The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-02-06
EARLY ND|ANMACIC
Is DESCRIBED FOR
| ROTAR|ANS BY Will
Tricks That Would Have Done
Houdini Credit Performed
by Northwest Tribes

t1ouulnl Credit Performed
by Northwest Tribes
Indian magic was tho big feature
before the Rotary luncheon this noon
It was on the program in talk b,
George VIII. Following it, two girl.
from the Indian school sang "Palt
Moon" and by the Waters of Mime
tonka." One was the granddaughter
OF ono OF the medicine men named by
Mr.. Will In one OF his stories oi
magic.
w. G. Fulton made the plea to the
Rotarians that he made to the Lions
Monday. and that Father John Stag
made to the Kiwanians, Tuesday, for
business men to give boy scouts odd
jobs that they might earn their sum-
mer camp expenses. Several men,
bcrs stood up, as willing to do this.
J. G. Taylor. president of the club,
reminded the Rotarians that the dis
trict convention will be held at Mi
not. April Is and is. and asked them
to reserve the dates for attending.
Indian Magic Religious
Speaking on the topic Of Indian
magic, MIR. Will said that the red men
practiced tricks that indicated pow
crS OF hypnotisn, tclepathy and of
psychic knowledge. They were for
entertainment but also were a part
of the Indians religion. They we're
the province Of the tribal medicine
men. HOudini had nothing better in
Illusion III several tricks he said.
The visit of Father DeSmet to tho
Indians in the present Fort Yates
area was recalled. The father was
sent to the Bad Lands. where Run
ming Antelope and his tribe were So
jOurning. He tried to induce them to
embrace Christianity. But Running
Antelope and his associates decided
TO retain their own creed.
Mr.. VIII referred to the magic Of
the Fueblcs causing seeds and tubers
to grow into plants in few seconds
or minutes. The Chippcwas, he said.
showed powers of divination. He
cited the appearance of white traders
on bay arm OF Lake Superior, as re-
lated BY Jonathan Carver. first white
man to visit the site of Minneapolis.
This visit was foretold several davs
in advance Of the arrival.
Some Magic Was Surgical
Inc use OF sacred stones, made TO
swirl around the lodges was cited.
also.
More pretcntious tricks OF the In
dams were to sever heads or other
parts OF bodies and sing them back
into place without scar to indicate
the apparent operation. Father De-
Smet also told Of the Arikaras plung-
Ing their legs or arms into boiling wa
ter without being scalded. He at
trlDuted the immunity. said Mr.. Will.
to the probable use of some weed
with such immunizing powers. An
other trick Of the Arikara was to run
skewers through their cars and saw
back and forth through the head the
thong attached to the skewers.
Bear Belly, he said. performed a
startling feat. He would extend him
self from the top of his lodge and al
low another Indian to plunge the
sharp point Of an ak into his abdo-
men. Then he would walk through
the camp and finally pluck the ak out
and there would be no mark to indi-
cate It's apparent pcrforation of his
BODY He was the grandfather of
vcrna Bell, who sang at the lunch |
con.
White lmitators COMPOUNDED
Ine speaker referred to a descrip-
ton OF fish trick witnessed by an
Ed Hall and which Hall and friend |
attempted to duplicate. The medi- |
cine man would walk nude to the |
river and plunge in and come up with
catfish in each hand. Hall and his
friend caught catfish and at night |
led them to the bottom of the river. |
lney oove into the water next morn
ng and brought these up. The trick
worked Tor a week-with one varia-
Ion from that of the Indian. The
white mems catfish invariably were
lead when brought up
Guests at the luncheon included
lewis +. Lyman, Mandan; Mrs. Her
mann Scheffer, Bismarck: Alice
Slater, Verna Bell and G. B. Dickin-
on, from the Indian school: H. Z.
srickc. Minot; J. G. Forbes. Wahpe-
on; Walter Bond, Minot: w. s.
whitman. Grand Forks; Alfred
steel. Jamestown: Roy Baird. Dick
nSon; Ed b. Murphy, Jamestown.
rank =. Ployhar, Valley City; Nels
!: johnston, ToWner: Axel Solder.
Wing; Q. N. Durham, Bismarck:
'u!ton Burnett. Victor Moynier and
VILLAIN Fricke.
secretary George Bird appeared
iCer an absence Of two weeks in a