Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-21
HINDU LEGEROEMAlN.
What Mr.. S. +. Robinson Saw in India.
B0yhSa IEJdR

What Mr.. S. F. Robinson Saw in India.
Bosha H1ad.
When he entered the room he spread a
white cloth upon the floor and sat down
upon it with his back to the wall, the door
OF the room being on his right hand. h's
spectators were disposed In the following
fashion: Mr.. Smyth eat on chair nearly
in the middle of the room. was sitting
on g sofa near the door, the Psrsee mer'
chant stood in the doorway about arm i
length from me- The servants stood about
in groups, the largest group being between
the door and the coDjarer. As soon as be
bad settled himself be turned 10 the Psrsee
and asked for the loan OF q rupee. The
peddler at first demurred little, but on De
inc guaranteed against loss he produced
the coin. He was going to put It INTO the
copiurer' hand, but the latter refused, and
TOLD the Passee to hand 1t 10 Mr.. Smyth
bearer. The bearer took it, and at the re
quest of the conjurer, looked ct 1t and de
clared it to be really rupee. The coujurer
then told him to hand it 10 his master. Mr..
SMITH took it, and then followed this dis'
logue:
Coniurer-Are you sGre that is a rupee?
Smyth-Yes.
Coniurer-Close your hand and hold 1t
tight. Now think Of some country IN Eu-
rope. but do not tell mo your thought.
Then the coniurer ran Of the names OF
several countries, such az France, Germany,
Russia, Turkey, and Amortization the ne
rive Indian il under the impression that
America isin Europe. Alter a moments
pause Mr.. Smyth said he had thought OF a
country. -, .,,
Then open your hand" said the jug
- zee what you have got, and tell me
: !, "a hin Of the country you thought
u !, was a 5 franc piecc.. and Mr.. Sny.n
asd thought of France. He was @o''s -
hand the coin to the copjurer, but the lat
ter said:
No; pay it to the other sahib.
Mr.. Smyth accordingly put the 5frsnc
piece into my hand. looked closely at 1t,
hen shut nv hand and thought of Russia
When | opened it found, not Russian,
out a Turkish silver piece, about the size
Of the 5-franc piece, or Of our oSn crown
piece. This / handed to Mr.. Smyth and
suggested that he should name America,
which he did, and found Mexican dollar
IN his hand. The coin, whatever 1t was.
had never been in the copjurers hand from
the time the rupee was borrowed from toe
Psrsee merchant. Mr. Smyth and his
bearer had both of them closely examined
me rupee, and Mr.. Smyth and l turned
over several times the 5 franc piece, the
Turkish coin, and the dollar; so that the
nick did not depend on q reversible coin.
Indeed. il could not, for the coin under
vent three changes, as has been seen. |
need only add, for the il formation of read
ora who know not India, that rupee IS
only about the size of form, and there
tore about halt the weight Of 5franc
piece. I'LL,
He did another trick almost equally as
wonderful As before, be was seated on
Vbite cloth, which this time, think, was
,sbleclo,h borrowed from The mess sergeant
He asked some one present TO produce
rupee and to lap it down at remote edge
OF the cloth. The cloth being three or ioui
cards in length, the Coujurer could moi
nave touched the coin, aud in fact, did moi
! topcb il He then asked tor Signet ring
/ several were offered him, and be chose out
one which had very large oval seal, pro
isctipg well beyond the gold hoop on boz
sides This rirg he tossed aud tumoied
several times in his hands, now throwing
into the air and catchiOg 1t, then shaking
il between his clasped hands, sill the nm'
mnmb6pV half insrticalate words IN som'
/ Bipdostanee pstois Thea, setting the rms
down on the cloth at about half arm
lIsno,b in front of him. he said slowly and
distinctly in good Hindostsndee:
Ring, rise Up and get the rupee. In
rinw rose, with the seal uppermost: an
resting on the hoop, slowly with q KIND Q
dancing or Jerking motion, 1t passed owe
the cloth until it came to where the rupe
Wss ON the remote edge, then 1t lay COW
ON the coin. The corjurer then salo
SR;nu Law hold of the rupee and bring
10 ms" The projecting edge OF the ses
seemed to grspple with the edge OF 10
coin; the ring and the rupee rose mo !,
kind of wrestling attitude, and with u
same dancing or jerking motion the w.
retprned TO within reach of the luggler
I have no theory to explain either
,bess tricks. | should mention, howeve
4 that the iuggler entirely disclsimed all 8
. nernatursl power, and alleged that ne pc
: iormed his tricks by mere slight OF nan
II will be observed that he hsd no prepaf
ton Of his surroundings, no mschiner
!. and no confederate.