Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1852-04-30
Extraordinary Trick of a Ventriloquist.

Extraordinary Trick Of EentrilOquist.
From Broceau, learned critic of the
sixteenth century, we have the following
accounts OF the teats of a capital yentrlo-
qulst and cheat, who was valet de cham
bre to Francis the first. This fellow, whose
name was Louis Brabant. had fallen des-
perately in love with a young. handsome,
and rich helress but was rejected by the
parents as an unsuitable match for their
daughter, on account of the lowness of his
circumstances. The young Iady's father
dying, Brabant made visit to the widow,
who was totally ignorant of his singular
talent. Suddenly, on his appearance in
open day in her house, and in presence of
several persons who were with her, she
heard herself accosted, in voice perfectly
resembling that of her dead husband, and
which seemed to proceed from above, ex-
claiming:
Give my daughter in marriage 10 Lou
Is Brabant; he Is Il man of great fortune,
and of excellent character. | now endure
the ineXpressible tortures of purgatory, for
having refused him. If YOU obey this ad-
mOnlion, | shall soon be delivered from
this place OF torment. You will at the
same time provide a worthy husband for
your daughter, and procure everlasting re-
pose TO the soul of your poor husband
The woman could not for a moment re-
sist this dread summons, which had not
the most distant appearance OF proceeding
from Louis Brabant whose countenance
exhibited no visible change, and whose
lips were close and motionless during the
delivery of it. Accordingly she consented
immediately TO receive him for her SON
in-law. Louis finances, however, were
in very low situation, and the formalities
attending the marriage contract, rendered
it necessary for him to exhibit some show
of riches. and not give the ghost the lie di-
rect. He accordingly went to work upon
a fresh subject, one Cornu, an old and
rich banker at Lyons, who had accumulated
immense wealth by usury and eXtortion,
and was known to be haunted by remorsc
of conscience on account OF the manner in
which he had acquired it.
Having contracted an intimate acquaint-
ance with this man, he one day while they
were sitting together in the usurer's little
back parlor, artlully turned the conversa-
ton on religious subjects, on demons and
spectres, the pains Of purgatory and the
torments of he'll. During an interval of
silence between them, voice was heard
which, to the aslonished banker, seemed
to be that Of his deceased father, complain
ing as In the former case Of his dreadful
situation i'll purgatory, and calling upon
him to deliver him instantly from thence
by putting into the hands of Louis Bra
bant, then with him, large sum for the
redemption of christians then in slavery
with the Turks, and threatening him with
eternal damnation if he did not take this
method to expiate likewise his own sins.
The reader will naturally suppose that
Louis Brabant affected due degree of
astonlshment on the occasion; and further
promoted the deception, by acknowledging
his having devoted himself TO the prosecu-
ton of the charitable design imputed to
him bv the ghost. An old usurer is natu-
rally suspicious. Accordingly the wary
banker made a second appointment with
the ghosts delegate for the next day and
10 render any design of imposing upon
him utterly abortive, took him into the
open fields, where not house or tree,
or even bush or a pit was in sight capa-
BILE of screening any supposed confederate
This extraordinary caution excited the
ventrlloquist to exert all the powers of his
art Wherever the banker conducted him,
at every step his ears were saIuted OIL all
sides with the complaints and groans not
only OF his father, but of all his deceased
relations, imploring him for the love OF,
God, and in the name of all the saints IN
the calendar, 10 have mercy on his own