The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-07-12
A FRENCH WIZARD.
NJ. IIoudin Among the Arabs And the Won.
derful Tricks with which He Astonished
Them.

/
derful Tricks with which He Astonished
Them.
The most famous of magicians was the
late Robert Houdin. He was never ex-
celled, and seldom equaled in his calling.
He was we'll declared to be the prince of
coniurors, for he elevated his occupation
to profession, and was an able mathe-
matician and mechanician.
His ingenuity was unlimited, and it
was absolutely impossible to detect the
secret of his innumerable tricks and
performances. Without the least assist
ance he would hold an audience in de-
light and amazement for hours, every
thing being done with graceful facility
which showed that Houdin absolutely
enjoyed his business. He taught his
son many of his original tricks, but never
impaired them to others, while the secret
of the most remarkable performances
has died with their master, and 10 one
can ever hope to reproduce them.
Probably the first instance in which
a coniuror has been called upon to exer-
else his profession in government en-
ploy was that of Robert Houdin. He
was sent to Algeria by the French minis
ter of foreign affairs to exercise the
black art in that benighted country,
hoping thus to destroy the influence
exercised among the Arabs by the Mara
bouts-an influence which was often
mischievously applied. By few cum
ming, yet clumsy tricks, these Mara
bouts passed themselves off as sorcerers,
and were held in fear and veneration by
the ignorant tribes
The French government desired to
show the Arabs that these would-be
leaders among them were mere imposters,
and that their pretended supernatural
powers were without the least founda-
ton in truth. The best way to do this,
it was thought, would be to send one
among them who should eclipse their
skill, and thus discredit their science and
pretended powers. It was resolved to
send Robert Houdin, and the wizard was
ordered to appear at the government
office in Paris.
Houdin was little puzzled to know
what the minister of foreign affairs could
want of him.
The plan and purpose of the govern
ment were made known to him, and he
entered with spirit into the idea and its
successful application. With every fa-
cility and all needed protection, Robert
Houdin sailed for Algeria to astonish the
natives.
Arriving under such favorable auspi-
ces, he went at once to work upon the
object of his mission, and gaping crowds
followed him everywhere, thinking him
to be inspired. He succeeded in show
ing the people that he could vanish the
famous would be prophets who had OBJ
tanned such control over the ignorant
masses of the regulation, and thus threw
them into such discredit that he sue
ceeded in disarming them almost entirely
of their influence.
Still, there was one of the Marabouts
whom he had not yet met, and who
scoffed at the reported power of this
French wizard A day was therefore ap-
pointed when the two should appear be-
fore the people, and each give evidence
of their own peculiar powers.
One of the great pretens1ons of the
Marabout was to invulnerability. At
the moment that loaded musket was
fired at him, md the trigger pulled, he
pronounced few cabalistic words, and
the weapon would not go off. Robert
Houdin instantly detected the trick, and
showed that the touch-hoie of the mus
ket was carefully plugged. This rem
dered the Arab coniuror furious, and lie,
of course, abused his French rival with
out mercy.
Houdin was perfectly cool, and said:
"You are angry with me %
81 am," said the Arab.
"And would be aYenged?
"Ns."
"It is very easy"
"Tell me the way"
CT will show you," said Houdin,
quietly.
The Arab was ali attention.
"Take pistol, load it yourself. Here
are bullets Put one in the barrel. But
stop
"For what?"
"Mark the bullet with your knife, so
that you may know it.
The Arab did as he was told.
"You are quite certain now" said
Houdin, "that the pistol is properly
loaded ?"
eyes"
"Tell me, do you feel no remorse in
killing me thus, even though L con-
sent? ?"
emo"
"It is strange"
"You are my enemy" he coldly an
swered, "and will kill you.
"Wait but moment.
Houdin then stuck an apple on the
point of q knife, and calmly gave the
word, as he held the fruit raised In one
hand:
"Firer!'
The pistol was discharged, the apple
flew far away, and there appeared in its
place, stuck on the point of the knife,
| the bullet the Marabout had marked.
The spectators, though aroused to IN
tense excitement of feeling, remained
mute with stupefaction, while the
Marabout bowed before his superior,
sayin : :,
"Allah is great. am vanquished. }"
Great was the triumph of the French
wizard.
Houdin then called for an empty bowl,
which he kept constantly full OF boiling
coffee, though but few of the Arabs
would taste of it, for they were sure that
it was the evil ones coffee-pot from
| whence it came.
He then told them that it was within
| his power to deprive them of all strength,