The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-07-16
A RiNOOO MAGICIAN.
Marvellous Things Seen by Defender of
Lncknow and Not Sen by Hermann.

| Marvellous Things Seen by Defender of
Lucknow and Not Sc. IA by Hermann.
Ex-Sergeant-MajorW William Farrell,
! formerly of the British army. who
| spent about seventeen years in India.
| has been disturbed in his mind by
Herrmann's alleged expose and ex-
| panation of the wonderful fcats of
necromancy attributed to the Hndoo
coujurers. Hermann publicly de-
clared that most of the feats
were bungling sleight- of-hand tricks.
so simple that he would be ashamed to
repeat them. and that the rest were
lies. plain. ordinary. travellers lies.
| Herman said he had visited India for
the special purpose of studying the
| magic of that mysterious land. and he
never had seen Il Hindoo juggler do
| anything remarkable. but if the ex-
| Sergeant Major of Lucknow is not
Joe Mulhatton the great Hermann is
as far below the high-caste fakir of
the Puniaub as Merlin was inferior to
The Boss" in Mark Twain's veracious
history of the days of King Arthur.
Farrell wears upon his breast De
| fence of Lucknow" medal and 'long
| service and good conduct" medal,
which is proof that he was not Null
vanev, and didn't put his fut through
| the tin commandments twice a dav"
when in the service of the Widow. He
was Color Sergeant of the Eighty
fourth when that regiment was cooped
up in Lucknow.
Farrell declares that Hermann
must have seen only the bunglers
among the Indian jugglers. such rs in
fest the large towns and the ordinary
lines Of travel. He might be in In
,lia for years. said Farrell. ''and
never get sight of Il high-caste con-
iurer. | had been there a long time
before | saw one. 1t was in April,
1859. about a year after the siege,
when was one of large military
force then stationed at Lucknow. A
coniurer gave a performance in mess
antrroom. aud Col. Fielding of the
4 wal Artillery invited large number
of officers and few non-coms in
clnding myself to he present. Some
of the officers who were there are still
alive among them Gen. A. Herbert.
Sir IL. Havrlock Allen, Gen. Thomas
Lightfeot. Gen. Barton, and Dennis
Donohoe, now British Consul in San
Francisco all of whom will youch for
what | say.
The performer was n tall, hand
some man about 35 years of age, and
he had the most lustrous, penetrating,
dark eyes that ever were seen in Il
human face. He entered the room ac-
companied by one attendant. who car
red only little fiat box about ten
inches long. The attendant took from
the box white cashmere shawl and
spread it upon the floor. and the per-
former seated himself upon it. He
directed his gaze slowly upon each
one of the audience in turn and then
he said to Col. Lightfoot: will you
hand to Col. Cooper the sovereign you
have in your vest pocket?
Col Lightfoot said he carried
sovereign us Il pocket piece. but he
wondered how the conjurer knew tka...
As 4e spoke. he felt in his pocket and
Il look of surprise came over his face.
The sovereign was not there. The
performer smiled and asked Col.
Cooper to feel in his pocket. Cooper
did so, and to his own astonishment
found Col Lightfoots sovereign. which
he returned to the latter. Holding
the coin in his haatl Col. Lightfoot
asked the performer how he managed
it.
Manage what? asked the man.
''Iow dill you manage TO get that
coin from my pocket to Coopcr's?
II did not. 1t has not been out of
your own pocket
But here it is. said Col Liyhlfoot,
opening his hand. A look of blank
amazamrnt came into his face. for the
coin which he had just taken in his
hand was not there. The coniurcr
told him to feel in his pocket. and the
sovereign was there.
Before we recovered from our sur
prise Tie performer borrowed II mark
ed rupee from Col. MpnI @omnrv and
iaid il upon the shawl. Ike raised his
forciin@cr and the rupee stood upon
its edge, aud at a sign rolled half way
across the room and then stood still. AT
another sign it rolled back, and when
opposite the performer it spun rapidly
like Il top for Il moment aud then dis
appeared
when asked how he did it, the
man quietly replied that he had done
absolutely nothing. and that we only
imagined we saw the coin spin around.
The marked coin was found in Col. !
Mont gomery's pocket.
Then the basket trick was done but
not as Hermann describes it. A
basket four feet in diameter and three
feet high was taken out of the attend
ants little box before our eyes. The
COOKS daughter was called in and
placed under the basket. ana the next
we knew The conjurcr stood beside it
with spear in his hand. Nobody
could tell where the spear came from.
The man jabbcd the spear down
through the basket. the child s,rickel
and the blood flowed ont upon he
the floor. Several officers sprang for
ward with drawn swords, terribly cx-
cited. but the Iindoo calmly said;
Nothing has happened and tipped
tie basket over with lis bloody spear
Nothing was under the basket
The child came into the room through
the door. and rs we turned again 10 look
at the conjurer Ic WAS seated upon the
floor. ami The basket, spear and The
blood stains were gone.
He then .ook Il short stick in lis !
hand, threw the shawl over his arm so
as to conceal The stick. and instantly |
he seemed To be seated Gro -s-legyed in
the air. about tso feet above the floor
supported by nothing but the cane
under his hand. Lieut. Burns. an
arlilleryman. stepped quickly for
ward seized the sii;iA and twiichcd it
away. No rod WAS there, and the
man was seated upon the iloor. nj
though no movement OF his body had
been seen 10y anybody.
Then he placed u silk handkerchief
upon the floor, aud instantly il seemed
to be covered with a swarm of insects
golden aud irideseent heetles tiirs OF
brilliant hue-ail sqlrming aud rum
ninm alnnut | hmm in I.n ma. i.nyt