The Indianapolis journal., 1890-08-17
THE TRICKS OF INDIAN JUGGLERs.
They Are Said to Be Creatures of the Imagina-
ton. Being Produced by EypnOtism.


Frederick s. Fillmore is a Chicago man
who has Just returned from a trip around
the world. He had theory that the won
derfol-tricks of the East Indian jugglers
were performed BY the aid of hypnOtism.
To a Tribune reporter Mr.. Gilmore said:
I'VE had done West India pretty thor
Oroughly. and had spert some time In Cal
cutta, From there we went north. stopping
Tor short time at kajmahal and Dlnapur.
Prom the latter city we went south TO
3Iaya, which we reached In July last Less
ing and | had frequently talked over the
Indian fakirs and their marvellous perform
ances, and had determined upon max
ing a careful test of their powers
60 we wero constantly on the alert tforsome
frst-class juggler. One afternoon Lessing
rushed into the room where i was TAX
ing a snooze, and told me there was a
fakir In front about ready to begin
his performances. i was as pleased as
he was Neither of US had been able
previous to this time to see one of these
fellows, but we arranged little plan
which we were to put into operation when
opportunity offered. had been impressed
by theory that the explanation of all their
alleged supernaturalp would be
found in hypnotism, but did not know inst
how to get at it until Lessing proposed this
plan to test my theory. While the fakir
was going through his performances
IessDg was TO make rapid pencil
sketch of what he saw, while at the same
moment would take a snap shot with my
kodak.
being prepared to put this plan in oper-
alton we went out from our abode. and
there found the fakir and q crowd of ma
tives and one or two Europeans. The fakir
was a queer looking chap His hair was
long and matted, and bis beard hung low
on his breast. His only decoration was
copper ring or bracelet worn about his
- IL Al -..& III h. n1
bow. His eyes were remarkable both for
their brilliancy and their intense depth. If
i may so term it. They seemed to be almost
. Jet black. and were set unusually deep In
his head. When we stepped into the little
circle about him those eyes took us in from
sole TO crown. He had spread upon the
ground a coarse carpet of peculiar texture
about four feet wide and six feet long AT
his right stood a small earthen bowl, and
across his knees lay a strange looking mu-
81 cal instrument.
Having received the signal that all wss
ready. he took the bowl in his hands and
turned the contents-a reddish, sand-l1ke
mixture-out upon the carpet. He mixed
show that 1t contained no concealed OBJ
jects. Replacing the sand in the bowl he
stood it in the center of the carpet. several
feet In front of his knees, and covered it
with a small shawl. first placing in the
mixture several seeds of the mango fruit.
Then be played weird air on his pipe,
swayed back and forth. and as he did so
slowly took in each member of the crowd
of spectators with those marvellous eyes OF
his. The swaying and pipe-playing lasted
two or three minutes. Then he suddenly
stopped and raised one corner of the shawl.
We saw several green shoots two or three
inches high. Hereplaced the shawl, played
a little more on his pipe. and could have
sworn saw the shawl pushed three feet
into the air. Again he stopped and re-
moved the shawl. This time there was
perfect tree. two feet or more In height,
with long. slender, fiat leaves. Lessing
nudged me and took my picture while he
made a skeleton sketch. While we were
watching this creation of the queer old
man it seemed to vanish before our eyes.
When it WAS gone he removed the bowl and
spread the shawl on the ground before him.
Then there was more music and more sway
ing. more looking at the crowd; and as we
watched the dirty square or cloth he had
placed on the ground We saw outlined be-
meath 1t some moving object. As we
watched he grasped the shawl by each OF
two corners and snatched it from the
ground. Upon the spot where 1T had rested
but a moment before there sat the queerest
dimpled Indian baby that had seen in my
travels. Lessing kept hisnerve better than
did. would have forgotten what was
doing If he had not reminded me. L took
the picture. and he made his sketch. The
baby remained but n moment before Mr..
Fakir recovered il with the shawl. and,
drawing q knife. cut and slashed at the spot
where the infant sat. In another instant
no threw, away the shawl. and there was
nothing there.
I'VE had scarce time to recover from our
astonishment when the fakir drew from
under his knee ball of gray twlne. TAX
ing the loose end between his teeth he.
with q quick upward motion tossed the
ball into the air. Instead of coming back
TO him it kept on going M and up until out
of sight, and there remained only the long
swaying end. When we looked down after
4 h,l h.l
were all astoEished to see standing beside
the faklr boy about six years old. He
had not been there when the ball was
tossed into the air. but he was there now,
and at word from the fakir he walked
over to the twine and began climbing it, a
good deal after the fashion of q monkey
climbing grape vine. As he was starting
| got his range and made picture of him,
The boy disappeared wheiDhe had reached
q point thirty or forty feet from the
ground. at least we could not see him. A
moment later the twine disappeared. Then
the fakir arose. rolled up his carpet took
the bowl away, and passed among the
crowd soliciting contributions.
Il had no facilities for developing the
Kodak films and it was these Lessing took
with him, as well as q thousand or more
other negatives. to- be developed. The
fakir pictures. with few others, / re-
ceived this afternoon. After the fakirs
departure Lessing filled in his sketches,
and these he left with me. You'll see by
comparing the ones Lessing made with the
photographs that in no instance did the
camera record the marvellous features of
the performance. For instance, Lessing's
sketch shows the tree grown from the
bush. while the camera shows there was no
bush there. Leasing saw a baby. and so
did i, and he has got it In his sketch. but
the camera demon strates that there was no
baby. Lesslng's sketch of the boy climb
ing the twine is evidence that he saw it,
but the camera says there was no boy and
no twine. From which am compelled to
believe that my theory is absolutely cor
rect-that Mr.. Fakir had simply hypnotized
the entire crowd, but couldn't hypnotze the
camera. Pun going to write out history
of the affair and have copies made of the
pictures, and forward them to the London
Society for Psychcal Research. / have no
doubt 1t will make good use of them"
nuEEN