Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-11-19

couIt OF mat State.
From, Bets Londoa WcciIg .lc,,eao.,
THE FiaE.KiNG AND us CHALLENGED
anadssrtisement appeared few davs
ego ia which Mr. Saith. after h
s'nuating that VI. Chabert. ID, FIRE k;nc
praet'ssd some Jungle when he appear
sa 10 enter into the oven heated TO soc
degrees, and to swallow 90 grains Of
phsspessus, challenged him for any
sum which be might please to mention
10 perform the exploits which he nro.
tossed to be performing daily. To this
challenge was added an explicit pledge
gwen upon the homer Of Mr. Smith
that if NJ Ohabert fairly accomplished
such an undertaking be would likewise
do the same The Fire King IN conse.
qnence publicly accepted MrJ. Smiths
challenge tor SO pounds, requesting him
TO provide the poison himself. and OF.
isrins with true ebiva!ric courtesy. to
allow him the same conveniaucss
which he used himself whilst he re-.
NAMED in the oven. MIR. J. Smith ia
his releindar 70 N. Cbabsrt. informed
hin, that he would meet him Ia the Ar
cyl Rooms at his ordinary hour of per.
fornsuce, and would then ENTER the
oven with ain,, and perform his other
fsais : Wednesday was mutually fixed
upsn as the day on which the two con
tracing parties to ,hs extraordinary
challenge were TO fry their merits BY
the ordeal OF fire, and On which they
were 10 submit their powers o. resisting
poissn to the test OF experiment. Ac
cofdingly Mt two o'clock the hour ap
pointed fer the combat, n number Of
gentleman were attracted to the arsna
IN which II was to take place; aud as
they entered care was taken 10 inform
them that the money had been regular
y posted, and tina. Mr.. Smith was rea
dy to come to the scratch At little
before o'clock, the Fire King made
his appe srsnce near his sven. and IS
some itnpgtisnce bad heea exhibited
swing 10 the ron arrival otMr. J smith,
he offered 10 amuse the Company with a
few trlflng experiments, which he said
any Of them might perform with the
greatest ease.
He then made a shovel red hst and
rubbed i over his sengue--a trick for
which NJ credit, he said, was due. as
the moisture OF the tongue was sufficient
to prevent any injury arising from it,
lie next rubbed il over his hair and face,
declaring that any body might perform
the same feat by first washing them
selves 10 mixture of spirits Of sulphur
and of alum, which by cauterizing the
epidermis, hardened the skin to resist
'he E,e. He then put bis hands into
some melted lead, took small portion
of il out, placed it in his mouth, and
then gave II 10 solid state TO some Of
the company. This performance, &C.
cording TO his account, was also very
Easy, far he seized only very small
particle, which. by tight compressure
between the finger and thumb, became
cool before il reached the mouth By
the tine that these little tricks,n as he
called them, were performed, another
call was made for MIR. Smiths appear
ancs The Fire King locked around
the room, and seeing the bashful csun-
tenapce OF his challenger IN one corner
Of il, called him from his retirement.
and pointed him cut 10 the notice Of the
audience. The challenger being on the
ground, The time for trifiirg was now
over. and NJ Chabert forthwith prspar
ed himself for mightier undertakings -
A cruise of oil was brought f-rward ard
poured into saucepan, which was IRE
viously turned upside down, to show that
there was no water in it. The alleged
reason for this step was, that vulgar
copjurors, who profess to drink boiling
oil, place the oil in water. and drink II
when the water boils, at which time the
oil is not warmer than an ordinary cup
If tea. He intended to drink the oil
when any person might see il bubbling
in the saucepan, and when the tbermo-
meter would prove that il was heated to
$50 degrees. The saucepan was ac'
cordingly placed upon the FIRE. and as il
was acquiring the requisite heat, the
Fire King challenged any manlliying to
drink a spoonful of the oil at the same
temper allure as that at which he was
going to drink it. In few minutes at