The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-03
Blitz, the Magician.

household word in the land for nearly
half century. His legerdemain, his
canary birds and his wonderful ventrilo-
quism are known to everybody who has
witnessed magic at all, and he was per-
sonally familiar to wide circle of ac-
quaintances as an upright and genial gem
tlemen. Some time since Signor Blltz
was forced to give up his ventrilouuism,
owing to throat disease. Everybody re-
members how inimitable he was in this,
and how the children fattened under the
generous influence of his conversations
with " Bobby" the talking doll. All his
tricks were wonderful when he per-
formed them, although they have become
common property now, and are for sale
in the shops, like other material and
comprehensive property, to anybody
who likes to buy them. But the dane
ing dinner plates" may not be manufact-
ured or transmitted, and nobody may
sell dozen which will keep whirling and
| spinning as he made them; nor are the
trained canaries anywhere to be found,
nor does there seem to be quite such an
other ventriloquist as he was nowadays.
With the children Signor Blitz was a
prime favorite, and he in turn liked the
children above any other sort of people
He kept them giggling from one end of the
show to the other, and in simplicity and
even fresh enthusiasm was himself one
of them.
Signor Antonio Blitz was born of Polish
parents in Deal, England, June 81, 1910.
His father was merchant, toleEably
well-to-do. He left his home atsshe &c
of thirteen, having become enthusiastic
over the success of sleight- of hand tricks
| there exhibited, and which he had ac-
quired from hints given him by band
of stroliing gypsies, and, child as he was,
started out Immediately as public per-
former, appearing at Hamburg first, and
then at Potsdam, Lubbock and other cities
on the Continent. At the age of fifteen
he gave his first performance in England
where he remained till 1884. In that
year he came to this city. Afterward
he made the tour of New England and
of the West, and finally settled in Phil
adelphia, where he resided until his
death. Signor Blitz married twice. His
| first wife he married in Scotland at an
early age; she was the mother of the
prima donna Nine. Jenny Van Zandt
He had three children in ALL and one
son is living at present in Philadelphi
and one daughter in Brooklyn. He has
also brother living in England.
The anecdotes concerning him, his
ventriloquism and his marvellous dex-
terity are innumerable. Very often en-
lowed by the superstitious fancies of
those who had witnessed his remarkable
feats of legerdemain with supernatural
powers, he carefully makes it evident in
his autobiography that it was only by his
manual dexterity and a close observance
of character that he was enabled to so
marvelously deceive the senses of his
auditors, His motto was: Laugh,
laugh and be happy Live above the
thought of wrong, and it will not exist
in action" He quotes many instances
of the supersttious regard in which he
was held. To his boyish tricks in his
native village his neighbors ascribed the
loss OF their sheep, mishaps to their cat
tie and any unusual occurrence within
twenty miles of the town. Indeed, the
good priest and burghers of the town
uClu a oOltllH COuuCll W CO0SluGT WHAT
should be done with this uncanny boy.
No result seems to have come of their
deliberations, yet" says the author,
the villagers might be seen standing a
long way off gazing at my person and
| alleging that they saw most mysterious
sights of beings passing in and out of
the chimneys, through the windows, and
of red and blue fires burning round the
house at midnight"
At Exeter, England, in the early part
of 1926, he was summoned before the
Archbishop and Church Council, prior to
performance, and called upon to an
swer various charges of irreligion, and
being an idle, mischievous person"
The council were not able to find him
guilty, but he treated them to gratui-
tous performance. He astonished the
assemblage by announcing that watch,
which he exhibited, would be transport
ed to cushion in the cathedral pulpit;
and there it was found when a messen-
ger went to search for it.
His first feat as a ventriloquist was in
dissecting-room, whittier he had been
invited by a medical friend. The doc
tor, scalpel in hand, had made an in
cision in the body of woman, to which
she protested. cit is cruel to mutilate,"
said the voice, the remains of a
woman"
Yes" came from another body upon
another table, " it is an outrage to abuse
a woman" Doctor and students made
rush for the door, and it was only when
the surgeon had frantically driven home
in his carriage, taking Signor Blitz with
him, that the ventriloquist explained.
1t is impossible to give more than
few of the many anecdotes which Signor
Blitz himself has left of his long life
and varied experience. Meeting Paga-
mini, the violinist, during visit to Glas-
gov, an infants cry came from within
the great Italians fiddle.
My Godp' said Paganini, "what is
this?"
You know whose child it is" said
female voice from neighboring closet.
The excited musician rushed to the
closet, thence back to his violin, and
then turned round to see Signor Blitz
laughing and to receive his explanation.
An Egyptian mummy was presented
by the American Consul at Cairo to
Philadelphia museum. A crowd was
Iau al nt1f ha stn