Evening star., 1898-08-06
An Extraordinary Indian Ceremony
for Thief Catching.

From the Madras Weekly Mall
The following extraordinary narration OF
| facts as they occurred, and which we are
| informed, were witnessed and can be testf-
| fed 10 by the members of three households
| occupying large house in Bentinck street,
| Calcutta, 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. 1t may be added that every
servant in Calcutta is a lively believer in
| its efficacy. and, If thief. at once con-
fesses. A. Brahmin is the worker Of these
marveis. He is well known in Calcutta.
and does not profess to work out his
method Of theft detection for money. hut
leaves it to those who employ him to re-
ward him If they think fit. 1t is said that
this is readily done. and that he makes
good thing out Of it. cook in The service
of a family in the locality alluded to in
trusted his nephew with a large sum OF
money to keep in deposit. The nephew al
legged that he placed the money I'm an
earthen pot. which he buried. The location
of the exact spot was con4ded 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 Brahmin was summoned to discover the
thief and the following is a bare narration
of the extraordinary procedure he adopted,
and usually adopts, ia all such cases. Ac-
house, provided with two bamboo rods
about sixteen feet long and an inch and a
half in diameter. He also has with him q
number of fresh peepuI leaves, a cocoanut,
some rice and some vermlion and cowries;
a fresh earthen dish has to be provided by
the person who summons him as well as a
stool.
All the servants in the house are sum-
moncd 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 vermiIion are placed in the dish,
which in its turn is placed on the stool
Two utter strangers are then made to hold
the bamboo rods, one in each hand. oppo-
site each other, with their elbows far be-
hind their hips, so tnat they can have little
or no influence in turning or bending the
rods. Now comes the strange part of the
proceedings At the Brahmins call of each
name the bamboo rods in the first instance
rise together and form a semicircle above:'
they then bend and forming a semfcircle
below, gradually come together. pick up
the leaf containing the name called out and
throw it out of the dish. This strange proc
ess is repeated till the name of the thief as
alleged, is called when they both seize the
leaf, lift it up, and only disengage it at the
call of the Brahmin, who entreats the rods
to let the leaf go. To all appearance the
two men who hold the rods make no effort
whatever. The thing is done in such an ex-
traordinary fashion as to exceed belief In
fact. reasonable human being cannot be-
leVe ii till he has witnessed TT and when
he mas done so his amazement is all tho
greater. Here is, indeed, a marvel for the
scientist to puzzle over The two rods bend
come together and seize upon the right
names they are called out and then
throw them aside except in the ca Sc of tha
thief. In this instance the nephew con-
fessed to the theft, and a number of hin
relatives who had come from up-country to-
witness the ordeal made restitution.