The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1893-11-09
ToRTuREs THE FLESH.
Horrifying Tests Made by Fakir-Do-
- lngs Almost ReYond Ralfaf 80

ings Almost Beyond Belief. .-
I. The management of the Aquarium a
Westminster has the laudable ambition
to secure novelties but that ambition
has overreached itself in engaging the
"invulneradle fakir'' Hadj Sollman ben
Aissa. This young mans performance. a
described by Westminster Gazette. is
entirely unsuited for public exhibition
howeverinteresting it may be. 10 scientists
Sollman is "a pale-faced, muscular
French-speaking Arab, % years Of age
and he is said to be priest Of the Aissa
sect OF Mohammedans. Recently he gave
an exhibition of his powers to body O
medical and press men, and Mr.. Kitch1e
made no secret of the fact that the salary
paid to Soliman is one that some Cabinet
Ministers might envy. The general ap-
pearance Of the man in his Arab costume
was picturesque and his cast OF counten-
ance was ascetic. A brazler filled with
burning charcoal stood on table, and
Soliman. sprinkling some mysterious
powder over the embars, inhaled the IN J.
.cense-scented fumes. He then went
through the fakir dance, which, consists
of throwing the head backward and for
ward with such rapidity that it needs
must be screwed on we'll. Telling his
audience in splendid French that he was
now insensible to pain, he ran a long
needle through the muscels ct each arm
through each cheek and through the
throat below the Adam 8 apple. No blood
came except at call and the Arab did not
winch in the least. Then more object
lonable "feat" was accomplished Soil
mau ran g dagger into his abdomen.
about the middle fully three inches
deep. This was enough for some of the
au!dlenc, who left the hall. But there was
more to follow. The Arab with q thick
needle pierced his tongue, the tongue
beng, OF course, one Of the most sensi-
i've parts Of the human body. The fakir
lext drew out his left eye. as far as it I
would 90, with d agger. A medical gen
,leman declared afterward that it was
lone by dislocation. The eyeball is an
1nlovely thing-at least those parts of it
Which merciful Providence Keeps CON
'ealed-and the "feat" is as disgusting
q IL ls, happily, uncommon. The curious
hing about it was that there was norm
ling of water. 80
After this it seemed quite tame to see
he man take out half dozen vipers.
'rought from his native Morocco, and
llowy one OF them repeatedly to bite his
and. The venomous creatures we're q
title larger than those one often encount-
RS IN this country. Finally Soliman put
is barred arm over fire till the limb
lackened anb the audience cried, 'Hold.
noughV The flesh did not seem to scorch
all. Then there was repetition of the
ance, and the man went at such pace
aat he fell forward. He dashed water
yer his head, breathed hard and groaned.
nd made an exhausted bow to the audi.
nee .''t i3e 't ,tll 4 ? :
The medical committee was unap,m-
1s that the performance" was genuine, 1
at It I no one attempted to solve the riddle.
ne most probable explanation that oc-
1rs IS that the powder fumes serve as
anasthetic. The anthropologists of
.unlch seem to have been delighted |
lth the exhibition, but the general pub
OF the country, who raised a. ouultclr,y
'alnst the affair at the Chicago Exposi.
On. are much more likely to be siekened
ian satisfied. .,<3 i,s,,. ..' 's.'1 =