The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-07-23
Robert Hondin, the Necromancer.

by the celebrated Robert llondn, probably
he most expert necromancer in the world.
Some Of hi, tricks are really almost enough
10 make one believe in sorcery. lie is not
An ordinary juggler but what IS called here
a musician, a man who has cultivated the
natural sciences 10 great extent, and has
made himself nearly perfect in the art OF
mechanism. He is II pleasing looking man
If about forty five years of age, and comes
upon the stage in Il plain citizens dress Ills
tables are not crowded with great quanti-
ty of tnsel glittering things to mako show
hat contain nothing bu, wha, is necessary for
the evenings performance. His son, lad OF
sixteen or seventeen years oi age, stands
near to assist him. The first experiment he
showed the evening was present, was what
| he called a magnetic clock. large, round,
flat glass plate, as clear as crystal. aud rep
resen,ing the face of clock was suspended
bv two cords to the ceiling. Alongside. bul
entirely separated from the dial plate, was
, plnss bell. with hammer on the outside, and
which was likewise suspended from the cell
ing. OF course there would be no machine
" either in the glass plate or in the bell, ms
they were perfectly clear, and besides they
were handed to the audience for examine-
ion. MIR. Hondn commenced lis perform
ance by announcing to the audience that
the hands of the clock would turn any
way that might be desired. would move
fast or slow as requested, aud would stop
At any figure designated and as TO the glass
nelI. It's hammer would strike any number
asked for would strike fast or slow, and stop
Instantly if commanded All this was done.
Hondin never went near either of them.
Different persons in the hall commanded the
hands to turn to the right and 10 the left, TO
90 fast and slow, and stop at any figure. AS
q the glass bell it performed wonderfully.
One of the gentlemen Of the party, and who
,at next to me, even took it in his hand en-
iirely detached from cord wire, or anything,
& COMMANDED it TO strike twelve very slowly.
1t Immediately began as slow as possible, but
he gentleman tonn told it TO 90 fast, it did
so faster yet as fast as possible; it went so
last we could hardly count. At twelve, he
ordered il to 90 on, and when il reached
eighteen. ne suddenly ordered it to stop,
which it did instantly. You may judge how
completely mystifed every one was.
The next most wonderful :rick was pour
ing from the same bottle any kind Of wine
or liquor demanded, ami as much as wanted
The bottle he held was common quart bot
re. He went among the audience. while
ms son followed with large waiter, contain
ng, suppose, nearly hundred wine glass
IS. Brandy, rum, sherry, madeira, claret,
port, and dozen other kinds OF liquor were
demanded by the eager audience, and Hon
din poured just as fast as he could and ev>
cry one pronounced the liquor to be just
what they asked for. took glass aud ask
ed for port, while the gentleman who sat
next TO me at the same moment asked for
rum. The dark red port was poured into
my glass, while the colorless rum was in
siantly after poured into my friends glass
He must have poured more than hundred
glasses, for great many persons asked for
more. confess that when l witnessed this,
and saw the bottle bad no sort Of communi>
cation with anything. and that Hondin did
not even turn his hand could not avoid a
slight suspicion Of diablerie.
After this he brought in a large flat port
folio, such rs are used in the paint shops 10
put engravings in. 1t was about three feet
long, two broad and al inch thick. lie took
out of this successively thee or four bon
nets of the latest fashion. large cage cons
tanning two canaries, two immense copper
,aucepans full of beans. another. equally
large, full of blazing brandy. and fourth
larger than the others full oil water. leave
your readers toanswer the question as 10 how
all these things cou'd be contained in port
folio.
He did a dozen other interesting and
wonderful tricks, and then commenced his
truly astonishing experiments with his son
in clairvoyance.
The boy was not put 70 sleep at all-neiIh
er did his father make any sort of passes o.
yer him. bis eyes were simply bandaged with
large silk handkerchief, and his back turn-
ed TO the audience. His father then went
among the audience, and would take in his
hand anything offered 10 him, hold il up
where he vas, but without speaking a word,
and The boy would instantly name the object.
Remember that his back was turned all the
time. and that neither his father nor any one
else went near him at all. The boy never
hesilated and never missed AT one Time
his father took seal from Turkish gentle
man present. The boy described the setting
and the stamp, but he said he could not read
the letters as he had never seen such letters
before. llondin then gaze MIN slate aud
pencil, and gave one also to the gentleman
who sat next to mt, requesting him u "ace
any figures 10 any amount on the slate ihs
gent eman wrole 8 7 s, and the boy at
the same time traced the same OH the slate.
This was repeatedly t'ied TO the most utter
myslif.a,ion of every one present The
boy wioie as fast as the others did, and new
er failed TO display the correct figures. All
Paris has gone to see The most wonderful ex-
periments in clairyoyance, and even the
members Of the Institute and scientific men,
have come away declaring their inability TO
understand it. The boy was certainly not