The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-25
A MASTER OF MAGIC.
TRICKS BY WHICH HoUDIN ASToUND-
ED THE ARABS.
One Instance When the Great Masl-
clan ExtrAcated Himself From nm
Awkward Fredicament by the
Quickness Of His Wit.

One Instance When the Great Masl
clan ExtrAcated Himself From NJ
Awkward Fredicament by tn,
Quickness Of His wit.
To witness Houdin's first performance
in Algiers the neighboring tribes were in
vited. The theater was speedily filet
with them and the French officials, who
attended in all their pomp and glory. In
terpreters were scattered through tht
house in order to repeat Houdin' remarks
to the natives in their own language
With true oriental dignity and gravity,
the Arabs witnessed the first few tricks III
stolid silence, but the taking Of huge
cannon ball from borrowed hat aroused
great excitement
Then came the great tricks of the even
ing, especially prepared to astonish the
Arabs. .e
| by wonderful power which pos
sess, said Houdin,'' can deprive any
man of his strength. invite any one to
prove my words"
On this being interpreted to the Arabs,
tall, strong man stepped forward on the
stage. Houdin held in his hand little
iron box, and, balancing 1t carelessly on
his little finger, he asked the Arab:
| Are you strong?'
EYES," replied the man carelessly.
Are you sure Of always remaining SOP"
always"
"Lift that box"
The Arab did so and asked contemptu.
ously, "Is that alls"
"Wait," said Houdin, making a solemn
gesture. "Now you are weaker than O
woman. Try to lift that box again"
The Arab seized the handle and tugged
again. He could not raise the box an inch
from the floor. After many attempts he
paused for moment to brace himself for
final effort. He seized the handle again,
but shrieked aloud with pain, dropped on
his knees, then, rising, threw his cloak
round his face to conceal his shame and
rushed from the tbeater, leaving his COM
patriots stricken with fear. The trick was
as simple as the result was startling. The
box WAS placed on powerful electro mag
net, and the current being complete, no.
man on earth could have lifted 1t. An
electric shock, sent at signal by Houdin
from behind the stage, was what caused
the Arab to shrek and hurriedly retreat.
Before the excitement caused by this
trick had subsidized Houdin announced
that he had q talisman which rendered
him invulnerable, and he defled the best
shot in Algiers to kill him. A marabout
Immediately sprang on the stage, exclaim-
ing, II want to kill you" Houdin hand.
ed him pistol which the Arab, examin-
ing, pronounced good one "It Is
good pistol, and will kill you"
Every we'll, said Houdin "To make
sure, put in double charge of powder.
Here's wad. Take bullet from this
tray and mark 1t SO you will know it
again. Ram it into the pistol well.'
"It is done"
"Now, " said Houdin, "you say the pis-
toll is a good one, and you've loaded 1t
well; SO kill me"
Eyes" replied the marabout, twill do
that"
Houdin took a pear, stuck it on knife |
and walked few PAGES in front Of the |
Arab, and told him to aim at his heart.
Ho fired, and the marked bullet was seen
on the pear. After the powder and wad
were rammed home, and while tho Arab
was marking the bullet Houdin slipped a
little tube into the pistol. This tube was
closed at the lower end, and into this the
Arab dropped the bullet. As he thrust the
wad down with the ramrod, the tube fitted
snugly on to it, and was withdrawn with
1t, being polished to resemble it, Houdin
thus got possession Of the marked ball,
and all was then plain sailing.
On one occasion during his visit to AL
giers Houdin WAS placed in a very awk-
ward position, from which he only extri-
Gated himself by his quick wittedness.
He was the guest Of an Arab chief, Abou
How, md ,totp TO- l
friends by few tricks. One of the COM
pany was marabout, who asserted that
the spectators in Algiers had been merely
duped by a vision. Houdin, however, pro-
duced the rnarabout's watch in his hand,
and, on feeling his sash, the marabout
found there franc piece. Convinced
by this and other feats that Houdin was
really sorcerer, he challenged him to re-
peat his performance in the theater and
produced two pistols. "You need not
fear, said the Arab, "since you know
how to ward off bullets" Without losing
his self possession Houdin explained that
MS invulnerability lay in talisman which
vas with his possessions in Algiers.' by
tx hours prayer, however, can do with
tut that talisman, and at 8 o'clock tomor-
row morning you can fire at me-"
At the appointed time there was a large
'oncourse Of Arabs, which the news had
attracted. The pistols were brought and
arefully examined. The marabout drop
led in the powder, Houdin handed him q
Juliet from the tray, and he rammed it
own. Houdin then loaded his own pis-
oil and, walking about Is PAGES away,
urned and faced the marabout. The shot
las fired, and the Frenchman opened his
louth and showed the bullet between his
eeth "You could not kill me, he said,
and now you shall see what my shots can
o." He fired at the marabout, and i'm
lcdiately q red splash was seen on the
'hitewashed wall before which he was
anding The Arab was untouched.
topping up to the wall, no dipped his fin
er in the red splash, tasted it and, realiz-
lg that 1t was blood, collapsed in amaze-
ent.
Though the trick was simple, only q
oudin could have devised and carried It
1T successfully: During the night he
I'd melted some wax, blackened it to look
ke lead, and run it into bullet mold, +:
Ius obtaining hollow globe of wax ex- =
lily resembling bullet in appearance.
was with this bullet the marabout load
his pistol, and In ramming it down
ushed IL to powder A second bullet
nilarly made, Houdin filled with blood
'taincd from his own body. This he
opped into his pistol &eid rammed it
wn very gently, so as not to crush it.
J it struck tho wall 1t was broken, leav.
& red splash of blood.
Legs an Digestive Organs. c;
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