Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-09-23
What Did the Fakir Do?

What Did the Fakir Do?
Wonderful stories are told of the
powers OF the Hindu fakirs. Careful
attention to their tricks has not dis
covered their secret with any certain
ty, but Capt. James Parker, the English
traveller, who has just returned from
tour Of India, gives it as his belief
that hypnotism is the means by which
they accomplish their most startling
illusions. One incident which he de-
scribes seems to bear out his view.
The trick which is acknowledged to
be the greatest of these Hindu mystic
performances, says Captain Parker,
and the one that has been described
by trustworthy persons too often to be
doubted, is the one in which the fakir
throws a ball of Irvine into the air
above him, until it disappears from
sight. The loose end of the string he
holds in his hand, and after the boy
assistant has climbed up the string un-
til he too is out of sight, the fakir him
self follows, with a knife between his
teeth.
The spectators, surprised when both
boy and man climb out of sight, are
Mortified when the boys severed head,
arms and legs, followed by the trunk
fall to the ground, and the man slides
down close behind. Their astonish-
ment is increased when the fakir gath
ers the severed members. and restores
the boy to life.
Well, | saw this performance once,
and once didn't see it; and the latter
experience was more wonderful than
the other. had some London friends
visiting me, and after having left them
for a few minutes on the veranda of
my bungalow, saw, as | was return
ing, the same fakir and his assistant.
whom | had seen perform the trick,
standing about forty feet in front of
my friends, apparently preparing to
begin performance. AS was about
as FAR behind the natives as my friends
were in front of them, and had not been
observed, stood quietly where I was
The man placed a drawn knife be-
tween his teeth, took the usual ball of
Irvine in his right hand, made a mo-
ton as il throwing it into the air, and
then stood perfectly quiet. My friends
on the veranda were looking into the
upper air with establishment on their
faces, which in a minute turned to a
look Of horror as their eyes came
back to the ground. In another
minute their countenance lighted I'D
with pleasure, and they applauded
roundly.
They could not say enough about the
wonderful performance they had seen
and they were astonished beyond
measure when told them | had been
as near the fakir as they, and had seen
nothing of what had so wonderfully |
impressed them.
If that was not hypnotsm, what was
it?
Va tiiS IdNG-lJO Won take
this woman to be your Lawful! welded
wife?
BTidegroOm-l do.
Justice of the Peace-Then | PIG.
nounce you man and wife. And, re-
member, you asked me to do this. Don't
ever blame me.
While reporter was tclcphoning his
story from Sing Sing, a convict ham.
nering on the floor made it hard for
he reporter to hear.
Would you mind stopping for few
ninutes?" asked the newspaper man.
All right, boss" said the convict.
90 to it. 81 got twenty years to finish
his job"
Teacher You see, had the lamb been
hedient and STAYED in The Sa'I il would
lot have been eaten BY the wolf, would
-