Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-17

Houdin. 1 am about to embarrass you. Do
YOU know what this card proposes?' Mr..
that dI he did not. "weii.S responded h's ma,
jesty, ''it is desired that you send the hand
kerchiefs to q spot beneath the roots OF the
Last orsnge-tree on the right of the Avenue of
st. Cloud" HOudin affected the utmost nom
ehslence. "Only that, sire, /" he said. "Deign
TO order, and will obey" The king gave GER
a number of his attendants hurried of to the
orange tree to watch it. He then said, ''I select
the Orange-tree." Houdin's first business now
was TO send the haDdkerehiefs on their travels.
SO be placed them beneath a bell of OPAQUE
glass, and taking his wand, ordered them to fiy
70 the spotthe king had chosen. He raised the
bell the little parcel was no longer there, aud a
wi lite dove had tsken its place. The king then
walked quickly to the door, whence he looked In
the dlTee ton of the orsnee-tree TO assure him
self that the guards were there, and, when this
ou'ders. "Ah! Monsieur Robert Houdin,"
be said, ironically. 81 fs ST much for the virtue
OF your ms gic staff Then he added, as he re.
turned TO the end of the room where several
servants were standing. "Ten William TO
Gig nmediately below The last tree at the end
Of the avenue, and bring me carefully what he
FL DIS there-if be Goes find anything" The at
tel dant II oceeded TO the OIange-tree. Rhe earth
a. the side OF the tree was carefully removed,
ard down among the roots, after much cropping,
small iron box eaten with rust was found. II
bore every appearance of having been liz the
ground many years. This curious 'hnd' was
cleansed from its mold and brought in aud
PLACED by the side OF the King. The greatest
excitement and impatience prevailed on all
sides. Houdin brought, perChed on his finger,
the dove TO the King, aud around its neck His
Majesty discovered "A little rusty key. at the
d. sire Of the cor juTer he uniOOsed IL and opened
the box. The first object that met his eve was
tine -disColoIed piece OF parchment, upon
which be read: "This day, the 9th OF June,
1855, this iron box, containing six handker-
chiefs, was placed among the roots OF an
orange tree by me, BalsamO, Count of CaglIOs-
tTO, 10 serve in performing an act of magic
which will be executed on the same day SIXTY
years hence before Louis PHILIPPE of Orleans
ard his family" "There is certainly witch
craft about this cried the King, and then he
looked again and found in the bottom OF the box
parcel sealed with the wel-knOwn seal of the
famous Csglostro. He broke it and opened
the parcel, and there were the six handker-
cbiefs which but five minutes before were lying
on the cor jurors table. Was not this trick as
remarkable as the producing OF Katie King"
from dark cabinet?
BoDlgs HEAVY AND LIGHT AT WILL.
Hcutin was employed by the French govern
ment TO &C TO Algeria on a novel mission. The
Marabout priests exercised great influence over
the natives, because they were able to perform
certain fes Is OF juggleTy, which they pretended
proved their divine power. These MarabOuts
were enemies of the French, and encouraged
turbulence among the Arabs. The government
thought that Ii might be good stroke Of policy
to send HOudn through the colony performing
his miracles, and demonstrating to the natives
that French so1ceTer 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 bee anne heavy or light
at lis order. This box was brought by him to
the footligLts, and, while holding it in his
hands, be declared TO his hearers that he pcs
sessed the power to deprive the most powerful
man OF his strength and restore it at will. He
invited any one who thought himself strong
eECugh TO come on tie stage. An Arab of md
die height, butwell built and muscular, came TO
his side With great assurance. care Won
stroDg?" asked HCudin, measuring him from
head to loot. ooh, yes" he replied, care
lessly. mAie you sure that you will always re-
main sop "Quite sure" "Sou are mistaken"
said HoudiD, "iOr in an instant Twill rob YOU of
your strength, and you shall become as little
child" The Arab smiled disdainfully. HOudin
told him TO lift the bcI. He stopped ard lifted
it without any effort, and said coldly. els that
all?' With an imposing gesture Houding SOL
emily proDourced the words, "BehOld, you are
weaker than a woman; low lift the box" TIE
young Hercules grabbed the box quite con-
fdeDtly, but to his amaZement, it would not
bulge. he attacked it vigorously over and
over again, while his country men sat looking
Oh in silent wonder, but it resisted. He vsinly
expended on this box strength which would
have raised an enormous weight, until at
length, pausing, exhausted; and red with anger,
he buried bis face in his burnous and retired
from the stage. Houdin does not explain the
secret OF this strange trick by which he made
bodies heavy or light at will, and without appa-
TentIy touching them hut it was favOrite CT
bis, and often exhibited to his fashionable
Partisan audiences.
TBE MYSTERIOUS DIsAPPEARANCR.
AT the same exhibition in Algeria, OF which
we have written, hOudin invited one of the
audience to come on the stage. young Moor.
ebout 20 years OF age, tail, well-built, aud
ricbly-0Tessed, advance There was a plain
table on the stage (the space between the top
ard the floor being Enthusiastically open), which
HoudiB asked him to mount. When he did so
Roudin covered him with an enormous cloth
cone, and, instantly removing it, the Moor was
gone. This trick produced panic in the au-
dience. Screaming, "It is the Evil One!" they
clsubeIed ever the benches in wild terror and
M q uhn In
the public place, rubbing his eyes in stupefac-
ton and wondering how he got there, they found
the young Moor.
INvULEERABILITY.
While in the intel iOr, houdin gave an OPEN
air exhibition to the wild sons of the desert. He
pretended that he was invulnerable and offered
10 let Marabout shoot a. him. There was
great crowd, and vindictiye- 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 Mara
bont put in a fair charge Of powder, and drove
the wad hcme. Among the bullets produced
Heudin chose one which he openly put in the
pistol, and it was also rammed down. By the
same process the second pistol was loaded Fy.
eIybody watched with the most profound solem-
nifty. Houdin posted himself Is PAGES from the
Marabout without evincing the slightest emo
ton. The Marabout Immediately seized one OF
the pistols, and on Boudin's giving the signal,
oook t cooperate ann at him: The pistol went off,
and tie ball appeared between the magician's
teeth. More angry tina n ever, the Narabout tried
to seize the pistol. "You could not injure me-"
said Houdip, "but you shall see that my aim is
more dar serous than yours Look at that wall"
He pulled the trigger, and on the newly white
washed wall appeared large patch OF blood
exactly at the spot where he aimed. The Ma
Iabout went up to IT. dipped his finger in the
blood, raising it to his mouth convinced himself
CT the reality. When he acquired this certainty,
his arms fell and his head bowed on his chest
as II he were anDihilsted. 1t was evident that
for the moment he doubted everything, even
the Prophet. This seemingly incOmprehensi-
bic feat Houdin performed by means of pre-
pared balls With a bullet mould and a bit Of
wax mixed with lampblack, he had msnufac-
tured very fair imitation bullet. Another
bullet OF the same material he had filed with
blood. OF course, it was by slight OF hand that
be changed the bullets forced upon him By the
MaIabout and substituted his own. An old
trick enabled him to get the real bullet between
his teeth while the wsxen one was shattered to
pieces. SO with the second ball, it was chat
tered upon striking the wall, but spot Of blood
was produced. If HOudin had not explained
this part, it would be quite as wonderful to most
people as Tie phenomena of spiritualisrn and
could have been passed of as good evidence of
spirit agency.
sPIRlT-FORMs PRODUCED BY JUGGLgRs.
When William II. Seward made his tour
around the world, he witnessed some peform-
ances of jugglers in India which were quite