Morning journal and courier., 1890-06-09


his fingers in startling proximity to his face. |
Observing his visitors look of unfeigned sur
prise. he explained that this was done to |
scare away the devils who might have other |
wise seized the opportunity to jump down
his throat.
How strange it seems to us, this practical |
belief in devils, and fear of them, combined
with so insultingly low an Idea OF their intel
igence and power! once heard, however,
an odd instance of the same fear and get
contempt for unseen powers shown by An
English lady in the beginning OF this century
"a bishops wife, tooi-who was afraid OF
ghosts, and If left alone In the house would
whistle as she walked through the passages
at night in order that the ghosts might take
her for man.
BELIEFS ABOUT THE DEVIL.
The scriptural belief In possession BY Q
devil is held to this day BY the natives OF
India, and very recently case came before
an English magistrate in Bengal In which .
Brahmin was charged with having caused
the death of lad by his attempts to exercise
an evil spirit. The boy had been made to
lie on his back, In the presence of his parents
and other sympathizing relatives, while the
priest danced on his chest, calling on the
name of his good, 80 Baal, hearl" But
whether the god was sleeping, or whether
the devil in departing took with him the
boys own spirit, cannot be known. Tho
boy died and the civil surgeon, knowing
nothing of the nature of exoroism, reported
that he had died from injuries caused by the
priest.
Like the Russians Of the present day, the
Hindoos think it brings person i'll luck to
be openly admired or praised, and If you
should praise or even look to admiringly at
child the mother will hastily withdraw It
| from notice, and either beat 1t or say some
thing disparaging Of it In order to counterfeit
your i'll omened admiration and avert the
| jealousy of the gods.
The belief in some form of ordeal for prov
| ing the guilt or innocence of an accused per.
son Is another of the past which we western
| era have outgrown and cast aside, but which
still forms part of the practical belief of the
| people in India.
DETECTING THIEVES.
| OF this remember an instance occurring
| within my own experience, on the occasion
of robbery having been committed In my
house, when the police summoned the whole
of my servants to the police station in erdez
that each one might separately and solemnly
be pat to the test. Il was droll sight to
see the procession setting forth on this mis-
sion, headed by the magnificent Khansama
and the imperious bearer, and failing of
through minor dignitaries down to the indif-
ferantly clothed coolies who brought up the
rear. The ordeal Is conducted by Mohsm-
GUS invocatiens over the Koran, which is
then pronounced to have the power OF point
ing out the guilty person by opening miracu-
lously at a condemnatory passage when
touched by him.
A factor in this experiment, doubtless
much, even if unconsoiously, relied upon TO,
bringing it to succassful issue, ia the power
of superstitious fear over the conscience oil
the guilty person. To most natures the idea
of being discovered in this supernatural and
awful manner is so terrible that the culprii
rather than risk 1t will make voluntary con
fession, and go deprecate the heavier angel
of the gods reserved for those who defy
them On this occasion tho Koran unhesita
tingly pointed ont one of the servants as tht
thief. Whether he was innocent, a. h
maintained, or merely unimpressionable an6
hard Of heart a. we had much reason for be
lieving, cannot say-but confess he would
not, and, living as we do in the Nineteenth
century, ne could not be imprisoned on thu
sole testimony, however conclusive, OF thu
Koran, nor, owing to the modern prejudice
there exists against applying Torture, coule
he be made to confess. The condition.
which made trial by ordeal so generally sue
eessful in tho ages of faith are altogeths
wanting in the present skeptioal and scrupu
lous generation.
SUPERSTITION IN THE COURTS
; The reproach of skeptisism cannot, how
ever, be applied to the Hindustanis. Thei
powers of belief are ehildlike. I was ono
taken to see a miraculous spring that hat
; suddenly appeared in q dry and barren spot
and was bringing in much wealth to the faki
who had appointed himself its guardian
1t was very small-scarcsly to be discernet
J until pointed ous-and Of little faith evel
} thought in secret that 1t could be produces
by the holy mans pouring in water ever,
night. But small as the hole, he suoket
thereout no email advantage, for the PEG
} pies faith is large, and crowds of pious per
sons made pilgrimages to the divinely fav
ored spot.
: Curious instances might be collected from
, the records of Indian law courts ILLUSTRATIVE
: of the old world beliefs of the people, whiol
: are brought at times into such strange col
lison with the legal forms of procedur
established by our modern lawyers. A maj
was once being tried for murder when he pu
| forward plea such as could only have 90
CURED to an Oriental and to Q believer Il
the transmigration of souls. He did NO
! deny having killed the man-on the contrar
he described In detail the particulars of tn
murder-but he stated In justification tina
his victim and he had been acquainted in
l previous state of existence, when the nov
! murdered man had murdered him, in proc
. of which he showed great seam across hi
, side which had been the sword cut that ha
ended his previous existence. BE furthe
said that when he heard he was again to b
sent into this world he entreatsd his maste
) to excuse him from coming, a. he had pre-
sentiment that he should meet his murdere
and that harm would come of 1t. All thi
!: he stated in perfect earnestnsss and simple
, ity, and with evident conviction of its trut
: and foroe-a conviction shared by q laYs
4 number of those in court.
A Kinx,s share OF water.