Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-01-09
TERRIBLE WEAPONS.
A PAIR #ofeTHEM WHICH A TRAVEL
 ER PICKED UP IN PARIS.


 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 to friend.
 II bought both of them from an old gunsmith in the Quartier Latin, and he assured me they were, without doubt, the only ones i'll existence, as 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.
 1T am sure he must have had them made 10 his especial order. for, as have already stated, during all my travels l have never seen anything that would in any way approach them for yillainous' 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 gingeriy handled the beau tifully chased silver object.
 Touch that spring.
 At an easy touch the lid of the. box flew opon on a powerfully hinged spring and disclosed the interior, and in con- pertinent about one-half of the capacity of the box were a dozen wax matches.
 Now you'll find a tiny button on the side next you and near your thumb. Just press that lightly
 As the suggestion was followed lit tie, sharp pointed, creamy white, curved object popped into view from that DOT tion of the box not occupied by tho matches.
 What is that?"
 "That, said Mir. Atkinson, lis not more nor less than the fore fang of the Crotalus horridus the great American rattlesnake, and one of the most venom ous of serpents known to iohthyologistg. You will notice that the fang is sharp as a needle at it's point; that it is slit for distance up the middle, and that it is hollow You will also observe that a fine, amber colored, jelly1ike substance is contained within the hollow of the fang That is nothing less horrible than the venom of the erotalid@, and the rankes6 poison, the most deadly of agents known to man. A couple of Bcrapes on a mans hand or face mean a certain and horrible death-nausea and vomiting, retehing, eonyulsions, gemiparalysis, complete paralysis, state of coma, death ill 6 most horrible form and the swelling to horrible proportions of the corpse as it rapidly turns 'black from the virutence of the venom. You may take the fearful agent, bake it be- tween bricks, freeze 1t between blocks of ice, and it will still retain its terrible power. You may iuoculate q rat with the venom, and he will die in a few moments, dog in five and man in from ten minutes to an hour, according to the amount received and the condi- tion of his system at the time. Ehe blood of the first rat can be inooulated into q second, and the blood of the second into a third, and so on down through 100- yes, 900 ubjects-without recourse to the original venom, and the last subject will die as quickly and oonvulsiyely as the first for its virulence is absolutely fatal.
 You can readily see 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 close fight with some of the despieable footpads and murderous thugs who are infesting your fair city do not think l would have any soruples aboat using it on one of them myself.
 "It would be difficult even for first class physician 10 discover at the first sight just how the man met bis death.
 Its companion piece, of devilish in- genuity, is a needle gun Peculiar look ing thing, is it not?' asked Mir. Atkin- son as he passed richly engraved and silver mounted objeot that looked like q cross between a miniature double bar reIed shotgun and a revolver to his friend, who handled it wirh extreme caution.
 That little gun is about five inches over all, and yet lt contains within thoso chambers, in the boxlike part be- tween those fine watch spring steel bar rels and the pistol grip, enough of fend ish mischief to lay out dozen strong men.
 The charge is 9 strong but powerful cartridge made of highly explosive chemical which, by the peculiar con- struotion of the chambers, makes so lit tie noiso that it could not be heard by person ten feet away. The instrument of destruction is bunch of fine cambrio needles that have had their heads slight ly fattened to offer resistance and catch the propelling force, and their points have lain in the very same sort of ven. om of which I spoke until they age thor oughly corroded 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 a post mortem examination of the most rigid kind would betray the cause of death. ''-St. Louis Republic.
 An Experiment.
 Where are you going, Michael, so early?"