The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-20
AMoDERN cAGLIosrRo.
Life In Paris of zouave Jacob, Modern
Sorcery's Chief Exponent.


La Vile Lumiere continues to maintain
Its proud title, though the light comes at
times from a questionable source. Like
most people. 1 was under the impression
that the Zouave Jacob died long ago, but I
have just found out that he is still alive and
devoting his miraculous powers to the cure
OF suffering humanity. The reader may re-
member that when he first made his apDear-
ance in public he turned Paris upside down
his sanctum was besieged by the lame, the
halt, and the blind of all classes; and such
was the scandal created thereby that the
authorities had to suppress him.
he then vanished from the scene. after
the manner of many other ephemeral celeb
rifles, and the ungrateful capital forgot all
about him until the QUESTION Of hypnotism
was brought before the assizes. Everybody
then recollected the wonderful soldier, and
inquiries made after him resulted in the dis
covery Of bis whereabouts He no longer
lives IN splendid apartment in the fash
lonable part OF the town as formerly but in
modest, one-storied house in the Avenue
Mcmahon, in the semi-respectable Quarter of
the Ternes. He has a small garden and
larnyard, N which he Wiles away his leis-
ure hours.
The garden is embellished with three ar
four statues Of mysterious dlvinites resem-
bling the wise men of Greece. He receives
a number of patients daily, but his cLiente Le
is not composed of dukes and duchesses a
of yore, the nobility and aristocracy have
deserted him, and their places have been
taken by poorer folk, whose lack of distinc-
tion, however, by no means diminishes their
faith.
DIR. Jacobs consultation is fixed at Q
o'clock punctually. Let US enter. In a
room 70 feet long by IL feet wide, and seated
on forms. are about forty persons, men,
women and children, all afflicted with some
sort of malady. Examining them closely
we soon perceive that the majority belong
to the working classes, such as cooks, clerks
and cartmen, interspersed with few small
shopkeepers. They were all engaged in ami
mated conversation concerning the most
recent cures of the gifted Zouave At the
end OF the room were an organ and a piano,
on which stood the busts of some more
divin1ties. On the wall was long strip of
white calico, bearing in large black charac-
ters the name of ''Iesus Christina" who is
supposed TO have been Hindoo philosopher
and great curer Of the sick many, many
ceneuries ago, but whose identity with
Jesus of Nazareth Is as plain as pikestaff.
JACOBS APPEARANCE.
As 3 o'clock struck a door opened and
Jacob entered. A death-like silence imme>
diately followed. Advancing TO the middle
fxedly on the ceiling, and remained motion
less. He was invoking the spirits. Az he
stood there all eyes were turned on him. He
is man of medium stature, with silvery
locks and hard features. He looks about 60.
He was dressed in white flowing robe with
a hood thrown back on his shoulders. AL
together he might be mistaken for a holy
friar. At length, after a quarter of an
hours invocation, the spirits listened to
him. He then marched solemnly round the
forms, questioning the patients as he passed
before them.
"Where is your painGn was his chief in
quiry.
Some said in the head, some 10 the stom-
ach and others in the heart.
Point out to me the place, " he reioined,
"but don't mention the organ which hurts
you The spirits know them ALL"
He then laid his hands on the spot indi-
Gated, and rubbed it gently.
'And nowP' he asked.
~ suffer a little less, was the answer.
Again he passed his hands over the
place.
"And nowP'
''The pain has gone,n was the reply.
This was the case with nearly all on whom
he operated.
Coming to an old woman he looked at
her aud exclaimed:
"As for you, don't come here any more;
you bring the black spirits with yOu they
act against us. You are sent hither by my
enemies. Take care I don't see you here
againln
The old woman bowed her head. but said
nothing.
Having gone his round, the Zovave re-
turned to the middle of the room and pro-
ceeded to explain how to get rid of certain
infirmities which it was not always in his
supernatural power to remove. He en-"
larged on dropsy, corpulency and the like.
One elderly person said as proof of the
efficacy of the advice he had given her, that
not long ago she weighed 240 Kilograms,
whereas now she weighed only 100, and
hoped to weigh only sixty in few weeks.
The seance was now brought to an end.
Jacob receives no fees, but the patients
buy the pamphlets he has written; some
pay / franc some 10, but all pay something
for them. In this way he turns the law
against quacks. who are not allowed to &C
cept fees.
Now" he cried, in a deep-toned voice,
waving his hands slowly in the air, Ego
your ways"
All obeyed save the old woman. who,
believing herself to be bewitched, insisted
on remaining to be cured. According to
the Zouave, she went once to magnetizer,
and ever since had ga black spirit in her
stomach" He was obliged to turn her
out by force, and thus got rid of his pro-
fessed enemy.
THE MYSTIC FLUID.
Jacob then volunteered to reveal how he
discovered that he was blessed with the
mystic fluid" which healed the sick and
suffering.
after serving in the Lancers at Lyons"
he began, 81 Joined the Zouaves. At that
period / had already been initiated into the
science of spiritism. One day we were
ordered to the camp at Chalons, where
Marshal Regnault de Saint-Jean-d' Angley
was in command. In one of the villages
through which we passed on the way was
sick man whom all the doctors in the world
were unable to cure. / invoked the aid OF
the white spirits, l laid my hands on him,
and he was instantly restored to health. l
must admit that all my cures were not SO
rapid. The news of this cure soon spread
throughout the country, and a dozen in
valids followed our regiment to Chalons In
the hope of obtaining relief from me.
The marshal at first forbade me to speak
to them, but as the poor creatures would not
leave us he finally consented to my pacify-
ing them. l cured them all. l then left
the army, and in a short time my fame be-
came universal. The fame was justified by
the great number of miracles which had
worked, and which are all the less open to
objection or danger in that employ no
remedies, and rely solely on the touch Of
nv hand