The Meeker herald., 1896-07-04
INDIAN JUGGLERs.
American Redmsn VINO Perform
Some 0reet Tricks.
An Ego witness Relates What He Has
ssen the Unlettsrea llsgieians
Do In the Liss ~ Leg
erdeRAlA

a n~A sOss& SAp9kaN+S' - ~
evaneclizing efforts. SorceFy is 1in-
timatciy associated with the aiHor'ginni
and the sayngcs, after as tonis J.
ing the priests with their trie!,s, laugh
at them, saying: "Ycur nj gion can't
do such things" 1 happen to know OF
The case of u Jesuit priest wao some
Years ago went to work nmong the
hrapahocs and Cheyennef, west OF the
Mississippi. He gave up the BUSINESS
4 saving their souls after awhile, and
came away entirely disccurafcd. lhey
did things which, he decllrcd, we're en-
tirely beyond his undcrsanding. lhe
mystery men would go oft Oh tie bare
sandy prairie, where thre vas rot
sprig of vegetation, AMI, after some
chanting and various pcr.3rIianecs,.
grass would come up outoi tho round
quito patch of it, gree, an growing.
lie himself saw it grow, and here eouiu
be no doubt abont it,. H
rhc braycst net i -hnvrever lnown
,yas performed by one Of N % Indian
jugglcrs. a favoritc trick &hja was
one That has often been perfoSlcI by
white magicians. 1t consist \. PER
rpitting himself to be shot at, lie hNsus-
pccus being an arrangement by nch
'!lc bullet fell out of the baIrel iEthn
cavity in the stock of the weu uctoN
tlle latter was discharged. Mcauwh lie
he had another bullet conceal in Lis
mouth, which Mt the instant OF firing l.c
pushed outward with his tonruc, so Gs
10 make it appear that he had caught
the projcctile between his teeth. Now.
it happened that this man had a rival,
who was engaged in the coniuring busi
ness in n neighboring village. On an
occasion when the trick was to be per-
formed, the juggler announclUs, a5
usual, that he was ready to be she at by
anyone present, the rival stepped for
ward and said that he would do the
ahoo,ing. But he demanded permission
10 use his own gun. Naturally the jug
elcr objected, but his protest was over
ruled.
1t was decided that the rival magi-
cian might use his own weapon. This
ricart almost sure death 10 the per-
former. yet he did not bIanch To re-
fuse the test would hive been per-
Eanent disgrace. There was ono chance
out of n hundred, perhnps, that the
might miss. He decided to
take that chance, and so permitted the
,olunteer eXccutioner to take deliberate
aim and fire ut him from distance OF
half dozen PAGES. An instant later he
feli dead; the bullet had passed through
His brain.
In some tribes of Indians 1t used TO be
the rule that a sorcerer who failed three
times must pay the penalty of death.
That regulation has been nremarkably
v idesprcad among The sayages. 7 un.
.ifrstaRd It pt3 hanf; n;o hen hn Is erf
md undoubtedly it survives to this day
in parts of Africa and elsewhere. But
here was en- ingenious magician of my
acquaintance who saved himself from
this fate by a little device of his con-
irving. Being permitted to furnish the
bullet by which he was to be shot, he
I.iade one in mold in which piece OF
PAPER was inserted in such u manner
that the ball was cast IN two hemis-
phcrcs. These he put together. caus-
ing them TO hold by rubbing he edges
with his knife blade. In thisrray at tho
same time the deception was concealed
On being fred from the gun, the bullet
few in halves, which. being OF such a
shape. scattered and left the man rii-
BY this means he escaped OF
several occasions the penalty which
ought to befall the wizard who is a
failure. Finally, however. he was found
cut and executed.
once saw an interesting trick per-
formed inside OF ceremonial w!gwaU.
There was a lot of dancing and mum
merry, in the midst of which 4 woman
came forward and strucl, the round in
the middle of the lodge. Then mys-
terry man took his turn and began
with stick on the spot
which the woman had struck. In n
minute or twowerc exposed to view the
leaves of fullgrown wild trnip. The
vegetable was dug up and thrown
among the spectators, to show that
there was no deception and t. quell the
appetite of the hungry ones. Scratching
some more with his stick, tie magician
produced several more turnrs two or
three dozen of them. 1t vas really
Louis Globe Democrat.