The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-11-11
The BIaek Att.

Every one has seen or heard Of the great Robert
Houdin. Besides being the prince Of coniurors.
ne p an able mathematician and his electric clock,
made for the Hotel de Vile, of his native town OF
Biois, obtained medal at the Paris Exhibition.
1t is not generally known that he was sent TO AL
geria' by the French 1Government on 4 mission
connected with the baek art--probably the first
time that ccDjuror hss been called upon to g. !.
cise his profession in Government employ g.
details OF his expedition have just BEEN nnhsbad
Its object was to destroy the i
among the Arab Tribes BY me marabonta N nfn.
ence often mischieyo,-siy applied. BY few clum.
: "'ene a'u .ipostures these marabouts pass
tho;,,. on as asorcerers no one, it was justly
ent was better able to eclipse their skill aud
oiscredit their science than the man of nexhaust-
ible bottles. One. of the great pretensons of the
marabout was inyulnerabity AT the moment a
loaded inusket was fred at him, and the trigger
pulled he pronounced few cabaiistic words and
the weapon did not go off. Houdin detected the
trlck, and showed that the touch-hole was plugged
The Arab wizard was furious and abused his French
rival - gu may avenge yourself" quietly re-
phed Houdln; take a pistol, load it yourself;
here are bullets, put one in the barrel, but before
doing so mark 1t with your knife" The Arab did
as he was told. ''You are quite certain. now
said HOudin, shat the pistol is loaded and win
go OIL. Tell me, do you feel no remorse in killing
me thus, Notwithstanding that authorize YOU ~
4" You are my enemy" coldly replied the Arab
81 will kill you" Without replying, Houdin
stuck an apple on the point Of knife, and calmly
gave the word to fire, The pistol was discharged.
the apple flew far away, and there appeared in ito
place, stuck on the point of knife, the bullet the
marabout had marked. The spectators remained
mute with stupefaction; the Inarabout bowed be-
fore has superior. Allah Is great !" he said, 81
am yanquished" Instead of the bottle from which,
in Europe, Robert Houdin pours an endless stream
of every description Of wine and liquors, he called
for an empty bowl which he kept continually full
OF boiling coffee but few of the Arabs would taste
it tor they made sure that it came from the devils
own cotfee-pot. He then told them that it was in
his power to deprive them of all strength, and to
restore it to them at will and he produced small
box, SO light that child couldlt il with Its finger
but it suddenly became so heavy that the strongest
man present could not raise it and the Arabs, who
prize physical strength above everything, looked
with terror at the great magician VINO, they doubted
not, could annihilate them by the mere exortion
of his will. They expressed this belief; Houdin
confirmed them in it, and promised that, on a day
appointed, he would convert one OF them into
smoke. The day came, the throng was prod
gious; fanatical marabout had agreed to give
himself up to the sorcerer They made him stand
on table and covered him with d transparent
gauze; then Houdin and another person lifted the
table by the two ends, and the Arab disappeared
in q cloud OF smoke. The terror Of thespecators
was indescribable they rushed out OF the place,
and ran long distance before some of the bold 81
thought Of returning to look after the marabout.
They found him near the place where he had been
evaporated; but he could tell them nothing and
was like drunken man, Ignorant of what had
happened to him. Thencetorward Houdin was
venerated, and the marabouts were despised the
object OF the French government was completely
attained. The fashion Of testimonials having,
it appears, affected even the Arabs a number Of
chiefs presented the great French conjurer With
piece OF Arab writing, wonderfully decorated,
hyperbolcal. and eulogistic, apd to which they
ton. Besides this memorial of his Algerine trip,
Houdn has rosary which he one day borrowed
from an Arab to perform trick with, and which
the owner, persuaded that Sheitan in person was
before him, refused to receive back.--7Paris cor.
respondence Of the London Times @ a.