, 1906-07-16
HIMSELF AWAY
THIEF FOUND THROUGH THE
TRIAL ORDEAL.
Lascar Sailors Had Scheme for Dis
covering Robber of Shipmate That
Was Better Than the Methods of the
Famous Mr.. Sherlock Holmes.

A novel and successful way of de-
tecting a thief was recently witnessed
on board a cargo steamer on her yoy-
age from Liverpool to Natal. One of
the ~seacunnies (Lascar quartermas-
ters) reported to the captain that
while he was on duty that morning
some one had gone to his berth and
stolen three sovereigns, two rupees,
and n ~half-penny, which he had tied
up in a piece OF rag and sewn inside
his pillow for safety. AS the money
represented over a months pay he was
in great distress. When asked why
he carried SO much money with him
he said he was taking it home to show
to his little girl, who had never seen
a sovereign, ~and afterward intended
making them into an ornament for her.
There are so many places IN board
a large steamer in which the money
could be temporarily hidden and no
means of Identifying the particular
sove eigns that the captain had very
little hope of discovering the thief,
but as a matter of form instituted an
inquiry II q IN ou5h oNoiNA
made. though without any result.
Now, rothing upsets a seaman, be
he British or Indian, more than to
have 4 suspected thief on his ship,
especially a thief who robs his mates.
They will breach a cargo for food or
drink at times, or steal the cabin
plum-duff, without a qualm of con-
science; but to steal from a shipmate
is a crime they scorn to commit, and
so they would not rest till the thief
was discovered.
Although the captain had aban-
doned tie hunt, not so the men them
selves, and at sunset the serang (boat-
swain) decided to Put the whole of
his men through tie ordeal of eating
rice" which was as follows:
A dish of plain, uncooked rice was
washed in running water by the per-
son who had lost the money, and
then placed on a box in front Of one
of the crew, who officiated as priest.
The crew were all mustered and gath
cred around; the priest, in a monotone,
read a few verses from the Koran,
and, after blowing three times upon
the rice, prayed that Allah might
make 1t instrumental in discovering
the guilty one; hat the throat of the
thief might be made as dry as the
sands of the desert, 81 that the limo
cent might be freed from the sus-
picion that rad fallen upon them.
Each Lascar was her called in turn,
and. with one hand on their sacred
book, he, with the other. took a few
grains of the rice and proceeded to
eat them, masticating them till they
we're thoroughly moistened, when he
either swallowed them or spat them
out. Nine passed the test successful
ly and were declared innocent, but the
tenth seemed to have difficulty in do
ing so; this was at once noticed by
the others. who, closing round, began
to question him. What is the matter?
Is your throat too dry?" etc. This
made him worse, and. after trying to
go through the ordeal for a few mo-
ments longer, he gave in. and, splitting
out the rice perfectly dry. he went to
the place where he had hidden the
rooney and. producing 1t, handed 1t to
the rightful owner.
The test, which is truly Oriental, is
based on natural laws. The Lascars
know that when a person is in a state
of fear, or nervous excitement. his
throat, and particularly the roof Of
his mouth, becomes dry and parched,
making 1t difficult to masticate rice so
as to thoroughly moisten it.
The lnrocent man, being perfectly
calm, is able to go through the test,
while the miscreant, impressed by the
religious ceremony and knowing his
guilt and that every n is watching
him, gets frightened, and his mouth
becomes dry and parched. Thus he
condemns himself. The culprit's life
during the remainder of the voyage
was far from pleasant.-Tit-Bits.