The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-11-16
The OOnjursrs of Old.

4uo JUL uEoIo VI O4us
The so-called spiritual medium of tn,
present day bears a closer resemblance, il
methods and manipulations, to the we'll
known conjurer of history than any othe
representative of the magic art. How fa
short he still remains of the performance
Of his prototype is illustrated below. Ii
1915 delegation of highly educated anC
distinguished men from the English Eas
India Company visited the Emperor Je
hangire. While on their mission the
witnessed many most wonderful perform
ances, almost causing them to discredi
their senses, and far beyond any hint ever
of solution. A party of Bengalese con
jurers and jugglers, showing heir art be
fore the Emperor, were desired to produce
upon the spot, and from seed, ten mul
berg trees. They Immediately planted
ten seeds, which in few minutes produc
ed as many trees. The ground divided
over the spot, when seed was planted
tiny leaves appeared, at once followed BY
slender shoots, which rapidly gained ele
vation, putting out leaves and twigs and
branches, finally spreading wide in the air
budding, blossoming and yielding fruit
which matured on the spot, aud was found
to be excellent. And this before the be.
holder had turned away his eyes. Fig,
almond, mango, and walnut trees were
at the same time under like conditions
produced, yielding the fruit which belong
ed to each. Wonder succeeded wonder
The branches were filed with birds of
beautiful plumage, fitting about among
the leaves and singing sweet notes. The
leaves turned to russell, fell from their
places, branches and twigs withered, and
finally the trees sank back into the earth,
out of which they had all sprang within
the hour.
The same conjurers performed series
of marvels. One of them produced q
chain fifty cubits in length. One end Of
this he threw into the air, when the chain
rapidly ran out its whole length, and re-
mained fixed in the air as if fastened
against the sky. A dog was then placed
upon the chain, when up he ran to the
further end, and at once disappeared heav-
onward. A hog, a panther, and other
large animals were successfully despatched
up this aerial pathway, and each in turn
disappeared from the far end. Nor were
they seen again; and finally the chain was
was withdrawn, aud placed in a bag for
convenient carriage.
Another had bow and about fifty steel
pointed arrows. He shotan arrow into the
air, when, 10 the arrow became fixed in
space at considerable height. Another
and another arrow was sent of, each fixing
itself in the shaft of the preceding, until
all. had formed a chain of arrows in the
cir, excepting the last shot, which striking
the chain, brought the whole to the ground
in detachments.
They set up two common tents facing
each other, and about bow shot apart.
These tents were critically examined by
the spectators, as are the cabinets of the
mediums, and pronounced empty. The
tents were fastened to the ground, all
around The lookers-on were then invited
to choose what animals or birds they would
have issue from these tents to engage in q
battle. Kahaun-e-J al.aun, incredulously
asked to see fight between ostriches. In
few minutes an ostrich came out from
each tent, rushed to combat with deadly
earnestness, and from them the blood soon
began to stream; but they we're so nearly
matched that neither could win the victo-
ry, and they were at last separated by the
coniurers and conveyed within the tents.
After this the varied demands of the spec
tators for birds or beasts were complied
with, always with the same results.
They took man and apparently severed
limb from limb, actually at last cutting of
his head, as it appeared. They scattered
these members along the ground for con-
siderable distance, and allowed them to
remain for some time. Gathering them
together, they spread over these remains a
sheet, under which one of the jugglers
crawled, and soon came out, followed by
the man who had been discovered, now
sound in every part. Neither was there
to be found about the place any trace Of
the thing that had been done.
A large cauldron was set, and into this
q quantity OF rice thrown. Without the
sign of FIRE this rice began to boil, and out
from the cauldron was taken more than
one hundred platters of cooked rice, with
stewed fowl at the top of each. This
trick is performed on a smaller scale by
the most ordinary fakirs of the present
day.
But space fails to give opportunity fol
illustration, from the records Of the past
how the miserably tame performances
by comparison-of the mediums of the
present day were pale and over-shadowed
by those of other days and more adroii
people. There is not a wonderful feature
in any of the so-called phenomena or man.
ifestations which was not. nay, which is
not now more than duplicated by other
skillful performers, whose connection with
earth and earth alone is too evident to be
doubted, even if the fact was not support
ed by their own testimony.