Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-06-07
aalisfellaueous &eading.
HOUDIN AND THE MARABOUTS.
Tricks With Which the French Magician
Astonished the Arab Fal<irs.

messed the first few tricks in stolld 81
lence, but the taking of huge cannon
ball from borrowed hat aroused great
excitement. Then came the great
tricks of the evening, especially pre-
pared to astonish the Arabs.
"By a wonderful power which l
possess" said Houdin, 81 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 for
ward on the stage. Houdin held in
his hand a little iron box, and, bal
ancng it carelessly on his little finger,
he asked the Arab:
"Are you strong2"
"Yes," replied the man carelessly.
"Are you sure of always remaining
SOP"
always"
"Lift that box"
The Arab did so and asked con-
temptuously:
"Is that all ?"
"Wait," said Houdiu, making SOL
emu gesture. "Now you are weaker
than woman. Try to lift that box
again"
The Arab seized the handle and tug
ged again. He could not raise the box
an iuch from the floor. After many
attempts he paused for a moment to
brace himself for a final effort. He
seized the handle again, but shrieked
aloud with pain, dropped on his knees,
then, rising, threw his cloak around his
face TO conceal his shame, and rushed
from the theatre, leaving his compa-
triots stricken with fear. The trick
was as simple as the result was start
ling. The box was placed on pow
erful electromagnetic, and the current
being complete, no man on earth could
have lifted it. An electric shock, sent
at a 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 talisman which rendered
him invulnerable, and he dehed the
best shot in Algiers to kill him: A
marabout Immediately sprang on the
stage, exclaimiDg, ~ want to kill you"
Houdin handed him a pistol, which
the Arab, examining, pronounced a
good one. "It is good pistol, and l
will kill YOU"
Every WE'LL" said Houdin : "to make
sure put in a double charge of pow
der. Here's a wad. Take bullet
from this tray and mark it so you will
know it again. Ram it into the pistol
WE'LL"
ut is DONE"
"Now," said Houdin, "you say the
pistol is a good one, and you've loaded
it we'll, so kill me-"
eyes," replied the marabout, will
do that"
Houdin took pear, stuck it on a
knife, and walked few PAGES in front
of the Arab, and told him to aim at
his heart. He fired, and the marked
bullet was seen on the pear. After the
powder and wad were rammed home,
and while the 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. Ashe thrust
the wad down with the ramrod the
tube fitted snugly on to it, and was
withdrawn with it, being polished to
resemble it. Houdin thus got posses
sion of the marked ball, and all was
then plain sailing.
On one occasion during his visit TO
Algiers Houdin was placed in very
awkward position, from which be only
extricated himself by his quick witted-
ness. He was the guest of an Arab
chief, Abou Allen and entertained his
host and friends by few tricks. One
of the company was a marabout, who
asserted that the spectators in Algiers
had been merely duped by vision.
Houdin, however, produced the mara
bouts watch in his hand, and on feel
ing his sash the marabout found there
a five-franc piece. Convinced by this
and other feats that Houdin was really
a sorcer, be challenged him to repeat
his performance in the theatre, and
PRODUCED two pistols. "You need not
fear" said the Arab, "since you know
how 10 ward off bullets" Without
losing his self.possession. Houdin ex-
planned that his invulnerability lay in
a talisman which was with his posses
sions in Algiers. "By six hours
prayer, however, 1 can do without the
talisman, and at s o'clock tomorrow
morning you can fire at me-"
At the appointed time there was
large concourse of Arabs, which the
news had attracted. The pistols were
brought and carefully examined. The
marabout dropped in the powder.
Houdin handed him bullet from the
tray, and he rammed it down. Houdln
then loaded his own pistol, and, walk.
ing about Is PAGES away, turneaehd
faced the marabout. The shot was
fired, and the Frenchman opened his
mouth and showed the bullet between
his teeth. "You could not kill me,
he said, " and now you shall see what
nv shot can do" He fired at the
marabout, and Immediately a red
splash was seen on the wall before
which he was standing. The Arab
was untouched; stepping up to the
wall he dipped his finger in the red
splash, tasted it, and, realizing that it
was blood, collapsed in amazement.
Though the trick was simple, only a
Houdin could have devised and car
ried il out successfully. During the