The record-union., 1898-08-31
THE ORDEAL BY BAMBOO.
An Extraordinary Indian Cere-
mony for Thief Catching.

The following extraordinary narra-
ton Of facts as they occurred, and
which, We are informed, were witnessed
and can be testified to by the men,
berS of three households occupying a
large house in Bentinch street, Cal
cutta, are SO remarka BILE 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 domes-
tics in a house 1t may be added that
every servant in Calcutta is lively
believer in it's efficacy, and, if thief,
at once confesses A Brahmin is the
worker of these marvels. He is we'll
known in Calcutta, and does not pro-
fess 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. 1t is said that this is
readily done, and that he makes a good
thing out of it. A cook in the SER
vice of a family in the locality alluded
to intrusted his nephew with a large
sum of money to keep in deposit. The
nephew alleged that he placed the mon
ey in an earthen pot, which he buried
The location of the exact spot was con-
fided to a friend. Shortly after this
that the pot and money had disap-
peared. With the nephew's consent the
Brahmin was summoned to discover
the thief, and the following is a bare
narration Of the extraordinary proce-
dure he adopted, and usually adopts,
in all such cases. Accompanied by an
aid, he comes to the house, provided
with two bamboo rods, about sixteen
feet long and an inch and half in di-
ameter. He also has with him a num-
ber Of fresh peepul leaves, a cocoanut,
some rice and some vermilion and cow
ries; fresh eartnen dish has to be
provided by the person who summons
him as we'll as a stool
All the servants in the house are
summoned, they are made to stand in
half circle, and their names are writ
ten on each leaf and, these leaves with
one painted with the verrnilion are
placed in the dish, which in it's turn is
placed on the stool. Two utter stran
gers are then made to hold the bamboo
rods one 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. At the Brahmin's
call of each name, the. bamboo rods in
the first instance rise together and
form a semi-eircle above; they then
bend, and, forming a semi-circle below,
gradually come together, pick up the
leaf containing the name called out,
and throw it out of the dish. This
strange process is repeated till the name
of the thief, as alleged is called, when
they both seize the leaf lift 1t up, and
only disengage it at the call of the
Brahmin, who entreats the rods to let
the leaf go. To all appearances the
two men who hold the rods make no
effort whatevert,s The thing is done in
such an extraordinary fashion as to ex-
ceed belief. In fact, a reasonable hu-
man being cannot believe it till he has
witnessed it, and when he has done so
his amazement 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 to the theft, and a number
of his relatives who had come from up
country to witness the ordeal made res
titution.-Madras Weekly Mail.