The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-18
THIEF CATCHING IN INDIA.
MarveIousIy Successful Procedure I'm
pIoyed by a Brahmin.

ployed by "A Brahmin.
From the Madras Mail
The following extraordinary narra-
ton of facts as they occurred. ana
which. we are Informed. were witness
ed and can be testified to by the MEM
hers of three households occupying a
large house in Bentinck street, Calcut-
ia, is 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 domes-
tics in a house. II may be added mat
every servant i'm Calcutta is a lively
believer i'm its efficacy, and If a thief,
at once confesses. \ Brahmin is the
worker of these marvels. He is well
known in Calcutta. and does not pro-
fess to work out his method of theft
detection for money. but leave II To
those who employ him to reward him
If they think of H.. II is said that his
is readily done. and that he make a
good thing out of 1t.
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 deposit. 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 in
formed DN MS nephew ina lut ib'N dilh
money had disappeared. With the ne
phew's consen: the Brahmin was
summoned to discover the theft, and
the following is a bare narration of
the extraordinary procedure he adopt
ed. and usually adopts, i'm all such cas-
es. ACCOMPANIED by an aid, he comes
To the house. provided with two bam-
boo rods. about six feet long and one
and one-half inches in diameter. He al
SO has with him a number of fresh
peepul leaves, a C~ocOanut, some rice
and some vermilliun and cowries. a
fresh earthen dish has To be provided
by the person who summons him as wen
as a stool.
All the servants i'm the house are
summoned. They are made to stand in
"A half circle, and their names are writ
ten on each leaf, and these leaves.
with one painted with the vermillion,
are placed in the dish. which. i'm 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
behind their hips, So that they can a Y
little or no influence in turning on
bending the rods. Now comes the
strange part of the proceedings. At tho
Brahmin's call Of each name, the BAN
boo rods i'm the first instance rise to-
gether AVID form a semicirclr above
| lneN lntl bFIliis anu - lillAiS "
circle below, gradually come together
pick up the leaf containing the name
called out. and throw i. Out Of the lish
This strange process is repeated til
the name Of the thief, as alleged, Is
called. when they both seize the leaf
lift it up. and only diengage it at tn
call of the Brahmin, who entreats tn,
rods to let the leaf go.
To all appearance the two men VIII
hold the rods make no effort whatever
The Trims is done i'm such an eNtraord
mary fashion as to exceed belief. II
fact. "A reasonable human being can
not believe it till he has Witnessed 1t
and when he has done so his amaze
nient is all the greater. Here Is, indeed
a marvel for the scientist to puzzle ov
er. The two rods bend, come together
and seize upon the right names a
they are called out. and then throw
them aside. except i'm the case Of tn
theft. In this instance the nephew con
fessed to the theft, IN a number Of hi
relatives. who had come from up-coun
try to witness the ordeal, made resti
tuition.