The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-05-02
Mo6ui INpIAN MAeIcIANs-
A Cabinet Trick That Would Set the Pale


a Cabinet Trick That Would Set the Pale
face Conjarc Dizzy.
P@leface sleicht of hand performers
and fakirs would DO we'll to go west
ard learn the true art from the Mo-
or. Indians OF the southwest in New
Mexico. A paleface is not permitted,
however, to witness these religious
tests unless he has renowned civil
hZation and become what is known
among frontiersmen as a "squaw
man that is, white man married
with an Indian woman.
This is the original cabinet trick:
The select audience of worshipers is
discovered in the estufa (church)
seated on the ground, lights down.
Enter into the open space several
men, who move around in circle to
solemn chant to a drum accompani-
ment. An Indian drum is vessel
partly filled with water, with hide
stretched over the top. The scene is
weird, and the audience is as quiet
as spook seance. Presently there
is heard a rustling of pinions and
feathers and the hooting of an owl,
bird of i'll omen to the Indian. The
audience become terrified, and fire.
quently the squaws make hasty
exit. Then the noise becomes faint
er and fainter still, as if the bird was
making his exit through the flies or
tule ROOF. Torches are brought in
by the supernumeraries and-presto,
change.
Lights down again, and similar
noise is heard The birds seem to
be flying all over the room. The
lights are again brought in and the
illusion shown. Finally the medi-
cine man squats down in the open
space, cross legged, like a Turk. One
man holds him by the knees, anoth-
er by the arms. The lights are turn
ed down or taken out There is
rustling of feathers and pinions and
an apparent struggle. The lights are
called for, and the medicine man is
not discovered. The men who at
tempted to hold him in this position
are the most mystified and cannot
tell whether he went out through
the barred door or the roof.
The performance concluded with a
lightning and thunder scene. Thun-
der reverberates through the room,
and flashes of light, zigzag and hori-
zontal lines, play over the heads Of
the auditors, almost binding them.
Sometimes the room is so lighted
with these flashes that the auditors
faces are apparent to each other, and
they plainly see the medicine man
in the open space, with no stage para
phernalia whatever, no wide sleeves
or boxes and almost as nude as liv-
ing picture. This wonderful magic
trick is performed in room holding
only about so people, who are seated
around the shaman. or medicine
man He is in the center of an open
space ten feet square, and he has not
= table, chair or any property"
whatever. He has not even a. mus
-lche TO deceive you"
The shamen claim that these ex-
--aOrdinary powers are given to
them through their fasting and pray
Ing. They fast and pray three days
and nights before each performance,
which, however, is only two or three
times during season, like grand
opera. They do not charge for ad-
mission, claiming that it would be
sacrilegious to do so, and that they
would lose their powers. But after
the performances the mystified and
superstitious auditors heap upon the
shaman all kinds of presents, which
of course he accepts, just as prima
donna does diamond ring. -Phila-
delphia Times