The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-20
MS ART WAS ms FORTUNE.
a French Magician's strange Adven-
lures in madagascar.

h~Ets III MuuuE1ActATs
From the New YORK Recorder.
This strange and amusing story has
been told In the French newspapers. II
has a new and timely interest, now that
France is at war with Madagascar, and
the natives OF the island have arisen like
one man to expel the French invaders
The queen of Madagascar. Ranavola
Manjaka III, had tired OF French diplo-
macy; and the French resident, as he is
called, and who is the agent of the French
government at the queens court, was
rapidly becoming unwelcome In Antana-
narivo, the capital city of the island
This state Of things was caused In part
by the plots Of the English, who wanted
to weaken the influence of France. How
ever, very often help comes at the last
moment, and II came now to the French
resident in the shape OF a letter from
Tamatave, the nearest seaside town to
Antananarivo.
The letter said that a French conjurer
was astonishing the natives at Tamatave
by some wonderful tricks. At wave Of
his hand fishes appeared In the air and
birds few out of his pockets SO great a
magician they had never seen, and he
hailed from Toulouse. In his appearance
he resembled the devil, as his satanic ma
jesty is represented on the stage In the
opera of Faust" The resident be-
thought him Of a great plan to recover his
prestige at the court Of Queen Ranavalo
by the aid of this very conjurer. SO he
wrote to Tamatave and invited the magi-
clan to visit him.
The resident was dazzled when the
man of mystery arrived perfectly gor-
geous in a brilliant uniform and his breast
covered with decorations. Truly had the
correspondent described him. Tall and
spare of figure, he had thin, sallow face
adorned with a pointed mustache and
beard of dark color. The resident lost
no time in commissioning him as a dip
lomat, and also assigned him a secretary
and a body guard of two servants. He
was to go to the palace and win over the
queen to France. The Introduction to
royalty was accomplished in this way;
The resident ushered the conjuror into
the presence chamber as the envoy ex-
traordinary and minister plenipotentiary
OF the league Of peace and truth, which
was announced to be a great institution
that sent its emissaries to all places where
war prevailed or was threatened This
particular envoy had been so fortunate
in all his missions that Supernatural
powers had been granted him by heaven
as a reward"
The queen commanded the strange Wis
itor TO give an exhibition of his powers,
and she assembled her courtiers to wit
ness it. Entirely equal 10 the occasion,
his first act was to stand before the
queens prime minister and invite the lat
ter to make of him a target. He calmly
received several shots, caught the bull
lets in his hand. and returned them with
a low bow. Thus the conjuror showed
that none of woman born" could injure
him Then the queen wrote a note in
her native tongue, and burned II to
ashes. The magician told her what she
had written, word for word. He reads
our secret thoughtsr' cried queen and
courtiers, amazed.
Next he took small chest, bound II with
cords and affixed a seal. Putting this chest
inside larger one, he vanished behind a
screen. From his place OF concealment he
called to the queen asking her to count