The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-11-15
The ramoa- can rr,ea

Philip Ashley, noted for bis eopes-
tran amphitheater, is said 10 nave
begun life as soldier. in which
capacity, when on foreign duty win
his regiment, be demonstrated bis
aoihiy as conjurer, BY inventing
tne new famous gun-trick This
consists IN pretending to IRE a pistol
loaded With ball. and catching the
oaii on the point Of a knife. The
explanation Of the trick is that in
tue hfst place the pistol is secretly
loaded only with blank cartrdge
In this harmless condition the con.
.Jurer slips into il tin tube which
nicely Its it, and then octentatiouslv
loads It with ball Before 6rein6
The TN tube is dextronsly removed
and when the weapon Is fred. no
Darn ensues by an instantaneous
maneuver the bullet is triumpbsntlv
exhibited As being caught in the re-
CURED situation. Ii Is related tbas
Ashley invented the trick to save the
eHnsion Of blood at t5e duel Of Two
comrades ia the army. sor one Of
whom be acted as second. Succeed
ing ID getting the other mans secand
- assent to tbc ingenious device
ihe dueiisis bred q: each other with
out eject. ard ne affair was an;ss-
~ adjusted Fery clever. this. one
i1'gat, however. say with Sir Wafer
scott IN bis Lay Of the Last Nin-
stgel ="
t'iL s-irce praise t-sir Fen'rous part
DO temper Wita such dangerous All
MI. Frost mentions two instances
10 which The gun trick proved fatal
Oae SHOT dead BY the accidental su5.
OF Z real loaded pistol Tor
one IN which the charge was with.
drawn The other took place ic Ger
many, 20 the performance Of coDiur-
er named DeDinsky. tie set 10 bis
wife - be fired at by six soldiers
saea OF whom was 10 bite tba ball
01 his cartridge in charging h.s gnn.
iieedlessiy. cue Of the soldiers did
not oite OF the ball, aud Madame
DeIlnsky was shct through the
body. She died 90 The second dav
after the accident. The catastropbv
eiouded the latter years Of the 20
.ortuuaie so9iurer In the course Of
BIS .saTels Houdin visited Aigisrs
and there aStcnished the native Arabs
Win his Performance Of the gu,-
,riCk, which be did 10 a wav some.
what peculiar At one Of BIS enter
iaianents an old Arab admitted hat
Al0nsien. 9as. doubtless. grea4
bn! De should perfer, .o
use oae oi his own pistols. HoDdir.
said tAis might be done the next 6ay.
2ilsF he bad invoked the powsss 10
2l1 and assist him. IL Was a Sc.
Eefe trial Of skin; there vas some
dagger 10 dealing viii q wary and
barbarian. Next day the
exploit came oG Houdin only stipu-
ated tha. be should be allowed 10
Dad IBs pistol, the Arab handed him
: issdened bullet from a saucerful
RON which 10 make choice Thia
= as agreed 70. Houdiu, as eysr~
one thought dropped the leaden saI.
lei into the pistol, but instead o. H..
ng SO, be dropped previously pre-
pared sham bullet, which aisOlved
ntO dust on being fred. Vow
aid the conjaTor 70 the Arab. take
he pistol and GTs al me. 1 will catch
he bullet u ny month" The pis-
.cl was fTsa. and 70 the profoasG
lmszemsat Of the crowd Of Arabs.
t0udia t0Ck leaden bullet ost Of
bis mouth, which all admitted 70 De
be ssBet selected rom the eAu-erful
To silil further sstOnisb the company.
doGdiG declared sbst by losdi1R
aith another le2lsn bail be woula
1rIog blood oEi Cf stone wall AL
we're eager 10 ssr this wonderfnl ieaI
.t g4s performed in a wsy differing
ii.ss iT0m what had already taken
'iace Instead Of dropping q real
1aii into the pistol. Houdin used
hans bullet Sled 9Th = red liquid
shieh dissolved 90 striking ihe Val
y oHder tEsAsndoHs We beEsge
nat AudszsoB IN bis gBn-tricks xas
imi-zs.y ia Tie habit Of s1bsii; zt.Dg
sAI composition balls fOr reel bul-
cts and was equally successful Il
5 al a matter Of slsigki-of-hand -
Journal