Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-23
OLD TINE AND MODERN JUGGLERY.

the question of Indian jugglery. There
are very many people who have made this
iugglery by the various Indian tribes of
earth mark of curious study, and 1T will
interest those, and probably many others,
to glance at Colonel MaIony's paper. He
relates that Paul Beaulieu is an Oiibewa
Of mixed blood, aud is interpreter at White
Earth agency. Some thirty years ago he
had a rather interesting experience with
Jossaleed at Leech Lake. Beaulieu
had heard of the marvellous juggling of
the man, but having no faith in it, wagered
him Sl00-a large sum for an Indian
against goods of like value that he could
not do a trick of his repertoire that Beau
lieu should select, TO the satisfaction of
himself and a committee he would choose.
\ medicine lodge was constructed of 10
and L foot poles, filed with twigs and COW
cred with bark and blankets. At the top
was an opening of about one foot in diam.
eter, but too small to permit mans body
to pass through The Jossakeed was adj
mitted by flap entrance at the bottom of
the tent Beaulieu selected twelve persons
as a committee, all reliable men, one being
the Episcopal clergyman at the agency.
There were several hundred spectators
standing all around, but none were al
lowed 10 come near to the tent. The JOS
sakeed was stripped 50 that only his
breechcloth remained. Beaulieu then tied
him with a rope, of his own selection, at
the ankles, knees and wrists. The arms
were then stretched over his knees and
bar Of wood thrust between the Bonded
knees and the arms, thus keeping the lat
ter down. The mans neck was then
tied down 10 his knees In this oondi-
tion he was carried into the lodge and laid
upon 4 mat, and upon his thighs
was placed, by his direction, fiat
black stone from the river. No sooner
was The flap put down than loud noises
were heard inside, as of humping and
beating and the light framework of the
lodge swayed to and fro with great violence
This appears TO have been too much for
the clergyman who left, vowing that the
evil one" was at the bottom of the affair,
and he, therefore, would have no more to
do with it. 1t is reflection upon his
cloth that he took this action and lacked
the courage TO face the manifestations as
did the unregenerate who remained
Presently loud inarticulate noises were
heard in the tent, the motions of the frame
gradually ceased, the Jossakeed was heard
speaking, directing Beaulieu to go to
house near at hand and get the rope
Beaulieu, instructed the eleven remaining
committeeman to guard the tent beyond
any possibility of communication with it
on the part of outsiders and departed for
the house, in a few moments returning
with the rope and knotted precisely as he
had tied II about the limbs and neck of
the Indian. He asked leave to look in at
the Josakeed, and permission was granted
on the condition that Beaulieu would not
attempt to touch him. He found the
Indian sitting in the middle of the lodge
smoking his pipe, the black stone lying
near him. The committee decided that
the Jossakeed, or Shaman, had satisfactor-
lily performed The feat, though he insisted
that the spirits had been the real per-
formers, and BeauHeu paid over the 500.
The trick, however does not appear to
be much more skiliml than similar ones
played by mediumistic pretenders of a
higher state of civilization. Beyond the
fact that the rope, or one apparently the
same, was found at the house without it
having been passed outside by the flap en-
trance or roof-hole, which had been left
for the ingress and egress of the Spirits"
the trick was not up to the average of cab
met frauds of the montebanks of to-day
When il is recalled that the Hindoo Jug
glers have been exposed in the bamboo
and mango tree-growing trick, and that it
has been discovered that they have tun-
mel beneath the spot on which they oper-
ate, communicating with confederates at
considerable distance, it is not difficult to
understand how the Josakeed could have
arranged matters 50 as to win his $780, So
far as freeing himself from the rope bonds
is concerned, that is now well-mder-
stood rick, and the claim is no longer Sc
riously preferred that the Spirits tie or
unite the knots, or remove the ropes I'M
knotted. Colonel Mallory recites that:
Al odanah. on the Bad River Reservation.
and al Bayfield, both in Wisconsin. he obtained
some variants of the above performance, as seen
AZ different times and places, and by several
witnesses. The Shaman at one time was tied
up, much as before mentioned, but with all of
his clothes on; tsh-net, however. being tied
above his Clothes enve!oping the who c per
son and horse bells were attached TO his body.
so as to indicate any mo ion. When examined
Afterwards the clothing had been entirely
stripped from his person, the nets and ropes
and bells placed in separate pile in the lodge
and thu clothing itself was found by direction
under designated tree, mile OF the Indians
Of the committee, one of whom was his inform
ant running LON the lodge at their highest
speed 20 the tree, and there finding the cloth
ing, and stating the impoSsibility Of its being
transported by any human agency in advance
OF their arrival. In another case, occurring st
spart. About hundred Indians surrounded
the space occupied by the two lodges. with
LSntSu tOrG0eS, giving the brightness OF Gay,
and line or b0nfires was built and kept in
fame over the space intervening between the
two lodges. The deviation in this case was by
the bound Shaman in one lodge being found
unbound in the other.
Yet these stranger cases are susceptible
OF explanation upon the theory of con
federates and tunnels, Moreover, tie
witnesses appear to have been Indians
whose superstitious beliefs untitled them
to Judge the performances fairly, and who
could be easily blinded to the maneuvres
Of confederateS. Early in the history of
America all the Indian tribes had iugglers,
those of the New England region being
the more skilled. The Puritans and
French Catholics held their performances
TO be at the instigation and by the aid of
Satan. This at once cast doubt upon the
witnesses, and all their accounts of the
wonders of the Indian soreerers must
therefore be received with a great measure
OF inc7eiulitr. Ef the feats of those
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