The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-08
TERRIBLE WEAPONS.
4 PAIR OF THEM WHICH A TRAVEL
Err PICKED UP IN PARIS.

the same time numerous oDJects nave
ever seen in all my travels picked VI
in Paris during my trip there last sum
mer," said ]. 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.
~ am sure he must have had them
made to his especial order, for, as 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
flew opon on 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
GUS of serpents known to ichthyologists.
You will notice that the fang is sharp
as needle at its point; that it is slit
for distance up the middle, and that
1T 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 the
rankest poison, the most deadly of
agents known to man. A couple of
scrapes on a mans hand or face mean
certain and horrible death-nausea
and vomiting, retching, 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
dog in five and a man in
rom ten minutes TO an hour, according
20 the amount received and the condi-
non OF his system at the time. The blood
Of the first rat can be inoculated into
second, and the blood of the second into
third, and so on down through 100
yes, 200 hJects-without recourse to
he original venom, and the last subject
Will die as quickly and convulsively as
he first, for its virulence is absolutely
atal
"You can readily see what terrible
Weapon 1t would be in the hands of an
villain. A scratch or two.
nj the deed would be DONE while the
lctlm would simply imagine that he
lad been scraped by pin. Yet in a
lose fight with some of the despicabIe
ootpads and murderous thugs who are
nfestlng your fair city do not think I
you'd have any scruples about using it
n one of them myself.
1t would be difficult even for n first .
lass physician TO discover at the first
lght just how the man met his death.
Its companion piece, of devilish in.
enuity, is needle gun. Peculiar look.
~ thing, is it not?" asked Mr.. Akin.
On as he passed richly engraved and
liver mounted object that looked like
cross between miniature double bar.
'led shotgun and a revolver to his
lend, who handled it with extreme
aution
THAT little gun is about five inches
yer all, and yet it contains within
lose chambers, in the boxlike part he.
veen those fine watch spring steel bar.
,is and the pistol grip, enough of fiend.
h mischief to lay out dozen strong
en. -e
Inc charge is strong but powerful
'rtridge made of highly explosive
'emioal which, by the peculiar con. c
ruction OF the chambers, makes SO liz.
noise that it could not be heard bv s.
'rson ten feet away. The instrument &
destruction is a bunch of fine cambr;c k
'edles that have had their heads sliebt1 81
fattened to offer resistance and catoh
e propelling force. and their noints
I'VE lain in the very same sort of ven.
OF which l spoke until they are thor.
ghly corroded with it.
"As they leave the gun they scatter
"a penetrate to the most vital snots n
mere their terrible work is ouioklv n
ne. Nothing short of a post morte,, 5
Of the - ost rigid k;nd b
ouid betray the cause of death. st E
luis Republic. ~" *
An Experiment. ~
L. u