The Savannah morning news., 1900-10-28

/ tempt His delusion reminds one Of the
case Of Luther Il. Marsh. tho brilliant
New York lawyer. who fcll under the
spell OF che fraudulent medium. who chose
. 60 ca4l herself Madame Dis pchar, NJ.
/ p"smoulns Is more fortunate than Mr.
Marsh, ir that he SETS his "splrlt-pl,-
lures without the cid 81 his check hook
[ but IL r. pitiahlc none tho less TO see so
able an artist suffering from such delus-
/ sions
Most OF the purely decorative designs
AZ the Musee Spirite are the work OF .
silk weaver 81 LYONS. a poor man. named
I parmesAru. who % Is said. has not had
the slightest artistic education. Except
| when. ~ he SAYS the spirit moves his
hand, he himself remaining tn state Of
/ somi-uncousclousuess. no can not dnnw
. the simplest object or invent any de-o-
native plan. He believes that hs guild
Ing Influence" s his son. who dicd nt tho
oge % % while n student az the city Art
A.. schools The Young man. according 20
the father and mother. sends them every
day communion Hons from the other world.
both by means % table and by elidlng
the mothers hand 20 write Madame OAR
medru O. woman 81 ordinary public
shool oducation. she finds a certain am
Guilty ~ composing lotter on the ordi
nary affairs Of life. but when her dead
son. ~ Fho believes. guidcs her hand she
I NILS sheet after sheet without difficulty
I These messages consist mostly 81 snir.
ituat instruction and advice and Affection
ate "reminiscences.
mountaineering Ais.aouR.
In connection with the congress there
were given various ssauces exhibiting
/ phases OF practical occultism. one sunday
I there WAS mass meeting or an the see
lions IN tho vast general assembly hall
I TO witness "a demonstration OF ihaumatur-
I ~ by "a troup OF Aissaouas from the Ex-
position These cRsophonously named per
sons are members Of Moorish Arab tribes
who continue IN Upper Egypt the tradi-
/ lions OF practical occultlsm. witch as
they tell me- their forcfathers long ago
| learned from tho mystics 81 the remote
/ Indian peninsula. And truth 20 tell their
/ exhibition that day a. the congress was
very extraordinary. rmlnently calculated
/ 20 send the most convinced srebdr home
/ wondering Tho A.ssaouas are common
4 place looking persons so the normal state.
/ just like any "dagoes" selling fruit IN New
/ York or Chicago except Tor their Oriental
I costumes. Bui while they are engaged
IN doing their stunts" they become for
midablc. on the noor before them. ns
they crouch. a small censor sends up
smoke clu1ids OF heavy perfume which Is
supposed TO intoxicatc the performers 20
,ho wonder working point.
As the thick clouds OF fragrant blue
/ smoke arise an extraordinary change
comes over the "fakirs The musicians
begin "A low. plaintivc, Eastern sing song
beating time upon their Instruments. iu
a fcw moments they are shouting At full
voice a wild. rapid cultural chant and
banging their drums in a kind 81 FRENZY
The barbarc music ssizes tho audience
too. one secs that people are turning pale
and half rising In their seats rs N I'm
der the impression 81 some strange en-
chantmeut. ono hears women giving that
peculiar kind Of half groau. half scream
that the negroes o. the South emit az a
religious revival And. an the while.
the fakir who IS 10 show forth the won
dernll powers OF his tribe rs whirllng 70
the music in a mad. irregular dance that
absolutely fascinates ones gaze Ills con
] dition increases every second. he foams
AZ the mouth. Wells Ike lunatic, and
| every now and then fllngs himself over
90 the conser 10 drink in through the nos
trils ana mouth great draughts Of the
/ heavy. coillrg smoke. There comes
I moment when hc seems like a being OF
another world some word whore madness
relFns supreme. His eyes are starting ont
OF his head hts veins stand out Ike strong
/ blue cords on his forehead and on his
bare arms ard chest He bites savagcly
At tho floating ends OF his long robe-nnd
an tho time be whirls and yells. hound
inE over tho platform Ike a panther Then
be s. ripe Tor his experiment. De is in
capable OF feeling pain EToan Of hor-
ror goes ~ from the whole audience as
he filings himself upon a hasketful Of
yeuomous snakes plungcs his arm DO.
clutches a mass Of tho coiliug, Shiny scr
penis. 1ings them all about him. stuns
them into his mouth. biting them saw
agcly. and rolls himself over amongst
them IN an uncomfortable fury II IS dis
gushing. and many people IN tho audience
go our horrincd and sick but Il Is fas-
ciuating all tho same. They return for
the next experience
Unframed After F'riEhffu1 Wounds.
This time II - tho Two musicians who
I give an exhibition, while the snake
dancer. after drinking some potion to calm
hts nerves. returns 20 prove 80 the audi
/ ence that he has rot boon harmed by the
snakes he has handled 10 violently in his
/ drunken frenzy Though. by way OF par
| enthesis q would be remarkably coura-
Reous snake that would have presence Of
mind enough 20 defend Itself against tho
attacks - a being tn such state Of fu-
/ rioua dementin.
Tho musicians repeat the cxtravREaut
I contortions with which the hrst perform
ance began They bang their Instruments
with an intensity that increases every mo
. menl and constantly they inhale the
heavy perfume. Suddenly. when the de-
sired fury has seized them ln turn. they
Alag away their tambourine ana. yelling
I Ike demons. bound an over tho platform
| snatchlng up different weapons which lie
/ Uttered over the floor one Of them
thrusts "a dagger fun into his eye and
leaves IL sticking there while he caPers
| about singing what ono might take for a
| chant % victory 81 some tribe Of savage
| warriors. The other transhNer his tongue
| with four slim b AIDED stilettoa and i'm
| medlatcly afterwnrd iahs a long knife np-
| parently al random. into his stomach u
| seems. a. they do these things. that they
feel an intense need OF some violent phys
| lcnt sensation TO couuteract the exalted
| mental state into which they have brought
| themselves. A long gurgle 81 satisfac-
ton followed always on the inthrust Of
the weapon into tbc flesh.
The last act was perhaps atm more
curious one Of the men took a long. stout
nail with a sharp point. placed lt over
the top OF hts skull. then beat % hard 10
which "A heavy wooden block lie rose
suddenly. az ~ IN commissions. and ca
reered round tho stage for several min
utes with the nail stikiuE out OF his head.
while his comrades pounded their tam
bourlnes and raised the roof with a loud.
s0norous song Finally the man sank
down. exhausted. Ills dark bronzed skin
A.