The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-08-23
Pluck Of A MAGICIAN
Houdin's Experience Among the
Marabouts Of Algeria.
AN ARAB TRAP THAT FAILED.
The Great French conjurer Stood the
Test and Then by Another Trick
cowed His Infuristed Antagonists.
The Story Of Palmer's Curse.


The story Of PaImer's Curse.
There are some points of resen-
blance between the story of the great
French coniurer, Robert Houdin, and
the marabouts and the story OF Palm
er's curse. The first named tale is
strictly speaking, incredible only when
regarded from the oriental point of
view.
| In the flfties the administrators of
the French African empire were seri-
ously hampered by the fanatical mar
abouts. who by their tricks Of juggling
persuaded their followers of their own
supernatural powers and used this be-
| lief TO fan the spirit OF insurrection
Houdin was sent officially OH French
warship to Algeria to confound them
While his task proved easy, the trip
| was not without its dangers.
In Algiers he had allowed himself
to be shot at with pistols loaded by
the marabouts. But once I'm the inte-
rlor, when he was absolutely without
the tools Of his profession, he was
forced to repeat the experiment. He
was frightened, but he did not allow
his fears to he perceived. He persuad-
ed his audience to postpone the test
until next morning In order that he
might pass the night in prayer, as he
was without the talisman that he
needed If the feat was to be perform
ed Immediately.
The night he devoted not to prayer,
but to insuring his invulnerability, and
the next day before n great horde Of
Arabs he submitted to the test. The
French conjurer insisted that In the
sight of every one the pistols should
be loaded by his enemies themselves.
Then he calmly took his place and
gave the signal. The sound Of the pis-
tol had not died away when Houdin
opened his lips. showing the bullet
held firmly between his teeth
His infuriated adversary reached for
the other pistol. but the conjurer was
too quick. "You could not harm me-"
he said, "but now see how much great.
er my powers are than yours. Behold
the wall" He fred, and out on the
whitewash at the exact spot of his
aim there crept slowly great splotch
of blood. The marabouts, in terror,
covered before the prowess Of the Eu-
ropean magician.
Less fortunate In his fate than Hou-
din was the English orientalist Il. II.
Palmer. He fell a victim to fanatl-
cism. but the story Of his terrible curse
| xpfl hsa tod al, IA
ders to run round Bedouin camp6res
Only upon the theory of metempsycho-
sis can be explained his extraordinary
powers of asslmilating the languages
and ideas of the east.
He was brought up In the conven.
tlonal atmosphere of England, but
when he turned his attention to orien.
tai subjects he did not merely learn
he simply absorbed. Not only were
Persian, Hindoostanee and Arabic per.
fectly familiar to him, but he knew
every obscurlty of the slang of the
camel drivers, and during his long
voyages In the east his European orr
gin was never suspected. Just as
Houdin had been officially employed
by the French government, so Palmer
was by the English, but In more
intimate capacity.
Before the exploit that proved fatal
he had many dangerous adventures
Once he was led away by treacher.
Gus guide and betrayed to an Arab
gang who meant to rob and kill him.
He guessed their intentions, and when
they began to inflict upon him petty
annoyances he pretended not TO notice
them. Finally, however, the abuse be.
came too obvious to be longer ignored
He sprang to his feet and drew out a
letter that he had received from an
English lady. "rhls to me! Down on
lyour knees, you dogs, and kiss the
handwriting of the sultanw Down on
their knees. cowed and groveling, fell
his 800 captors.
In 1882 Palmer was sent on secret
service mission among the Bedouln
tribes to persuade them against join.
Ing the rebellion of Arab Pasha. He
was betrayed and shot But just be-
fore his death he laid upon his assas.
sins the weight of his terrible curse.
Now, In the east curse Is something
not to be regarded lightly, and Palm.
ers was one of particular awfulness.
II was his last means of defense,
and, while 1t did not save him, 1t blast
ed the hearing and destroyed the lives
of those upon whom 1t fell. They
shrank away from one another In hor-
ror Some of them confessed their
crime and We're executed; all of them
within few months came to violent
deaths. Palmer's curse is still remem
bered with terror In the east.-Book
man.
Got More Than the CHAR