Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-30


A Washington correspondent resting from
the grinding and monotonous daily task of
furnishing his paper with the dry political
viseissitudes of the Fifty seventh Congress
sent out the following entertaining pipe
story or series of happenings up in the big
building which are as interesting by way
of variation as they are charmiugly mar
rated. OF course thev are as true as they
are marvellous.
A curious little wizard has appeared in
Washington. No one knows just where he
has come from. But there he is, pulling
eggs from the mouths Of digni6ed diplo-
mats, tearing holes in the coats of the SEN
ators and then mending them by a wave of
his hand Every time he arrives upon the
Capitol steps the session of Congress is in
danger of being broken up the members of
both Houses stampeded for the doors to see
him do tricks in the corridors or the ante
rooms
His name is Malin but that does not
signify anything. No one ever heard Of
him before. But everybody in Washington
is hearing of him now. Malini will shortly
give an exhibition of his prowess at the
White House.
one of the wizards earliest victims was
Senator Hanna. When Malini was intro
duced the Senator mistook the magician for
an ce-seeker, for he Immediately grabbed
him by a button. Hanna tried to escape.
He 6dgeted then pulled away, and out
came the button and piece of the cloth.
Sorry" remarked Malini, when Mr..
Hanna looked black. He passed his hand
over the coat, the rent was mended and the
button as 6rm as ever in its place. The
Senator told Colonel Roosevelt the joke,
and now Malini is the rage
A reporter for this newspaper hunted up
Malini in Washington few days ago and
started for the Capitol with him to see just
what would happen The members of the
Senate saw Malini first. A number of them
hurried out and cornered him in a commit
tee room
Here, do something with this said
Senator Dubois, tossing Malini an orange.
The little wizards small hand closed
over the orange, opened again, and lol the
orange had become a lemon.
Select a card from this pack" said
Malini offering deck Of cards to Senator
Hawley. The gentleman from Connecticut
did so.
Now tear It up, commanded the wizard
The card was torn into shreds
Give me all but one piece, said Malini.
He folded the shreds of torn cards in a
newspaper; opened the newspaper; nothing
there. Seemingly all that remained of the
destroyed card was the torn piece, about
one inch square. held by Senator Hawlev
Go into the next room said the wizard
TO Senator Dubois. Climb on the book
case, and on the top shelf of all you will
hnd a volume, No, 10 in the row. Open the
book and turn to page Io8. Then bring in
the card you find there
Senator Dubois departed amid breathless
interest. In few minutes he returned,
bearing the six of hearts. intact, except for
a ragged piece torn from one corner SEN
ator Hawley, amazed, recognized il as the
card he had selected and torn into shreds
Fit the torn piece to il, ordered Malini
The card was complete when the shred
of pastebOard held by Senator Hawley had
been fitted in the corner. The ragged edges
fitted perfectly.
The next trick was even more confound-
ing. After being blindfolded by Senator
Gallinger Malini requested FIVE Of the Sen.
ators to select a cad each. When Eve cards
had been picked out from the pack, which
was scattered around on a table, Malini
asked the Eve Senators to return the cards
they had chosen to the table mix them with
the other cards and place an open knife in
his hand. With the blade of this knife
Maliui stirred the heap of cards vigorously.
Suddenly he made stab at one card.
Which was your card?" Senator Foster
was asked
The ten of spades, was the answer.
The penkuife was held up. Attached to
the blade was the ten Of spades
Each of the other Senators was asked in
turn the same question. after the little
wizard had stirred the heap of cards and
lifted one card with the blade of the knife.
Not a Senator could deny that the card
picked from the table by the bliudfolded
wizard was the one he had taken from the
pack
OF lesser tricks Maliui seemed to have an
endless variety. The digni6ed nasal organ
Of Senator Kittredge was made to produce
cards that had been selected from the pack
by Senator standing on the other side of
the room; card taken from the pack by
one Senator suddenly made its appearance
in the collar of Senator Dubois's coat,
although Malini had been nowhere near
the gentleman from Idaho SO far as anyone
present could see; Eve cards were selected,
placed in the pack by Senator Hawley. the
the committee room, aud, prestol the hand
Of the wizard held the five cards selected.
DO you ever play poker?" asked Senator
Foster, earnestly, as Maini held up The five
cards while the remainder Of the pack Aut-
tered about the room.
The senatorial audience was eager for
ypore, but Malini pleaded fatigue, and
VISIT was paid to the other side of the Can
ftol Here, in the room usually reserved
for the Committee on Military Affairs the
little wizard proceeded to astonish a coterie
Of Representatives who had left the House
TO get along best it could without them
while they enjoyed the performance of the
wonderful Malini
The wizard opened the programme by re.
questing Congressman Belmont to place a
hve cent piece beneath hat covering the
head Of Congressman Sulzer The half dol.
lar was placed there, the hat lifted and
instead Of a silver coin, there reposed be
meath the hat half brick
AS soon as the laughter at the expense of
Congressman Sulzer had subsidized Congress.
men Creamer Rupert aud Kern and Judge