The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-03
TERRIBLE WEAPONS.
4 PAIR OF THEM WHICH A TRAVEL
Err PICKED UP IN PARIS.

ever seen in all my travels l picked up
in Paris during my trip there last sum-
mer, said J. v. 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 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.
81 am sure he must have had them
made to his especial order, for, as l have
already stated, during all my travels !
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
|
and disclosed the interior, and in a COM
partment 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 por-
tion 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
Gus of serpents known to ichthyologists.
You will notice that the fang is sharp
as needle at its point; that it is slit
for a distance up the middle, and that
it is hollow. You will also observe that
fine, amber colored, jellylike substance
is contained within the hollow of the
fang. That is nothing less horrible than
the venom of the crotalid@, and the
rankest poison, the most deadly OF
agents known to man. A couple OF
scrapes on mans hand or face mean
q certain and horrible death-nausea
and vomiting, retching, commissions,
semiparalysis, complete paralysis, state
Of coma, death in q 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-
4 tween bricks, freeze it between blocks
e of ice, and it will still retain its terrible
s power. You may inoculate rat with
the venom, and he will die in few
: moments, a dog in five and a 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 inoculated into ;
second, and the blood of the second int
a third, and so on down through 100
yes, 200 subjects-without recourse Il
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 terrible
, weapon it would be in the hands of al
INSCRIPTIONS villain. A scratch or two
! and the deed would be done, while thu
, victim would simply imagine that III
had been scraped by pin. Yet in {
close fight with some of the despicabl'
footpads and murderous thugs who ar
; infesting your fair city do not think
would have any scruples about using i
: on one of them myself.
at would be difficult even for frs
| oloee ,~kvs,o,a,, AZ Iiooovar nj no frs
sight just how the man met his death.
Its companion piece, of devilish in
genuity, is needle gun. Peculiar look
, ing thing, is it not?" asked Mr.. Atkin
! son as he passed richly engraved ant
,, silver mounted object that looked lik'
: q cross between q miniature double bar
) relied shotgun and q revolver to hi
, friend, who handled it with extrem'
caution.
; "That little gun is about five 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 fend
ish mischief to lay out q dozen strong
men.
y "The charge is q strong but powerful
4 cartridge made Of highly explosive
q chemical which, by the peculiar con
. struction of the chambers, makes so lit
n tie noise that it could not be heard by
person ten feet away. The instrumen
Of destruction is bunch Of fine cambria
needles that have had their heads slight
q ly fiattened to offer resistance and catcl
q the propelling force. and their point
$ have lain in the very same sort Of ven
4 ON of which spoke until they are thor
o oughly corroded with it.
Q GAS they leave the gun they seattle
and penetrate to the most vital spots
where their terrible work is quickl.
4, done. Nothing short of post morton
i examination of the nost rigid kline
t would betray the cause of death. st
/ Louis Republic