The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-07-11

EaS;-EGe Genjlemaniy HIBdoO-
; row &c Yade The aGngo Tree
Er0@-smashIns Watches gHf
ErTHlng HandkercbIeTs--
GOW Criminal Lawyer
WoaIG Account far
the Murder
Trick.
was smoking my chIDDuK Oh tn
wide versndsh of d bungalow, o
Government inn, one day in India
1t wss In January, but tine weathe
was intensely hot and my Oak gshrra
with its rough, unframed horses, ha,
stopped here for midday rest. Ny
Hindostanee servant, with an unprO
nOunceabIe name, whom l had nick
named Handy Andy" on account OF
certain unhandy ways, aud q merry
twinkle OF the eye that indicated M
lack OF Hibernisn humoI, came up "a
the porch and, with q salsam, said
would SAhib like TO see coniurel
make tricks ," "Yes bring him on. ,
l suspected the fellow WAS consulting
his Own fOndness for amusement
more thar mine, but it was too hot tC
sleep, and / was ready for any thing
that wOEld kill time. A tall, fine.
looking HindOO, with Il cleaT-cut in
telligent face, and eyes that looked
straight at you, with no Indication OF
"ways that are dark and tricks that
are vain," next appeared on the
scene. He WAS dressed in the ordina-
nary long white robe OF his race, with
a rich cashmere shawl wound round
his waist, and his salutatiOn and
manners were respectful, without the
least shade Of servility. He was fol-
lowed by two attendants. carrying
the various implements OF his pro.
fessiOn, which they spread Out before
him, and a dozen or two hangers-on
OF all ages grouped themselves at a
respectful distance to enjoy the free
show. The ground in front OF the
bungalow was paved with large, fiat
stones, and upon one of these the
eoDjurer seated himself, curling his
legs under him in Oriental fashion,
and asked in Hindostaneee, "What
special trick would the Sahib like to
see ," At the same time he barred
his arms, long, well formed, buL not
muscular, and united his shawl to
open his robe and show me that there
was no concealed mechanism about
his person. told him through Han
dy Andy that | would like him to
perform the Mango trick-which 1
had seen once before at Delhi without
being able 10 penetrate its mysteries.
He nodded assent, and, taking a box
about ten inches square, filled it with
earth, and in Ii planted . mangO-nut
about the size of an English walnut,
having first handed it to me for ex-
animation. He then made q frame
work, or tripod, of three sticks, six or
eight feet long and tied together at
the top, placed it over the box, and
covered the whole with a piece OF
white muslin. The only thing thus
far that looked like charlatanism was
8 muttered incarnation, rolling up his
eyes, with Outstretched palms, as IL
appealing for aid 10 some higher
power.
Again seating himself not more
than ten feet in front OF the VeTandah
he went through the most astOnish-
ing performances OF slight-Of-hand
tricks, suck as swallowing swords,
tossing bells In the air, drawing from
his mouth cOlOred ribbons of inter-
mlnable length, &c, some OF which I
had seen before, but never In broad
day light. He borrowed my watch,
and after mashing it to flinders it was
mYsteTiOusly returned unhRrmed to
my pocket. He burned my hRndker-
chief, then poured from a vial some
elixir upon the ashes, and the linen
was restored to me without any smell
OF fire upon its hem. These and
many other equally curious things he
did for nearly an hour, with the
most intense gravity of manner, and
an sir of candOr that WOnld dIsarm
suspicion. My eyes were wide open,
and watched him SO intently as
scarcely to wink, and yet / was un-
able to detect single flaw or account
for one of these transformations.
Some OF the tricks he repeated at
my request, but the result was the
same. At the critical moment his
motions were quick as lightning. In
all cases where fire was used l no.
tieed that he either poured some llq-
uid Or threw whitish pOwCer upon
the flames, which produced for an in
slant a dense smoke, and left a pun
gent aromatic Odor in the air.
In the mean time the MangO.tree
was growing. -Four times, at inter-
walls of ten or fifteen minutes, he rails
ed the muslin cover to report progress.
The first time sprout three OF four
inches long appeared, at which he
expressed satisfaction, and carefully
watered it from RsmalI sprinkling-pOt.
The next time it was q foot high, and
the leaves seemed just forming. The
third time it was fully two feet in
height, and appeared TO be growing
most vigorously. At the close OF his
other performances he tossed aside
the envelOping cloth and tripod of
sticks, and 10 there was MangO-tree
or bush about five feet high, with
perfectly formed leaves and branches.
He brought 1t to me, and l satisfied
myself beyond question that 1t was a
real, live tree by breaking Off a branch
which 1 kept for souvenir. He then
pulled it up by the roots, to which
was attached the nut partially decay
ed and covered with fine fibrOus
sprouts. He then emptied the earth
from the box to show that nothing
was concealed within 1t.
When 1t is borne in mind that all
this was done In broad daylight, with no
person usually near him, the perform
er's arms being bare TO the shoulders,
and seated upon q stone pavement,
il is not surprising that the bystanders
seemed filled with amaZement not
unmixed with awe. 1t was plain
that they considered him in league
with the evil spirit or gifted with su-
pernatural power. Their faces would
have been to me an interesting study
IL my attention had not been so closely
riveted on the cOnjurer.
Throug Handy Andy offered him
twenty rupees il he would disclose to
me secret of the MangO-tree. l then
doubled and trebled the offer, but he
only shook his head, and presume a
Thousand rupees would have been no
l rewarded him a gen.
erous "tip," and for the moment re-
gretted that was not Snowman by
profession. II l could only have Sc
cured his services for an American en-
there would have been
"miilions in it."
The wonderful tricks of cOnjuTy and
juggling which are sometimes wit
messed in Oriental countries may well
make one distrUst the evidence of his
senses. While l claim to be specially
matter of fact, without the slightest
faith in the supernatural, / have in
vain puzzled my brain to account for
the nlOdIS Operdndi, and sometimes
rubbed my eyes to make sure L was
1t excited my wonder and
to witness the skill and
of the performer, but
never for moment doubted that IL
was a trick which could be nationally
In the East the profession
of cOnjurer inspires dread. He is look
ed upon as in league with the devil. |
The ordinary Oriental mind does not
seek to penetrate his secret, but takes
1t for granted that he possesses super
natural powers. His imagination is
easily excited, and belief in magic
is universally accepted as part OF his
religious creed. In the holy books of
Buddha the magic arts open a short
road to attain that perfection OF power
and wisdom which eliminates In the
cessation of sensible existence. The
more refined and learned class OF
Buddhists repudIste and despise the
grOsser exhibitions OF common magic
and chRrlatanism, but as the common
people will not dispense with these
Hanna