The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-11-17
TRAPPING THIEVES IN INDIA.
A Brahmfn who Is the Worker o
fSr,n nj

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 large house in Bentinck street, Cal
cutta, are so remarkable that it 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 it's efficacy, and, If a thief, at once
confesses. A Brahmin is the worker OF
these marvels. He is well known in Cal
cutta, and does not profess to work out
his method Of theft detection for money,
but leaves it to those who employ him to
reward him if they think fit. It is said
that this is readily done, and that he
| makes good thing out of 1t. SS
A cook in the service Of a family in the
locality alluded to intrusted his nephew
with a large sum of money to keep in de-
posit. The nephew alleged that he placed
the money in an earthen pot which he
buried. The location of the exact spot
was confided to 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
! 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 peepul 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 as a stool. rs
| All 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
1 in the dish, which in it's turn is placed
! on the stool. Two utter strangers are
then made to hold ths bamboo rods, one
4 in each hand, opposite each other, with
4 their elbows far behind their hips so that
4 they can have little or no influence in
turning or bending the rods. Now comes
| the strange part Of the proceedings AT
4 the Brahmin's call of each name the bam-
/ boo rods in the first instance rise together
/ and form a semi-circle above. They then
1 bend, and, forming a semi-circle below,
sra dually come together, pick up the leaf
i containing the name called out and throw
it out Of the dish. This strange process IS
4 repeated until the name of the thief, as
4 alleged, is called, when they both seize
the leaf, lift it up. and only disengage
4 at the call of the Brahmin, who entreats
i the rods to let the leaf co. To all ap-
4 pearances the two men who hold the rods
! make no effort whatever.
The thing is done in such an extraordi-
i nary fashion as to exceed belief. In fact,
"a reasonable human being cannot believe
4 it till he has witnessed it, and when he
4 has done so his amazenent is all the
i greater. Here is, indeed, a. marvel 4 for
4 the scientist to puzzle over. The two
4 rods bend, come together and seize upon
the right names as they are called out,
and then throw them aside exccpt in the
4 case of the thief In this instance the
4 nephew confessed to the theft, and a
number Of his relatives who had come
from up-country to witness the ordeal
made restitution. a}sss88