Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-02
TRIAL BY ORDEAL
Is Mode Of Procedure Among
the Bsshmins Of Mohrsfta.
WHAT FACING THEeops MEANS
a Remarkable s<ary Absat . Postal
Thi~f and shs Manner OF Ms
Beinx cosssct>d

6tDFF 81 Ii1t " or1E&h 4u< A@tfst1N
Of Il sone pears ago had ehargc Of
postal division On the western coast.
parts Of which had saloon II ever been
visited hy European officer. The
p~opls were Cor he most part simple
eoantxy folk and very superstitious-
Cne uaorninx the narrator rcceised IN
formation that eonxidscahls sum Of
money. forming part Of the eoutentso OF
the mail from . bead to sabofhee.
hsd besn stolen On the rad The
whole affair wss wrapped IN mystery.
The only cisw the police bad bean able
% obtain was that one runner. whom
NE shall call Rama. had since the then
paid OF certain debts In the village
which had long pressed upon him. but
there -ere no other suspicious eircurn-
stances. and the man had ten year,
good service Az . last resource IL Was
determined 10 rcsors 10 trial by ordeal,
and for this purpose IN aged Brahmiu.
who va supposed O. possesz occult
powers and IN be In caiiy communion
with the gods. wss consulted, and
readily undertook TO discover thethief.
All the runners-a goodiy array Of
sturdy Mahratta peasantS-were sum-
moned 70 the Office and. under the
guidance OF cheyla or disciple Of the
old Brahmin. we all proceeded 20 q
small deserted temple of Nahadeo, sit
u.tsd at some distance from the vii
lage. II was desolAto spot and bore
an evil reputation The temple. owing
10 some act OF desecration In the past,
had been abandoned and was almost
buried among weeds and tangled
brushwood.
The hour selected was about six p.
IN. and the long twilight shadows gave
the place weird. uneanny look. The
old Brahmin wss awaiting us, and a.
We approached appeared 20 be busy
muttering ineantationA The runners
all seemed 20 be more or less under the
spell OF the hour. but the look of real
fright on Rama's face was quite dis
tince Tho Brah;nin. having finished
hts lamentations. rose and. addressing
the raen, said: "You are about 70 face
the gods: TO the innocent the trial will
be nothing. bat 20 the guilty much In
the temple magic wand has been
placed on the altar. Each of you must
go In BY turns. take mp the wand and
turn round three times, repeating the
name of Mahadeo; the wand viii stick
To the hand Of the guilty one" By
this time IL was nearly dark. glanced
In through the door Of the temple. A
solitary oil buttee threw . fltful
Light on the altar. on which an ordi-
nary bamboo stick about two feet long
rsposed among grains OF unoooked
rice aud cue lines, the whole sprinkled
with rcd powder. A curtain was drawn
one az a time As each one appeared
the Brahmin seized HIS hands and
raised them To his forehead. and then
allowed him To pass on and join his
fellows. Coming 10 Rama he went
through the same pantornime. but In
stead of allowing him 10 pass on babe
him stand aside. When the last man
had gone through the ordeal the
Brahmin turned To Rama and said,
quietly: Tell the sahfb how you
stole the money"
To my utter anazement. continues
the writer. Rama fell on his knees.
confessed that he was the thief and
offered On show where he had hidden
the balance of the money. He had
succeeded In opening the mall bag
without seriously disturbing the seals.
The postmaster had not really exam
ined them and 80 their having been
manipulated had escaped notice. Need
less 90 say. the Brahmin was rewarded
and poor Rama was sent to repent at
leisure In the dktrict Jail Now the
natural question l.: How was IL
done7' Very simply. The temple. the
lonely glen, the uncanny hour. the In
carnations. all were merely Accessories
10 appeal To the supers;itions Of the ig-
norant PEASANTS. Tho magic wand"
was thiekly srnesred with strongly
scented sandalwood oil RAma'sguilty
conscience prevented him from touch
ing IL. as ho flrrniy believed the wand
would stiok "a his hands. and his. of
course. was the only hand that did not
smell Of the oil.