The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-06-07
THE FAKIR

"You are invited to be present at the
resurrection of our friend A thanase Chap
uzot, artist. which is to take place at his
own residence, Rue de Venus 22, Batig.
nolles, Monday, Feb. 10, at 10 p. M, pre-
cisely.n
The resurrection Of Chapuzotl
How is this
Chapuzot was then deadl l thought
he had simply gone to AmeTicai
What strange adventure is this2
"Parbleu, said Imusingly, after few
moments reflection. why puzzle my
brain over it, when a few hours patience
will explain the whole matter? Yes, TO-
day is Monday, Feb. 10, 10 o'clock in the
morning.
Let us waitl"
| did wait, but very inipatiently, and
at 9:30 in the evening was at % Venus
street, Batignollos, III the bttle court al
the end Of which stood the wen known
pavilion inhabited by Athansse Chapuzot
for the past ten years.
The door was ajsr | ascended the
winding and crealdng stairway which
led TO his studio with rapid step and
fOund myself in the presence Of five per-
sons. One of these approached me and
| extended his hand. This was DTocher,
the notary Upon a sofa in the back end
of the studio recognized DR.. Pourpar-
dot and the sculptor, Roger Lacost, seat
ed close together conyersing in . sub
dued tone. All three, like myself, were
intimate friends of the artist Chapuzot.
Near the window stood two persons
erect, mohonless, observRnt. As |
strained my eyes to distinguish their
features Durocher, with slight cere-
monial gesture, presented us, saying as
| he did so:
"Messrs. Stockfsh--
"Stockhsh g. Co., Boston, Mass, U.
S. A."
The Messrs, Stockfsh both bowed po.
litely.
did the same.
"Gentlemen" said DIR. Pourpardot Oh
rising from the sofa, "our number is
now complete: we will proceed to re-
move the seals
"What seals?" / demanded, with the
air of one considerably mystifed.
"a very proper question" said Roger
| Lacost, coming forward; 1--WE must not
forget that our friend here knows moth
ing about the matter It belongs to you,
Durocher, in your legal capacity, to ex-
plain to him what has thus far trans
! pired."
(which is as follows" replied the no
tary -Four months ago we were here,
| Pourpardot, Lacost and myself, guests of
Chapuzot to social tea. You were alb
sent from Paris, and consequently could
not be included among the guests. These
! two gentlemen the MessIs. StOck6sh,
picture dealers of Boston, presented them
selves, on n matter of business, rs they
were to leave the next morning for
America, and had nearly concluded y
large transaction with our friend. A
few minutes before their arrival Cha
! puzot, who had been present the evening
before at one Of Pourpadot's clinic lect-
ures, spoke with lively appreciation Of
the singular cases of catalepsy he had
seen there. The conversation was con
tinued after the arrival of the two
merchants, and Pourpardot, in proof of
his theory and assertion referred to the
practice Of the fsl1irs Of India, who per-
]
living and were resuscitated ten or twelve
| weeks after.
This statement WAS received with
general expressions of incredulity. The
Messrs. Stocl1fish especially refused per.
sistently to put any faith in it, and pro-
nounced the whole thing mere feat Of
skillful jugglery and collusion. Where
upon Chapuzot, with whose impstuous
temperament you are all familiar, cried
out;
"'Do you doubt it, gentlemen Well
| win lay wager that can furnish the
proof
How was the anxious inquiry.
"'By repeating here in this wide awake
Paris the wonderful feat of the Indian
| fakirs.n'
For what wager?
Fifty thousand francs against the
picture which you see hereH responded
the artist.
"'Ten thousand dollarsl Accepted
"'And when win the proof be fur
nishedT
In three months, at your next visit
to Parise
I L
thought at the time that the whole
thing was a sort of grim joke, mixed up
with some of Chapuzot's braVadO.
In this we were deceived.
! "Chapuzot had spoken In all serious
ness. Nothing could move him or In
any way make him recede from his crazy
purpose,
"At the beginning of December, when
the Messys. Stockfish had returned to
Paris, our friend ChRpuEot was fully
prepared TO enter upon the trying ordeal,
having utilized the preceding three
months In making the necessary prep
arations,
"With an uncOnqueTable energy and
admirable patience he had pursued, point
after point, the method adopted by the
ialirs Of India. In the first place he had
constructed u firm alright box or trunk,
This was carefully lined throughout with
cArdsd cotton on which rested finely pre-
pared lamb skins with their wool.
"In this box he practioed remaining
shut up, at igst for few minutes, then
some houly, then some days, The time
pessed in this way, and he employed
himself in meditstinE on divinity Ao-
cording to ths inspiration directed in the
sacred books Of the HindoO religion.
"Eyery day he also accustomed him
self to remain suspended with his feet II
the air and his head toward the floor,
and curved the point Of his tongue back
ward so as 10 cover the entrance OF the
larynK and interrupt bis respiration. A
70 pourishment he restricted himself TO
the smallest amount of vegetable diet,
the quantity Of which he reduced from
day 10 day
"rhe 1ffh Of December last. At I
o'clock in the evening, We were present
here all five of us. The lest conditions
Of the wager wers made known BY me
In plain terms and the stipulated en-.