Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-05-07
CATCHING A CANNON BALL.

yesterday at the Jardin Mabile There
has been performing here at the Eolies
BergereS a man named HoltuR, an Anne
rican, who has cannon fired at him and
catches the ball in his hands. This proCli-
gious feat was witnessed nightly, and al
though the actors present avowed that
there was 40 trick, Pierre Vernon, of the
''Monde Illustre,'' would not believe it.
He said the cannon ball must be thrown
to Holtum from the stage The latter
made a bet of 5000 francs that he would
perform the feat under conditions which
left no room to doubt, and when the bet
was taken, Vernon designated the Mabile
as the place for the trial. All the journal
lists OF Paris were invited, and they found
Holtum there before his cannon. 1t was
examined with minute care, and the heavy
ball was passed from hand TO hand. ~
am no longer in my own house," said Hol-
tum, ''you are master here, and you must
watch over all the arrangements. HAY
ing carefully aimed and dashed his cannon,
it was charged, and Holtum took his place
against blank target some ten yards
away. This was to show that the ball was
solid, and the force of the powder great
enough to send it through the plank. Hol4
tum got the aim of his gun, and then
placed his head in a certain position
against the plank, giving the command to
fire. The ball just grazed the hair and
broke through the plank, rolling some
twenty yards further on.
The same ball was picked up by the
journalists, who again charged the cannon
and sent home the ball, and this time Hol-
tum caught The ball in his hands as neatly
as he does nightly upon the stage. He
won his bet, and no one seemed disposed
to accept his offer of 5000 francs to any
one who would perform the same asto und-
ing feat. The physical forcerequired must
be enormous, but Holtrm showed his
strength by tossing up cannon balls as if
they were so many oranges. The only pre-
cautions taken are very simple; he. wears
very thick leather gloves, and covers his
breast with many thiclznesses of thin pa
per to form sort of cuirass. This looks
to me like very dangerous feat, and par
ticularly the first part of it, where Ho1tum
places his head against the target half an
inch below where the ball will probably
strike. If the powder should chance to be
defective, some day there might be an &C
cident. 1t is like the foolhaTdy trick of
putting ones head into a lions mouth.
One day, fancy, that ball will snap his
head very nearly off.-Paq1s Let ter.
TURNING THE TABLEs-A MAN RU-
INED.-A tragic. occurrence in San Fran
cisco was founded on inconsistency in
love, but the usual conditions were re-
versed. D. K. Meek, an insurance agent,
did not believe in formal marriage, but
held that the mutual consent of the par
ties was a sufficient marital bond. He
| formed union upon that basis with Miss
Laber, the daughter of his business part
ner, and during two years they lived affec-
tionately together. Not long ago the wife
left their home without warning Of her in
tention, and declared that as there had
been no marriage ceremony, and as she
had ceased to love her husband, she was
not bound to live with him any longer.
Meek was heart-broken. He implored her
to return, but she coldly retorted that she
was not his wife. He consulted lawyers
as to the possibility of compelling her to
be faithful, but they told him that al
though the marriage was as binding as
any in regard of the law, wife could not
be forced to live with her husband. He
thereupon swallowed laudan9m, and the
first dose being pumped out by a prosy
doctor, took another and died. He left
his sentiments in a letter as follows: 81
staked my all on your promise to marry
me, and l have lost. 1 do not charge you,
my dear, but forgive you with all my
heart. I will be charitable with you, and
think you ought and believe it was for the
best. 1 only hope such is the case. Oh,
nv darling never do with another as you
have done with me. Never again promise
to marry man unless you intend to do SO.
Only think Of me, who loved you so dear
ly, and would have died, and does, for
your sake. l leave my best wishes for
your future welfare and happiness. May
God bless and protect you and keep you
from sin and harm"
The Postmaster General has finally
squelched the "upanimous Sam Bard, y
postmaster at Atlanta, by giving him until
the first day of June to resign, at which