The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1894-05-12
TRIAL BY ORDEAL


aso.shahis story Tr~o lsAaa AAsss
Catehisg Postal Thief
The narrator Of the following story
soms years ago had charge Of postal
division On the western coast. parts u
which had seldom h-en visited by
European 0floer. The people were fer
the most part simple country folk and
very surersrifio1s- One mosring the
narrator received intoruA,ion tia, q
considerable surn Of Hnoey. forming rart
Of the contents Of The mail froEa bead
10 sub-o6ce. had been stolen 90 the
rad The whole affair WAS ~rspysri u
mystery.
The only els~ the police bad teen able
10 Obtain Was tina. oE1= runner. " han ne
snall call Rama bad since the theft paid
of certain debts Ii the village " Inch had
long pressed upon him. bat there were
no other suspicious circumstances. and
the man had - years good service. As
last rs-s-5arre /, ~as d-terr4Ine1 To r.
sort 10 trlal by ordeal and for this POI
pose an aged Brabtnan, rho Vas s.
posed 10 posses o-rcult powers and q.
in daily communion with the gU-is, VS.
consulted and readily undertook 10 d.
cover the thief. AL the rcnners-a god
ly array Of sturdy Mahrz;tA p-asants-
were SUMMONED 10 the once, and under
the guidance Of ch-ylA, or disciple, os
the old Brahman We all proceeded 10 a
small deserted temple Of Mahadso, stu
zted al SORE distance from the village
II was de-0lAte sF.0; and bore an evil
reputation The temple. owing 10 some
act u dissertation II the past. had t-ern
abandoned and was almost buried
Among weeds and tangled brushwoo.l
The hour selected Was about & D. IN.
and the long twilight shadows gave the
place weird, uncauny look The Old
Brahman Was awaiting Us. and as We ap
preached APPEARED TO be busy mutt-r-
ing inesn;ation-. The runners all seemed
10 De more or les under the spell Of the
hour, but the look VI real fright In
RaInas face was quite distinct. TIE
Brahman. having finished his incanta-
tons, rose and addressing the men said:
"iou are about 10 face the gods. To
the innocent the trial will he nothing,
bot 10 the guilty much. In the temple
u magic wand has been placed on the
altar. Each Of You must 90 IN by turns.
take up the wand and turn round three
times, repeating the name Of Mahadeo.
The wand Will stick 10 the hand Of the
guilty one" BY this time il was nearly
dark glanced in through the door Of
the temple. \ solitary oil buttee threw
fitful light on the altar, On which an
nydIn h. a-t,lr
long repoaed among grains of knocked
rice and nut lines. the whole sprinkled
with red powder.
4 curtain was drawn across the door.
and the men entered one at time. As
each one appeared the Brahman seized
his hands and raised them to his fore
head, and then allowed them to pass on
and join his fellows. Comm. 10 Rama.
he went through the same pantomime.
but instead Of allowing him to pass on
babe him stand aside When the last
man had gone through the ordeal the
Brahrnan turned to Rama and said qui-
city:
Tell the sahib how you stole the
money"
10 my utter amazement," continues
the writer, Rama fell on his knees.
confessed that he was the thief, and Of
fered to show where he had hidden the
balance Of the money. He had succeed
ed IN opening the mail bag without
seriously disturbing the seals The post
master had not really examined them
and 50 their having been manipulated
had escap.sd notice. Needless 10 say.
the BrahnIan was rewarded and poor
Rama was sent to repent at leisure in
the district Jail"
Now tine natural question is: How
was it done Very simply. The tenn
pie, the lonely glen. the uncanny hour,
the lamentations, all were merely acces-
sorles to appeal to the superstitions Of
the ignorant PEASANTS. The magic
wand was thickly smeared with strong
ly scented sandalwOod oil. Rama,
guilty conscience prevented him from
touhcing it, as he firmly believed the
wand would stick to his hands, and his
of course was the only hand that did
not smell Of oil.-Times Of India.