The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-06-14
PLUCK or A MAGICIAN
HoudIn's Experience Among the
MarabOuts Of Algeria.
AN ARAB TRAP THAT FAILED.

Test aHu tneH " H"e"Sf tEtSN
cowod His infatuated AHtagcnIsts
The Story Of Palmer's Cure.
There are some points Of resem-
llance between the story Of the great
French conjurer, Robert HUudin. and
The marabouts and the story Of Palm
ers curse. The nrst named tale =,
strictly speaking, Incredible only when
regarded from the Oriental point Of
View.
II the fifties the administrators Of
The French african empire we're seri-
ously hampered BY the fnnatical mar
abouts. who by their tricks Of Juggling
persuaded their followers Of their own
supernatural powers end used this be-
lief to fan the spirit or instruction.
Houdin was sent officially on q French
warsuip to Algeria to confound them.
while bis task proved easy, the trip
was not without its dangers.
In Alaters be had allowed himself
10 be shot az with pistols loaded by
the marabouts. But once IN the fBte-
rior when be was absolutely without
the tools Of hts profession. be was
forced TO repeat the experiment. He
was frightened. but he did not allow
bis fears 70 be perceived. He persaad-
ed Il1s audience 70 postpone the tRst
until next morning IN order that be
might pass che night in prayer. as DO
was wishoot the taiisman that he
needed n The feaE was 10 be perform
"a immediately.
The night he devoted not to prayer.
but 10 insurug bis inpuinerability. and
the next dag before q great horda q
Arabs be Submitted to the test 1ds
French con5urer insisted that in che
sight OF eVegy enc the pistols sliou1i
BE- loaded By his enemies themselves.
Then be ealmly took hia place and
gaEe the sianal. 7he sound Of the pis-
toi had not died away when Houdin
opened Bis lips. showing the bullet
heid frunly between his teeth.
HIS in4anatsd Adversary reached for
the othes pistol. but the conjureT was
TOO quick. "xou could not harm me.
be said, nut now see how much great
En- my powers are than youns. Behold
the wsil" He fred. and ont on the
whifewash at the exact spot Of his
aim there crept slowly a great spl0teh
of blood The marabosts, IN ter ir.
covered bgfore the prowess o. the Eu-
ropean magician
Less fortunate n his fate than Hoa.
aln was the Engliah orientalist n. II.
Palmer De Sell a victim 10 fanaki-
cisrn. but the story o. his teFrfbieeurss
via bong be repeated and cause shud-
ders 10 RON round Bedouin eampdres.
Only up0n the theofy Of Electromagnetic
SIS eun be explained bis extraofd naxy
powers q asslmiiating the languages
and ideas or the east.
lie was brought up m the oonEen-
tional atmosphere Of England, but
when he tuned bis attention 70 orlen-
taa subjects he Gid not merely learn:
be htmply absorbed Not only were
PeFpsan, Hlndoostanee and Arabic per-
Eectly familiar to him, but be knew
sveey obscurtty Of the slang Of the
aamsl drivers. ana during his long
Voyages In the eRst his European ori-
SIN was never suspected just as
Houdin had been officially employed
by the French government, 20 Palmer
was BY the English, but 70 more
lntimate capacity.
Before the exploit that proved fatal
he had many dangerous adventures.
Once be was led away BY 8 TEACHER
oEs guide and betrayed to an Arab
gang who meant 10 rob and XII hlm,
He guessed their intentions, and when
they began 70 infiiet upon him petty
annoyances be pretended not to notice
them. Finally. however. the abuse be-
came TOO olJvious to be longer ignored
He sprang to bis feet and drew out a
letter that he bad received from an
English lady. 'srhis 10 mel Down on
your knees, you dogs, and kiss the
handwriting Of the sultanF Down on
their knees, cowed and groveling, fell
DIS 800 eaptors.
In 1854 Palner was sent on a secret
service mission among the Bedouin
tribes TO persuade them against join
Ing the rebellion Of Arab Pasha. He
wae betrayed and shot But just be-
fore his death be laid upon his assas-
sins the weight Of has terrible curse.
Now. in the east a curse is something |
not to be regarded lightly. and Palm-
ev's was one OF particular awfulness.
1t was his last means OF defense,
and, while il did not save him, It blast
ed the heaFang and destroyed the lives
Of those upon whom it fell They
shrank away from one another IN nor
ror. Some Of them confessed their
prime and were executed; an Of them
within few months came to violent
deaths paimer's curse is stiH remem-
bered with terror in the east Book
man.