Year: 1874

ger, no buried his face In his burnOuS
and retired from the stage. Houdin
does not explain the secret of this
trick by which he made bodies heavy
or light at will, and without apparent
ly touching them, but it was a favor
ite of his. and often exhibited to his
fashionable Partisan audiences.


At the same exhibition in Algeria
of which we have written, Houdin in
vlted one of the audience to come on
the stage. A young Moor, about
twenty years of age. tall, we'll built
and richly dressed, advanced. There
was plain table on the stage (the
space between the top and the floor
being unmistakably open) which Hou-
din asked him to mount. When he
did SO, Houdin covered him with an
enormous cloth, and instantly remov-
ing it, the Moor was gone. This trick
produced panic in the audience
Screaming. ut is the Evil One!f' they
clambered over the benches in wild
terror, and rushed out the door into
the street, where, in the public street,
rubbing his eyes in stupetaction. and
wondering how he got there, they
found the young Moor.


While in the interior Houdin gave
an open air exhibition to the wild
sons of the desert. He pretended
that he was invuluerable, and offered
to let Marabout shoot at him. There
was a great crowd, and a vindictive
looking fellow came out from it and
claimed to have the honor of killing
the hated Frenchman. The pistols
were handed to Houdin, who called
attention to the fact that the vents
were clear The Marabout put in a
fair charge of powder and drove the
wad home. Among the bullets pro-
duced Houdin chose one, which he
openly put in the pistol, and it was
also rammed down. By the same pro-
cess the second pistol was loaded.
Everybody watched with the most
profound solemnity Houdin posted
himself fifteen PAGES from the Mara
bout, without evincing the slightest
emotion. The Marabout Immediately
seized one of the pistols and, on Hou-
din's giving the signal, took deliber
ate aim at him. The pistol went off,
and the ball appeared between the
magician's teeth. More angry than
ever, the Marabout tried to seize the
other pistol. you could not iniure
me- said Houdin; "but you shall see
that my aim is more dangerous than
yours. Look at the WALL" He pull.
ed the trigger, and on the newly white
washed wall appeared large patch OF
blood. and raising it to his mouth con-
vinced himse of the reality. When
he acquired this certainty his arms
fell and his head bowed on his chest
as if he were annihilated. 1t was evi.
dent that for the moment he doubted
everything, even the Prophet, This
seemingly incomprehensible feat Hou.
din performed by means of prepared
balls. With a bullet-mould and BIZ
of wax mixed with lampblack he had
manufactured a very fair imitation
bullet. Another bullet of the same
material he had filed with blood. O.
course, it was by sleight of hand tina
he changed the bullets forced upor
him by the Marabout and substituted
his own An old trick enabled hin
to get the real bullet between hi!
teeth while the waxen one was shat
tered to pieces. So with the secon(
ball, it was shattered. upon striking
the wall, but spot of blood was pro
duced. If Houdin had not explained
this part it would be quite as wonder
full to most people as the phenomen,
of Spiritualism, and could have bee1
passed off as good evidence Of spirI
agency.