The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-31
OUR own MYSTIC YOCHIS.
Wonderful FeatS Performed by the
Red Men Of Michigan.

-hAAsALSueu L ok OF IhGt Oay-HCW
Gen. Lewis Cass Was Astonished by
the Shaking Tent-AIex Gibault's
Wonderful Journey and ais Dog.
From the Chicago Times.
Harbor Springs, Mich, Aug. 22.-The
North American Indians used to practice
the art of euchantment with as much
success as their oriental brethren, and, in
spite of the strides of civilization, their
| descendants still perform some remark
| able feats.
Voluntary interments, optical illusions,
and spiritual phenomena of every de-
scriptlon We're common among the medi-
cine men. Their great medicine lodge,
-i-tOu-wad-e-za-win," consisted of
two orders of magicians. In the first or
lower order were practiced all the COM
mon magical feats, and in the higher
the more difficult, and we daresay
! some things were performed which would
cause even the eastern fakirs to stand
aghast
Not all Indians could become medicine
men-Only those possessed of the Media
wad-e-za-win," or natural power, which,
IL is believed, corresponds to the power
/ OF hypnOtists and spiritualists of our
own day. In performing their deeds the
| Indians always used medicines prepared
/ from roots and herbs and parts of venom
/ Gus reptiles.
/ One of the alleged feats of these sor-
| Cerers was the ''A-sCO-da-wa" literally
/ Going in fire" This performance was
/ perhaps the most mental in vogue among
the medicine men. and its use always fore
/ BODIED evil. If an Indian had a grudge
/ against another whom he wished to kill
! in secret the AsCOdawa was employed.
| Many Indians have been sent to the
| happy hunting grounds by its use.
The actor barred his body and then APP
piled the medicine, which, the Indians
! say, rendered him fleet of foot and made
/ him invisible. With a few lamentations,
he then assumed the form of some animal,
| and as he swiftly travelled toward the
/ scene of his work, flashes OF light would
| be emitted from his person at regular in
! teryals; hence the name Going in fire -
/ Anyone coming in contact with a magician
in this condition would become faint and
| powerless until the apparition had passed.
| When 1t reached its victim it would ad
minister the quietus and disappear and
no one could find out who the murderer
was. The Indians, however, had re-
dictionary medicines, by which the victim
rendered the evil designer powerless to
accomplish his deed.
] CASS ASIOL NDED BY THE SHAklNG TENT.
When Gov. Cass was making a tour on
| Mackinac Island he met many Indians
I gathered there on account of an Indian
treaty and among them were two noted
! Ottawa medicine men. OF course. the
/ governor had no faith in witchcraft, but
/ he was DESTROYS of witnessing some of the
feats of the wonder-wOrkers. The In
| dams entertained the governor for nearly
| two hours.
] ArnpDgr tho t7.iolvc
| that of shaking tent" A small tent
| was erected and raised about two feet
/ from the ground all the way around, so
| that the lower part of the interior was
/ plainly visible. Some of the onloOkers
were then requested to examine the tent,
and after they had pronounced it free
from any traps, wires. etc, one of the old
Indians entered and took his position
near the center He could not touch the
tent at any point, as there were no center
poles. He then began to drOne a mOuOtO-
nous chant: la, na, va, va, ma, ha, 20"
The tent then began TO move. The In
/ dian Quickened his chant and the tent
moved faster and faster, until its top
nearly touched the ground, the old In
dian all the time being visible. When he
! finished singing the tent regained its
/ equilibrium.
His assistant then threw a stick upon
the ground. which he had held in his
hand, so the Indian story runs, and with
a few gestures from him it assumed the
form of a serpent and began to crawl
| away.
/ Part of the audience became terrified
/ and the old Indian ended the performance.
| The spectators rewarded them literally
| with "Sho-ne-aw' and Departed Gov.
| Cass saying, 1T was very strange"
| Perhaps the most remarkable feat said
! to have been performed by the medicine
A. . L.. e. ii
! sit some forty years ago. Alexander
| GibauIt, a French settler, still residing
/ here, was the mail carrier between Mack
! mac Island and Traverse City. The mails
| in those days were carried by dogs on to-
| bOggans. in some manner Mr.. Gibault
| one week got very far behind on his last
/ trip and arrived in Traverse City Satur-
! day night, when he ought to have been
| there the previous evening and en- route
| for Little Traverse Saturday.
! HOW THE INDIANS SAVED GIBAULT's JOB.
AS he had no good excuse for being, so
| tardy ne knew it meant the loss of his job
when he got to MackinaC, unless some
/ thing turned up so that he could make up
/ the lost time He therefore asked his In
| dian friends at Traverse City if they
| could not help him.
| one old man told him to come to his
! house. Mr. Gibault gladly accompanied
! him After their arrival the old Indian
/ gave him something to drink and told him
/ to lie down. 1t was then about 1890
/ O'Clock. Mr.. Gibault did as he was told,
/ and he Immediately felt a sort of drowsi-
/ ness come over him. He got up at a beck
| from the old man and followed him out
! into the yard where stood a spotless
| white dog hitched up to piece of hem
| lock bark shaped like a sleigh.
! The Indian then poured some medicine
/ on THE dog helped Mr.. Gibault on the
| sleigh with his mail, and told him to go.
/ The riders hair. il is related, fairly stood
| on end, so fast did he travel. He lost con
! ciousness after going a short distance,
/ and when he revived the first gray streaks
/ of dawn were appearing in the east, and
/ he was entering into Little Traverse,
| having Travelled a distance OF over 100
miles in six hours, a feat which the fleet
/ est dog could not accomplish, without any
/ load at all. under ordinary circumstances.
! The mystic dog disappeared and MIR.
| Gipault walked into town at I 80 o'clock
! Sunday morning, where he was greeted
/ by a large crowd, anxious over their
| tardy mail carrier.
/ Mr.. Gibault claims TO have ample proof
/ that he was in Traverse City at 10 o'clock
! Saturday evening ana in Little Traverse
/ at 4.aO o'clock Sunday morning, but he is
/ unable to account for the dogs wonder
/ ful speed and endurance.