Wichita eagle., 1888-06-02
ASTONISHING FEATS.
TRICKS PERFORMED BY AN OLD JUG
GLER IN INDIA.

| GLER IN INDIA
Miraculous Transformations Of q BAN Of
Twine - The Rose and the Cup-A
Deadly Serpent - Another Wonderful
Piece Of Deception.
While travelling through India. between
Surat and Nagpore. my body servant one
day informed me that great juggler and
snake charmer wished to have the honor
of showing me something OF his skill.
Ny servant withdrew and presently re-
turned with small withered old man,
about whom | saw nothing remarkable
except the eyes, which were small, black
and piercing. and seemed to have light
ming imprisoned in them. do not know
whether the man could see me in the dark
like cat, but there was at tines that
peculiar fiery appearance OF the balls
which is so often observable in night
prowling animals.
He wore a white vest, Turkish trousers.
kind Of crimson petticoat worked with
strange device, turban of many colors
and morocco shoes pointed and turned up
| at the toes. His arms and neck were bare.
and with the exception Of a couple of heavy
gold rings in his ears, he displayed no ex-
traneous ornaments His age judge to
be 60, and his short mustache was almost
white He made slow salam and then
suddenly produced-from where did not
see and cannot tell-a large ball Of twine
which he appeared to toss In my lap.
keeping hold of one end. so that it IN
rolled the whole distance between him
~ TON ha
did SO:
'.Win your excellency please examine
what you sect"
Now. honestly aver that saw that
| ball of Irvine when he threw it as plainly
as ever saw anything in my life-saw it
come toward me. saw it unron and ap-
parently drop into my lap, so that 1
brought my knees quickly together to
catch it, and yet when l put my hand
down to take it, and looked down for it, it
was not there-nothing was there. and at
( the same instant perceived the juggler
dancing it on the end of his finger
WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION.
docs your excellency think have it7"
/ he said
And before l could answer ! saw in
place of the ball a beautiful large red
rose which he was balancing by the stem
and yet he had not altered his position
in the least. nor scarcely stirred finger
While yet ! looked, | saw in his right
hand cup and in his left a rose. He
stepped forward a few feet. laid the rose
down on the ground, and placed the cup
over it.
Here it will be observed. there was no
machinery to assist him-no table with
its false top. concealed compartments and
confederate, perhaps, to effect change.
as we see similar tricks performed in .
place fitted by magician for the purpose
but only my own quarters, in the full
light of day. with myself closely watching
every movement, within five feet OF him.
and my attendants grouped around almost
as near
Having covered the rose with cup-as
! would be willing to take my oath, for
saw the rose as distinctly as the hollow
vessel held by the top, went slowly down
over 1.-THE conjurer resumed bis former
place, and said:
"Wll your excellency be kind enough
to lift the cup and see what is under it?"
Of course, | would have wagered
heavy sum that the rose was still there
for one thing. because, expecting some
trick, had kept my eye on 1t to the last
moment, and was certain there was no
possibility Of it's being removed after
hand had let go of the cup at the top.
l complied with the request, stepped
forward and raised the cup, but instantly
dropped it with cry of terror-for there,
instead of the rose, was one of the little,
deadly green serpents Of India, coiled up
and ready to spring, with It's small
glistening eyes fixed intently on mine.
Snakes Of any kind are my horror, and
this one not only Mortified me, but all my
attendants. who with cries Of alarm en-
larged the circle very rapidly. for they
knew it's bite to be fatal
''It Is perfectly harmless, your excel
lency," grinned the old man, walking "
to it, lifting it by the neck, putting IFS
head in his mouth and allowing it to run
down his throat.
THE TUBE AND TwTNE-
He next produced tube that looked
like brass, about two feet long and half
an inch in diameter, and next the ball of
Irvine again. Where these things came
from or went to | could not tell They
seemed to be in his hands when he wanted
them; but l never observed his hands
passing near his dress either when they
appeared or disappeared. When looked
for the cup that had lifted from the
snake it was gone, and yet neither myself
nor any Of my attendants had seen this
wonderful man pick it up 1t was indeed
jugglery, if not magic, OF the most I'M
questionable kind.
Through the brass tube the conjurer
passed one end of the twine, which he put
between his teeth. He then put the tube
between his lips, threw back his head and
held it perpendicularly, with the ball Of
Irvine at the upper end Then suddenly
the ball began to turn, and turn rapidly,
and gradually grow smaller. till it entirely
disappeared, as II the Irvine had run off on
a reel What turned it or where it went
TO no one could see. The juggfer then
set the other end up. and new bali began
to form on the top, but apparently rib
bon of half an inch in width and different
colors. These rolled up as II on q bobbin,
till 1t formed wheel two or three inches
in diameter, when the performer seemed
to toss ribbon and tube over his shoulder,
and that was the last saw of either.
he next produced what appeared to be
the same cup had lifted from the snake,
showing something that appeared to be
an egg, advanced the same as before and
placed the latter on the ground and the
former over Is. and again requested me to
open it. which declined to do, fearing
should see another serpent or something
equally terrifying.
Al this he took up the cup himself and
appeared to throw it In the air. and there |
sat in its place q beautiful dove. which |
few up and ahghted on his shoulder He
took it into his hand and muteered over
l.