Semi=weekly graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1895-1902, 1897-01-27
TERRIBLE WEAPONS.
A PAIR OF THEN WHICH a TRAVEL
Err PICKED UP IN PARIS.

The Venom Box when Contains the Most
Powerful Poison known Tho Needle
That Does It's Deadly yorIs In Silent
and Perplexing Manner.
Two Of the most beautiful and at
tho same time murderoGs objects l have
ever seen i'll all my travels picked up
in Paris during my trip there last sum
mer, said J. Y. Atkinson of Savannah
to friend.
81 bought both of them from an old
gunsmith in the QUARTER Latin, and he
assured me they were, without doubt,
the only ones i'll existence, rs far as his
knowledge of death dealing instruments
went, and he also told mo that he had
purchased them of an cid Spaniard who
had spent most Of his life in the South
American countries
L am sure he must have had them
made to his especial order, for, as | have
already stated, during all my travels 1
have never seen anything that would in
any way approach them for villainous,
murderous purposes.
The first, as you see, looks innocent
enough, and when / ask You what you
think it is you will reply
A silver matchbox, answered the
reporter as he gingerly handled the beau
tifully chased silver object.
Touch that spring
At an easy touch the lid of the box
Gov, n
and disclosed the interior, and in q COM
partment about one-half of the capacity
Of the box were o dozen wax matches
Now you'll find tiny button ON
the side next you and near yoar thumb
just press that lightly"
AS the suggestion was followed lit
tie, sharp pointed, creamy white, curved
object popped into view from that por.
ton Of the box not occupied by the
matches.
What is that9'
THAT, said Mr.. Atkinson, sis not
moro nor less than the fore fang Of the
Crotalus horridus, the great American
rattlesnake, and one of the most venom
GUS of serpents known Co iohthyoIogists
You will notice that the fang is sharp
as a needle at it's point; that it is slit
for a distance up tho middle, and that
it is hollow. You will also observe that
a fine amber oolored, jellylike substance
is contained within the hollow of the
fang. Tint Is nothing less horrible than
the venom of the orotalide, and tho
rankest poison, the most deadly of
agents known to man. A couple of
serapes on mans hand OF face mean
a certain and a horrible death--nausea
and vomiting, retehing, commissions,
semiparalysis, complete paralysis, state
Of coma, death in a most horrible form
and the swelling to horrible proportions
of the corpse as it rapidly turns black
from the virulence of the venom. You
may take the fearful agent bake it be,
tween bricks, freeze it between blocks
Of ice, and it will still retain its terrible
power. You may inoculate a rat with
the venom, and he will die in few
moments dog in Ave and man in
from ten minutes to an hour, according
to the amount received and the condi-
tion of his system at the time. The blood
Of the first rat can be inooulated into a
second, and the blood of the second into
third, and so on down through 100
yes, 200 ubjeets-without recourse to
the original venom, and the last subject
will die as quickly and oonvulsively az
the first, for it's virulence is absolutely
fatal
You can readily sec what terrible
weapon it would be in the hands of an
interruptions villain A scratch or two,
and the deed would be done, while the
victim would simply imagine that he
had been soraped by pin. Yet in a
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 be difficult even for first
class physician to discover at the first
sight just how the man met bis death.
Its companion piece, Of devilish in
genuity, is q needle gun. Peculiar look
ing thing, is it not?" asked Mr.. Atkin-
son as he passed a richly engraved and
silver mounted object that looked like
a cross between miniature double bar
relied shotgun and a revolver TO his
friend, who handled it with extreme
caution
THAT little gun is 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 fiend
ish mischief to lay out dozen strong
men.
"The charge is a strong but powerful
cartridge made Of highly explosive
chemical which, by the peculiar con-
struction Of the chambers, makes so lit
tie noise that it could not be heard by o
person ten feet away The instrument
OF destruction is bunch of fine cambrio
needles that have had their heads slight
ly flattened to offer resistance and catch
the propelling force. and their points
have lain III the very same sort Of ven.
ON Of which / spoke until they are thor
oughly eerroded with it.
AS they leave the gun they scatter
and penetrate to the most vital spots,
where their terrible work is quickly
done. Nothing short of post norton
examination Of the most rigid kind
would betray the cause Of death. st.
Louis Republic.
An Experiment.
Where arc you going, Michael, so
early?"
sfA..1.t.,,c,-,; Ill. -