The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-17
P. II. SMYTH.
Observer Weather Bureau.
PERFORMANCE.
How He Placed an Eye on the Point of
Dagger.

q 00B BOIs
An extraordinary performance was
witnessed the other night at the ROYAL
Aquarium, says the Pail Mall Budget,
when Hadji Soliman Ben Aissa Ia mara
bout Of the Arab sect of the Aissaouas)
made his first appearance. He is tall,
well-made man, about % years of age
but has more of the European than the
Arab about him. In view of the extraor-
binary nature of his entertainment, a
number Of medical men and journalists
were invited, and a committee was
formed to see that no triCkery existed
The performance began by the Hadji
sprinkling incense upon some burning
charcoal and holding his head in the
smoke for about three minutes. AS far
as one could see he respired very slightly
while so doing, so that ne inhaled only a
little of the fumes. Then, after a kind of
dance, during which he swayed his
head and body violently to and fro, at the
same time holding his breath, he
announced himself insensible to
pain There was no ecstasy,
no yelling, no foaming at the mouth, as is
seen in the performances of dervishes on
the contrary, like Pet Mariorys hen, he
was more than usual calm,'' except that
his pulse was beating 100. Taking some
long needles he thrust one through the
each forearm, without giving any sign of
pain. There was no fraud about the mat
ter-the needles went in on the front of
Ine arm and came out through the back.
Inc same thing was repeated in the check
the point of the needle being passed
from within the mouth to the outside.
lie must have done this fairly often, for
the needle in the right cheek passed
through the mass of scar tissue, the re-
suit Of previous wounds, and this, of
course, Is insensitive. After thrusting a
large stilettO about the thickness of an
average penholder for some three inches
under the skin of the abdomen, and when
Ihls was removed transfxing his tongue
WIN another, he proceeded to the feat
Inscribed in the programme as taking
Gle OIL his eyes out of the socket, placing
II on the point of a dagger and replacing
without injuring the eye.''
VI course, curiosity was aroused to the
highest pitch. Was he like Mogs Ker-
PIdnne IN the ''Wonder-smith,' and would
ne put his eye on the floor to watch the
eulencei He took up the large stiletto
ana pressed it against the inner corner of
gne upper eyelid, at the same time pulling
uown the lower one. BY gradually NOV
1ug along TO the outer side of the eyelid
IInu pressing the stiletto inward and
backward, he pressed the eyelid toward
Ihe back of the orbit, so that the eyeball
was partially dislocated. Then he turned
70 the audience with the point of the
SSSlietto hidden under the upper eyelid.
MS was the apparent method of proceed
ure' though, as he held his hand over his
Eye, exact observation was difficult. He
SGen produced a handful of snakes most
VI " which had the typical shaped head of
tue 'euomous serpent, but one of which
n1o not. This one he selected and allow
g. IL 10 bite him. il was only about a
t S and half long, but easily
Nv blood The performance flushed by
~ Holdlng his arm over flaming wick
EuIcn he moved rapidly about. 1t singed
Us as arm and raised a small blister. Set
Hus ASIDE the case of the snake there was
ffpparently no trickery about the per-
++II[uance. 1t is not difficult to suppose
tnaJ the performer had trained himself
9ear pain without flinching; and, in
So except IN the cases of piercing the
IN VI the abdomen and transfxing the
80 Ie, Uhe various ''mutilations," as he
Ty-,t9u 1hem, would cause very little pain.
1ne piercing of the tongue is surprising,
III iOl me needle was fully one-eighth of an
Gu 81 IN diameter, and it is difficult to I'M
Co. SAND now the wound would heal up,
!. every medical man knows how hard
- 70 Keep wounds of the tongue ascep-
~ auu as far as one could see there were
ems OF similar previous wounds As
No. .he snake it must have been either
Nehonous or, if it were, as no poison
exr,-,S. we're visible, they must have been