The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-24
HoBNoBBED WITH MAHATMAs.
Baldwin Is an American, but the Hin
docs Took Him Into Their Conf
dence,
From the New York World.


dence.
From the New York World
= Samri S. Baldwin, who is just now rest
ing the soles of his feet in this city, is an
American who has been initiated into the
sorcery and mysticisms of the Mahatmas
by the Mahatmas themselves. Baldwin
is a Cincihnatian by birth and a cosmo-
polltan by disposition and travel. There
are mighty Jew corners of the globe that
he has not penetrated, and his wife, whom
he calls the Modern Witch of Endor,"
goes everywhere with him. In 1890 Baldwin
and his wife visited Ceylon, Malta, Glib
raltar, Palestine, Turkey Morocco, AL
glerS, Tunis, TripOi. Egypt, Greece, Italy,
Switzerland, France Germany, Belgium,
England, Scotland and Ireland Then
they crossed the Atlantic to New York,
and went to Chicago, st. Louis, Cincin-
natl, Washington, Baltimore and back to
London. They left for south Africa in
1891, visited Madeira, Cape Verde, the
Canary Islands, St. Helena, Cape Colony,
Orange Free State, the Transvaal Re
public, Bechuana and Mashonaland,
Natal Madagascar, Delagoa Bay,
Zanzibar, Mauritius, Ceylon, In
dia, Arabia, Burmah, Siam, Sin
gapOre, Java, Borneo. Sumatra, China
and Japan. Then they went to Vancou-
-NCEH uhtA' CflGb dGIOSS LLlb = ullc0 I'd LbS
and Canada TO England, which, by the
way, is Mrs. Baldwins native country.
But that was only one tour. They have
several times circled the world.
Baldwin has natural gift for thau-
maturgy. In studying the wonders
worked by the Mahatmas, the mystic pro-
cesses of Fakeers, Phonggii, Brahmins,
Ascetics, Llamas and Goovoos, he came
to the conclusion that they were wonders
GirafolNr bago11on tho N 11pdnre food
To study these so-called spirit manifesto
tions Baldwin spent much time in India,
Thibet and Burmah, and by use of an ar
gument that is understood the world
overly spending money-he opened TO
himself the doors of several secret orders.
Indeed he became an adept, and was made
grand master of the Brahminical Rostcru-
clan Society for Theosophical and Occult
Research
During his travels Baldwin collected
an immense number of photographs, most
of which are unique, because they were
taken on the spot by Baldwin's photogra-
pher. One picture, showing several gen.
tlemen in masks and robes that would
drive a drunkard into delirium tremens,
represents Baldwin's associates in the
Rosicrucian Society. These costumes
they don when they are about to work
their aLege6miracles. Baldwin has an
other picture of them in their ordinary
robes Most of them are gray-bearded,
venerable men who carry in their hands
praying machines. These machines may
yet recommend themselves for use in this
country. They save time and multiply
prayers. One twist of them and 10000
applications are supposed to ascend to
Brahmah.
Baldwin was much interested, too, in
the manner in which different peoples
dispose of their dead. He has one photo
graph of tree whose fruit is grinning
skulls An African tribe decapitates its
dead and impales their heads upon this
tree, and there leave them until the
vultures strip them and the elements dis
integrate them. Baldwin has many pho
tographs taken in the burning CHATS of
India the public crematories where
corpses are reduced to ashes in the pres
ence of the mourning family. Baldwin
saws these CHATS" are CHASTITY. When
the flames of the pyre begin TO play about
the body, the legs fall, and before the
head is consumed, it pops, like roasting
chestnut, with a loud report So it is the
duty Of the nearest relative Of the de-
ceased to cut the tendOns in the corpse's
limps and to lay open his head
Baldwin and his wife have many pres
ents that were made them by the rajahs
and maharajahs of India. Some of these
are intrinsically valuable, such as mag
nihcent opal others are priceless because
they cannot be duplicated One of these
is a watch of ordinary size, on the face of
which is figure OF Time in silver that
strikes the hour, and figure of Fate that
strikes the. quarters with hammers on
tiny bells.
Only once did Baldwin fail TO be re-
ceived with courtliness and grace by
Oriental potentates. He and his wife ar
ranged to call upon Theebaw, then King
of Burmah, when they were ushered into
his majesty's presence they found him
very drunk on bang
"Who are these people2" Numbered the
king to the interpreter, who Frustrated
himself and answered.
''Do they bring me an offering" asked
the tipsy monarch 'have they any dia-
monds for me abOut themW
mo, Oh, king OF kings, they are poor
travellers who cOme'---
"Poor travellers be erUcihed," cried
Theebaw Take them away, throw
them out. n they are not gone by TO-
morrow I'H have their heads"