Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-09-23
MORNING LEADER.
From the Phil delpdt Pres
THE CARDINALS WATCH.

showing, had passed through variety of adj
ventures, wonderful as any rotated by Eugene
Sue or Alexandra Dumas
One OF these adventures is related in Hou.
diu's Autobiography yet unpublished in this
country, and we here take the liberty of throw
ing it into our own less attractive words, in
order to condeuse il within reasonable news
paper bounds
While in Rome, an invitation reached Torrini
to exhibit before no less parsonage than the
Supreme POntln. The occupant Of tho chair
ct st. Peter at that time was that very estima.
bl, old gentleman, Pope Pins VII. 1t was not
to be thought Of by an conjurer with proper
pride in his ant, that only tue ordinary tricks
should Q exhibited befo,e his Holiness. Some
thing new was TO be hit upon--something
which would astonish, be long borne in memory,
and talked Of, as wholly wonderful and mex
picable.
Without searching for such a thing, Chance,
that inventor Of all inventions the most ingcni-
Gus, came to aid him. The very evening before
Torrni was TO show off before the Pope and
conelaye, and other high dignitarics of the
Church, he happened to be in the shop of one
OF the first watchmakers of Rome servant
came in to enquire whether the watch of his
Excellency the Uardinan de was mended.
matchmaker replied that the repairs would not
be completed until tho evening, when he should
himself bring it tO the Cardinal and the servant
withdrew.
Taking the watch from drawer, the watch.
makes proceeded to examine il. at is hand.
some aud excellent watch, sal the tradesman
TO the cOnjurer, "and the Cardinal values it at
more than ten thousand frances, because hav.
ing ordered il himself irom tho illustrious
Breguett, he iancies it unique OF its kind -
Yes, what an odd thing two days ago mad
young fellow of this town of ours came to offer
me, for thousand francs, a watch by the same
maker exactly like the Cardinals This at t
tracted Torrini's attention. He Examined the
watch, which was handsome one, with seveIal
distinguished pcculiarities.
An idea struck bim. ado you think" he
asked the matchmaker, "ihat this person really
wishes to part with his watchl" There was no
doubt The young man was a spendlhrilt, who
hau gradually made away with his property,
and had come down TO selling even his family
Jewels The thousand francs would he accen.
table Then said Torrini, "FiDd this person
for me. | wish to make his watch mine; but |
must have it at once. Buy it for me then en-
grave the Cardinals arms on mine, so that the
two may not be distinguished Que from the other
On your depends the benefit you will draw from
this transaction"
o.
the gaming house, which he constantly fre.
quented Tho watch was seen, examined,
closely compared with the Cardinals an pur
chased 1t was duly engraved, duly sent home,
duly paid for, the trick of tricks which was to
close his Night at the Vatican.
Pope Plus VII, who was an enlightened
man, turned deaf ear to all hints that Torrini's
wonderful effects were produced by surcey.--
lie occupied large armchair on n das, placed
on tho foreground. Near him where places tn,
Cardinals, and behind them were the different
prelates and dgnitaries OF the Church A.
far ns thst night'n feats went, the Pope set sim
ply like wondering lyman, astonishcd at the
skill of the eonjurer The evening passed of
agreeably, for Torrini never performed better
and he never had a more wonder stricken audi.
ence.
"Then" (as Torrini himself told the story
"to end It md by way of bouquet, | went on to
the famous trick which | had contrved for the
occasion Here, however. | had encounter
many difficulties. Tho grcateast of these,
without question, was to lure the Condinal de
to give me bis watch and that without
directly asking for il. To gain my point | had
recourse to stratagem, On my asking for q
watch, many had been handed TO me-but had
given them back, on the preteIt more or less
true, that, offering as they did no peculiarity
in shape, it would be difficult alterward to
identify the one chosen by me. "lf, MeSSieurs,
any one among you, said |, has a rather large
watch (the Cardinals had precisely this pcculi
arityJ, and would intrust il 10 me, should ac
cept it willingly as the one fittest for exper-
iment."
The Cardinal piqucd himself ON the bze OF
his watch having an idea that the works acted
more freely IN a large case. lie hcsitated To
lead it to Torriui, hut did so, at the special Ie-
quest of the Pope, adding many utions TO han
die it with the utmost care TOrrini examn-
ed and admired the watch, and asked numerous
questions aboutit, by way of boaimeat - a word
used by conjurers TO denote the preliminary
talk which is to pass the time and put an audi,
enee off its guard, by preoccupyIng It's aiten.
tion. Iorrini praised the Cardinals watch up
to tho skies, expatialing on its numerous good
qualities. "Seel" said he, "a first proof of
them" And with this he lifted up lie watch
as high Us lis face, and let il fall on the payoutt
There was a cry of fright ON every side. The
Cardinal, pale and trembling, got up "sir!"
said he, with i'll restrained anger, "what yor.
have done is an extremely bad jokei" To,rini
assured him that this WAS only done 20 provo
perfection ofthe watch, which would come back
to him uninjuredby the trials to which il would
be subjected.
The beautiful Broguet, which the Cardinal
believed TO be unique, was destined for seyerer
ill-usage Ioulnl, not content with dashina il
down, stamped upon the case, crushed il into a
shapeless mass oiwheels springs and broken
hands This he handed around, that all might
bs sure II ieas the Cardinals watch of watches,
All this time, the Cardinals rage WAS fever
heat. lie had no small cause for anger. His
watch, about the identity of which there could
be no doubt, for he recognized his arms enpray-
ed inside tho case, wss utterly ruined, and,
almost in tpars he declared that il had been un-
ique, and never could be replaced
Torrlnis next move was TO get the watch
the real Simon Pure, for II was his own which
no had destroyed Unto the Pope's pocket
Az long aa his Holiness remained seated, Il is
could not be done. An eIpedient had 10 be
found for getting him out Of his chair Torrini
was so lucky as TO find one. He asked for
brass pestle and mortar, and one was brought
up from tho kitchen, where it was an implement
OF the cutsinier. Placing it upon the table, he
east into It the wrecks Of the famous Preguet,
and began TO pound them violently with the
enormous pest'o, A slight detonatioD was sud-
denly heard, and reddish flame arose from the
bottom Of the vessel, which gave tho scene the
appearance ofreal magic. Torrini, still round.
ing in the mortar with great fury, learned over
it, and pretending TO look In made exelama.
tlons Of wonder 10 himself at tho surprising
things he pretended there TO see. The specta.
tors, consisting Of Cardinals aud their atten-
danta, were dying 10 know what he was wond.
ering at, but, out OF respect to tho Pope, no
one yentured IN rise Al last, excited hy curl.
osity, the Pope approached tho table, followed
by some others Of the audience. Torrini was
still pounding away, and still exclalming. al
do not know to what ] am to attribute the
bewllderment feel l." said his Holiness, "but
really cannot zee anything" Neither could
that arch.imPostor, Tolrni. Ha however, was
too prudent to own it, aud begged the Pope 10