Early physicists would talk in front of audiences to earn a living. in doing so often the topic of static electricity was illustrated by stringing up a street urchin and doing what?

They would hire a street urching and suspend him on a wooden frame.

Then they would charge a glass rod by rubbing it on a cloth and then touch the boy.

Done several times, he would accumulate charge so that bits of papers, leaves and feathers were attracted to him.