The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-01-23
H1HDoo BASKET TRICK.

HOw the East Indians Greatest
Trick In Performed.
AS the Hlndoo basket feat Is the
East Indians greatest mystery to the
public, n proper light thrown on the
actual methods must prove of interest.
The trick proper consists in placing a
person into a net, In which he Is firm
iy tied, after having had his big toes
and thumbs fastened with a small
bandage; he is then with many a
groan and grunt lifted Into the basket;
but as the subject" pretends that the
basket Is too small for him he really
is seated on one side and keeps his
back in the air. He does this 30 that
1t will eventually appear as II It had
been impossible for him to crouch
down or around the basket. The lid
OF the basket Is now placed upon his
back, and a large sheet is thrown over
the entire thing which conceals from
the audience all the movements made
by the subject. Now ara commenced
the Hindoo magic words, which mean
q lot Of yells, charlatan movements
like striking the basket with the
sword or. cane, stamping the ground
and crashing Of teeth. Then the v
gradually sinks down and the basket
seems empty, or at least so the spec
tatofs imagine. The fakir now takes
off the cover, (but the sheet still COW
ers the basket). Jumps into the basket,
stamps all around 1t, and takes out the
met In which is found the turban, and
thumb tie. But the vanished sub
ject Is not seen, and to show still
further that the basket Is empty the
Hindood sits down in 1t. The lid of
d basket is now aplaced, and under
this friendly covering the sheet Ii
taken or and the basket is tied up.
Now the Hlndoo magic.
The magician Is a real actor. He
seems to pray to Mahomet, he gets
very angry, and with fierce looks,
calculations and what sounds like NUT
tered curses. he grabs up a sword or
cane and jabs 1t through different
parts OF the basket. During all this
time the subject, who Is somewhat OF
a contortionist, Is w~riggling about on
the bottom or side OF the basket,
keeping out Of reach Of the sword /;
In fact guiding 1t between his legs,
this being a very simple matter, as he
knows just which way the thrusts are
looming because they are all prear.
ranged.
BY this time the fakir has convinced
you that the basket is empty he does
everything himself, though not allow
Ing the spectators to handle or touch
the basket. Then he replaces the
cover, this time o top of the friendly
sheet, ties up the basket, and again
begins his bloodthlrsty yells and
screams while running to and fro. All
this time he Is playing on some kind
Of an instrument that has a most
Ilugubrious tone, something like the
whistle OF a locomotive when 1t has a
cold, only the instrument the fakir
hses looks to be a sort OF a flute sawn
on and hammered down, with a tin
whistles notes inserted. The basket
gradually men to rock, the sub
ject or contortionist inside raises him
yelf, and when the noise is at Its
height gradually s~traightens up, rails
Ing the basket with his back as far as
liz will go. To the uninltlated 1t actu-
ally appears as IL he had returned to
an empty basket In his original POSI-
Hon. IT is very deceptive, but only a
Hindoo can exhibit 1t with success, az
a white performer could never go
through the various screechlngs, imbe-
~cilities and the like that are required
10 bring about the desired effect.
Sometimes the trick is varied; in
stead of the performer being found
back In the basket he liz seen running
toward the crowd. This is accomplish
ed by having another subject that re-
sembles the original as much as pos
sible, so when this "duplicate' is seen
the spectators generally imagine that
he is the one they saw placed In the
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