INDIAN JUGGLERY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 150, 25 June 1881, Page 4

INDIAN JUGGLERY.

[From the Neiu York Times.} .People have often nsked why some enterprising theatrical manager does not bring one of those wonderful jugglers of India to Europe or to this country. Wo havo had Japanese jugglers wlio proved to be much inferior to such occidental wizirds as Houdin and Ilerrtnacn, and were are soon to witness the Nautch dances by genuine JNTautcb girta, but no Kast India juggler has ever left his native country. Everybody has heard of the amazing miracles performod almost; daily in India. The stories of the juggler who throws a ball of cord into the air, where it remains long enough for him to climb up by it until he disappears from sight; or of the juggler who carves a boy as he might cirve a chicken, aud then reconstructs the boy out of a heap of disjointed Jimbs and miscellaneous orgaus, are familiar to us all. They are often quoted by spiritualists tbat miracles even more nsfconishing tbsn the composition of bad poetry by the spirit of John Milton are actually worked by the '■' oceuliata" of the Orient, and are often retold in the newspapers a=* having been vouched for by that rather vague person "a recent traveller." "Were one of these incomparable Eastern jugglers to be brought to Europe by n theatrical manager ; the latfer would rrmlic a certain and enormous fortune within a very short time. And yet the men wbo import Japanese fullers, or tbe more interesting Nautch girls, never make the slightest effort to Boeura a real miracle-working fakir. This is certainly very strange, and in fact quite unaccountable, except upon a hypothesis which is as rude as it; k unwarranted. The mention of the East India jugglers and their feats must ab this particular period remind everyone who knows the facts of the recent marvellous disappearance of a small boy id Bkckboro, Mass. At the request of those most nearly interested, the affair has thus far been quietly ignored by the Press ; but it is understood that there is no need of any further mystery in the matter. The facts according to >Ir Ebenezer Lathrop, a leading citizen and undertaker at Blackboro, are briefly as follows, and will bo found intensely interesting : — Mr Lathrop is not a spiritualist;, but until lately he has taken a good deal of interest in spiritualism, and hBB sometimes expressed the belief tbat there may be " aomethin or other" in it. Three weeks ago there came to Blackboro a professional medium, Mr Q-. T. Homer, who alleged that he was travelling for pleasure, but who, at the request of a local believer in spirits, consented to hold a seance at the house' of Mr Lathrop, whose professional acquaintance with departed B;ackboro citizens might reasonally be supposed to render them willing to meet a respectable medium under hiß roof. The seance was appointed to be held on the night of the Bth December, and Beven living spiritualists agreed to be present. Ifc was the misfortune of Mr Lathrop to have a peculiarly objectionable boy —Master Thomas Wallis Lathrop, named after bis maternal grandfather, aged eleven years on tbe >7th of last [November. Thomas, or Tom, as he was popularly called, was a particularly bad boy. Much familiarity with coffins and funerals had, perhaps, its share in rendering him callous and indifferent to serious things ; but it is very certain ; thai; He feared nobody and cared for nothing* He made his estimable father's life a burden to him, and it was the general opinion of the village that Tom's private funeral would be a most desirable undertaking event. The seance was held at the time and ! place appointed, and was in many respects a creditable affair. Oommuni. cations from a number of prominent ghosts were received, and the spirits of two persons whom Mr Lathrop had buried, Deacon Smedlej and Prince (coloured), were fully materialised, and were recognised by everyone present. Ifc was in connection with the appearance of the coloured ghosfc that Tom Laihrop made known his hitherto unBuspeeted presence in the room by a war-whoop and a large apple, the latter being thrown at the ghost with such excellent aim as to hit him on the nose and elicit from him the brief and pointed remark "Golly." The indignation of the assembled Spiritualists was naturally great, and •JMr Lathrop, who promptly captured ' his graceless bod, was eboufc to lead him away for punishment, when the medium said, te Bring Mm to me; I •will deal with him," Tom was accordingly given to the medium, who was an athletic man, and who, seating him6elf on a chair in the full view of the audience, placed the boy across his knee and prepared to operate on him with the palm of his hand. Mr Homer struck only one blow, for the instant his avenging hand descended there. was a brilliant flash of light, a lond report, and Master Tom disappeared instantly and utterly. The doors and windows were closed, and even if they had not been it is certain that the boy could not have left the medium's lap and escaped from the room unseen. Ifrom tbat moment until the present time not the slightest trace of Master , Thomas Lathrop has been seen. . ; The medium's explanation was a simple one. He said that by his occult power he had decomposed the boy into bis original gasee, and that these bad united with the gases of- the atmosphere. The people of Blackboro', with "but one exception, agreed that this was the first eyidence of any good in spirifcnalism that they had yet seen, and there was talk of inviting Mr Homer to tafce charge of the district school. To the astonishment of everybody Mr Lathrop seemed dissatisfied, and he has served a formal demand on tbe medium tore-construct his boy within ten days, or to pay his value, to be decided by three arbitrators, or a majority of them. Now this is a story which is as •wonderful as anything that has. ever been told of the East Indian jugglers It is unquestionably as authentic us any story told by " a recent traveller," and is far, more circumstantial in its details than, the best efforts of that enlijient authority. It will be unhesitatingly tielievcd by all the believers in Indian

jugglery, and ought to be of immense service to spiritualism. In short, there is not a word of truth in it, which is precisely the most important characteristic of the tales of East Indian jugglers, and perhaps accounts for the fact that no one has thought it worth while to hire one of them to exhibit his childish tricks before an intelligent audience.