The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-01-11
BOXERS MADE BY MAGIC.
MUMMERY THAT PLUNGED CHINA
INTO HORRlD WAR.
yman Who Studied the Develop
nsnt of the Movement in It's Home
SAYS That Il is a, Old Friend in New

Culse.
The Rev. John Ross, OF Shanghai
who has made careful study OF the
Boxer movement in China, says that he
has nowhere seen in English descrip-
ton Oh the evolution and development
Of 4 Boxer. Mr.. Ross has spent many
years in Manchuria and it was there
that the observations were made whose
result he gives in a recent number OF
the North China Herald.
The clergyman does not pretend to
say 10 what extent the rising was Justl-
fed by the action OF foreign mission
aries; that, he says, has already been
fully discussed by others. He concerns
himself only with the phase of the sub
lect which is interesting because pre-
scnti:ig curious example of the vaga-
ries ci human nature Mr. Ross be-
gins with he initiation OF the person
who wishes to become Boxer.
No man." he says, intellectually the
inferior could initiate his superior.
have not heard OF junior initiating hi.
senior. A man could initiate others
who was himself incapable of initiation.
The initiation was largely by teachers
Of scholars, of apprentices by masters,
OF juniors by seniors. By far the larg-
er number of initiated were boys and
girls. The frenzy was universal. Every
evening and night magical work went
on in city and country. except in those
few places where parents and headmen
set their faces sternly against il.
OF two 1aen meeting casually on the
street one would say to the other: Let
mc give you the exaltation.' If the par
ty addressed were agreeable he was
made to stand facing the southeast, the
direction in which Kuan Yin is wor-
shipped. kran Yin is the special deity
OF the ubiquitous Tsaili secret sect The
feet OF the novice are set on sign OF
the cross. The tips OF the forefngcrs
and thumbs are brought together to
form a circle. The other fingers are
folded backward on each other toward
the forefingcr.
Through this circle or through a
glass the youth is to look, a circle
against each eye. But the eyes were
closed. His hands are thus held and
his eyes kept closed during the whole
process. The performer goes on the
side OF the youth and speaks close to
his ear: Ia t'ien t'ien men kai. Strike
heaven, heavens door opens; strike
earth. earth's door comes. If you wish
to attain spirit-fst ability, only invite
the teacher to come
"1n Chinese these four lines OF five
syllables each rhyme pleasantly. After
the words are said the teacher breathes
gently into the ear. He goes to the
other side and repeats the ceremony.
From side to side he goes till at length
the spell is upon the youth. He falls
backward in a trance and lies on the
ground.
while thus lying, eyes still closed,
he is asked what his name is. The
question is to ascertain which of the
numerous shen or inferior deities OF
China has made the youth its medium.
He replies, giving name-it may be
the god of war, it may be the spirit
of the fox or stoat. The youth is
tfenceforth known as the redium or
incarnition of that spirit. He then
stands erect and yells in an unearthly
voice, terrifying to the onlooker, 'sha,
sha; shao, shao:' kill, kill, burn, barn.
1t is usually, 'sha q gueitze, 'slay the
foreigner
"At the same time he hings his arms
wildly about him, striking with an un-
natural force whatever comes into con-
tact with his hands-for he is still
blind. Yelling his unearthly cries and
madly flinging his arms, striking brick
walls or mems heads, he does not seem
70 know exhaustion. He heeds not cut
hands or bleeding knuckles.
AT length when the bystanders be-
licve he has taxed sufficiently his pow
ers of physical endurance, one goes
toward him, and. with the open palm,
administers a smart slap on the fore
head, saying, Depart This is address
ing the spirit possessing the youth.
Then for the first time the youth opens
his eyes and is himself again. He is
asked what his experiences were and
answers, I do not know He is now
in his ordinary mind and continues so
till the ceremony is repeated. The pro-
cess is continued until he is able to
go through it all with his eyes open.
Then he is fully developed into real
| Boxer
AT first cloth girdlle is put into
his hands, which he swings about in the
most extraordinary fashion Then a
millet stalk follows, which he uses as a
sword; and when his eyes arc opened
and when he has attained to the Boxer
state, he receives huge and sharp
sword, with which he. performs the
most wonderful antics, not without
danger to himself and to others. Once
such sword came down upon the per-
formers nose and cut it open. This
lis the sword with which he is to drive
1.-The foreigners into the sea. as his
sacred fire is to consume everything
belonging to the hated foreigner.
"Some youths readily succumbed to
the. magical influence of the above
words; others required great deal
more repetition. and yet others sne-