r= p Hereward Carrington, Recently Assistant to Professor Hyslop, Shows That the Achievements of Oriental Wonder Workers Are the YSTERIES of Hindu magic, of those bewil- dering 'and Impressive feats which hold thie tion of the beholder in thrall, are re. in a remarkable att vealed as common trickery brochure by Mr. Herewpnrd Carrlugton which. has just been published in Loudon iu the Annals of Psyehle Research. i Travellers from time immemorial have told won- der of of the fakirs which baffled the Oceidental mind and fete the lmpression that they were genuine supernatural. manifestations which could not he explained in the light of the knowledge of the Western world, All these ideas, or most of them, at least, are sent glimmering by the exposé of the methods of the supposed thaunmatur. gists of the Orient, most of whose achlevements ave now proved to be merely the trickery of adept char latans, Mr. Carrington until recently was assistant to Pro- fessor James H. Hyslop, of the Soclety of Psychical Research, of this city, and has had a wide experi- ence as an investigator of psychic phenomena of all kinds. He recently returned from -ltaly, where he examined Into the claims of the noted medium Eu- eapla- Paladino, and he has also made first hand studies of the work of Spiritualists, This last volume, "Hindu Magic," 1s gathered from his own experience and also from that of his father, an Anglo-Indian, who made extensive studie® ofthe methods of the fakirs of the Far East. Mr. Carring- ton, before he devoted himself exclusively to psychie studies, was a rangielan and his own facility in leger. demain peculiarly fitted him for the role of a delver into the mysteries.of the Yogi art, He Is now a resident of New York, engaged In Independent research. He sets forth his introduction that he will describe the chief tricks performed by the picturesque practitioners, although lie does not hy any means deny that there are certaln of them 'who have powers beyond the ken of ordinary men. He strips most of the performances of which the returning tourists tell with bated breath of much tales the performances where he Is in of their enshrouding mystery, The Mango Tree Trick. One. 6f the star performances of Hindu magie Is It 1s thrilling In the extreme, as all eve witnesses of it agree, There py first pre- sented 'for the inspection of the spéctators a seed, which, after solemn incantations, the fakir buries In earth and waves a cloth over it. In the twinkling of an eve he eanses It to sprout, to grow a plant, aml finally to evelve a trée which hefore the eyes of the the mango tree trick. assemblage Is seen in rapid growth, Via Inch by Ineh the plant is seen rising out of the earth and unfolding its leaves In the light of day. The ob- server is certain that he has seen-the laws of nature gel at nought, and many Is the fale told, Ta all STheerity and wonderment, of this remarkable sign of the power of the human will, + The traditional method of performing this trick- it varies =o little that it may be considered that there 1s a standard method of procédure----Is described, by The performer comes forward almost nude. He has a vloth, which would not permit of anything being concenled. He has no cuffs fn which objects might be hidden, because he has no -and Mr, Carrington, small loin shirt to which they could be attached, The very situplieity apparently. of "the properties the fakirs disarms suspicion. They use no They perform in the open air, In some grove, on an There is nothing to create a"suspicion of prearrangeinent used by stage open plain oc even on the deck of a ship. The fakir approaches bearing a little earthern pot or a tin vessel filled with water and another containing a fair sized measure of loam or sand, perfectly dry Carelessly ne shows in one hand several seeds of the mango tree Simple Equipment. Across one bare arm is flung a cloth about four feet square, which he shakes "out before the spectators, showing one side and then the other. Nothing but the fibre can 'he seen, So simple are the poor and cheap equipments-£fhat the fakir seems to have that the spec- tators look at him in good natured indifference at first, Would anybody, like to look at the mango seed? He passes them around, and, surely there is nothing re. markable about them, The fakir makes a mud ple or a pyramid of mud, for as he squats on the ground he has mingled to- little earth and water and moulded the mass into form. And the mango séed! Which, one would' mem _sahib have planted? This one? It makes no difference. He places it in the top of the little pyramid and presses the mud all around it. Then he throws the cloth over it and places his bare arms undér the little tent so formed, and is seen going through the motions of patting the little mound wore tightly about the mange seed. As the arms of the performer are entirely bare it seems ta the spectators to make no difference what he does. Sometimes he murmurs weird incantations or causes a beating of drums. Then off comes the cloth apd there, quite naturally, may be seen two tiny green leaves shawing above the mound. : If there be any one who doubis that the seed Iv actually growing the faklr pries the seed out. of the top of the wound and shows him the tiny roots which arg growing out of the bottom of it. After everybody is satisfied the fekir puts the cloth back again over the seed and the mound, manipulates a little more gether a "with bis hands and presently whisks the covering pf. -- again and reveals a mango sprout several inches in height. x x i . Amazing Growth. Half a dozen times this process is repeated. and a mange tree two or three feet high is shown. This Is substantially the feat as it is usually perforwed. ai "though there are reports of the tree appirently grow Ing to greater heights and developing from the seed until It bears fruit. Several sojourners in the Far East have told stories of trees of suclr sive that a boy Wis seen climbing them, although the camera did hot Result of Skilful Trickery . ses explanations which have heen urged concernjug this trick were that the observers were hyppetized or that nature was really made by sofue Pedi means to nullify her own laws, Mo The trained investigator refuses to believe trick that the He fot Is ever used The of not try the phenomenon Is anything else than z sr observes that no other fori of veg for this performance hyt a mango tree the fakir to a question as to why he experiment with agtea plant or a palm or a banaoa Mango tree the only reply will tree Is:--'No, sahib! cannot do. one can minke." The reason for this choice lies In the fact that the léaves of the mango are gaite easily manipulated and when rolled up they will gradually return to thelr inn shape, Tw 5) "The mango seed," to quote Mr. Carrington, "that is placed in the wound' of earth. is especially prepared before the performance by the fakir. He splits the THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG, THURSDAY i EN ---------------- Diagram Showing How the Basket Trick is Doné. seed open, scoops out its contents, dries it somewhat and then presses within a shoot, folded and compressed $0 as to fit into the seed. It must be remembered that the mango seed is no small thing, but is two inches long or more by an iach to an inch and half broad. It resembles slightly the mussel shell found on the sea- shore. It would be obvious that a seed of this kind would contain of material and if the mango leaves were folded into small compass would The folded very carefully and are done in a spe The upper surface of the leaf must be folded on itself, and that surface, skilfully treated and watered; will scarcely a good deal hold a good sized tree leaves are al manner, SAWS The of show a. superficial examination creasing a crease wn which the' under surface will show is, course, hidden from the spectators' view 'Working the Deception. With this preparation the fakir'can proceed blithely with his work. When his hands are beneath the cloth he maniputates the seed enough to permit sdme of the leaves to emerge. "There is time for him to dig the sced out, arrange the end of the sprout to sult himself and to return it to its cone of mady The attention of the beholders, if the fakir/ fas distracted by the beating of the tomtom or hy singing, otherwise he must depend on lilx own incantations The process may be kept up until all the shoot'is worked out of the seed. The fakir permits the exan- ination of only such seeds as he has/mot treated, and he cleverly substitutes one of the prepared seeds for the one which has been handed to him by any of (he spectators, : When the fakir has a comparatively large gfow oul of the §éed he must have an assistant io help him in the management of the cloth or shaw! When be has worked out all surplus stock of "vitalizing "influence." or whatever it be. makes a secret sign to his aid, who deftly substitutes a new shawl in which Is concealed a larger shoot. ~The Trick Shawl. s are constanfly shaken and shown first on one side and then on the other. hut at the stventh or eighth time after that the onlookers have becoine secustomed to seeing noching and to suspecting noth: fag ay far as these. fubrics are concerned, The manip- wiation of (hem is very languid and the second cloth is scarcely handled at all > "This secoud cloth," continnes Mr. Carrington. double and coutains & very Jargs mango shout. mete or less doubled ap in the forin of (1 Fret mango shoot that wax placed within the seed. A «IIE In Ne cloth enables the conjurer to exitict the second shoot and an assistant, be may tree (0 his may ls reveal the presence of such an wbject. Along the \ to piace It in the ingind of earth, and be thes works RE Ra THE DIVING TRICK. : The Juggler Goes Through Va rious Incantations Until the Sugar Melts, When the Spring Will Fly Uncoiled and the Rabbit Will Be Ejected from the Water, \ 7s OCTORER 3, 1912. -- A PAGE ELEVEN. \ THE BASKET TRICK The Performer Proceeds to Run the Basket he added. .tp the ind work,» but dogs not opinion, however, that could tree hy means of sleig of any fakir h He would not he any know actually performed such a fo Wi 3 feat thinks, how or, thi i t were done Mors lun of the stand ing of K would be able accomplisin Anotfinr method of doing the mango seed trick is to have a seed with connterfeited r concealed 1 neath 1 small tent I'he fakir used what ¢ ears to proper moment shoot benes the improvised Startling Basket Trick. There } nad i Phere is not In all Hindu magic a more startling trick first of illusion than the hasket onjurer presents to the attention his observers a large oval basket. It is somethi like a great egg and on one side is an opening covered with fl of wicker empty en there Is dhject of cariet coat It Is exhibited entirely winced a boy fome iking wearing a red turban or a placed in the baske fit to sink gradually Over 'his head Is into the re danket has heen thrown ikir removes the blanket and rang the basket through, apparently in every direction, with a keen i extent sword Some, of these hibitions g » the : what appe ng ont from 1 of the basket, ar t ries of the boy in iin are shinn tre-arid inside and tha THE BIRD AND SERPENT TRICK. After some more manipula. tion the basket is raised again and this time some ten or fifteen little birds walk out from unde:- neath it, r | The Fakir Covers the Vessel with a Shawl ictures from "Hindu Magic," it emt to Its antural size wi large shoet ig worked ou a Inrge tree, and the cloth to display it to the astonished oniookers Ol 4 O remove (he cloth employed the while the etes of 1 Just 2 are faschiunfee Buge tree just exhibite When the ti concloded the ¢lath is i iil for sored history examingt The whale and, of course, no trickery y chaplet v performance is a pr of de eption,™ As Carrington says- that he performed. tor Bas he by 4 able to ledth of an authentic instance te the mango tree actual ng fruit. Bas Bers sha feat gent ever | 3 is of the wuiry "He Mr By Herewerd Carrington Copyrights 1909 thea jump into the basket and dance about fied will his hare aud finally sit down In the re ceptacle himself Xx Incantations with a Blanket. According t Warances the baskey wis barely large enough admitted the boy, and the man sees to be or ints it. Then there comes a sud i P mjurer pours forth angry incanta- ket and holds it up sonjething freemen handiing a life pet. eh a beavy and uuseen body and thang of putting something in the fax replaced the farban and the jacket. Then be ¢ the bmske! again with the blanket. There gre among the onlodkers many who are in a He OTH ws Through and Through with a sword fever 'of anxiety and are almost of the opinion that they-have witnessed a tragedy. To their rellef they £ moving ln the basket, and In a moment id in the same bright hued turbsun, leaps icker pris i, smiling and happy and slightest ace of having been run lade of the fakir, which had been thie basket . Mr instant ' continues The blanket am! turban, which deposits In hasket He gradually Sinks basket until he is completely inside of it, and top of the basket. basket 1s much larger than the top por Carrington that eds To divest him- "explain arvel the boy Is he proet he the bottom Sf t he the now into is even with The lower he The. hoy the lid the portion of tion manages to curl his body around the outer rim of the basket and leaving the part of the basket directly under the 1he basket, eel wise, occupying the entire pening Safe Sword Play. "When the juggler runs hie sword through the Bas. centre, empty. ot he Takes special palns to send I'he en he juggler is t through the unoe Space concealed boy wiggles from place hus enabled to run his of the hasket ip tarn and winplete emptiness, It can place his hand the discarded Jacker an alo take off the 11d space he bay in the the opening sword through ry por n ve the we of its uggler f Diasket ind turban at and stamp and cipies is th hask cupled blanket since the by the So | 8 Over b seen" The weird passes Is to distract the at Is dressing. in a tree after the hasket. This eitg two boys le of lw bay viking arth usion : in the basket he cover of a hlnket and when the attention of the ften when only one boy Ia from the basket on an then appear in a md the one pe ts on the dry sand trick seen to place a hand of a pail of water hand, he ngs the sand tn blows about, showing treated ly first thor not a vest of clay remaiiis na frying pan with lard and Ere is burned out of It, This ¥ sinoolh, even sai WwW 1d 81 ¥. Sing wd which resists Fhe sand is specially ean, sharp s ge Diving Tricks. us kinds are. employed by the tone d with the 1pon the surface ever an spectator v minute hole which he has the hair is attached t of wax. The « bowl Is concealed by water as though acc) tw perfor } whlch floats nd recedes whet oper has made nigh means "of il b 15 a leak In B ing: a little y from the howl the movement of the duck by manipy- ing the hair or d thread which Is attached to lifes leg. The test Ig performed on dark ground. Another diving trick is performed by means of a small : an pail of water, which Is hurled out by means sf @ 1g bent double. The spring is held in place by a piece of sugar and 8 released when the sugar has melted A trick that has from time to time astonished the Western mind consists of placing a stone under a small basket. The basket is removed and Instead of a stone j« & scorpion or snake. The basket is agaln taken up and a. flock of small rds is revealed The substitution of the stake for the stone 1s merely ordinary sleight of hand--something on the order of the pea under the walnut shell. The binds are In a black cloth bag, whith was introduced Into the basket when the aUention was fixed upon the snake. The Lag is then opened and the birds released. Of snake charming Mr. Carrington says that ft Ap irs to be genuine. The often repeated voluntary erment of the Hindu necromancers he finds to be in most cases fraudulent, for the so calied grave bad a means of communication with a holiow tres, which would serve as & means of escape or for purposes. of ventilation. The end of the coffios are so prepared that they may be removed by the fakir, thas esabiing hizh to get much needed repose against the day of his disinterment. A'he rope irick, which is supposed to consist of sending a dmall boy to climb a robe suspended in sir 16 some luvisible support, Mr. Carrington does nol credit at all 'and explains it as probably due to hypnotism. - This trick is sald to have been photographed. ouly the piste showed nothing. He conciudes that there are, spite of the many tricks which are employed, some * real, wonder workers among the Hindus wany ~who possess medinmistic power. ler - 8] He control is usually rabbit tn