The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-25
Marvellous Trick Exposed
Greatest of All Tinao Achievements Life Hangs
Counting of Breahs

AT last the most marvellous trick of
| the Hindoo fakirs has been exposed.
This feat, known as the bag and spear
trick, has been considered the greatest
of Hindoo black art achievements, even
| surprising the famous performance
OF the sword and basket. that mystifled
its beholders for generations. Long
| before 1857, when the British forces
| first obtained a firm grasp upon India,
travellers who had visited that country
| told of the wonderful and mysterious
powers exercised by wandering reli-
gious fanatics. After the East India
Company was formed and the country
fell under English authority, the mar
Vicious feats performed by certain or
the Hindoo fakirs remained as mys-
| tifying as ever. It has only been of
/ late years that any successful efforts
| have been made by Europeans to un-
mask the apparently deeply occult
powers of the miracle workers. So
! jealousy have the Hindoos guarded
| their secrets, the success that has been
lachieved is not due to any information
given by the fakirs themselves.
The old sword and basket trick amaz-
ed all foreigners. In this the fakir had
his attendant, usually little boy or
girl, get inside a closely woven reed
basket that seemed hardly large
enough to permit of the slightest NOV
ing around. When the cover had been
secured a sword was plunged through
and through, apparently in every di-
rection. So we'll had the attendants
been trained by years of untiring prac-
tice to avoid each thrust that when the
performance was over he stepped out
of the basket unframed and pointed
smiingly to the sword in the hands
of his chief.
For many years this trick was
mystery to it's beholders, who could
not conceive how it was possible for
the occupant of the basket to escape
the sword that flashed and Kissed with
rapid thrusts and upon the point or
which blood frequently appeared after
a stroke. Years of indefatigable labor
and untiring practice are REQUIRED be-
fore this trick can be successfully per-
formed Only so many strokes are
made with the sword. Each thrust is
directed into the basket at a certain
point and is expected by the attend
ant The fakir's aim must be true to
must know to a hairs breadth just
where the sword will enter the basket
and so arrange his body that the sword
will pass harmlessly over or under
him. since the trick has been exposed,
exhibitions of it have been given be-
fore a few spectators with the lid open
so they might observe with what dex-
terity the occupant of the basket
evaded the sword point. /
More wonderful and mystifying than
the sword and basket trick has been
the feat performed by the fakir of the
bag and spear. . In this trick the Hin
doc fakir has his assistant get into a
sack, the mouth of which he firmly
secures and then unceremoniously
hurIs his helpless victim to the ground.
Without a sound of warning, the fakir
drives his spear through the center or
the body within the bag. After with
drawing his weapon, upon the point or
which no blood stain appears, the faklr
stands and gazes dreamily over the
heads of the spectators. The body
within the bag founders about con-
vulsively. as if in the throes of mortar
agony These commissions become less
violent and soon the occupant of the
bag has apparently died of the thrust.
when suddenly the fakir again plunges
his spear into the motionless body
The same antics are repeated. The at
tendant within the bag goes through
a series of convulsive movements ana
the sportsman appears again lost IN
nrofound meditation. When the per-
Torrance is ended the fakir releases
his attendant from the bag and he
stens out without scratch upon MS
body.
The seeming inability of the assist
ant inside the bag, TO defend himselr
or dodge the vicious spear thrust that
appears to pass through his body. ana
scant possibility of any signal to pass
between him and the fakir, who, after
a thrust of his spear. turns partly
around and pays no heed to the strug-
Cling body that is blinded beyond any
possibilitv of seeing the coming blow.
has placed this performance in the
front rank of Hindoo feats.
ONLY recently has this trick been ex-
nosed. and the unmasking of it excites
admiration for the performers. who
10 compel wonder and surround them
selves with mystery for their supposed
miracle. devote years of time TO attain
success While the trick is performed
with all the carelessness imaginable.
= calls for more patience, skill and
exactness than any of the other black
ART achievements. From the time the
attendant enters the bag. both fakir
and assistant count every breath they
take
when stated number of breaths
have been taken the fakir makes his
thrust and the occupant of the bag
is prepared to avoid it. Then the count
begins again and at the proper time
the smear is driven apparently through
the attendants body. In order to evade
the smear and make it appear to pass
through his body. the assistant doubles
mn in as small a form as possible !,
His legs are drawn up close. with the
chin resting upon the knees and the
arms folded around the lower limos
across the s1ins. When in this posi-
tior, At the fiftieth breath the spear
na sses under the attendants arms pc
tween the abdomen and the thighs.
The slightest miscue by either fakir
nv assistant would mean a serious II