and twists of his body, which were sometimes
very violent, he appeared to lapse into rigid
state, with his eyes and mouth closed, after
which he fell back into She arms of an atten.
dant MephiStophiles who accompanied him.
He was now placed in the coffin, which was
securely closed and scaled. Then commenc-
ed the task of lowering the casket some five
feet, which was done in a manner that would
have excited the envy of New York undeltak-
ers The hole was filled up and well batter.
ed down, guards provided by Baboo Lall
Chunder being placed over it.
After the interment, notice was given that
elimination would take place four weeks
thereafter, at which all were invited to be
present. The tum-tum wallahs and the
nautch girls resumed their operations and
noise, and the immense crowd dispersed in
a very orderly manner on the Camels, ele-
phahts and horses.
At the time appointed was again present
when the same lnitiatory ceremonies were
enacted as at the buryng, aud everything
was as before, except that the people looked
solemn and talked in whispers, wondering
among themselves whether necromancy could
make the grave give back her dead.
The sentries who had kept guard ans, watch
were paraded, and testified that they had done
so faithfully for four weeks. The grave was
then dug into until the coffin was reached.
Everything was found in the order outside,
and upon the coffin being raised the seals,
which were of metal, were found untouched.
The box was opened, and there reclined Nee.
chum Doss looking tranquil. He was taken
out. Ills body and face presented the chilli
ness and rightly of death, but there was no
sign OF decomposition. According to orders
given by him to his family before burial,
he was well champooed from head TO foot
and given some decoctlon TO swallow upon
returning animation, which occurred in u
very short space Of time. External heat ap.
pearng, the limbs became gradually relaxed,
and then the opening of the eyes, which had
n sort of somnolent appearance
Shortly after the elixir had been given him
he stood up IN his right mind and salaamed
to the committee and those around him.
When asked how he felt, and where he had
been to he said that Brahmah WAS good, and
that he had enjoyed close fellowship with
their godshIps Bramah and Vishnu, in the
bosom of the sacred rivers and on the tops
of the mountains,
This was highly satisfactory to the specta-
tors, who began to congratulate themselves
that no coroner's inquest was necessary,
Wnllc OlUeTS Oh ucVOllOndl TURN, WOuld no
doubt have consented TO be buried alive forth
with If they could but have been sure of en-
joying the same distinguished privileges.
The crowd were now loud in their vindi-
cations, some calling on Mahomet and Allah,
others on Brahmah, Visnnu, aid Gale and
all the calendar of Ilindoo detles, which, by
The way, is by no means so large as another
calender of canonized saints that know of,
MceChum Doss was now escorted in tri-
umph before the assembled crowd, and the
noise on all hands was something terrific.
The magician made made salaams and atlec-
tiOnately embraced his attendants.
give you the matter as saw II occur, and
II may, at all events be pleasing TO some TO
hear OF the way In which the easterns amuse
their friends, and what the magicians, even
in these latter days, can accomplish.
Yours, very truly,
EDWIN WYNDHAM LAwRY.
"a Noble Roman Matron,"
! To the best OF our recollection, lie was an
] Arkansas CLERGYMAN who had bpen accISpl of