Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-03-30
TERRIBLE WEAPONS.
A PAIR OF then WHICH A TRAve
Err PlcKgt Up IN PARIS.


The Venom boz which Contains the Aose
F0weEful Poison Known-1hea Needle
That Docs It's Deadly Work In silsnt
and Perplexing Manner.
''Two Of the most beautiful. and Is
the same time murderous objects I have
ever seen in all my travels I picked mp
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 QUARTER Latin, and be
assured me they were, without doubt,
the only ones in existence, as Tar as his
knowledge Of death dealing instruments
went, and he also told me that he had
purchased them Of an old Spanisrd who
had spent most Of his life in the South
American countrieA r. ..-- -.
II am sure he must have had them
made to his especial order. for. a. have
already stated, during all my travels I
have never seen anything that would in
any way approach them for villainous.
murderous purposea ~ e.e,yf -
''The first, as You see, looks innocent
enough, and when I ask you what you
think it is you will reply ).
"A silver matchbox" answered the
reporter as he giDgerly handled the beau
tifully chased silver object.
"Touch that spring. tgtff.E .
At an easy touch the lid Of the box
few opon on a powerfully hinged spring
and disclosed the interior, and in com.
partment about one-half of the capacity
Of the box were dozen wax matchea
SHOW 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.
ton Of the box not occupied by the
matches.
"What is that?'
''That," said Mr.. Atkinson, els not
more nor less than the fore fang of the
Crotalus horridus, the great American
rattlesnake, and one Of the most venom
Gus Of scrpents known TO ichthyologists.
You will notice that the fang is sharp
as o needle at its point; that it is slit
for distance up the middle, and that
it il hollow. You will also observe that
q fine, amber colored, jellylike substance
Is contained within the hollow Of the
fang. That Is nothing less horrible than
tho 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
o certain and horrible death-nausea
and vomiting, retching, oonvulsions,
semiparalysis. complete paralysis, state
Of coma, death in q most horrible form
and tho 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 1t will still retain its terrible
power. You may inoculate Q rat with
the venom, and he will die in o few
moments, D dog In Eve and q 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 the first rat con be inoculated into q
second, and the blood Of the second into
third, and 90 on down through 100
yes, 200 subjects-without recourse to
the original venom, and the last subject
will die as quickly and convulsively as
the first, for it, virulence IL absolutely
fatal.
"You can readily see 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 1imply imagine that he
had been scraped BY . pin. Yet In q
close fight with some Of the despicable
footpads and murderous thugs who are
infesting your fair city I do not think I
would have any scruples about using it
on one Of them myself.
1T would DO difficult even for q first
class physician TO discover at the first
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.. Akin.
son as he passed richly engraved and
silver mounted object that looked like
cross between . miniature double bar
relied shotgun and q 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 steal bar.
rels and the pistol grip, enough Of flend.
ish mischief to lay ont . dozen stropa
men. 80
1.-THE charge is . strong but powerful
cartridge made Of highly explosive
chemical which, BY the peculiar con.
struction Of the chambers. makes 80 lit.
tie noise that IL could not b heard BIZ q
persos ten feet away. The instrumen,
Of destruction is Q bunch Of fine cambria
needles that have had their heads eliRht.
~ nattened to offer resistance and catch
the propelling force. and their point
have lain in the very same sort Of ven
ON Of which I spoke until they are thor
oughly corroded with il.
-''Asthey leave the gun they scatte,
md penetrate to the most vital ,spots
Vh9e their terrible work il uu5ckly