Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1857-11-28
RHMARKABLE MA0IclAE-rHE NE
CR0MAECEn IN Ax1<yEltIA,

beelue peihg the prince OF con-
jurors, he is al able mathematician
and mechanican, and his electric
clock, made for the Hotel dc Vile
Of his native town Of Blois, obtained
a medal at the Paris Exhibition
1t is not generally known that he
was sent to Algeria by the French
Government on q mission connected
with the black art-probably the
first time that a oonjuror has been
called upon to exercise his protes-
sion in Government employ. Some
details Of his exhibition have Jus.
been published. Its object was to
destroy the influence exercised over
the Arab tribes by the Marabouts
an influence often n,ischeviouslv
applied. By few clumsy tricks
aud impostures these Marabouts
pass themselves off for sorcerers;
no one, it was Justly thought, was
better able to eclipse their skill and
discredit their science than the man
Of inexhaustible bottles.
One Of the great pretensions Of
the Marabout was to invuln rabbi
ty. At the moment that loaded
musket was aimed at him, and the
trigger pulled, be pronounced a few
cabalistic words and the weapon
did not 80 off. Houdin detected
the trick, and showed that the tube.
hole vas plugged. The Arab Wiz
ard was filrions, aud abused his
French rival @.Yors5r~-s revenge
yourself" ,ie.t+sz Houdin;
''take - Ii yourself;
here are 81 one In the
barrel; but be. ssng 50, /
it with your knife" I'll
as he was told. ''Y@> mite
certain, now" said Hosa,. THAT;
the pistol is loaded and VIM 20 off.
Tell me, do you feel no renorse in
killing me thus, Notwithstanding |
authorize your" "You are nv
enemy, coolly replied the Arab ; /
will Kill you" Without replying,
Houdin stuck an apple on thepoint
of a knife, and calmly gave tho
word to fire.
The pistol was discharged, the
apple flew far away, and there ap-
peared in 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. Il am vanquish-
ed.' Instead Of the bottle from
which, in Europe, Robert Houdin
pours an endless stream Of every
description Of wine and liquor, he
called for an empty bowl, which he
kept continually full Of boiling cof
fee, but few Of the Arabs would
{ taste it, for they made sure that it
came direct from the devils own
cotftse-pot. He then told them that
it was in bis power to deprive them
} of all strength, and to restore it to
them at viii, and he produced q
small box, so light that n. child
coul Lift it with his finger; but it sud
denly became 50 heavy that the
strongest man present could not
raise it, and the Arabs, who prize
physical strength above e7ery thing,
looked with terror at theygreat ma
gician who, they doubted not, could
annihilate them by the mere cxer-
ton of his will. They expressed
this belief; Hondin confirmed them
, in it, and promised that on day
appointed, he would convert one Of
them into smoke. The day came
the throng was prodigious; fanati-
cal Marabout had agreed to give
: himself up to the sorcerer. They
; made him stand upon table and
, covered him with a transparent
, gauze; then Hondin and another
\ person lifted the table by the two
ends, and the Arab disappeared in
I a cloud Of smoke. ;.
5 The terror Of the spectators was
g indescribable they rushed out Of
: the place, and ran a long s"tance
before some of the bold 1ght