A PRACTICAL JOKER IN TROUBLE.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5169, 11 August 1885, Page 2

A PRACTICAL JOKER IN TROUBLE.

At a masked ball giren in Turin by the Duke d'Aosta, the Marquis de Lusignaa appeared in the costume of Bigoletto. His hump concealed »n electric apparatus, the wires leading to his feet and hands; so [ that when the Marquis politely shook j hands with the ladies or accidently touched the gentleman with his feet, he com* ' municated electric shocks, which, in the end created quite a panic. The mystery, on being cleared up, excited much hilarity. Bat suddenly Lusignan Rigoletto began to jump about with astonishing Tiolence, gesticulating with his arms and feet, at the same time shrieking like a madman, which increased the fun of the situation until it became apparent that he was not fanning, bat on the contrary, making desperate appeals for help. As this fact dawned on the perceptions of the fLWji crowd about him, several people rushed to his assistance, and tore off his hump— not too soon, for, at the same moment the Marquis fell insensible to the ground. It was ascertained that the wires had gone wrong, had become entangled, and the whole force of the electric current had entered his body. The narrow escape of this impersonator of iiigoletto may suggest prudence in the 'manipulation of the tremendous foroe which, while obeying implioity the science which controls its action, manifests so overwhelming a "will of its own," if the smallest link of the scientific chain which binds it to the operator's^* becomes disarranged.