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

ready u you do NOT swallow the phosnhor,.
Are YOU satisfied on that hcsdi
Mr.. smith admitted that he wss.
The Fire King here turned round with vr..,
exafa'ion to the company, snd pnll,ng 49,,
lie OUT OF his pocket. exclaimed with o.,
gsou 'eehog, II did never see this geatleman
before this morning, and did n Tna.. ~,
that be nigh, be bold ensurh - ="
ture 10 take this qpsn,iiy Of poison. I AS A..
tt,mined hot 10 ei BIN lose his lite h, his Cal
'sh waget, and therefore did hiring an AMI
dote 20 my pocket, Which would have n-e,.n
ted him from suffering an, harm is ~a,L',
A., an. My good sic. you nav your sul "a e..
me lake The phosphorus Nov ,o. sbatl ,.ke
three or Tour grains Yourself will give Won
Won htt'e VINE glass cut 1T this bottle. and you
shall be As well ~ Few minutes ss 90, -.
nov. DO, sir, oblige me by taking fs.s
grains. &c"
MIR. smith begged To be excused III. ~.
Ject WAS answered. IN seeing 20 ersin, 20 yra,,.
me phosphorus setusiiy swalloweh re- "a
conceived 4 impossible, a. 8 grains w~sc o.,,s
sutii ,ient TO destroy life f''ss
The FIRE King then addressed the gentleman
whs had 'ne:ed out the phosp horus--.sperh
YOU, s'r VII have the goodness 10 swan.w :
h,'is b', 70 aniuse me. ipiedge you 10000
his bottle. y will not do you any harm.
The gentleman turned pale With .Hs;gh,
~ must beg to decline your petite in,i,a,ss.',
be siammsred out =, last, "for in case ~ srr;.s
dent am afraid the pledge ofyour life wu,la
No, keep my wife and family,
The Fire King Now, gentlemen. I v,
prove tsycu by another hitls exser,mspt ,h.,
have no phosphorus IN my msu,h. .stseadr.
mn pen. ra' me . small piece Of phosphorus
on knife poin', end bring me candle.
A csndle Wa brought him. and IL lighted !,
with the phssphsrus. Part az the pbosnhorus
fell upon the ground, and was exiting u,sLrd sf.
ter some trouble.
The Fire Kng.--Ah, Mr. Smith. ven are We.
~ good to me. You bring me the yerv saaa
phosphoruS am much obfissd te Van ~,
Now give me torch, and fork.
They were given 10 him accordingly. He
took ssmsi' piece OF the burning torch on HE
fork, pat II into his mouth aud swallowed it,
'sAnd now, gentlemen. have done viii ,hs
poison fer day. Having said this. he with.
drew. into another room, for the nrofessea
paropsse OF putting on his usual ares. FOR ru.
terinn the oven, but in ell probability for IN.
real purpose 81 getting the phosphoru.. hv
some autidote, from his stsmsch zine "a IL
usual sniidote for phosphsrus: but he saws ,L.,
il Is no, the sntidste which he uses, and de-
ciines to mention what il is. Ne were ;nform.
ed that SEINE eminent physicians ash ed s,r, .
lew dsyssgo, If he would have any objection
to have ,he poison taken off bis stomach b. The
stsmsch-pump. and that he replied that he
should have no objection, provided thai. In an
aiysiag the contents oil his stomach. they wand
be satisfied with ascerisiaing the exisenc. az
the rosoS, snd would not seek to ascertain The.
nature OF his antldsie. WHICH wss 20 simnle
in its nature that when il was once kn,wn. ey.
cry apotbccxry's boy could provide IN Ue h.s
repeatedly taken all the different p.isons wh,rh
were placed upon bis teeth. On enc cccasieo.
when he was exhibiting before the Duke .fNsr.
folk, he took tea spoonful Of nlursic acid, but
that experiment he sayshe will never renaa,
again: for i. 10 n psIson, which NOT sulv =.
q tires the su:idote TO be taken 6rs,. but Il j.
also rapid In its spcrstion that II may destroy
life bef,re the antidnte can produce lie effect.
file said that be should never forge, the feelings
which cane over him as soon as he had svsi
lowed IL. Every vein ia his head appeared a.
swell, and teach particular hair he said.
''stood erect ike quilts upon the porcupine ;,
Immediately after MIR. Smith had declined
to take the phosphorus, several gentlemen Sur
rounded him, desiring to knsw why he Ind
inserted such advertisements as be had done h
the public papers, II he had no intention 70 per
form the feats to which he had dared The Ere
King To this he replied that his sbiec, had
been to ascertain beyond all doubt. whether i,
was possible for sny person to take such mss
ofpoison and hse--that he should not have
risked such sum Of money Of his own on such
= challenge as he had givcn--but that be was
acting as the representative ola number of sci;
entiic gentlemen, VIII had subscribed such q
sum as would enable him. If his challenge were
accepted, 10 insist upon furnishing the poisoD
himself, and upon seeing every step taken by
the Fire King before and while be swallowed
it. He stated that he was new perfectly con
WINGED that the phosphorus was actually swai
lowed. He likewise protested that there had
been no collusion between him and the Fire
King This protestation was subsequently, re-
pested by the Fire King himself, who added in
confirmation oft that be could have no inter
est 10 drawing large csncoursc OF people to
bis room. He was paid certain sum per week
by Mr. WEIGH, and whether there was enc per.
son 10 the foem, or whether there wass 20, 900
was to him, as far as bis own emoiument was
concerned, perfectly immaterial M. Chabert
stated, that after the pledge which Mr. Smith
had given the public in his advertisement, he
fully expected to have been put 10 fair trial
OF bis powers in the course Of the day, and that
he had in consequence made preparstisns and
alterations in his course OF action, which enc
way or another would ces, him upwards OF 20l
After an absence oftwenty minutes, NJ Cha
bert returned, dressed in Coarse WOODEN coat,
to enter the heated even. Before be entered
il, a medical gentleman sscertaDed that his
pulse svibra'ing ninety eight times in min.
ute. He remained in the oven for five minutes.
during which time he sung lie Valiant Trsu
hadsor,s and superintendent the cooking OF
two dishes Of beef stakes. At the end Of that
time he came out, perspiring prosusely, and
with pulse making i68 vibrations in minute
The Thermometer, when brought oat OF the o.
ven, stood at $50 degrees; within the oven, he
said, it was above 600. He lad never been
ssfms kaFu