The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-03
TRIAL BY ORDEAL.
A IL markabie story iron, India About
Catching n Thief

The narrator OF this story some years ago
had charge Of postal division on the western
yi.t,ed nv EnEonean Slcer The ne AMI wers
fer tho most part simple folk and very SUPER
stltious. One morning the narrator received
Information that a considerable sum OF money.
forming part Of the contents Of the mail from
head g sub Office. had been stolen on the
road. The whole affair was wrapped in mys-
terry. The only clue the police had been able
to obtain was that one runner, whom We shall
call Rama. had since the THEFT paid on certain
debts in the village which had long pressed
upon him hut there were no other Suspicious
circumstances. and the man had done 10
As a last resource it was determined to re-
sort 70 trial by ordeal. and ior TINS PURPOSE an
aged Brahmin who was supposed TO possess
with the gods was consulted. and readily un-
dertook to discover the thief Al the runners.
were summoned to the office, and under the
guidance Of u cheyla or disciple Of the old
serted t TEMPLE Of Ma6Sdee. situated at some me
distance from the village. II was q desoate
sp9t, and bore an evil reputati.n. The temple.
had been abandoned and was almost buried
among weeds and tangled brnshwood.
long twilight shadows gave the place q weird.
uncanny look The old Brahmin was awaiting
m ms aeq ms canotions the Iuaness ou All
seemed 10 be moro or less under the spell OF
the hour. but the look OF real fright on liama's
finished his ncaniations. arose, and address,
ing the men, said: You are about to face the
gods: 10 the innocent the trial will he nothing,
but TO the guilty much. In the tenn pie magic
wand has been placed on the altar, Each OF
you must 20 In hy turns. take up the wand and
turn rounu three times, repeating the nameof
Mahadeo, the wand viii stick to the handof
the guilty uur
Rythi-trne il was nearly dark. glanced
in through tho door Of the temple. solitary
Uil huttee threw ilttul light on the altar, on
feet long TepOsed among grains OF knocked
rice aud mt lines, the whole sprinkled with
red Row Ter, curtain was drawn across the
door and the men entered one at time. A
each one appeared the Brahmin seized his
hands and raised them to his forehead. and
lows. ing 10 Rama no went through the
same uautolnime, but, instead Of allowing him
o. pass on. babe him stand aside When the
last man had gone through the ordeal the
lrthmn turned to Rama and said quietly:
Tell the sahib how You stole the money"
70 my utter amazement Hama FOL! on his
kUre+ confessed that he was the thief and
offered 10 show where he had hid the balance
ut the money. lie had succeeded in opening
tlpluail Tag without seriously disturbing the
scgl-; the J. stmRster had not really examined
them, amt 80 their having been manipulated
bad "scIped notice; Needless to say. the
lsrahmin was rewarded and poor llama was
sent To repent at leisure in the district IAil.
Vow the natural question IL. How was IL
ionrt Very simply Tho temple. the lonely
si"n, the un"hnny hour tho incaItatiOns. all
a"f" mere accessories 10 appeal 10 the super
-tl'lyus Of the ignorant peasants. The magic
SHuI was lhcklY Smearcd with strongly
.oIeuce pr"l ented him from touching n, as he
iruly believed the wand would stick to his
lGnCE. and Ms. OF course, WAS the only hapj
hat did not smell OF the oil.