Observations placeholder
The Fakir Ben Ali of the Warsaw circus – and his ability to catch bullets
Identifier
023375
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Wolf Messing –the true story of Russia’s greatest psychic – Tatiana Lungin
Messing said "I knew many of [performers] closely, which is why I've discovered their techniques to dupe the public. I therefore found the honesty of the fakir Ben Ali, who worked at one time with the Warsaw Circus, refreshing. He was much like me in spirit and much more likeable than most performers.
His best number was called 'the shot.' He was fired at with a pistol, and he invariably caught the bullets in flight with his bare hand. Spectators with weak nerves usually went into hysterics, but Ali always survived the ordeal. Once there was a skeptical officer among the spectators who offered to take a shot at Ben Ali with his own pistol. With bitter irony, Ali said: 'If you were in my place, dear sir, would you agree to be killed for some five zlotys a day!'