The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-11-17
A REMARKABLE MAGICIAN.

ing 4teCTOH4H%GK fH s<1GRcTtd.-NaSs 50
Every one. has seen, or heard speak of
the great Robert Hondin. Beside being
the prince of conjurers. he is an able n1atIi-
ematician and mechanician, nd his electric
clock, made for the Hotel de Vile of his
native town of Blois, obtained medal of
the Paris Exhibition. 1t is not generally
Known that he was sent to Algeria by the
French Government ON aemissi1n conpect-
ed with the black art-probably the first
time that conjuror has been called upon
to exercise his profession in government
employ. Some details Of his expedition
have just been published. It's object was
| to destroy the influence exercised among
| the Arab tribes by the marabouts-an in
Auenee often mischicrousIy applied. by a
few clumsy tricks and imposturcs these
marabouts pass themselves off as sorcerers;
! no one, it was justly thought, was better
able to eclipse their skill and discredit
their science than the man of inexLaustible
bottles. .... .....- -.
One of the great pretentions Of the mara
bout was to inrulnerability. At the mo-
ment that IA loaded muSket was fired at him.
and the trigger pulled, he pronounced
few cabalistic words and tho weapon did
not go of. Houdin detected the trick, and
showed that the tubehole was plugged.
The Arab wizard was furious, and abused
his French rival ''Iou may revenge
yourself quietly replied Houdin, take a
II al Los har LII
put one in-the barrel but BEFORE doing so
mark it with your knife" The Arab did
as lie was told. You are quite certain,
now" said Houdin, that the pistol is
loaded and will GO off. Tell me- do you
feel no remorse iukilling me thus, notwith-
standing that authorize, you ~ ''You
are my enemy" cooliy replied the Arab
Il 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 III its
place, stuck ON the point of the knife, the
bullet the marabout had marked.
The spectators remained mute from
stupefactiOn; the marabout bowed before
his superior; Allah is great" he said, |
81 am vanquiShed." Instead of the bottle
from which, in Europe, Robert Houdin
pours an endless strea IN of every descrip- |
ton of wine and Liquor, he ealltd for an empty |
bowl, which he kept continually full of |
boiling coffee, but few of tie Arabs would |
taste it, for they made sure that it came |
direct from the DEVILS own coffee-pot. lie /
then told them that it was in his power to
deprive them of all strength, and to re- |
store it to them at will, aud he produced !
a small box, So light that child could lift
it with his 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
who, they doubted not. could annihilate
hem by the mere exertion of his will
They expressed this belief; Heudin con-
lrmed them i'll it, and promised that, on Il
ley appointed, Inc would convert of
hem into smoke. The day came the
hrong was prodigious a fanatical mara
'out had agreed to give himself up to the
orcerer. They made him stand upon a =
able and covered him with q transparent
auze; then Houdin and another person
flied the table by the two ends, and the
lrab disappeared in q cloud of smoke.
The terror of the spectators was indie /
they rushed out of the place and !
al long distance before some of the a
oldest thought of returning to look after "
ne marabout They found him near the
lace where he had been evaporated, but a
Q could tell them, nothing, and was q
Ike drunken man. ignorant of what had h
lppened to him. Thencefor ward Houdin
as yenerated, and the mar,bouts despis
/; the object of the French Government =,
as completely attained. The fashion of =
testimonials having, it appears, infected &C
'eh the Arabs, number of chiefs presen-
d the French eonjurer with piece of Ii
rab writing, wonderfully decorated, hy- W
'rbolical and eulogistc, and to which th
ey were so attentive as to append bl
rench translation. Beside this memorial Of
his Algerine trip, Houdin has rosary y.
lich he one day borrow ed from Arab to :.
rform trick with, and which the owner,
rsuaded that Sheitan in person was be- III
re him, refused to receive back.-L0udoo III
mes Paris Correspondent. pr
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