Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-12-06

His Eminence complied, though not
without numerous precautions. When
the watch was handed to him, Torrini as
sumed to be absorbed in admiration OF
the works and beautiful chasing, to
which he drew the attention of the Pope
and the Cardinals. He then asked the
owner some questions which elicted the
high estimation in which the Cardinal
held his chronometer, which had been
made to his order by the celebrated Bre
guet. The enthusiasm of His Eminence
amused the Pope, who looked on atten.
lively as Torrini, after saying that he
should prove the solidity and excellent
qualities of the watch, suddenly let it fall
TO the ground. Everybody was amazed
at the boldness of this act, and the Cardi
nal, unable to restrain his indignation,
vehelnently exclaimed
SIR" ''
"But, monseigneur,p calmly replied the
magician, There is no cause for alarm.
only wish TO prove to these gentlemen
the perfection of your watch, and you
may rest assured that il will not be iniur.
ed by the trials to which / shall subject
it,"
With these words, he stamped on the
case, crushing it into shapeless mass.
This act still further excited the ire of
the Cardinal; but the Pope, who took a
more sensible view of the matter, turned
to him and said:
Come, Cardinal, have you no con.
fidence IN our sorcerer? For my part, |
laugh like child at it, being convinced
there has been some clever substitution. !"
Torrini, who was delighted with the
success of his trick, assured His Holiness
that there had been no substitution, and
appealed to the Cardinal for identified
tion OF his watch. The latter, after ex-
amining the shapeless fragments, and
finding his arms engraved inside the case,
acknowledged that 1t was indeed his be.
loved chronometer, and added, in stern
voice:
81 do not see how you can escape, sir;
you should have tried your dangerous ex.
pertinent on some object that could be
replaced, instead of unique watch like
mine."
The magician, after declaring that this
circumstance gave him additional salts
faction, as it enhanced the credit of his
performance, asked the Cardinals per.
mission to proceed. But the latter said.
that as he had not been consulted in the
destruction of the watch, he did not care
what became of its fragments.
Having established the identity of the
Cardinals chronometer, Torrini's next
object was to pass into the Pope's pocket
the one he had bought the previous even
ing. As this could not easily be done
while His Holiness remained seated, the
magician hit upon pretext to make him
RISE Placing q brass mortar, with an
enormous pestle, upon the table, he threw
in the fragments of the watch, and began
pounding furiously. Suddenly a slight
detonation was heard; a lurid fame shot
up from the vessel, into which Torrini
gazed with an expression of profound as
tOnishment Respect for the Pope pre-.
vented the audience from rising; but His
Holiness, curious to see the cause of the
conjurer's interest, approached the table
and Oked into the mortar.
@ not know" he said, "whether it
is b, - the light dazzles my eyes, but
/ G @ ~jtinguish nothing"
pnnlni then begged him to come round
the table and choose a more favorable
point of observation, and, as he moved,
deXteTously slipped the reserve watch in-
to his pocket. The Cardinals chronom-
eteiS Fed now been reduced to small in
got. NesDlding it up before the spectators,
the ma ;cian said:
81 wall now restore this crude mass to
its original shape, and the transformation
shall take place during its passage to the
pocket of person who cannot be suspect
ed of completely"
''Ahr' said the Pope, with an express
sion of jocular incredulity, "that is prom
Using good deal. What should you do
if l ssked you to select my pocEet?"
THE orders Of your Holiness shall be
obeyed," said Torrini, who, on receiving
an asserting signal from the Pope, took
the ingot in his fingers, showed it to the
company, and uttered the word "Pass"
when it instantly disappeared Plus VII,
with an incredulous expression of coun-
tenance, put his hand into his pocket
He had hardly done so, when he showed
signs of confusion, and drawing his hand
out, brought with it the watch, which
he quickly passed to the Cardinal, as if
afraid of burning his fingers.
There was great establishment among
the dignitaries of the Church when His
Eminence, on examining the watch, de-
clared it was the very one that had been
made for him by Breguet, and which
they had seen crushed to pieces by the
conjurer. The mystery was increased
when Tolrini declared that he had full
filed his promise, and had only tested
the superiority of the chronometer.
The next day the Pope sent him a rich
diamond snuff box, with thanks for the
pleasure his performance had afforded.
His fame was now at its height. Attract
ed by the news of his wonderful exhibit
ton, crowds focked to see the wonderful
magician who had accomplished such
They did not, however, have
the qualification of witnessing the famous
trick of the "broken watch" for the ex.
pense of undertaking an experiment
which could never again be repeated un-
der such favorable auspices, would be
only by the circumstances
which originally brought together the
Pope and the conjurer.-AppIeton's Jour
nal