Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-02
CHINA'S JUGGLERS.
NOT SO WONDERFUL As THOSE OF
INDIA, BUT STILL CLEVER.
Killing n Child I'm Hong-Nong-A
Most Realistic Performance, In
Which q Roy Was Apparently
Stabbed to Death.
philadelphia Tlmes.)

1O' IdlT-BTOuHu tilOubu' L "ouii SpNh"
a little of my spare time and ascertain the
attraction that was as yet unknown 20
me. This ground. or park, Is always nearly
filled with Chinese, who come here to
drink their tea, buy their fruit have their
letters written, and consult the fortune
tellers. who they believe can foresee the
rise or fall OF the Mexican dollar on the
morrow. and whether their clients will
gain money in their next business under
taking.
In India, where every wandering dervish
Is able TO perform tricks little short OF
the marvellous, one gets accustomed TO
seeing trees and ropes rising from the
ground before ones eyes, and little boys
disappearing at the other end of the same,
etc, etc. lat least, so tell us the wander
ing and restless globe-trotters), but in
China these tricks are not often to be
seen, and what feats the Celestial can
perform are usually OF low and mean,
asd. very often, Of an indecent character,
unht Tor the Christian eye TO witness
But saw from my place on a tea-table,
Tor which had to pay handsomely. that,
though filthy in person and appearance,
this Juggler contemplated doing trick /
had never seen, and overcoming the
natural disgust caused by his dirty body.
remained, curious TO watch him through.
He was one OF the thlnnest and most
villainous of his class l lad ever seen:
his coat. consisting OF raw cotton. sewn
and tied together on an old frame of ma
tive cloth, was lying by his side, and
while he sat thus in the middle Of the
ring, 1t seemed possible to count every
rib and bone Of his body. He had a
moi v Of ho
blue. but now decidedly greasy and from
his loins hung suspended murderous-
looking knife He was assisted by two
women. who kept up a continuous chat
ter with their tongues; also, by a little
dark-eyed boy about 8 years OF age. who
was standing by his chief The women
were equally as dirty as the man him.
self.
| had been there few minutes when
the women began exhorting the audience
TO subscribe cash to enable them to carry
out such trick as they contemplated
putting before them. This audience was
just like all Chinese audiences-uninter
ested, but unwilling to move on any
further until they had seen ALL Very
little cash rewarded the ceaseless begging
Of the women. Red loss" paper was nov
lighted. and bits OF the burning stun
were thrown high into the air; red can
dies and ''Joss"-sticks ignited all about
the circle. and a great brass gong was
beaten This noise, added TO the beating
OF the tom-toms, succeeded in drawing
still more Cinnamon to the crowd already
gathered. AT intervals silence would be
ordered, the women would hastily run
over a phrase in a shrill key some taps
of the drum and beating OF the gong. and
nh nd
The fakir dropped his drum. as II in
anger, and, catching the little boy. threw
him down upon the ground, with his
head thrown back between his shoulders.
He quickly drew his knife. and thrust II
apparently right into the little fellows
stomach. The pretended anger. the ap-
parent surprise and terror OF the two
women, their entreaties not TO kill. the
great squirt OF crimson blood. the white
face and staring eyes Of the victim, all
these parts were so well acted that they
took every one by surprise. The audience
seemed terror-strcken at the butchery
done before their very eyes and while
the foremost of them remained notion
less, those in the rear, hearing only the
cries, began pushing and squeezing those
before them. | myself did not know what
TO make OF it all. having been taken by
surprise by the unexpected grief OF the
women. The Chinese. especially the wo-
men, can cry and pretend to be heart
broken on the slightest provocation The
performance was new 70 Hongkong.
therefore none Of the present audience
had ever seen the trick Some OF the
wiser ones RETAINED from anything ex-
cept opening their mouths: they awaited
future developments. Others. less patient
and with natures more eXctable. threat
ened and gradually drew the ring about
the performance closer and closer. The
women. seeing this Immediately changed
their tactics. and told them that they
would quickly restore the boy TO life and
health. This had the desired effect
and the dirty little pieces OF copper cash
began falling all about the ring, when
they were carelessly picked up by the
two women. In the mean time, the per-
former sat there. grim and motion.ess,
except when he would give the knife a
sight twist, causing fresh spurts Of blood
to flow over his body and the body of the
little victim. Taken altogether, IT was a
chastity sight. and l longed for them to
bring the affair TO a hasty conclusion.
The boys face. probably owing to APP
pllcation OF chemical preparation, was
b.anched and spotted as IL affected by
leprosy. Not a move or liz from the
little body After time fresh joss paper
was lighted. and the fakir withdrew
the bloody knife. The body was now held
over the fire. the drum was again beaten.
accompanied by the old gong, and a sort
of flute used by the Chinese Add TO this
the horrible noise of the sing-song en-
treaties Of the women for more money.
and you will imagine what an experience
it was TO me.
The boy was now laid upon the ground.
the blood rubbed from his body with
some old rags. and the performers, con-
tluung with the abomlnable noise walked
slowly about the body, invoking the de-
parted spirit 10 return to its earthly
frame. After a few minutes OF this hypo
crlsy the watchers were rewarded by
signs OF returning life; the little fellows
eyes opened; his arms were extended. and
he slowly rose 10 his feet. as II he had
been awakened from a deep sleep. l
could not see any wound on his body;
the blood still covered the skin IT, some
places. The knife | could see was no
"trick"-knife. and was so rudely formed
as TO make impossible the concealment
Of any secret spring. Where the blood
came from | cannot tell. The boy was
wholly naked. and the man was naked
10 the waist. or course, then. he had no
sleeves. You will ask then, how is such
a trick done? / do not know. and l must
refer you to higher authorities upon this
subject. 1t was inexplioable to me.
There are thousands Of jugglers OF the
common kind roaming about through
the many provinces of China, and they
can be seen In every big city. somewhere
near one Of the gates or about the tenn
ple courts. The outfit Is very simple. ana