Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-11-05
NO. 257.
SOME JUGGLERs' TRICKS.

Robert Houdin. the French juggler, was
employed by the French government to
60 to Algeria on novel mission. The
Marabout priests exercised great influence
over the natives, because they were able
to perform certain feats of jugglery, which
they pretended proved their divine power.
These Marabouts were enemies Of the
French and encouraged turbulence among
the Arabs. The government thought that
it might be good stroke Of policy to
send Houdin through the colony perform
ing his miracles and demonstrating to the
natives that a French sorcerer was greater
| than an Arab sorcerer. Accordingly
Houdin appeared before large audiences,
beginning in the city of Algeria. At the
| first of these performances he introduced
| box which became heavy or light at his
order. This box was brought BY him to
the footlights and while holding It IN his
hands he declared to his hearers that he
possessed the power to deprive the most
powerful man of his strength and restore
it at will. He invited any one who
thought himself strong enough to come
on the stage. An Arab OF middle height.
but we'll built and muscular, came to his
oibO With cut dSSuIduCCs .-fst
Are you strong?" asked Houdin,
measuring him from head to foot.
"Oh, yes" he replied carelessly.
Are you sure that you win always re-
main SOP"
Quite sure"
"You are mistaken said Houdin, .'for
in an instant l will rob you Of your
strength, and you shall become as q little
child.''
The Arab smiled disdainfully. Houdin
told him to lift the box. He stopped and
lifted it without any effort, and said cold.
",
"Is that all on
With an imposing gesture Houdin sol.
! emnly pronounced the words.
Behold you are weaker than woman );
now lift the box" ae.4
The young Hercules grabbed the box
quite confidently, but, to his amazement.
it would not bulge. He vainly expended
on this box q strength which would have
raised an enormous weight, until at
length, painting, exhausted, and red with
anger. he buried his face in his burnous
and retired from the stage.
Houdin does not explain the secret of
this strange trick by which he made bod
les heavy or light at will. and without ap-
parently touching them, but it was fav-
orite OF his, and often exhibited to his
fashionable Partisan audiences.
At the same exhibition in Algeria of
which we have written, Houdin invited
one of the audience to come on the stage
young Moor. about twenty years age.
tall, well-bui!t, and richly dressed, ad-
vanced. There was plain table the stage
(the space between the top and the floor
being Enthusiastically open). which Houdin
asked him to mount. When be did 50
Houdin covered him with an enormous
cloth cone, and instantly removing it, the
Moor was gone. This trick produced q
panic in the audience. Screaming, 1T Is
the Evil One J" they clambered over the
benches in wild terror and rushed out of
the door into the street. where in the
public place, rubbing his eyes in stupefa-
cation and wondering how he got there,
they found that young Moor. 4....
| While in the interior Houdin gave an
open air exhibition to the wild sons Of the
desert. He pretended that he was invul-
nerable and offered to let Marabout shoot
at him. There was great crowd. and .
vindlctiye looking fellow came out from
it and claimed to have the honor of killing
the hated Frenchman. The pistols were
handed to Houdin, who called attention
to the fact that the vents were clear. The
Marabout put in a fair charge of powder
and drove the wad home. Among the
bullets produced Houdin chose one which
he openly put in the pistol, and it was
also rammed down. By the same process
the second pistol was loaded. Everybody
watched with the most profound solemn.
ity. Houdin posted himself fifteen PAGES
from the MarabOut without evincing the
slightest emotion. The Marabout imme-
diately seized one of the pistols and, on
Houdin's giving the signal, took q delib-
crate aim at him. The pistol went off and
the ball appeared between the magician's
teeth. More angry than ever, the Mara
bout tried 10 seize the pistol. "You could
not injure me-" said Houdin, "but you
shall see that my aim is more dangerous
than yours. Look at that WALL" He
pulled the trigger, and on the newly
whitewashed wall appeared large patch
of blood exactly at the spot where he
aimed.
The Marabout went up to it. dipped his
finger in the blood, and raising ii to his
mouth convinced himself of The reality.
When he acquired this certainty his arms
fell and his hand bowed on his chest as if
he were annihilated. 1t was evident that
for the moment he doubted everything,
even the prophet. This seemingly incom-
prehensibe feat Houdin performed by
means of prepared balls, With q bullet
mound and bit of wax mixed with lamp
black he had manufactured a very fair i'm
itation bullet. Another bullet of the same
material he had filled with blood. OF
course, it was by sleight of hand that he
changed the bullets forced upon him by
the Marabout and substituted his own.
An old trick enabled him to get the real
bullet between his teeth while the waxen
one was shattered to pieces. So the Sec
ond ball, it was shattered upon striking
the wall, but spot Of blood was pro-
duced.
When VIM. II. Seward made his tour
around the world he witnessed some per.
formance OF jugglers in India which were
quite surprising. He saw man climb a