The Indianapolis journal., 1903-09-06

In the sense that by pressing a spring the
blade would recede into the handle, and the
whole affair partake of the character OF
common conjuring feat. A word, however,
from the interpreter directing our atten-
tion to cne of the devotees caused US almost
to give an exclamation OF horror. He had
barred his body little below the waist, and
we saw the knife pass completely through
the front wall of his stomach. the handle
protruding at one side whilst the end of
the blade appeared on the other side of the
wound. leaving, if I have made myself
clear, the middle part of the knife con-
cealed in his body. He then withdrew the
knife. We expected naturally to see as the
consequence of such an apparently severe
injury a flow of blood. He stood not more
then six TO eight feet from us; not drop
Of blood issued from the wound. Another
man traversed his arms with a knife.
third pushed it through the muscles Of his
legs. whilst the others simply repeated
these various proceedings. On asking the
interpreter If we could examine them he
said no. and added that they would not
allow any close inspection Of their persons
further than that they would show us their
persons at the close. Further incantations
proceeded, and then, coming as it were out
of state of ecstacy, the whole troupe drew
themselves up in rigid way, salaamed and
disappeared. Now comes the most exrtaor-
dinary incident which 1 have to chronicle.
In few minutes they reappeared and in
their right mind. They came up to US and
exhibited their bodies without a single
mark appearing thereon. We made close
inspection of their bodies, being careful,
however, not to touch them. Our most
minute observation only revealed the ordi-
nary tawny skin of the race; not sign
of wound to be perceived.
1t may be urged that the whole thing
was a trick If so can only say it is one
. which, first of all, have never heard of
being performed In public, although proba-
bly, its very nature would render it un-
suitable one for an exhibition. Unless our
eyes were deceived TO an extent which
seems hardly possible, considering how
close were to the performers, could
only come to the conclusion that there had
been a real passage of the knives through
the tissues of the performers. 1 need only
say that we left the house extremely mysti-
fed.
1 am not prepared to say that can offer
any explanation Of what I saw. Either the
whole incident was an exemplification of
marvellous trickery, we'll conceived. and
skilfully carried out, or there exists on the
part Of certain individuals power whereby
they are capable of undergoing experiences
such as I have described without entaiing
upon themselves results which undoubted-
! ly might be more than sufficient to termi-
nate the existence of other men. One per-
son to whom 1 related the incident sug-
gested an explanation that the knives were
really passed through parts of the body
which were habitually used for these per-
formances and which, IL 1 might so describe
them, were in the condition of perfectly
healed wounds that, however, had left an
open space, receiving the knives and nat
urally producing no effects. What is
known to surgeons as a fistulous opening
would describe this idea. The knives, how
ever, appeared TO me to be sharp, and
objection to this explanation might be
found in the fact that if there had been
fistulous openings, we should have been,
very likely, able to detect them on the
bodies of the men, 1 can offer no further
EXPLANATION of what I saw that night In