Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-03
Tht. JUCGlERS OF JAPAN.
Marvellous Tricks Performed in Rude
Way, but Defying Detection.

Up over the stage hung banner
with the name of the theatre in illum-
mated letters, and in with it vignette
heads of ''Ecce Homo" and mater
Dolorosa," with a view of the three
crosses on Calvary. This was explain
ed by the fact that a cruciixion was
a great thing on the program. Cruel
fxion is the old mode of punishment
in China and Japan, and still in use in
! the former country, so that the idea of
presenting such scene is not wholly
sacrilegious, although certain effects
introduced with it made it the most
grotesque combination of sacred and
profane things. For this execution
scene the juggler came on in full
military uniform, half covered with
gold braid and buttons. He looked
like Salvation Army General, and his
assistant was also in military cut. The
lights were turned low, and while q
rough cross of poles was being set up
the General played wild discords on a
weary old melodeon and his orderly
worked an ancient accordion. A rack
was brought out, and later two women
were brought on and bound, the one to
the cross and the other to the rack.
( The General dosed them with some
thing, apparently chloroform, played
another weird tune. and then in the
scope. This scientific testing of the
| patients heart-beats took the Japan
csc part of the audience. The excite
ment deepened. After that the Gen.
| eral took sword and apparently
plunged it through the body of the
| PROSTATE woman on the rack, who
writhed in such realistic manner that
it was hard to hold to the red paint
and spring blade theory. Next the
| woman on the cross was stabbed with
shears, but of that proceeding the
ladies of our party only heard, as after
the horrible sight of the woman on the
rack faces were covered and faces
turned from the sickening spectacle.
The Japanese cheered wildly as the
bodies were carried back and appar-
emily thrown into lake, but in few
minutes they came walking on the
stage in bedragged foreign dress and
| wildly feathered hats.
The show left a most unpleasant i'm
preston upon one, and, although /
have seen a small boy put in Il boiling
caldron and apparently cooked for ten
minutes and woman held under
water for quarter of an hour at
time, none of them caused such sick
ening shudders as this crucifxion.
Of jugglers there are no end in
Japan, swell japanese always having
them at any large entertainment of
theirs. One old man who could give
Heller points goes around in a single
cotton gown with two baskets full of
properties over his shoulders, and, put
ting them down anywhere, performs
his tricks with audiences encircling
him. A hat full of coppers rewards
him sufficiently, and he goes on, to eat
fire, spit out eggs, needles, lanterns.
and smoking pipes at the next place.
At recent Japanese dinner foreign
guest determined to have ne optical
delusions about what the juggler did.
He never let his chances be distracted
and was not once off his guard. Motto
ing this the old juggler played to him
entirely. An immense porcelain vase
was brought in and set in the middle
of the room and the juggler, crawling
up, let himself down into it slowly.
The skeptic then sat for half hour
without taking his eyes from the vase.
that he had first been convinced was
sound and firm and stood on no trap
door. After this prolonged watch the
rest of the company assailed him with
laughter and jeers and pointing to his
side, where the old juggler had been
seated tanning himself, and had been
seated for some minutes. The skeptic
was dumfounded and wanted the trick
repeated, but the whole company pro-
tested that he had had fair chance to
catch the wizard and had failed.-Yo-
Eolsama letter IN the st. Louis Globe
Den10c1.nE