Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-02-17
The Magiciau in Algiers.

Every one has seen or heard of the great Ro-
bert IIoudin. Besides being the chiefo conju-
rors he is an able mathematician and mechani
clan and electric clock. made for the Hotel de
Vile, of his native town of Bloir, obtained Il
medal at the Paris Exhibition. 1t is not gen.
orally known that he was sent to Algeria by the
French Government on mission connected with
the black art--probably the first time that a
conjuror has been called to exercise his profess
sion in Government employ. Some details of
this expedition have just been published.
Its object was to destroy the influence exer-
cised among the Arab tribes by the marabouts,
and influence often mischieyously applied. By
few clumsy tricks and impostures these mara
bouts 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 with inexhaustible bottles. One of the
great pretensions of the marabout was invulne-
rability. At the moment loaded musket was
fred at him and the trigger pulled, he pronounc
not 20 off. Houdin detected the trick, and
showed that the touch-hole was plugged. The
Arab wizard was furious, and abused his French
rival. You may revenge YOURSELF quietly
replied Houdin; " take a pistol, load it your
self here are bullets, put one in the barrel, but
before doing SO mark it with your knife The
Arab did as he was told You are quite GER
tain now," said lIoudin, that the pistol is
loaded and will go off. Tell me, do yop fell ne
remorse in killing me thus, notwithstanding that
| authorize you?" "You are my enemy, -
coldly replied the Arab; 81 will kill you.
Without hplying, 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 its place
on the point of knife, the bullet the marabout
had marked. The spectators remained mute
from stupefacton; the marabout bowed before
his superior Allah is great - he said, "
am vanuuished." Instead of the bottle from
which, in Europe. Robert Houdin pours an end
less stream of every description of wine and Ii
quors, he called for an empty BOWL which HI
kept continually full of boiling coffee but few
of the Arabs would taste it, for they made SUR
that it came direct g from the devils own coGe
pot
He then told them that it was in his power t.
deprive them Of all strength, and restore it t.
them at will, and he producod small box 81
light that child could lift it with its finger
but it suddenly became 50 heavy that the strong
est man present could not raise it, and the Ar
abs whoprize physical strengthaboye everything
looked with terror at the great magician who
they doubted not could annihiate them by tn
mere exertion of his will. They expressed thl
belief: Houdin confirmed them in it and prom
ised that, on day appointed he would conver
one of them into smoke. The day came, tn
tbrong was prodigous; fanatical marabou
had agreed to give himself up to the sorcerer
They made him stand on a table and covere
him with a transparent gauze then iIoudil
and another person lifted the table by the tw
ends, and the Arab disappeared in q cloud o
smoke.
The terror of the spectators was indiseribable
they rushed out of tho place. and ran lon
distance before some of the boldest thought 0
returning to look after the marabout, The
found him near the place where hs had bee
evaporated but he could tell them Iothing
and was like drunken man, ignorant of wha
had happened to him. Thenceforward Houdi
was venerated and the marabouts were despised
the object of the French Government was con
pletely attained. The fashion Of testimonials
having, it appears, infected the Arab, q nun
Der of cLiels presented the great French conju
ror with piece Of Arab writhing, wonderful
decoraced, hypobolical and culosistic, and
which they were so attentive as to append
French translation. Besides this memorial {
his Algerine trip, IIoudn had rosary while
he one day borrowed from an Arab to perforl
trick with, and which the owner persuade
that Sheitan in person was before him, refuse
Ito receive back. Cor. London Times.