Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-11

| the word voleur, as already stated
These needles pass through pad i'm.
| preg aated with nitrate of silver, which
| ipj ects itself into the wound and leaves
| for life ineffaceable marks"
| The counts countensnce assumed q
serious expression. ave have no right
be said, "to brand a man in this way.
Besides, even granted that we were per
mitted to do this, would it be consistent
with the dictates of humanity to stamp
upon the flesh OF fellow-being g cruel
eliminating mutilation which must OF
necessity forever rank him with the enc
mics of society. The man who has rob-
bed me may not be hardened offender;
he my be young and his principles not
yet so fixed as to enable him to resist
the temptations that life in Paris af-
fords."
Houdin recognized the justice of his
reaa oning. He also shrewdly guessed
the reason why the count had evinced an
insuperable reluctance to invoke the aid
of the law in the matter. He had sons
who were young men and possibly he en-
tertained some fears of finding in the
cul prit member of his own family.
II admit" said Houdin, sthe force of
your arguments. Il VIII only require a
few hours to effect such alterations in the
instrument as will remove your obi ections
to its employment in its present FORM
The apparatus was consequently so
modified that the claw, instead of tattoo
ing, gave only cat-like scratch, which
would soon heal and leave behind no
branding scar. Under these circum-
stances the count no longer saw any rea-
son Why the instrup ent should not be
used, and it was at once attached to the
safe.
In the course of the next few days the
count instructed his steward to draw from
his bankers considerable sums of money
in gold, which were deposited in the safe.
In this way it was anticipated that the
cupidity OF the thief might receive an
additional stimulus. For upwards of q
fortnight, however, no attempt was made
upon the strong box; and the count began
to fear that the precautions he had taken
had come to the knowledge of the mem
bers of his household. But in this he was
mistaken. On the sixteenth day pistol
shot was fred in the room where the safe
stood. The count, who al the time was
in the drawing-room, rushed up stairs to
the apartments; there he found his stew
ard pale and agitated, endeavoring to
conceal his right hand by hiding it be
hind his back.
"What is the 1natter?" demanded the
count.
ga few moments ago." was the reply,
81 came in, under the impression that L
should find you here, as wanted to speak
with you on business. But I was sur
prised to sae man attempting to force
open the door of the safe. A pistol went
off-how fired know not-and the burg
lar, alarmed at my presence, jumped out
of the window on TO the plaza and de-
scended the steps into the garden, whence
he made his escape through the little
back gate"
The count, without saying single word,
went into the garden and discovered the
gate locked and the key in the inside "a
palpable proof of the falsity of the
stewards story-then, returning to the
room, he insisted upon the mans hand
being shown him, which proved TO be
bleeding freely from the scratches it had
received. The case, therefore, was per-
fectly clear.
''For how long a period have you been
robbing me9" asked the count quietly.
about Is months" was the cool re-
Spouse of the culprit, who by this time
had recovered his presence of mind, and,
seeing that the game was up, resolved to
make clean breast of the matter.
"And what is the total amount of the
money you have stolen from me during
that timer" was the next question.
"a little over $4,000 francs"
"What have you done with this sum?'
81 have invested it in government Sc
curlties; the bonds representing them l
have in my desk at home."
Ga condition of the stewards deliver
ing up the bonds and signing paper ad-
hitting his guilt to the count, out of con-
sideration for the offenders family,
contented himself with discharging his
dishonest servant. The money that had
been recovered De rEscalo forced upon
Houdin as loan, to be repaid only at his
convenience.
Possessed of this CAPT al, oHoCdin
TOOK a small hall in the Palais Royal and
fitted it with considerable taste. The
stage was set so as to represent drawing
room, in white and gold, of the style of
Louis XIV. The little auditorium would
hold only 200 persons, but the prices were
rather high, the front seats being five
francs each, and no place was obtainable
for less than 40 sous. The entertainment,
was, from the commencement, highly
popular with the Parisians, and the profits
realized by Houdin from his venture were
so large that in less than year he was
enabled to pay his kind patron the whole
of his loan.
Houdin acquired a comfortable compe-
tence by the exercise of his art, and he
built a handsome villa at Saint ervais,
near BIois. When he had retired from
business he amused himself by introduce
ing various curious inventions into his
place and the grounds attached to it.
The garden gate was situated some 400
yards from the house. visitor had only
TO raise diminutive brass knocker and
let it fall upon the forehead of fantas-
tie face, making but FAINT sound, when
a large bell was set in motion in the villa.
At the same time the gate swung open
automatically, and the plate bearing the
name "Robert Houdin" disappeared, and
another took it's place, on which was en-
graved the word "Entrez." When the
postman delivered the letters he had
brought he was instructed to drop them
through the slit in the gate into the re-
ceptacle provided for this purpose. The
box, directly this was done, started of its
own accord on it's journey to the front
door of the house. Houdin invented, too,
an ingenious continuance by which, lying
in bed, he could feed his horse in stall
so yards from the villa; for, on touching
small button, there was put in motion
an apparatus that caused the exact part
of oats required for the animals meal to
fall into tna manger from the granary
above. By another curious piece of
mechanism "a little bench that stood be-
side sravine in a remote part of the
grounds was SO constructed that jmmedi-
ately any person sat down upon it the
M achine antnm atlcalIY trpYersed q narrnE