Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-11-17
TRAPPING THIEVES IN INDIA.
4 Brahmin Who Is the Worker of
Seeming Miracles.

Madras Weekly Mail. The following
extraordinary narration OF facts as they
occurred. and which. we are Informed,
were witnessed and can be testified to by
the members OF three households occupy
ing a large house in Bent.nck street. Cal.
cuttS. are so remarkable that IL is worth
the while OF any scientist to test them
personally, as this can be easily done on
the occasion of any theft by domestics
in a house. IL may be added that every
servant in Calcutta is a lively believer
In its efficacy. and. IL n thief. at once
confesses. A Brahmin is the worker OF
these marvels. He is well known In Cal
cutta. and hoes not profess to work out
his method of theft detection for money,
but leaves IL to those who ernploy him TO
reward him IL they think fit. 1t Is said
that this is readily done, and that he
makes a good thing out of II.
A cook in the service OF a family In the
locality alluded TO Entrusted his nephew
With "A large sum OF money to keep In de-
post. The nephew alleged that he placed
the money in an earthen pot, which he
buried. The location of the exact spot
was confided to a friend. Shortly after
this the cook was Informed by his nephew
that the pot and money had disappeared.
With the nephew's consent the Brahmln
was summoned TO discover the thief. and
the following Is "A bare narration OF the
extraordinary procedure he adopted, and
usually adopts. In all such cases Ac-
comDanied by an aid. he comes to the
house, provided with two bamboo rods
about sixteen feet long and an inch and
a half In diameter. He also has with him
a number OF fresh peepui leaves. a cocoa
nut, some rice and some vermilion and
sowries. A fresh earthen dish has to be
provided by the person who summons
him.. as well rs a stool.
Al the servants in the house are sum
moned. They are made TO stand in a half.
circle. and their names are written on
each leaf, and these leaves. with one
painted with the vermilion. are placed
in the dish, which in it's turn is placed
on the stool. Two utter strangers ara
then made to hold thS bamboo rods, orc
in each hand. opposite each other, with
their elbows far behind their hips, so that
they can have little or no influence in
turning or bending the rods. Now comes
the strange part Of the proceedings. Il
the Brahmin's call OF each name the BAN.
boo rods IN the first instance rise together
and form a semi circle above. They then
bend. and. forming a semi-circle below,
gradually come together. pick up the Leaf
containing the name called out and throw
1t out of the dish. This strange process is
repeated until the name OF the thief, as
alleged. Is called. when they both seize
the rear, MT III UP, ana only dfsenRage
1T the call of the Brahmin. who entreats
the rods TO let the leaf so. To all APP
~pearances the two men who hold tho rods
make no effort whatever.
The thing is done In such an eytraordI-
nary fashion as 10 exceed belief. In fact.
a reasonable human being cannot believe
Il TIL he has witnessed IL, and when he
has lone 40 his ainazemsnt is all the
greater. Here is, indeed, a marvel for
the scientist to puzzle over. The two
rods bend. come together and seize upon
the right names as they are called out.
and then throw them aside except In the
case of the thief. In this instance the
nephew confessed 10 the theft. and q
number OF his relatives Who had come
irona up-eountry TO witness the Ordeal
nladU restitution.