The daily gazette., 1877-10-17
THE INDIAN BASKET TRICK.

1Ever since the capture of the strange
empire of India by the English. or tor
more than hundred years, the civilized
Gus feats performed BY the native Jug
glers. Naturally, Houdin's announce
merit of the Indian basket trick made q
great sensation. The curtain arose and
disclosed a wicker basket of oblong shape
standing, upon what appeared TO be q.
light table, without any cover upon 1t.
The juggler entered, dragging Q beauti-
wearing robe of white cashmere en-
broidered with gold, while upon his
head waved a peacock's plume held by q
diamond star. he. ..u li'a'1C-l o1Dlt
"Mercy mercy !" cried the child ar
"No-no mercy. You are an Indian
and a prince, and must die" was the saw
F'I am only child, J" cried the Innocent
s'That will not prevent my killing
= with piercing shrieks the child broke
away and rushed to the side wing, only
TO be seized there by his executioner,
who, lifting him in his arms, plunged
strappipgdownth the cover. Then he took
his sword, and having tested its sharp
ness by striking it in the, focr, he thrust
1t in the basket again and again, while
the victim inside gave the most heart
rending cries of pain and agony. Each
time the sword was pulled out it was
seen to be covered with blood, while the
sobS and groans from the inside of the
basket grew fainter and fainter, till at
length they ceased, and ghostly silence
ensued. During this scene the excite
ment among the audience was intense.
Ladies hid their faces behind their fans !;
some wept aloud men shouted hoarsely
"Enoughf' The smiling juggler bowed,
and proceeded to unstrap the basket,
! which he turned, mouth upward, to the
audience, showing 1t to be entirely empty.
In the midst of the applause which fol-
lowed from the amused and relieved au-
dience, the little Indian prince was seen
to be seated in a box in the centre of the
auditorium, kissing his tiny hand to those
about him, as well as to his friend the
executioner on the stage. i.i'
This trick was performed with the aid
of looking-glasses inserted between the
table legs-a contriVance now commonly
used in pantomimes and other show
pieces upon our stage. But it was new
Thing then, and the scene was remarka-
bly, well played by Houdin and the child.
As soon as the boy got in the basket he
opened a trapsdoor in the bottom of it,,
which was placed over a corresponding
opening in the table. Hidden by the
looking>glass, he crouched below be-
tween the table legs, and shrieked and
for him to descend through q trap in the
stage, and so pass around to the box in
the front OF the theatre. A sponge full
of red liquid Was placed at a certain
spot inside the basket, and the sword,
passing through this. seemed to be drip>
ping with blood. 1t was imperative that
the juggler should not pass in front of
the table, else his legs would have been
reflected there, and that would have dis
| closed the entire secret. Houdin became
dissatisfied with this trick, and made
many improvements in it, which the
jugglers of our day have still further
perfected. 1t is palpable that this can
not be the way in which Indian jugglers
perform the trick in the market-places
or other pablo squares In, broad day
light. They have no looking glass table,
no traps through the earth. ......,f
yHuudin's theory concerning them was
that their basket had an opening in it
either at its front or its back, and that,
while buckling and strapping down the
cover, with the knee lifted up and press
ed the basket as if to tighten the leather
strap more securely, the child crept out
under the bent knee, and hid beneath
the voluminous robes of the juggler.
Then. while the sword is piercing the
basket, and the child's sobs are most
heart-rending, the crowd gathers in
compact mass about it, and into the
crowd the child easily escapes without
being seen, and runs away. At the
proper moment he comes running back
as ii from a distance, and of course the
astonishment of the crowd is unparal-
leled, for the basket has in the mean
time been opened and shown to be empe
ty.-OLIvE LOGAN, in Hdrper'S MdgdzGae
TOR NoUember. 49,. & q v p r. >-'