AN UNLUCKY FRENCH CONJURER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2483, 9 June 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN UNLUCKY FRENCH CONJURER.

Ax unlucky conjurer who has been performing at the fair which is now in full awing on the Boulevard Richard Lenoir will not be likely (says the Paris correspondent of the " Daily Telegraph") to forget this carnival in a hurry. His great feat was the borrowing of a gold watch from one of the spectators, which was then placed ostentatiously in a box on his table. While he was keeping the

company amused, his assistant unpreceived slipped away with the watch, and made it over to a confederate, who was sitting on one of the benches. When everything was arranged the conjuror informed the possessor of the watch that he had been robbed, and pointed out the thief. The confederate pretented to be very indignant, denied the soft impeachment, and finally, after being searched had to admit the watch had found its way into his pocket. Last night the joke had been duly prepared, and the conjurer was complaceutly anticipating the usual round of applause, when, to his dismay, he was unable to " spot " in the throng of spectators the confederate to whom he had entrusted the gold watch. Hoping that the man would turn up, he spun out the performance to such a tedious length that at last the people grew impatient. The owner of the watch in his turn getting wind of the misadventure began to clamour loudly for his property. Finally the conjurer was compelled to admit that his confederate had disappeared with the watch, and that he had no means of tracking him to his lair. So the conjurer aud the owner of the watch, followed by a noisy crowd, capering and grimacing, marched off to the nearest police office. The affair was at last settled by the unfortunate conjurer undertaking to replace the watch. The murder is out, and the unlucky-man cannot hope any longer to dazzle the inhabitants of that quarter by his favourite feat.