Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-01-18
The Way They do in France

| @AAS w W A44NJ N0 AN = AeAASN
! The Paris correspondent OF New York
paper writes hs follows concerning curious
book which hes recently been published al
Para by M Leo Taxi, who recently held
high grade in Masonry, but who has now
forsaken the craft, owing to reasons of a Pc
itical nature. The work gives detailed
description C.! the constitution, rules and
rites of French Masonry:
"The pos;uiant," says the author, latter
being conducted through labyrinth Of pas
sages, is finally shut up in narrow little
closet. and is ordered to drew up his last will
and testament, The walls of the cell are
black and adorned with skeletons, DEATHS.
heads and cross-bones There is NO window,
I and gas-.ght gives dim light. The fur.
nltute consists Of table and a stool. On
the former are placed skull! and cross
bones Suddenly the gasight is extioguish.
ed, and sliding panel opening in the wall
reveals cavern lighted with sepulcrsl
lamps. a decapitated head lying Oh blood
stained napkies meets the gaze, and voice
sounding from ths vail against which the
candidate leans, exclaims in ewe.iDspirug
tones that the head is that OF g periured
brother who had disclosed the eecrets of the
| order. The means employed for this trick
are very simple The block on which the
bsad appears to rest is hollow and coaoeals
| the body of the performer, who holds his
eyes shut and his mouth slightly open.
| The sepuchrhl lGmps are the result of cam
| phoric spirits mingled with coarse salt, which
| burning with greeni.h light, give g csday-
| erous appearance &c the head. The awful
| tones of the voice are obtained by talking
| down speaking tube. Some CT the panels
| in The wall are of ground glass, behind
-, L., =; 90
| ing moving spectres increasing in siZs and
apparently stai ting forward to devour the
postrant, or marked men of life size who
appear to be stabbing an individual bound
| band and foot with cords.
''At length, When tha opening ceremon-
les arc terminated, the Master directs that
The pcstulant bo summoned. The latter,
before leaving his cell, is stripped of every
gestige of clothing, q cord is tied around
his waist, and mask put over hs face so
as TO blindiold him completely. Thus at
irad, he Ia conducted TO the door of the hail
where the lodge is in session, and, after
knocking three times, is admitted and plac
ed between two pillars at one e8d Oft the
room, the point of sword being held SO as
to slightly prick his breast. After long
| Kind of cstechism has been gone through
with, aud The postulant has expressed his
reaGiiaees to submit to the terrible t,ia' J 10
which ho is about to be- exposed, the Prehi
dent gives 90 order 10 plunge him into the
cavern. immediately two muscular beth
! ren SEIZE biIn and fling hm backward into
= frame covered by several sheets of stout
| nsper, which is held in so inclined position.
| OF course thu paper gives wsy aud the Can
ddate falls at full length on 6 mattress
placed on the ether side. At the same me
,uent the door is banged to, and an iron
ring shaken up and down notched iron
| bsr makes sound IS of an enormous lock
| being turned several times. The candidate
| Is then subjected 10 further catechism,
sitting between the two pillars on stool
| bristliDe with nails and resting on uneven
! feet While in the act of taking the oaths
tho cup OF oaths, fatal to perjurers. is
handed to him. The cup ia divided into
two compartments, which turn on pivot.
| The one coutains water, the other an ex.
ceedlngly bitter concoctiou. At the mo-
ment when he commences the formula OF
tbs cath he is given some of the water to
taste, and at the wordi ife ever l break my
OATH :he upper part of the cup Is turned
| imperceptibly round sc that the bitter brink
Is brought to his lips.
"He Is then started off on what s called
the first journey, which is weary perma'
bulation Of The lodge from east to west.
First the candidates are made to work very
slowly, and then he is dragged along bur-
rieGly Suddenly he Is stopped and told to
| duck his head because of 8 vault, and then
| be is warned that there are obstacles to be
crossed, and is made to jump. Next he i5
told that there are steps to be mounted, and
that be must lift his right foot, and as there
is nothing of the kind he naturally stumbles.
Ho is taken along planks on rollers which
give way beneath him. He is forced to
climb over planks like see.saws, which sud.
deuly throw him into space. But the most
absurd trial is that of the endless ladder 1t
is ike treadmill, up which the candidate
climbs YEARLY, like squirrel 10 cage,
without ever getting any further. One of
the brethren, seated quietly at bis side,
holds his hand, drops it, and nudges his arm,
as though he were following him, thus com.
n etiue the illusion. When the candidate
ls thoroughly exhausted snail platform is
| fitted to the top of the steps, which he at
| length is allowed to reach. & number OF
| brethren surround him waving large fans,
aud voice excaims: We are now fifteen
hundred feet above the sea. Throw your.
self into space While the unfortunate vic
tin hestates be is pushed from behind, and
falls distance of about six feet on to mat.
tress.
MEAN while noiees, such as thunder, hail,
wind, etc are Produced by machines, with
which the ledge ia provided for the purpose;
and the din is increased by frightful shrek.
ing, bowling and crying on all eides Fl
neiiv the disheveled and perspiriug candi.
date is dragged to the West Point. where ne
receives strong shock from galveuic bat.
tery, while at the same time one of the
brethren strikes him violently on the chest
with his malet. After being questioned as
to his readiness TO shed his blood 10 defense
of the order, his arm is pricked with lam
Get, few drops of tepid water from mar
row-necked bottle fall On to the PATIENTS
flesh, and the remainder is poured noislly In