The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-14
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THE HUMAN PINCUSHION.
Some of the Pleasures of Being One
and How 1t Is Done.

Some of the Pleasures of Being One
and How 1t Is Done.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
There is little pleasure and little
money in being a human pinchusion.
There is still less of the former but a
little more of the latter, in submitting
to the ordeal of being crucif1ed. It is
not delightful occupation to be a car
bolic-acid drinker. That is what one
professional falir thinks about it, and
he knows Perhaps many more think
the same thing. 1t is not often one
about his business. These fakirs are
what are known as horses" They
travel about with so-called profess
sors," and submit to being punctured
with hat pins, stabbed with dirks,
nailed to cross, and made to eat and
drink poison. One of these horses
perhaps the best-known one living
drifted into Chicago the other day This
man-Tom j. Minnock-exposed a num-
Der Of his fakir tricks. He pierced his
cheeks and arm with hat pins slowed
or accelerated his heart action at will
and told of the various swindlfng
methods he has used during his career
as a horse" for hypnotists, quacks,
faith healers and others of their ilk
With two large hat pins piercing his
cheeks, and with the blood tricking
down his face. Minnock talked away,
apparently oblivious of any pain
Yes, It hurts to do thing like this, I"
he said but l have trained myself
not to mind it. If I practice it daily
it does not pain at all. I have been at
the business all my life, and don't mind
it.
I'm Detroit 1 was once doing a
sleep when the papers began to howl
about the cruelty of the exhibition.
The professor was arrested and four
policemen were sent to wake me up.
They tickled my feet. raped me over
the knucl1les, and pounded my back
and finally called in doctors. They
said was certainly asleep. Then I
was loaded into an ambulance and TAX
en- to the police court. The Judge
promised to release the professor if he
would wake me and leave Detroit with
in eight hours.
The professor gave the word and 1
came to. We had received lots of ad-
vertising, and we went to New York
The professor had been a fire-eater,
and had been the human pincushion'
in a Denver museum. He let his hair
grow long and became a doctor of sug-
gestive therapeutics, while / acted as
the subject. .--
of a well-known man we had seen on
other occasions. We were carrying
the banner'-broke fiat He was lean
ing back in his comfortable chair when
we went in and asked him to back us
for a road tour.
HE had heard of our experience in
Detroit, and was interested to see a
performance. After / had feigned to
forget my name and had gone to sleep
and let the 'hyp stick a few pins
through my cheeks, the man said l.:
Let's see you hypnotic me-
The professor started rubbing the
fellows forehead soothingly, at the
same time repeating, Getting brewster,
getting brewster. slowly. slowly. The
man had been up all night, and in
about ten minutes went. into a natural
doze. The 'hyp' gave me the signal.
/ unfastened one of his shoe laces and
the 'hyp' unbottoned his coat and
vest
I'm an instant the man awoke. We
were both laughing. DO you know
what you were doing2 shouted the
hyp'. You were up on the top of
your desk, about TO dive off and save
a girl you saw drowning in the East
river. Look Your shoes and vest are
loosened'
The man was convinced OF the pro-
fessOr's' power. He took us over 10
a hotel and backed US 20 go on the
road. The show broke and he lost all
his money I don't know where II went.
for the professor said All he got out
Of the venture was "a dress suit and
his expenses. ! got nothing"