The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-18
TRIAL BY ORDEAL

Remarkable story From India About
Catching "A Postal Thief.
The narrator of the following story
some years ago had charge of a postal
division on the western coast, parts OF
which had seldom been visited by a
European officer. The people were for
the most part simple country folk and
very superstitious. One morning the
narrator received information that q
considerable sum of money, forming par,
OF the contents of the mail from a head
to a subofice, had been stolen on the
road. The whole affair was wrapped in
mystery.
The only clew the police had been able
10 obtain was that one runner. whom we
shall call Rama. had since the theft paid
off certain debts in the village which had
Ions pressed upon him, but there were
no other suspicious circumstances. ami
the man had 10 years good service. As
a last resource il was determined 70 re-
sort TO trial by ordeal and for this pur-
pose an aged Brahman. VINO was sup
posed to possess occult powers and = he
in daily communion with the gods, was
consulted and readily rndertoOk to dis
cover the thref All the rrnuers-a good
" array OF sturdy Ma rata peasants
were summoned 10 TN Office, and under
the guidance of a Oh yla. or disciple, Of
the old Brahman w all proceeded to a
small deserted tenn of Nahadeo. sta
ated at soms dis-ag from the village.
Il was a desul8ts pot and bore an evil
reputation. The mpIe, owing TO some
act of dissertation Il the past. had been
abandoned and was almost buried
among weeds az tangled bru-hwoOd.
The hour sale.l red was about q p. M,
and the long twilight shadows gave the
place a weird. uncanny look. The old
Brahman was awaiting Us. and as we ap-
preached appeared to be busy mutter-
ing nominations. The runners al seemeI
10 be more or less under the spell of the
nour. but the look of real fright in
Rama's face was quite distinct. The
Brahman. having finished his incanta-
1ions. rose and addressing the men said:
You arr about TO face the gods. To
the innocent the trial will be nothing.
but 10 the guilty much. In the temple
a magic wand has been placed on tie
altar. Each OF YOU must go IN Ivy tur.s.
take up the wand and turn round three
times, repeating tie name Of Mahadeo
The wand VIII stick 10 the hand oi the
guilty one" BY rti~ t.uc il Wits u"ar
dark. glanced 80 through the a..- 81.
the temple. & -..l oil h-.." ,~
a firful light uu tine s'.r. ol va..4 -.
ordinary bamboo sElc. aa1"l i". feel
long repo-ed among l.ru a uas- rs-
rice and nut LINES. jaa v.p.s ap.,Li;i %
with red powder.
\ curtain WAS drawn across tae o"-
and the men entered une III d tl-" =.
each oue appeared tie Eral,Eau s,ise
hi- hands and raised them To his fore
head. and then allowed them To- pass g..
and Join his fellows. Coming To Rama.
he went through the L pautonl.ue,
bur instead of allowing him to pass ol
babe him stand aside. When tie last
man had gone through the ordeal the
Brahman turned To Rama and said al.
city:
Tell the sahib how you stole til
money"
TO my utter aIuazeilent," continues
the writer. Rama fell On his knees,
confessed that he was b thief. aua.pf.
fered T. show where he had hidden tile
balance of the money. He had succeed.
ed III opening tee mail bag without
seriously disturbing tie seais. The post
master had not really examined them
and 80 their having been manipulated
had escaped notice. Needless to say
the Brahman was rewarded and pool
Rama was -ent 10 repent at leisure IL
the district jail
Now tue natural rnestion is: How
was it don5:' Very simply. The TEN
pie, the lonely glen. the uncanny hour
the incantations. all were merely acces
sories to appeal to the superstitions o.
the ignorant peasants. The magic
wand was thickly sIneared with strong
" scented sandalwood oil. Rama
guilty conscience prevented him from
touhcing it, a. he firmly believed th'
wand would stick to his hands, and hi
of course was the only hand that die
not smell of oil.-Times of India.