The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-12
HOUDIN AND THE MARABOUTs.
Tricks with which the French Ma
gicIan AstOnished the Arab FalSirs.
From the Household World.

ed. The theater was speedily filled with
them and the French officials who at
tended in all their pomp and glory. Inter
prefers We're scattered through the house
in order 10 repeat Houdin's remarks to the
natives in their own language. With true
Oriental dignity and gravity, the Arabs
witnessed the first few tricks in stolid 81
lence, but the taking of a huge cannon
ban from a borrowed nat aroused gre3t
excitement Then came the great tricks of
the evening. especially prepared TO aston
ish the Arabs.
by a wonderful power which possess
said Houdin Il can deprive any man Of his
strength. 1 invite any one to prove my
words"
On this being interpreted to the Arabs a
tan, strong man stepped forward on the
stage. Houdin held In his hand a little
iron box. and balancing Il carelessly on his
little finger, he asked the Arab.
Are you strong?"
Yes" replied the man carelessly.
Are you sure of always remaining SOP
Always"
The Arab did so and asked contemptu-
ously.
rs that aH?''
Wait" said Houdin, making a solemn
gesture. Now you are weaker than wo-
man. 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 a moment to brace himself for
a final effort. He seized the handle again,
but shrieked aloud wdth pain, dropped on
his knees. then, rising, threw his cloak
around his face to conceal his shame and
rushed from the theater, leaving his com
patriots stricken with fear The trick was
as simple the result was startling. The
box was placed on powerful electro
magnet, and the current being complete,
no man on earth could have lifted it. An
| electric shock, sent at a signal by Hou
din from behind the stage was what caus-
ed abe Arab to shrek and hurriedly re-
treat.
Before the excitement caused by this
trick had subsidized, Houdin announced
that he had a talsman which rendered
him invulnerable, and he defied the best
shot in Algiers to kill him. A marabout
Immediately eprang on the stage, ex-
claiming: Il want to kill you" Houdin
handed him pistol, which the Arab, ex-
aiming pronounced a good one. "It is a
good pistol, and 1 will XIII you"
Very WELL" said Houdin. Ito make
sure put in a double charge of powder.
Here's a wad. Take a bullet from this
tray and mark it so you will know 1t
again. Ram 1t into the pistol we'll"
1T is done"
Now" said Houdin, you say the pistol
is good one, and you've loaded it well,
SO kill me-"
Yes" replied the marabout, 81 will do
that"
Houdin took pear. stuck il 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 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 al 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 10 It, and was
withdrawn from it, being polished to re-
semble 1t. Houdin thYsz got possession of
the marked BAN, and an 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 AL
lem and entertained his host and friends
by a few tricks. One of the company was
a marabout, who asserted that the spec-
tators in Algiers had been merely duped
by vision. Houdin, however, produced
the marabouts watch in his he'd and
~ ASNAA7iA HIS Sesu tAl6 IlhTdDOuk found
there. a five-franc piece. Convinced by
this and other feats that Houdin was real
ly sorcerer, he challenged him to repeat
his performance in the theater and pro
duced 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 his in
VulnerabiUty lay in a talisman which was
with his possessions in Aigiers. '.Rv six
lOnrS' Val I
out that talisman, and at o'clock to-
morrow morning you can fire at me-"
AT The appointed time there was a large
concourse of Arabs which the news had
attracted. The pistols were brought and
carefully examined The marabout dron-
ped in the powder Houdin handed him
bullet from the tray. and he rammed II
down. Houdin then loaded his own pistol,
and, walking about fifteen PAGES AWAY
turned and faced the marabout. The sbot
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 my shot will
do" He fired at the marabout. and i'm
mediately 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 1t, and, realizing that II was blood.
collapsed in amazement
Though the trick was simple onIv a
Houdin could have devised and carried n
out successfully. During the night he
had melted some wax, blackened II TO look
like lead. and run II into a bullet mould.
thus obtaining a hollow globe of wax ex-
actly resembling a bullet in appearance.
1t was with this bullet that the rnarabout
loaded his pistol. and in ramming it down
crushed it to powder. A second bullet sim
Harry made. Houdin filled with blood OBJ
tanned from his own body. This he drop
ped into his pistol, and rammed It down
very gently, so as not TO crush IL, As IL
struck the wall 1t was broken. leaving
red splash of blood.