Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-07-10
HINDOO HYPNOTISTS.
REMARKABLE PERFORMANCES
OF INDIAN FAkIRS.
Each Band OF ConJurers Has Its Peculiar
Line OF Tricks and Performances
Which 1t Uses ms Spec
ialty Piece.

turned traveller in India They were
in shed-like building and had fenced
of one end by means OF ropes. This
was where they were to perform. 1t
was night but the room was we'll
lighted. They allowed full examin-
alton of their stage, but we learned
nothing of profit by it. Their most
wonderful feat was their first. All
three began whirling like dervishes.
This was kept up for two minutes.
Then they whirled together in the
center, and then they began to sop
arate. / counted four of them. This
was done again and again and the
number was augmented each time by
two and three new ones until a square
dozen were leaping and whirling be-
fore us. All this was done, too, on
solid earth floor, and no chance for
traps. After the twelve had whirled
minute or two, they whirled together
for the last time in the center and kept
it up with n dizzy velocity which
baflled the eye. Finally; they seemed
to be merging into one big man and
at last there he stood alone. The
others had disappeared. His two
original companions reappeared pres
entity, no one knew how, and the show
proceeded. l could not buy this
scheme either.
Another illusion | witnessed was
this. 1t was performed by band of
cOniurers who had great renown and
made speciality of it. There were
seven of them in the band, and they
bore quite "a burden OF properties.
A strange matter was that they limited
their audience to exactly seven people
and absolutely declined to add the
eighth for love or money. They would
only perform the trick every other
day. The performance came off in n
high and absolutely tight enclosure.
the walls being at least fourteen feet
in height. They stationed us-the
audience-at equal distances from each
other and surrounding the scene of
operations, distant from it about
twelve feet.
Our conjurers who were grave and
well-clad fellows. and evidently men
OF very superior caste, then gathered
about the center, squatting like tailors.
They began a hum drum chant which.
like all Hindoo music. was very ex-
asperating to me. At last, an old,
dignified operator arose. and going to
each OF us in the audience, stared fixed
ly in our eyes. For my part, | returned
his stare with the utmost nonchalance.
and even pursed my mouth into what
held 10 be certain merry and derisive
forms. However, it did not seem to
worry him any.
Having stared at the seventh and
last of us he stepped back among his
brethren, and taking large roll of
what seemed a knolted silk rope, as
large as big ten pin ball, he tossed
it into the air. | watched it, of course.
narrowly, and to my astonishment it
never came down but unrolled and
kept on until lost TO sight in the
heavens. There it was, rope de-
pending from the skies. the upper end
ont OF sight, as it were, in the clouds.
and fastened TO them. The singing
went on. Suddenly light and agile
young man sprang up, and, shaking
eff his loose, outer robe. said some
thing to No. l, and then, selling the
rope, began swiftly to climb.
He kept on and on, getting smaller
and smaller, until he, too. was lost in
the air above. The old man was gaz-
ing after him and holding the end Of
the rope as if TO steady it. All at once
he called after the climber in Hind
doostanee. An answer foated down
out OF nowhere. The old man yelled
back again and was promptly and APP
Darently not very respectfully an
swered. Now he fell into rage and
began hurting all sorts Of Hindoo add
jectives. epithets and maledictions after
the man in the air. A good many
were returned. it would seem, for his
rage grew. At last he turned 10 a
dark. Notwithstanding fellow and
seemed to issue n command to him. He
arose from little band OF singers cast
of his robe and taking a short. ugly
looking knife in his teeth, began TO
climb the rope. He too, went out of
sight
Then we heard shouts and cries in
the air, and next the arms and legs
and head and trunk of the first climber
began 90 tumble down among us. Next
down came the ruffian with the dagger
hand over hand, via the rope. The
several pieces Of the young man were
collected cloth was spread over them
I and grand song of mourning was in
dulged in by the bereaved six; the
murderer and the old man joining in
; as if they had ken no part in the
killing. When the song ceased the
, cloth was whipped of and the young
man sprang to his feet good as new
and sound in wind and limb. The
silk cord, too, had come down and lay
there in roll as before.
To say | was astonished did not half
tell it. / tried 10 bride an explanation
out Of the magicians, one by one but
got nothing but grave shake of the
head. ] thought of the matter and
consulted my companions. Our recol-
lections of the affair Tailed exactly.
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