The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-01-13
TERRIBLE WEAPONS.
A PAIR OF THEM WHICH A TRAVEL
Err PICKED UP IN PARIS.

Err PICKED UP IN PARIS.
Tho Venom Box Which Contains the Most
Powerful Poison Known The Needle
That Does Its Deadly Work In n Silent
and Perplexing Manner.
1.-TWO of the most beautiful and at
the same time murderous objects have
ever seen in all my travels picked up
in Paris during my trip There last sum.
mer, said j, V. Atkinson of Savannah
20 friend.
Il bought both of them from an old
gunsmith in the Quarter Latin, and he
assured me they were, without doubt,
the only ones in existence, al far as his
knowledge of death dealing Instruments
went, and he also told me that he had
purchased them of an old Spaniard who
had spent most of his life in the South
American countries.
~ am sure he must have had them
made to his especial order, for. as I have
already stated. during all my travels
have never seen anything fhat would in
any way approach them for villainous.
murderous purposes.
The first, Ms you see, looks innocent
enough, and when l ask you what you
think it is you will reply
"A silver matchbox, answered the
reporter M he gingerly handled the beau
tifully chased silver object.
Touch that spring"
At an easy touch the lid of the box
flew opon on powerfully hinged spring
and disclosed tho interior, and in u COM
partment about ono half of tho capacity
of the box were IL dozen WAX matches.
Now you'll find tiny button ON
the side next you and near your thumb.
just press that lightly"
As the suggestion was followed lit
tie, sharp pointed, cronmy white. curved
object popped into view from that por.
ton of the box not occupied by the
matches.
What is that"
'That, said Mr.. Atkinson, "is not
moro nor less than the fore fang Of the
Grotalus horridus tho great American
rattlesnake, and one of the most venom.
GUS of serpents known to ichthyologists
You will notice that the fang il sharp
az II needle Mt its point; that it IN slit
for IL distance up the middle, and TINT
it is hollow. You will also observe that
IL fine, amber oolored, jellyliko substance
is contained within tho hollow Of the
fang. That is nothing less horrible than
the venom of the orotalide, and tho
ray.lgpuE In. IaaIl,- 81
agents known to man A couple of
serapes ON II mans hand OF face mean
certain and IA horrible death--nausea
and vomiting, retching, commissions,
semiparalysis, complete paralysis, state
OF coma, death i'll II most horrible form
and the swelling to horrible proportions
of the corpse NJ 1T rapidly turns black
from the virulenoo oe the venom You
may take tho fearful agent, bake it be-.
tween bricks, freeze it between blocks
Of ice, and it will still retain its terrible
| power. You may inoeulate a rat witt
the venom, and he will die in fow
moments, dog in five and man in
from ten minutes to an hour, according
to the amount received and the condi-
ton of his system at the time. The blood
of tho first rat can be inoeulated into n
second, and the blood of the second into
third, and so on down through 100
yes, 200 subjects-without recourse to
the original venom, and the last subject
will die MS quickly and oonvulsively ms
the first, for its virulence is absolutely
fatal.
lyon can readily SEQ what terrible
weapon it would be in the hands Of an
INSCRIPTIONS villain. A scratch or two,
and the deed would be done, while the
victim would simply imagine that lac
had been scraped by a pin. Yet in u
close fight with some Of the despicable
footpads and murderous thugs who arc
infesting your fair city do not think
would have any scruples about using it
on one Of them myself.
1T would DO difficult even for first
class physician 10 discover nt the first
sight just how the man met his death
Its companion piece Of devilish in
genuity, is needle gun. Peculiar look
ing thing il it nOt?" asked Mr. Atkin-
son M no passed IA richly engraved and
silver mounted object that looked like
CTubh DtLWcbD u ulHlhLuTs ubuDib DHT-
relied shotgun and revolver to his
friond. who handled it with extreme
caution.
"That little gun IL about five inches
over all, and yet it contains within
those chambers, in the boxlike part be-
tween those fine watch spring steel bar
rels and the pistol grip. enough Of hend-
ish mischief To lay out dozen strong
men.
The charge il II strong but powerful
cartridge made Of u highly explosive
chemical which, by the peculiar con
struction Of tho chambers makes SO lit.
tie noise that il could not bo heard by u
person ten feet away. The instrument
Of destruction is u bunch of fine cambria
needles that have had their heads slight
ly fiattened to offer resistance and catch
the propelling force. and their points
have lain In the very same sort OF ven
ON OF which spoke until they are thor
oughly oorroded with 1t,
Gas they leave the gun they scatter
and penetrate to the most vital spots.
where their terrible work IL quickly
done Nothing short Of post norton
examination 81 the most rigid kind
would betray the cause OF death. st.
Louis Republic.