The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-03
MIRACLES or THE HINDOOs.
How some of the Tricks of India Are
fNpo-ed-


nh. weird foats Of the Hindoo magic
isns have been fer generations the cause
OF the utmost bewilderment ana conJec-
tnre on the part OF European travellers
The remarkable descriptions OF the
strange deeds performed in TINS lana OF
mystery have filled those VINO nave "e"l"
with wcrder and I'VE. This summer Ma
rfcian Bancroft made q visit 10 lnuld III
IN. irt.re-, of the science OF magic, ana
his researches have proved OF tnv etcat-
est fascinating interest. bahcIoit , S'u
dies took him throughout thc W"ole -
India. where ne saw the snake chdInleIs'
no wizard doctors" who submitted 10
uhysical torture, claiming 10 ieel no pdlh,
IN "mapical caters VII. toasted OH
glass. which they ground pe'"eVn enelt
feeth. and he visited the great schooI VI
the Miracle Ministers at 'nS - naI1.
of the Himalayas. This sect OF men, car
ed .Mahatmas. practcco magic 10 III
duce the ordinary folk 10 believe 'heni =
.ossess supernatural powers % d" ~
impel them TO religious faith. l.,
Particular interest - manifested m
Rancroft's descriptions Of some OF the
most noted OF the Hindoo maslcal ieaes
ana his showing of how tney are uohc,
Ills enumeration of the secret OF u.s.
tricks are perhaps the most Ieih"iA"'''
ever given in this country.
A ia well known, the most nOlcu OF
the Hindoo Illusions are what are term
cd che basket trick ''the growing Of
Inc mango tree" ''the invisible rope lad
der" and the burial alive
bancroft saw the Indian basket trlck
performed on the open deck OF a vessel
travelling from COlumbO IN Ceylon, 10
Calcutta. i'm India. The performer Was
am cd man VINO wore a long Behsalese
robe. RS assistant, "A niue boy was
paced I'm the basket and the lid fastened
by TWO padlOcks. Then the magician
threw a coax over the basket, taking one
of the ends in the folds of his OWL dress.
Then suddenly, 10 the horror OF the peo-
pie around, ne plunged his sword through
The basket time n time again., blood
dppealoI at the various %Orinces, and the
agOnized shrieks Of the child were heard.
Ifeu the COnlurer asked the people &c
examine the basket. They unlocked II,
and finding IL empty, expressed the i've
Hest OF satisfaction. All at Orce, a voice
was heard ia the lower rigging. Avery
bO0y looked out ana there was the child
unlnlurei.
Bancroft discovered The secret Of this
startling trick 10 be this. When the
coniurcr puts his cloth over the basket,
the child slips out and gets under the
long drtss the Juseier war, pulls him
self up arOuLd the mans waist, q there
remains 10 give out The piercing yells
that are supposed TO come from the bas-
ket itself. The trick of the blood appear
ir,g. is done by the fdkir saturailng a
III 4 HENNNL 49, HANAA AAAt 60 49, -
the basket, presses IL. The sponge Is con-
ceaIcd in the palm Of his hand.
AT the moment the people run Up 10
examine the basket, the boy slips away
and gets 10 the rigging. No one dreams
OF looking in that direction. They are all
intent upon the basket itself.
in Bombay, another fakir performed
fer Bancroft q trick somewhat similar.
Tbs mans assistant was a young woman
who weighed perhaps seventy pounds.
NI. NANI mrln tho nFDHnH and the con-
juTer placed over her a shallow, fiat bds-
kct with a handle at the back. Then
with a light gesture, he took up the bas-
ket and laid it down "A few feet away
The woman had vanished. Bancroft Was
at first puzzled at this as there was no
way OF the woman going through any
trap as il was performed on the high
ground. But a flaw in the wickerwOrk
gave the trick away.
The young woman had learned to hook
herself 10y her fingers and toes into the
strong network forming the top of the
basket and the man had learned 10 lift
her as though II was empty.
10 reach the "mdhatnas' I'm their So
Guided abode the magician was forced TO
travel four day and nights, but he had
The honor of being one of only thre.
white men who were ever allowed t. ca
ter tins place
The abbott took the magician into a
small darkened room and placing him In
front OF two lighted lamps. asked If he
desired an example OF their powers. The
magician told him that was the reason OF
his coming. Then see this said ne
abbott. one of the monks rushed for
ward and coiling a section Of lcng rope
threw IL into the air and scrambled up
IN. This was the marvellous rope ladder
feat" and Bancroft saw the man climb
up the rope suspended apparently in air
with no means OF support. and the man
disappear beyond the'lne CT vision. The
magician explained II as an optical illu-
5on. There WAS darkness all around and
nothing could have been easier than Tor
the trickstcr to have thrown the rope.
disappearing in a black shadow and a
dummy lie pulled up.
bancroft found his experiences so pro-
life of occult interest that he learned all
the feats he saw and incorporated them
into his entertainment into a special act.
which he calls The Midnight Mysteries
Of the Yogi Of India