The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-05-27
maelclans and their Tricks.

A horrible accident occurred fort.
night ago at the Cirque Napoleon, in
Paris. A rival of Robert Houdin, DIR.
Epstein, has entertained the Partisan
public at the Fantasies Parisiennes,
and subsequently at the Cirque Napos
leon, BY a series OF legerdemain feats,
amongst which was that of allowing
himself to be shot at by any one who
would load a pistol and fire at him.
He offered the pistol to two of the au.
dlence, who SUCCESSFULLY refused the
experiment. 1t was finally accepted by
a gentlemen, who loaded and handed
the pistol to one OF the Cirque servants.
The man as desired, fired on DR.. Fps
tein, He Immediately exclaimed, ~
am killed." and fell, blood pouring
from his mouth a gaping wound In
his breast being visible to the audience
as he lay on the ground. The ramrod
by inconceivable carelessness, had not
been Withdrawn, and had consequent
IL been shot right through the unfortu-
nate exhibitors breast. The rod was
broken by the shock, and 80 violent
was the richochet that fragment
bounded back and struck the person
who had Involuntary caused the &C.
cident. The sadness OF the scene was
increased by the frightful grief of two
women, on seeing DIR. Epstein fall, rose
from their seats and rushed on to the
stage. They were the wife and daugh.
ter Of the victim, OF whose life there Is
little hope.
that magicians possess no ordinary
bravery to stand before the muzzle of a
pistol, knowing how slight mis-. chance
may bring them face to face with death.
Houdin himself used to play with dan
ger with an entirely needless assur-
ance. He relates how once he had per-
formed some startling tire.arm tricks
A hit LyiV mn
of course, of the ordinary form OF con-
jurIng pistol, which is so contrlved that
the ramrod withdraws the bullet.
While the rest of the party were ex-
pressing their admiration, crafty old
Marabout, who had some suspicion OF
the true nature of the trick, said: 1.-THE
stranger Is doubtless q strong magician;
will he suffer me to fire at him with my
own pistols?" Eyes," said Houdtn,
unhesitatingly, "but first 1 must make
Invocation TO those who assist me-"
The next day he met the same party,
and offered saucerful of bullets to the
inspection of the Marabout. Satisfied
that they were lead-as indeed they
were-the Arab handed his pistol to
Houdin, who loaded them, using the
Arabs ramrod. His own friends were
in terror, and even his wife, we'll as she
knew his skill, WAS in perplextty when
she saw him hand back to the Arab one
OF the loaded pistols. Now hre," he
said, The Arab did so, and Houdtn was
seen with the bullet between his teeth.
bah !" he said, selling the other pistol,
"you cannot use your own weapons.
See here. You have been unable to
draw blood from my flesh, and l will
draw blood from yonder wall" He
aimed at the to wall, fired, and immedi-
ately a stain of blood was seen. The
Marabout went up the wall, and when
he had dipped his finger in the blood
which was trickling down, his awe and
amazement were so great that his tea-
lures assumed CHASTITY hue. Yet the
trick was simple enough, two prepared
bullets having been skilfully substitu-
ted by Houden for the leaden bullets he
took up from the saucer. But the ex~
pertinent was quite new, and Houdin
tells US that he trembled and could
scarcely control his terror as he saw the
Marab0ut drawing the trigger of the
pistol.