The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-11
ONLY PAPER MACHE.
DUPLICATES OF FAMOUS RELICS THAT
FOOL A FELLOW.

There Wero tho Dagger Tint Killed Cesar
and tho Ak That Severed nrary's Head.
arevsome Rsrities Which We aron'u
Have to Go to Europe to See.
Those who want to enjoy tho sensation
promised by Joe, tho fat boy, to poor Mrs.
Wardlo, whom no remarked to her pleas.
ontly, II wants to mako your flesh creep"
Will get 1t ut show window ON Fulton
street. Tho window is filled with q most
remarkable array Of instruments sugges-
tive OF horrors-wars, behcadings, tor
lures, lifelong inprisonmonts and slavery
on tho galloys. There are suits Of armor,
apparently ponderous, old, battered hol-
mets rusty knightly swords, which immo-
dintoly suggest to n mind that loves to
dwell on auld lang syne:
Their bones nre dust:
Their good swords rust;
Their souls ore with the saints we trust
Then there arc fottsrs, foot chains, with
the iron cannon balls attaohed; war hatch
cts, pixies, daggors, heavy keys from terri
bic, tyranincal prisons; poniards, soimiters,
headsmen's axes-everything grewsome
that can appeal to the creepy feeling and
bring strange thoughts to tho nineteenth
century man as he views the collection.
The attention Of the writer was natu-
rally attracted to the show as he passed
down Fulton street ono day not long ago.
say naturally because 1t Is, after oil, hui
man nature to be attracted irresistibly by
something THAT will mako your flesh
creep" When hangings were public speo-
taoles, half tho town would shut up shop
to go and look at Thorn. Most of tho arti-
cles exhibited that day were replete with
fascinating historical interest Their IT,
ties were given In bold writing ON onrd-
board tags.
Here was n Gallo Roman shield of the
fourth century. In another corner was the
sword of tho Duo d'Aquitaiue, A. D. 76S.
Near by lay tho poniard Of Ravaillao with
which Henry of Navarro was assassinatod
in tho streets Of Paris In 1910. There WINS
an extraordinary Ratchet with six blades,
used ut the battlo of Pavie, 1926. There
was an interesting ball and chain used on
state prisoners In tho reign of Louis XIV.
An iron chain and prisoner necklace
provoked vivid and shuddersomo thoughts
Anklat, bnll and chain, used In the Bus
tille-ugh!-Inore and more shuddersome!
A few other weird objects lay around,
suoh as double neck yoke, used in an
ciont galloys and prison fortresses; a de-
cnpitntion sword, flve feet long; heads
mans ax OF the fourteenth century, q
mace or war hammer Of the thirteenth GEN.
tury, on ancient Saxon Ratchet, tho he'll
met and gauntlet of Henry III Of England,
the breastplate of his armor, engraved with
the arms and insignia Of the Order of the
Golden Fleece, and-a Grecian war hatohet
used by the Spartans b. G. 1909.
The awestruck observer thought that
that was pretty big claim for the old
Ratchet, "but, after all, I argued, ''they
are all tho time digging away ut old ruins
and are finding all sorts Of things that lead
back nearly to tho flood"
looked again, and my eyes bulged rs I
beheld weapon tagged Sword Of joan
of Arc" Well, after all, that might be oil
right too, though how the dickens did
this fellow over manage to make such q
wonderful raro and expensive collection
and exhibit 1t In Fulton street window,
to tempt every cracksInan who might pass
byP'
Again, Roman dagger Of Brutus. with
sheath, with which dagger, not sheath)
Julius Cesar was assassinnted." We'll,
we'll, WE'LL
And" thought I, Fam I gazing at the
very dagger that struck down the very
man for whom when at school conceived
supreme aversion because he wrote q
book beginning with tho statement TINT
oil Gaul Is divided into three parts? Good
old dnggcr!'
But looked with far different emotions
III Dig sword labeled sword that de-
capitated Mary Stuart"
I happened to be Scotsman, and this
struck mo as not being exactly right. +
had my doubts, and plunged into tho
store, trying to think up how many kinds
of u cheat would call the man inside If
trapped him.
L asked for tho proprietor, who came
forward smiling. "See here said the
writer, IF you can prove to my sntisfao
ton that that thing in the window is the
sword used to bchond Mary, queen of Scots
tho roal, bona fde, original article-I'l
mako arrangements by which you can got
MI nd. in The Sunday Press for nothing,
and If the proprietor won't give it to you,
why, I'll pay for 1t nysclf!'
The man looked at me for a minute md
then burst out laughing. Its too bad"
snid he, "but I'm afraid that cannot get
my froo advertisement.
"Ahn! said florcely. "Then you &C.
Knowledge
Hold on n minute" said the man.
That's mighty good imitation of the
original weapon, and that is all it Is. No.
body would be deceived by 1t II no handled
1t, but it looks splendid in n show window
or on wall. It's made of papier maohe. "
And all these other things that look SO
solidp"
'All mndo of papier maohe. Most of
them arc made in Europe from originals
and arc shipped over hero. Ha, hal You re
not tho first man to DO fooled / have to
meet challenges and inquiries like yours
every day
Great Is tho ingenuity of modern man.
kind. What is to prevent us all from rig.
cling up sham baronial halls now, and mr.
ranging imposing collections of antiques
which will surpass to all appearance even
Sir Walter SCOTS celebrated ono at Alb.
bottsford? Nothing except the want of tho
money, and not Very much Of that is nead