Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-09-10
0Q0rtester AalIp Syn.
THE CARDINALS WATCH.

was the Count De Grisy, but whose travelling
title was Sgnor Torrini. This man, on IIou-
din's showing, had passed through variety of
adventures, wonderful as any related by Eu
gene Sue or Alexandra Dumas.
One of these adventures is related in Hou-
din's Autobiography, yet unpublished in this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 condense it within reasonable bounds.
While in Rome, an invitation reached Tor
RIM to exhibit before no less parsonage than
the Supreme Pontiff. The occupant of the
chair Of St Peter at that time was that very
estimabe old gentleman, Pope Plus the Sew
enth 1t was not to be thought of, by any con-
jurer with a proper pride in his art that only
the ordinary tricks should be exhibited before
His Holiness. Something new was to be hit
upon-something which would astonish, be
long borne in memory, and talked Of as Who'll
ly wonderful and inexplicabie
Without searching for such thing, chance,
that inventor of all inventions the most ingeni-
Gus, came to aid him. The very evening be-
fore Torrini was to show off before the Pope
and conclave and other high tligntaries of the
church, he happened to be in the shop of one
of the first watchmakers of Rome. A servant
came in to inquire whether the watch of his
Excellency the Cardinal de was mended.
The matchmaker replied that the repairs would
not be completed until the evening, when he
should himself bring it to the CARDINAL and the
servant withdrew
Taking the watch from drawer, the watch
maker proceeded to examine it. Otis hand
some and excellent watch,' said the tradesman
to the conjurer, "and the Cardinal values it at
more than ten thousand francs, because, hav-
ing ordered it himself from the illustrous
Breguet, he fancies it unique ofits kind Yet,
what an odd thing two days ago mad
young fellow of this town of ours came to Of
fer me, for thousand francs, watch by the
same maker, exactly like the Cardinals"
This attracted Torrini's attention. He ex-
amined the watch, which was handsome one,
with several distinguishing peculiarties.
An idea struck him. ''Do you think" he
asked the matchmaker, "that this person really
wishes to part with his watch 2" There was
no doubt. The young man was spendthrift,
who had gradually made away with his prop
erty, and had come down to selling even his
family jewels. The thousand francs would be
acceptable. Then, said Torrini, "Find this
person for me. l wish to make his watch
mine but | must have it at once. Buy it for
me then engrave the Cardinals arms on
mine, so that the two may not be distinguished
one from the other. On your discretion de-
ponds the benefit you will draw from this
transaction"
The owner of the watch was easily found,
at the Clearinghouse, which he constantly fire.
quented. The watch was seen, examined,
closely compared with the Cardinals, and pur-
chased 1t was duly engraved, duly sent
home, duly paid for, and as duly placed in
Torrini's pocket, ready for the trick of tricks
which was to close his night at the Vatican.
Pope Plus VII. was an enlightened man.
and turned deaf ear to all hints that Torrini's
wonderful effects were produced by sorcery
He occupied large armchair on a dais, placed
on the foreground. Near him were placed the
cardinals, and behind them were the different
preates and dignitaries of the church. AS far
as that nights teats went, the Pope sat simply
like Wondering. elayman, astonished at the
skill Of the conjuror. The evening passed off
agreeably, for Torrini never performed BETTER
and never had more wonder-stricken audi
ence."
"Then,' las Torrni himself told the story,)
"to end it and by way of bouquet went on to
the famous trick which | had contrived for the
occasion. Here however, had to encounter
many difficulties. The greatest of these, with
out question: was to lure the Cardinal de
to give me his watch, and that without directly
asking for it. To gain my point, L had re-
course to stratagem. On my asking for a
watch, many had been handed to me-but
had given them back, on the pretext more or
less true, that offering as they did no pecu-
liarity in shape, it would be difficult afterwards
sietuS, any one among YOU said |, has "a.
ther large watch 1.-THE Cardinals had precisely
this popularity and would entrust it to me,
should accept it willingly as the one fittest for
our experiment.
The Cardinal piqued himself on the size of
his watch having the idea that the works acted
more freely in a large case. He hesitated to
lend it to Torrini, but did so at the special re-
quest of the Pope adding many cautions to
IIo IL MI tho NH I'M;
amined and admired the watch, and asked nu-
merous questions about it by way of bonment-
a word used by conf Jurors to denote the pre-
liminary talk which is to pass the time and put
an audience off its guard, by pre-occupying its
attention. Torrin praised the Cardinals watch
up to the skies, expatiating on its numerous
good qualities. "See, said he, "a first proof
of them" And with this he lifted up the
watch as high as his face and let it fall
on the parquet. There was cry of
fright on every side. The Cardinal, pale
and trembling, got up. 'Sir!" said he,
with illrestraned anger, "what you have done
is an extremely bad joker Torrini assured
him that this was only done to prove the per-
lection of the watch, which would come back
to him uninjured by the trials to which it would
be subjected.
The beautiful Breguet, which the Cardinal
believed to be unique, was destined for severer
ill usage. Torrini, not content with dashng it
down, stamped upon the case, crushed it into
a shapeless mass of wheels, springs, and broken
hands This he handed around that all might
be sure it ,cas the Cardinals watch of watches.
All this time the Cardinals rage was at fever
heat. He had no small cause for anger. His
watch, about the identity Of which there could
be no doubt, for he recognized his arms en-
graved inside the case, was utterly ruined, and,
almost in tears, he declared that it had been
unique, and never could be replaced.
Torrini's next move was to get the watch
the real Simon Pure, for it was his own which
was destroyed-into the Pope's pocket. As
long as his holiness remained seated, this could
not be done. An expedient had to 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 the kitchen, where it was an implement
of the cuisinier. Placing it upon the table, he
cast into it the wrecks of the famous Breguet,
and began to pound them violently with the
enormous pestle. A slight detonation was sud-
denly heard and reddish flame arose from
the bottom of the vessel, which gave the
scene the appearance of real magic Tor
RIM, still pounding in the mortar with great
fury, eant over it, and pretending to look in,
made ordinations of wonder to himself at
the surprising things he pretended there to see.
The spectators, consisting of Cardinals and
their attendants, were dying to know what he
was wondering at, but, out of respect to the
Pope, no one ventured to rise. AT last excited
by curiosity, the Pope approached the table,
followed by some Others of the audience. Tor
RIM was still pounding away, and still excaim
ing. 81 do not know to what am to attribute
the bewiderment j feel, said his Holiness
"but really cannot see anythingP Neither
could that arch imposter, Torrini He, how
ever, was too prudent to own it, and begged
the Pope to come round the table, next to him
self-as the best point for seeing. This was
done, and the Cardinals watch was quietly