Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1908-09-04
HOW TO CATCH A THIEF.
Novel Scheme Employed In India Lo-
Gates Dishonest Servant.

SS S'ShShOSA 9cTNauNs
"A recent contributor to the st.
Louis Globe Democrat mentions
some curious trials for crime still
employed in various parts of the
word" said returned missionary
from India who recently paid
visit to the city, "but none of them
compare with the rice trial, which
is still in vogue in most parts of
the peninsula, as a method of de-
tecting a criminal.
"a friend of mine living in Cal
cutta discovered that various small
but valuable articles had disappear
ed from his house. He knew that
the thief must be one of his own
servants, but had no means of prov
ing it. So, after all his efforts at
detection proved useless, he sent for
thief DOCTOR who had a high rep
utation for his ability to catch Grim
lnals and recover stolen property.
"On the appointed day the doctor
appeared and requested that all the
native servants be summoned to the
courtyard. They were called, and
as they fled into the open air he
observed keenly the faces and ac-
tons and bearing of each one that
passed. The last was a man of
whom | entertained very strong sus-
plcions. He ayerted his eyes and
gave such signs of nervousness that
mentally confirmed the suspicious |
had already entertained. All the
servants squatted in a circle in the
middle. The doctor built a small
fire, into which he threw fragrant
woods and drugs that made a smoke
so nauseous that | was compelled
to retire little way from the sick
ening fumes. While the smoke was
at its highest the thief doctor order
ed the circle to contract, then pass
ed around the fire, blowing the
fumes with palm leaf fan into the
face of each servant, repeating GER
tain phrases, which was told called
down unnumbered curses upon the
evildoer.
'This process over, he placed be-
fore each squatting servant a palm
leaf, then produced jar covered
with mystic figures, and, carrying it
in his hands, he paraded around the
circle, chanting in a loud, harsh
voice curses more terrible than he
had bestowed before on the thief.
This done, he produced a watch,
regular old timer, took note of the
hour and administered to each of
the suspects a large tablespoonful
of dry rice powder, and after each
had taken his medicine the doctor
again danced around the circle,
sometimes within, sometimes with
out, shouting, yelling, shrieking in
the most ear piercing tones for sew
eral minutes, occasionally consult
ing his watch. At the end of five
minutes he stopped, passed around,
and each servant held up his palm
leaf, with the mouthful of masticat-
ed rice on it, for inspection. All
had stood the test except one, the
man whom | had suspected and who
had also evidently been noted by
the doctor. His face was distorted,
his eyes protruded, and he rapidly
worked his jaws in agony, trying to
chew the flour that in spite of all
his chewing remained dry. At the
doctors command he spit out the
dry powder on his palm leaf, and
the doctor, turning to his patron,
said, Here is the thief
"a full confession followed, to-
gether with the recovery of the arti-
Giles stolen, and in return for his
skill the doctor received a fee rep
resenting about so cents and went
away perfectly satisfied. OF course
the whole performance was an ex-
pertinent of the effects of self con-
sciousness of guilt. The innocent
readily passed the test, but the
guilty man could not make his sail
vary glands do their duty, and |
think his terror was increased by
the nauseating smoke and the
frightful curses shrieked out by the
doctor"