Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-02-24
BLITZ.
Anecdotes Of the Conjuror.


Anecdotes of the ConturOr.
At Exeter, England, i'm the early part
of 1926, he was summoned before the
archbishop and church council prior to
a performance and called upon to answer
various charges of irreligion, and as be-
ing an idle, mischeviOus person." The
council were not able to find him guilty,
but he treated them to a gratuitOuS per-
Torrance. He astOnished the assemblage
by announcing that q watch which he
exhibited would be transported to
cushion i'm the cathedral pulpit, and there
it was found when a messenger went to
search for it.
His first feat as q ventrilOquist was In a
dlssecting room, whittier he had been in
vited by medical friend. The doctor,
scalpel in hand, had made an incision in
the body of woman, to which she pro-
tested. at is cruel to mutilate," said the
voice, ''the remains of woman"
EYES," came from another body upon
another table, cit is an outrage to thus
abuse 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 explain
ed.
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 Paganini,
the violinist, during visit to Glasgow,
an infants cry came from within the
great Italians fiddle.
MY God" said Paganini, "what's this?''
you know whose child it is" said a
a female voice from neighbOring closet.
The excited musician rushed to the closet,
thence back to his violin, and then turn
ed round to see Signor laughing and to
receive his exclamation.
! An Egyptian mummy was presented
| by the American consul at Cairo to a
Philadelphia museum. A crowd was
one day about the case, and was startled
by voice from amid the multitudinous
linen folds.
"Open the box open the boxr' said
the voice.
"Who are your" asked one visitor,
more venturesOme than the rest.
I'm descendant of the Pharaohs, "
answered the voice.
"What do you want?"
| "Ask yourself Your COMPOUNDED
Yankee curiosity has walked me up from
the sleep of ages. Open the box!"
| "What's your name ?"
"SignOr Blitz," answered the voice, and
the great ventriloquist made himself
known.
The Signor while in Nova Scotia was
approached by an old orange woman with
a basket of delicious fruit. He bought
an orange for sixpence, and cutting it in
half drew from the center gold sover-
eign. This performance was repeated
with another orange, the old woman
looking on with amazement. He was
about to take third from her basket
when she snatched it away and vowed
he should have no more sovereigns for a
siXpence.
introduced to avery solemn clergyman
in Hartford, Conn.,, that gentleman alb
ruptly denounced the Signor for perform
ances which were dangerous to the wei.
fare OF mankind" and much more of the
same sort. Interrupting him, the Signol
, plucked pack of playing cards from the
pocket of his ministerial coat and with.
drew dice box and dice from his clerics
hat. Signor Blitz was troubled with ne
more orthodox objections from that gen
tleman.
! In the old sixth street market, Phila
dclphia, he bought dozen eggs for 2.
cents from a stOlid Dutchman. "Cleal
as wasser NIT we'll bucket, eh?" remark
: ed the vender, as he handed them over
The Signor broke one, and there came
peeping through the aperture first {
feathered head and then whole canary
bird, which sang sweetly to the man o
eggs.
The Signor's fnn-making propensitie
seem to have been irresistible, and found
expressions in all manner Of startling
. WAYS and places. He made negro CRY
out from within his trunk on one Occa
sion, and came near being arrested as al
abolishionist. He made his horse talk
and the frightened hostler could not b.
induced to re-enter the stable. So tn,
Signor was himself compelled to groom
the animal. His fayOrite resort seems tt
have been i'm the market places, where b,
, gave voice to chickens and pigs and fish
of the market people. But when he ha(
, had his laugh, the kind hearted professor
never failed to make good any loss, di
rect or indirect, that his victims NIGH
have suffered. His benevolence wa.
comprehensive, and it is said of him thai
he gave away half Of what he made in
, charity. In the island of st. John, how.
ever, an offer to give to the poor the pro
ceeds of one of his entertainments was
refused by the village pastor. "What,
said the shepherd, receive aims for the
poor from wizard-a bewitched hand
Oh, no! What spiritual grace would
flow upon the objects in distress ?"
During the war he gave 1872 free enter
|; tainments before $4,000 soldiers in the
hOsDitalS of PHILADELPHIA.