Smyrna times., 1909-03-24
PLUCK OF A MAGICIAN
n0udin'S Experience Among the
Marabouts of Algeria.
AN ARAB TRAP THAT FAILED.

The Great French Coniurer Stood the
Test and Then b. Another Trick
Cowed His lnfuriated Antagonists.
The Story of Palmer5 Curse.
There are some points of resem-
Dam between the Stv., 81 the -rcIt
Ire"ch conjurer. Rolcrt Iuu H. and
The marabouts and the story OF Palm
er's curse. The first named tale is.
strictly speaking. incredible oniy when
regarded from the oriental point Of
view.
In the tiftics the administrators of
the French African empire were scri-
ously hampered by the fanatical mar
/ abouts, who by their tricks Of Juggling
persuaded their followers of their own
/ supernatural powers ana used this be-
lief to fan the spirit of insurrection.
HOudin was sent officially on 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 in the inte-
riOr, 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 be 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 a 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 HOudn
opened his lips. showing the bullet
held firmly between his teeth.
His Infatuated adversary reached for
the other pistol. but the coniurer 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 fired. 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 f. II.
Palmer He fell Il victim to fanati-
cism but the story Of his terrible curse
! will long be repeated and cause shud-
| ders to run round Bedouin campfres
| Only upon the theory Of metempsychO-
sis can be explained his extraordinary
| powers Of assimilating the languages
and ideas of the east
He was brought up in the conven-
| tional 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 aud Arabic per
fectly familiar to him, but he knew
every Obscurity 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 a more
intimate capacity.
Before the exploit that proved fatal
he had many dangerous adventures
Once he was led away by a 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 infiict upon him petty
annoyances lie 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 g
letter that he had received from M
English lady. "This to me, Down on
your knees, you dogs. and kiss th'
handwriting of the sultan" Down OF
their knees. cowed and groveling. fel
his 800 cGptOrs.
In 1882 Palmer was sent on Il Secre
service mission among the RedouiI
tribes to persuade them against join
ing the rebellion Of Arab Pasha. II,
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
er's was one Of particular awfulness.
1t was his last means of defense
and, while it did not save him, it blast
ed the hearing and destroyed the live
Of those upon whom it fell. The
shrank away from one another in hon
rOr. Some Of them confessed thei
crime and were executed; all of theI
within few months came to violen
deaths. Palmer's curse is still remen
bered with terror in the east.-Bool
man.