Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-04-07
TERRIBLE ETEAP9 sNS.
A PAIR or THEM WHICH A TFAvEL-
 ER PICKED UP IN PARss.


 Powerful Poison Known - The -7sedls
 That Does Its neaaly Work In a silsnt
 and Perpiexins Manner.
 Two of the most beautiful and as the same time mnrderoas objects I have ever seen in all my travels picked up in Paris during my trip there last sum- l mer said J. V. Atkinson of Savannah to friend
 T bought both of them from en old gunamith in the Quartier Latin. and be assured me they were, without dn,ht 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.
 T am sure he must have had them made to his especial order, for, as I have already stated, during all my travels I 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 l ask you what you think 1t is you will reply''-
 A silver matchbox" ," answered the reporter as he giDgerly handled the beau tifully chased silver object.
 'Touoh that spring.
 At an easy touch the lid of tho box flew opon on powerfully hinged spring aud disclosed the interior, and i'll q com partment about 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- tion of the box not occupied by the matches.
 What is thatS"
 "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 ichthyolog ists. 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 fine, amber coiored, iellylike substance is contained within the hollow of the fang. That Is nothing less horrible than the venom of the orotalid@, and tue rankest poison, the most deadly of agents known to man. A couple of serapes on mans hand or face mean a certain and horrible death--nausea and vomiting, retching, oonvulsions, semiparalysis, complete paralysis, state of coma, death in most horrible form and the swelling to horrible proportions of the corpse as it rapidly turns bIaok from the virulenoe of the venom. You may take tho fearful agent, bake it be. tween bricks. freeze it between blocks of ice, and it will still retain it's terrible power. You may inoculate rat with the venom, and he will die in few moments, dog In five and man in from ten minutes to an hour, according to the amnnnt received and the coldi- tion of his system at the time The blood of the first rat can be inooulated into $ second, and the blood of the second into a third, and so on down through 100-- yes, 200 subjects without recourse sd the original venom, and the last subject will die as quickly and convulsively az the first, for it's virulence is absolutely fatal
 You can readily see what a terribla weapon it would be in the hands of an villain. A scratch or two. and the deed would be done, while ths victim would simply imagine that he had been scraped by pin. Yet in close fight with some of the despicabaa Pootpads and murderous thugs who ara infesting your fair city do not think would have any scruples about using it on one of them myself.
 ''It would be diffioult even for a first ,lass physician to discover at the first tight just how the man met his death. Its companion piece, of devilist in- yenuity, is needle gun. Peculiar lodix. ng thing, is it not2" asked Mir. Atkin- lon as he passed richly engraved and lilver mounted object that looked like | cross between a miniature double bar- 'eled shotgun and revolver to his friend, who handled it with extreme ]aution.
 That little gun is about five inchea
  yer all, and get 1t contains within hose chambers, in the boxlike part be- ween those fine watch spring steel bar els and the pistol grip, enough of iend- sh mischief 10 lay out Q dozen strong nen.
 The charge is Q strong but powerful artridge made of highly explosive hemical which, by the peculiar con- truetion of the chambers, makes so lit- le noise that it could not be heard by ,erson ten feet away. The instrument # destruction is q bunch of fine cambrio leedles that have had their heads slight ? Aattened to offer resistance and catch he propelling force, and their points saye lain in the very same sort of ven- 'n of which I spoke until they are thor 'ughly corroded with it.
 As they leave the gun they scatter md penetrate to the most vital spots. whore their terrible work is quickly lone. Nothing short of post mortem of the most rigid kind would betray the cause of death. "-St. louis Republic.