St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-07
periOr Manufacturing company at Easi
Superior. Loss, 100000; insurance, Si5s
GOO N@
HOOK SWINGING.
n Bautal Exhibition Which Is Be-
ing Revived in India.

ing Revived in India.
Having heard that the old cruel prac-
tice of hookswinging was about to be res
vivpd, after having been abolished for,
twenty-five years, the Madura mission
directed me to memorialiZe the Madras
government, and pray it TO prohibit this
revival. says a Madura letter in the
Missionary Record. The government
replied that it world discourage itin
every way. but was not willing to ab-
solutely prohibit it, This discourage
ment amounted 70 nothing at all, andit
came off OH the 21st inst. in the pres
tnce 10000 people. DR.. Van Allen and
l went out to see it, for the sake OF being
able to give an authentic account OF 1t.
There are tour little villages in the
vicinity of Solavandan inhabited by the
people of the Kellar or Robber caste.
In each village is a family that has
the right of selecting two candidates
for the operation. Out of tha eight
thus chosen one was selected by lot.
and the lot fell upon young man of
twenty-three years, thick-set and muscu-
lar, and rather short of stature.
These people worship the demOness
Mariamman, SAID to be the spirit of
pariah woman. who formerly was al
tackled by smallpox and was left TO-
die without assistance. She has now
become the patron of smallpox and
cholera, and is believed to have the
power to send or withhold rain, and
hook-swinglng is thought TO be a means
of propitiating her. so as to influence
her to send rain in abundance.
In 1861 this practice was revived,
after having been prohibited for many
years. But, upon representation to
Lord Napier at that time, he again pro-
hiDited it: and now, after tWenty-fOur
years, the people, having learned from
the present power that it would do no
more than discourage it, have revived
it again with great eclat.
1t is said that, previous to the inser-
tion of the hooks into the middle OF the
back, the muscles and skin are rendered
insensible by slapping and pinching.
However that may be. there is no doubt
that arrack was given to the man at the
time. He was brought to the police
station with the two hooks inserted
back to back, one each side of the spine.
The hooks were not large, and the flesh
taken up by them seemed very little.
The wonderful strength of the muscles
in the back was shown by this perform
ance.
The car consisted of rough platform
on wheels. supporting. a great frame
about 10 feet in length and breadth and
Is feet in height, the platform itself be-
ing feet from the ground. Up through
the middle of the great frame rose
stout circular beam of great strength, 3
feet above the frame. and on top of this
beam was piyoted the pole, 60 feet in
length, from which, the man hung 35
feet from the ground. 1z.....
Promptly at o'clock the hooks were
inserted within some building, and the
man came rushing along the street, eS-
corted by cOnStab1eS and others, who
beat back the crowd and kept up Wig
orous tanning. After the short stay at
the police station they made a great
rush for the car, which stood on an adj
jacent street, and there the end of the
sweep was lowered to receive its victim.
Soon it was carried up again with the
man attached. AS he went up. he
clasped his feet and hands together in
measured way. and NthiS he kept up
during the whole performance. His
ankles had jingles on them that could
be heard as they beat together with
sturdy ''ehing! chingw
Before carrying him up to the great
est height the ( tle was held horizontally,
and the man was carried around iD a
complete circle, swinging around over
the tops of the houses. Then the car
was drawn forward to the first corner,
where it was delayed that kid might
be sacrificed. Once in while the man
would draw up with a rope plantains
and flowers and throw them down to the
crowd below. In one place there was a
ditch to be crossed. and the jolt caused
him to seize the rope that hung by his
side, but. with that exception, he seemed
to hang entirely by the two hooks in his
back. The flesh was gathered up, show
ing great tension. and his back was
bent.
After an hour and quarter the car
returned to its starting place and the
man was released. The hooks were not
taken out, but were kept in that they
might move the people to be more lib
eral in giving presents to the performer.
His pulse was good and his condition
seemed normal, but the flesh of the
back was so drawn up so as to leave
deep holes for the hooks. He put on an
air of bravado, and even offered to swing
1or second time if suitable present
should be given. 1t was only in the
evening that the hooks were taken
out.
The image of the goddess was carried
around on a wooden bull behind the car,
but the great object was to get money,
and for three months the man can have
the hooks and cord and knife used to
show people and beg for presents.