The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-13
A MAGICIAN IN ALGERIA.
Sent There By French Government to
Impress the Marabouts.
CHousehold world.)


To witness Houdin's first performance,
in Algiers the neighboring tribes wer'
invited. The theatre was speedil!
filed with them and the French Off
Gals, who attended in all their POM
and glory. Interpreters were scattered
through the house in order to repeal
Houdin's remarks to the natives in theil
own language. With true Orienta
dignity and gravity, the Arabs wit
messed the first few tricks in stolid ST
lence. but the taking of huge cannon
ball from a borrowed hat aroused great
excitement. Then came the great tricks
of the evening, especially prepared tC
astonish the Arabs.
by a wonderful power which I pos
sess," said Houdin, II can deprive any
man of his strength. 1 invite any one
to prove my words"
On this being interpreted to the Arabs
a tall, strong man stepped forward on
the stage. Houdin held in his hand a
little iron box, and. balancing it care
lessly on his little finger, he asked the
Arab:
Are you strong?"
Yes replied the man, carelessly.
"Are you sure of always remaining
500"
Always"
Lift the box"
The Arab did so. and asked. con-
| temptuously:
rs that ALP
Wait" said Houdin. making a SOL
emn gesture. Now you are weaker
than a 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 a final effort. He
seized the handle again, but shriekeI
aloud with pain, dropped on his knees,
then, rising, threw his cloak round his
face to conceal his shame. and rushed
from the theatre, leaving his compat-
riots stricken with fear. The trick was
as simple as the result was startling.
The box was placed on a powerful
electromagnetic. and the current being
complete, no man on earth could have
lifted it. An electric shock, sent at q
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 defied the best
shot in Algiers to kill him. A mara
bout Immediately sprang to the stage,
exclaiming: Il want to kill you"
Houdin handed him pistol, which the
Arab. examining, pronounced a good
one. 1T is a good pistol, and 1 will
kill you"
Very WE'LL said Houdin; "to make
sure, put in a double charge of pow
der Here's a wad. Take bullet from
this trap and mark it so you will know
it again. Ram it into the pistol WE'LL
''It is done"
Now" said Houdin. you say the
pistol is a good one, and you've loaded
it we'll. so kill me-"
Yes" replied the marabout, 81 will
do that
Houdin took a pear. stuck it on a
knife, and walked a 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 pow
der and wad were rammed home, and
while the Arab was marking the bull
let, 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 with
drawn WITH it, being polished TO resem-
BILE it. Houdin thus got possession of
the marked ball and all was then plain
sailing.
On one occasion during his visit to
Algiers. Houdin was placed in a very
awkward position, from which he 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 a vision.
Houdin, however. produced the mara
bouts watch in his hand. and on feel
ing his sash the marabout found there
a 5-franc piece. Convinced by this and
other feats that Houdin was really a
sorcerer, he challenged him to repeat
his performance in the theatre, and
produced two pistols. You need not
fear said the Arab, 'since you know
how to ward off bullets" Without los
ing his possession. Houdin ex-
planned that his invulnerabiiity lay in a
which was with his posses
sions in Algiers. by six hours prayer, |
however l can do without that tails |
man, and at s o'clock tomorrow morn |
ing you can fire at me-"
At the appinted time there was a |
arge concourse of Arabs, which the |
news had attracted. The pistols were |
brought and carefully examined. The |
dropped in the powder. Hou- |
lin handed him bullet from the tray. |
md he rammed it down. Houdin then
oaded his own pistol, and, walking
about fifteen PAGES away. turned and |
'aced the marabout. The shot was
ired, and the Frenchman opened his
mouth and showed the bullet between
his teeth. You could not kill me-" he
'aid. land now you shall see what my
shot can do" He fired at the marabout
md Immediately red splash was seen
m the whitewashed wall before which
lie was standing. The Arab was I'M
QUO led: stepping up to the wall he
Tipped his finger in the red splash.
asted it. and, realizing that it was
Hood, collapsed in amaZement.
Though the trick was simple only
1oudin could have devised and carried |
out successfully. During the night
lie had melted some wax. blackened it
o look like lead. and run it into bull
ct mold. thus obtaining a hollow globe
f wax, exactly resembling a bullet in
appearance. 1t was with his bullet the
narabout loaded his pistol, and in
it down crushed it to pow
er. a second bullet. similarly made.
Ioudin filed with blood obtained from
is own body. This he dropped into his
istol and rammed it down very gent
Y, so as not to crush it. As it struck
he wall it was broken, leaving a red
plash of blood.