The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-01-26

OF the Hindus-that of a boy climbing
upward out of sight on a string thrown
into the air by the fakir-I never saw it
done. l found it like the a%ir-walking
stunt-the man who had seen & was
always somewhere else. In shsrt, the
feats of Indian magic that car be seen
or substantiated are such as are Just
as easily eNplainable as those I nave
mentioned. Conan Doyle's astral bell
and three Hindu adopts in his Mystery
tions in fiction. I never was able in
my years in the orient to encounter any
such manifestations, and you may be
sure 1 was looking for them. The ac-
counts of the magic bowlder' written
by Heinrich Hensholdt in the Arena
the best authenticated 1 know of. The
author in this case explains the phe-
nonena he thought he witnessed on
the theory that he was ~hypnotized by
koomra Sauna, the Hindu adept in ma
gic. This is probably the correct eX-
planation. I consider 1T utterly i'm
possible. however, for a %hypnotist to
bring an ertire audience under his
spell and make them believe they see
things that don't exist.
My deviation act "a be done in an
open space. If you We're travelling in a
romantic country, with you mind pre-
pared to witness strange things, and
saw this trick done for the first time
to the accompaniment Of weird, bar
barrie 1ncantation, with oriental set
tings, would you not have hair-raising
| tales to tell of the magic of the Hin
dus? America is as far ahead of India
in c%onjuring as u scientific attain
ments are ahead of those of the most
learned priests of that country.
Most spiritualists are brought to
that faith through some private eX
perience. I a a narrow escape my
self. One night, ten years g in Buff
falo. after my wife and I had retired, I
heard spirit rappings.' They were dis
tinct and governed by some intelli-
Gence, for by asking questions I was
able to establish Geographic communi-
cations with the spirit. OF course I
jumped at the conclusion that some one
was playing a trick. for everybody likes
to trick the professional trickster. I
got up, examined the doors and win
dows, tore NJ the carpets looking for
wires and otherwise sought the source
Of the rappings. I foundn nothing. My
wife assured me she heard them as I
had. For snaae years the incident was
1t frequently to illustrate the unex-
plainable things we all encounter at
times.
About a year ago, during the visit
| of q well known actress to my home
! on the Hudson, h incident came up,
1 dlO lily VIE CUa1IeSSGU SIlS 0au caused
the rappings With her big toe nail
against the footboard of the bed. She
did 1t for a joke, saw I ook 1t seriously
for h instant, and then became afraid
to d%istilusion me. She kept her secret
nine a Such an experience. how
ever, is sufficient to drive many peo-
pie to belief in spiritualism.'
AS the conjurer told this incident
there was a series OF distinct rappings
similar to those heard at
See how easy it is,' he said, indicat-
ing the position Of his foot against the
table leg. This is q fine table for
spiritualistic purposes" B
The movement of the foot was Inn
perceptible n the raps were caused
not by a tap against the table. but by
friction between the leather and the
wood as the foot of the conjurer was
pushed slowly down.
THE Davenport brothers got up the
best spirit cabinet ever used. and I
worked with 1t for years. To h men
in my business the work Of the Fox
sisters vas no ordinary that WI would
not use it. Spirit devices are usually