New-York tribune., 1899-03-12
UOUDIN AND THE ARABS.
r41r MAGICIAN EXTRICATED HIMSELF
FROM AN AWKWARD foSliloN
THROUGH HIS QUICK

and glory Interpreters were scattered thlouS"
the house i'm order to repeat Houdln reiild NJ
to the natives in their own language. WIN u ,
Oriental dignity and gravity, the Araps WI, W.,
messed the first few tricks in stolid silence pu'
the taking Of huge cannon-baiI from Do'
rowed hat aroused great excitement
Then came the great tricks OF the eVenihs
especially prepared to astonish the ARABS.
''By a wonderful power which ! possess sdu
Houdin Il deprive any man OF ms 7'"
| invite any one t. prove my WORDS -,
ON this being interpreted to the Arabs taH'
strong mar stepped forward on the STACY
Houdin held in his hand little iron box. ana,
balancing il carelessly on his little finger ne
asked the Arab
Are you strOng?'
"Yes" replied the man careessly' m
"Arc you sure of always remaining so.
always
Lift tina; box"
Tho Arab did 50. ana asked coHt'"iP'u""'''
is that ALL"
Wat" said Houdn. making a solemn ses-
ture "Now you are weaker than "o'nd"
Try 10 life that box again.
The Arab seized the handle and tugged again
He could no, raise the box an inch IRON lh'
floor After many attempts. ne paused lot d
r,oment to brace himself for a final effort lie
snizrd Inc handle again but shrieked aloud with
pain dropped on his knees, then. rising thre"
his cloak round his face To conceal ms shdWe'
and rushed from the theatre, leaving ms COM
patriots stricken with fear. Ihe ulck was d.
simple as the result was starting. Inc D"A
was placed a powerful electro-maShet diu
the current being complete. no man on earth
could have lifted it, An electric shock sent al
a signal by HOudn from behind the stage WAS
what caused the Arab to shrek and huriledS
retreat
Boforc the excitement caused by this trick
had subsided. Houdin announced that he had
taIisman which rendered him invulnerabie. and
he dcGcd the best shot in Algiers TO XII nm
A marah>ut Immediately sprang on the stage
excairnine 4 want to kill you" HOudin hand
ed him pistol. which he Arab. examining, pro,
nourced a good one. 1T is good pistol. ana /
"very welI.' said Houdin: ''to make sure. put
I'm a double charge Of powder. Here's wad
Take A bullet from this tray. and marx IL 50
xeIl" VII "'' '''
at is done"
Nov" said Houdn. you say the pistol is a
good ouc and you've loaded il well. 50 Kill me"
yes. replied the marabout. Il will do that"
Houdin took pear stuck it on knife. and
walked 4 few PAGES in front OF the Arab. anu
told him tp aim at his heart He fired. ana the
marked bullet was seen on the pear. After the
powder and wad were rammed home. and while
the Arab was marking the bullet H"udlh
slipped a little tube into the pistol This tul"
was closed at the lower end. and into this the
Arab dropped the bullet As he thrust the Wid
down with the ramrOd. the tube fitted snugly
o. to it, and was Withdrawn with 1t. being pol
ished io resemble it, Houdin thus got posses
sion of the marked ball and all was then plain
sailing. ,
Houdin was placed in very awkward position.
from which he only extrcated himself by his
quick -wittcdness. He was the guest of an Arab
friends by few tricks. one Of the company
was a marabout. who asserted that the spec
tatOrs IN Agers had been merely dupcd by a
vision H0udin however. produced tn" mara
bouts watch i'm his hand. and on feeling his
sash the marabout found there a fve-franc
piece Convinced by this and other feats that
Houdin really sorccrrr. 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 10 ward of
bullets" without losing his rlf-possession.
Houdn explained that his invulncrability lay in
a talisman which with his possessions in
Agers by six hours prayer. however can
do without that talisman. and at O'Clock to-
morrow morning you can fire at me.
At the appointed time there was a large con-
course Of Arabs. which the news had attracted
The pistols were brought and carefully exam
incd The uarahpui dropped IN the powder.
Houdin handed him bullet from ~" tray and
H. rammcd it down. lioudin then loaded his
own pistol and walking about fifteen PAGES
away turned aud faced the Warahout The shot
was fired. ard the Flcnchman opened his mouth
and showed .tc bullet between his teeth. You
could not KIN mo" hr said ard now YOU shall
ST., what ms shots can do" lIc fired nt the
m-IAhout ana Immediately Il red splash vs.
seen ON tho NhitcWnsEtd UIll before which h.
was staudins The Arab was untouched. step
ping up to the wall he dipped his finger in the
rcd spiash. tasted it. and. realizing that it was
blood collapsed in amaZC ment
Though tho trick was simple. only Houdn
could hdNc devised ana carried il out success
fully During the night he had melted some
wax L'ackencd it 10 look like lead and run It
into a bullet mould. thus obtaining "A hollow
globe Of wax exactly resembling bullet in ap-
pearunce II was with this bullet the marabout
loaded his pistol and in rammins it down
crushed it to powder. second bullet, similarly
made Hnudin flied with blood obtained from
his own hoiy This he dropped into his pistol.
and rammc1 IL down very gently So not 90
crush 10 As IT struck the wall it WAS broken.
leaving red splash of blood
s -