Evening journal., 1897-01-28
TERRIBLE WEAPONS.
A PAIR OF THEM WHICH A TRAVEL
Err PICKED UP IN PARIS.

"Two Of the most beautiful and at
the same time murderous objects l have
ever seen in all my travels picked up
in Paris during my trip there last sum-
mer, said J. Y. Atkinson Of Savannah
to friend.
II bought both Of them from on cid
gunsmith in the QUARTER Latin, and he
assured me they were, without doubt,
the only ones in 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.
II am sure he must have had them
made to 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 villainous,
murderous purposes.
1.-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
few opon Oh a powerfully hinged spring
and disclosed the interior, and in a COM
partment about one-half Of the capacity
Of the box were 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, creamy 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, sis 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 ichthyologists.
You will notice that the fang is sharp
as a needle at its point that it is slit
for a distance up the middle, and that
| it is hollow. You will also observe that
a fine, amber colored, jellylike substance
is contained within the hollow of the
fang. That is nothing less horrible than
the venom of the crotalide, and tho
rankest poison, the most deadly Of
agents known to man. A couple Of
scrapes on a mans hand OF face mean
a certain and horrible death-nausea
and vomiting, retching commissions,
semiparalysis, complete paralysis, state
Of coma, death in most horrible form
and the swelling TO horrible proportions
Of the corpse as it rapidly turns black
from the virulence of the venom. Yor
may take the fearful agent, bake it be
tween bricks, freeze it between blocks
of ice, and it viii still retain its terrible
power. You may inoculate a rat wit.
the venom, and he Will die in q fov
moments dog in five and man ia
from ten minutes TO an hour, according
to the amount received and the condi
tion of his system at the time. The bloot
Of the first rat can bg inoculated into
second, and the blood of the second int,
a third, and so on down through 100
yes, 200 subjects-without recourse {,
the original venom, and the last subjec
will die as quickly and convulsively al
the first, for its virulence is absolutely
fatal.
"You can readily see what a terrible
weapon it would be in the hands of aI
unscrupulous villain. A scratch or two
and the deed would be done, while tn,
victim would simply imagine that 1t
had been scraped by pin. Yet in 4
close fight with some of the dospicabl'
footpads and murderous thugs who ar
infesting your fair city do not think
would have any scruples about using j
on one Of them myself.
cit would be difficult even for frs
class physician TO discover at the frs
sight just how the man met his death
Its companion piece, of devilish in
genuity, is a needle gun. Peculiar look
ing thing, is it not?" asked Mr. Atkin
son as he passed richly engraved AM
silver mounted object that looked lik
a cross between miniature double bar
relied shotgun and a revolver 10 hi
, friend, who handled it with extrem
caution.
b ''That little gun is about Eve inche
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 a dozen stron
men.
S "The charge is a strong but powerful
cartridge made Of a highly explosiv
chemical which, by the peculiar con
struction of the chambers, makes so lii
tie noise that it could not be heard by
person ten feet away. The instrumen
of destruction is a bunch of fine cambri
needles that have had their heads slight
] " fiattened to offer resistance and cate
the propelling force. and their point
have lain in the very same sort Of ven
ON Of which 1 spoke until they are thoi
Oughly corroded with it.
'As they leave the gun they seattle
and penetrate to the most vital spot,
l. where their terrible work is quickl
done. Nothing short of post morteI
= examination of the most rigid kin
would betray the cause of death. "-Si
Louis Republic.