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Comet, v. 1, issue 3, May-June 1940

Page 13

THE COMET     PAGE 13

BAFFLING VERISIMILITUDES

[[text down the middle of the two columns]] by J.J. FORTIER

I am not going to quote Mr.  Sousa word-for-word, but give the gist of what he has told me and what I have found in factual records. This case may seem absolutely with-out reason, and impossible, but I can assure you that if there were a man connected who had the "guts" to say what he knew, we, as a nation, would be completely dumbfounded. Each issue I expect to bring you another in this amazing series and herewith I present the first.

Mr, Sousa is quite a learned man, a man who has traveled, a man who knows what life is, who knows life as it really is -- stripped of the outer clothing -- a life that is corrupt, evil, and entirely baffling. Mr. Sousa has been through many occupations and is now connected at the head of Radio Center. He has served as a magician for 12 years and is now president of the International Magician's Society of America. He knows every trick of the trade and has told me some. But that will come later on. I have a story that is astounding in scope, factual evidense contained, and in its very baseness of monopoly seekers.

While traveling over Europe for the first time, he became re-acquainted with an old schoolmate. He was on his way, as was Mr. Sousa, to America for the first time. he had a tremendous invention that actually sounded like some science-0fiction dream. It seemed like sheer fantasy, and had the appearance of some city slicker's scheme. But this was a scheme that was true, a plan to be presented to the United States War Department.

This man appeared with Mr. Sousa as a guest at the secretary of War's request after hearing from him. Believe-it-or-not, to quote an oft-used expression, this man, whose name I am not at liberty to tell, SAID HE WOULD RUN AN AUTOMOBILE WITHOUT GAS -- ON WATER WITH THE USE [[underline]]OF ONE[[end underline]]OF HIS PILLS!!!

Now anyone knows that the Secretary of War is not accostomed to making interviews with inventors who promise such things as this, and one-before-last would not have done so excepting the fact that the inventor OFFERED HIS LIFE IF THE DISCOVERY DID NOT WORK.

An hour later, Mr. Sousa witnessed the man go into the garage, completely unclad, with one pill in his hand. The Department Officials had prepared the car with a tank of water and nothing else in the garage! Our friend proceeded to walk calmly to the car, drop the pill in, step in....BACK THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE AND DRIVE OFF, AROUND THE BLOCK, AND BACK INTO THE GARAGE. After this the Secretary invited the inventor to see him the first thing next morning to draw up papers and bring the formula.

The inventor (now this seems like some serial plot) insisted he had noticed a man following him ever since his feet first hit the soil of the free country.

At any rate the inventor went to his hotel, with a government official "on his tail" , who waited in the lobby all night, and went up to his room. The next morning, after receiving no word, the Secretary informed the "tailer" to go up and discover what was the trouble. The room was ransacked...the formula was missing, or could not be found..and the inventor was lying in a pool of blood, blood that had gushed from his own slashed throat!

Is this the clue that gave writers, joke makers, the hint for

(continued on page 19)

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THE COMET PAGE 13 BAFFLING VERISIMILITUDES [[text down the middle of the two columns]] by J.J. FORTIER I am not going to quote Mr. Sousa word-for-word, but give the gist of what he has told me and what I have found in factual records. This case may seem absolutely with-out reason, and impossible, but I can assure you that if there were a man connected who had the "guts" to say what he knew, we, as a nation, would be completely dumbfounded. Each issue I expect to bring you another in this amazing series and herewith I present the first. Mr, Sousa is quite a learned man, a man who has traveled, a man who knows what life is, who knows life as it really is -- stripped of the outer clothing -- a life that is corrupt, evil, and entirely baffling. Mr. Sousa has been through many occupations and is now connected at the head of Radio Center. He has served as a magician for 12 years and is now president of the International Magician's Society of America. He knows every trick of the trade and has told me some. But that will come later on. I have a story that is astounding in scope, factual evidense contained, and in its very baseness of monopoly seekers. While traveling over Europe for the first time, he became re-acquainted with an old schoolmate. He was on his way, as was Mr. Sousa, to America for the first time. he had a tremendous invention that actually sounded like some science-0fiction dream. It seemed like sheer fantasy, and had the appearance of some city slicker's scheme. But this was a scheme that was true, a plan to be presented to the United States War Department. This man appeared with Mr. Sousa as a guest at the secretary of War's request after hearing from him. Believe-it-or-not, to quote an oft-used expression, this man, whose name I am not at liberty to tell, SAID HE WOULD RUN AN AUTOMOBILE WITHOUT GAS -- ON WATER WITH THE USE [[underline]]OF ONE[[end underline]]OF HIS PILLS!!! Now anyone knows that the Secretary of War is not accostomed to making interviews with inventors who promise such things as this, and one-before-last would not have done so excepting the fact that the inventor OFFERED HIS LIFE IF THE DISCOVERY DID NOT WORK. An hour later, Mr. Sousa witnessed the man go into the garage, completely unclad, with one pill in his hand. The Department Officials had prepared the car with a tank of water and nothing else in the garage! Our friend proceeded to walk calmly to the car, drop the pill in, step in....BACK THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE AND DRIVE OFF, AROUND THE BLOCK, AND BACK INTO THE GARAGE. After this the Secretary invited the inventor to see him the first thing next morning to draw up papers and bring the formula. The inventor (now this seems like some serial plot) insisted he had noticed a man following him ever since his feet first hit the soil of the free country. At any rate the inventor went to his hotel, with a government official "on his tail" , who waited in the lobby all night, and went up to his room. The next morning, after receiving no word, the Secretary informed the "tailer" to go up and discover what was the trouble. The room was ransacked...the formula was missing, or could not be found..and the inventor was lying in a pool of blood, blood that had gushed from his own slashed throat! Is this the clue that gave writers, joke makers, the hint for (continued on page 19)