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latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,94 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 94 | 78 LATEST MAGIC Mr. Farrelly's idea is decidedly ingenious, but the uses of the biseauté pack are rather limited, and the fact that the pack must be reversed before the card is replaced in it is a drawback. It struck me, on reflection, that the idea might be developed, in a slightly different direction, to greater advan- tage. My own plan is as follows: Two packs, exactly alike are used. As to one of these, I treat all four corners after the manner indicated by Mr. Far- relly, when any card of the second pack, inserted into the one so treated, naturally becomes in effect, a long card. There is in this case no need to reverse the pack, and as the minute projection is duplicated at each end of the diagonal, a less degree of rounding off is necessary. As a practical illustration of the possible uses of such a pack, I offer the trick which I am about to describe. The expert will recognise that, save for the use of the new pack, it is merely a combination of well-known methods, but as regards the mode of presentation it is original, and I think will be found worthy of a place in the répertoire of the card-conjurer. For the purpose of description we will call the pack with rounded corners the "short," and the other the "long" pack. Three known cards are borrowed from the long pack, which may then be put aside, as it plays no further part in the trick. These three cards are palmed, and after the short | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,24 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 24 | 8 LATEST MAGIC fingers in the act of picking up the pot, the interior of the latter may be freely shown after their disap- pearance. The pocket, previously loaded accordingly (though the flower-pot is shown, to all appearance, empty), may also be used for the production of a card or cards. PATTER APPROPRIATE TO THE FAIRY FLOWER-POTS The flower-pots may be introduced as follows: "Permit me to call your attention to one of my latest improvements. Conjurers have a foolish fancy, as I dare say you have noticed, for borrow- ing other people's hats. If a conjurer wants to collect money from the air, he collects it in a hat. If he wants to make an omelette, he cooks it in a hat. If he wants to hatch a few chickens, he does it in a hat. And, for fear of accidents, he never uses his own hat, but always borrows somebody else's. It's very wrong of us. As Sir William Gilbert says, about some other forms of crime, 'It's human nature, P'raps. If so, O! isn't human nature low.' But we all do it. The worst of it is, we get so in the way of borrowing hats that we do it without thinking. You will hardly believe that one even- ing I came away from the theatre with two hats. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,96 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 96 | 80 LATEST MAGIC of the drawn cards in succession, and placing the cards left at bottom on one or other of the three heaps; then solemnly rub your wand, without remark, with a silk handkerchief, and lay it across the tops of the three packets.) "Now, if the electric influence is strong enough, the three chosen cards will gradually sink down to the bottom of these three heaps. A nice easy way of finding them out, is it not ? It will take a minute or two for the charm to operate, so in the meantime I will try to find out the names of the cards for myself by thought-reading. You drew a card, I think, Sir? Will you kindly think of that card, as hard as you can, and meanwhile look straight at me? Thank you. Judging by physiog- nomy, I should say that you were rather a ladies' man. Don't blush, Sir. It's nothing to be ashamed of, is it, ladies ? But he did blush, didn't he? Now, being a ladies' man, you will naturally have chosen one of the ladies of the pack, that is to say one of the queens, and your blush suggests that it was a red queen. Now there are only two red queens to choose from. The queen of hearts rep- resents Love, and the queen of diamonds Money. If I read your thoughts aright I feel safe in declar- ing that you chose the queen of hearts. That is right, I think? Quite simple, when you know how it's done. "And now, Madam, for your card. I can see at a glance that you have a liking for aristocratic | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,98 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 98 | 82 LATEST MAGIC it to a still more striking conclusion. In this case he may continue as follows: "Now, I should like to show you a curious effect of sympathy. I take away these three cards and hand the rest of the pack to the gentleman who drew the queen of hearts. Kindly hold it up above your head where all can see it. The three drawn cards" (show them one by one) "I place in this box. Again I electrify my wand a little, and lay it across the box. Now I want each gentleman or lady to think of his or her card. Think of it kindly, and feel as if you would like to see it again. Think hard, please, because it is you, not I, that perform this experiment, and if you don't think hard it will be a failure. I am pleased to see by the expression of your countenances that you are all thinking hard. Thank you very much. You may leave off now. The deed is done. The three cards have left the box, and gone back to the pack. Please look it through, sir, and tell the company whether it is not so." The reader, being familiar with the wiles of con- jurers, will doubtless have guessed that the three cards supposed to have returned to the pack have in fact never left it, being those naturally belong- ing to it, corresponding with the three long cards. But to the outsider their supposed return will be, in the words of the lamented Lord Dundreary, "one of those things that no fellow can under- stand." | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,100 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 100 | 84 LATEST MAGIC closely within that its presence or absence is not perceptible to sight. If a coin be laid in the box upon the disc and the box is then closed and turned over, the disc settles down over the coin in the opposite half, either leaving the box apparently b a C FIG. 14 empty or exhibiting in place of the original coin a substitute with which the opposite side of the box has been previously loaded. Thus far, as the reader will doubtless have per- ceived, the effect produced (save that a coin instead of a card is dealt with) is precisely the same as in | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,102 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 102 | 86 LATEST MAGIC while dealt with as may be necessary for the pur- pose of the trick. After the borrowed coin has been extracted, the further fall of the disc closes the slot, and bars any possibility of the substitute coin escaping in the same way. The following will be found an easy way of working the exchange. "For the purpose of my next experiment,' says the performer, "I shall have to ask the loan of a halfcrown; marked in such a way that you can be sure of knowing it again. I should like one, if possible, that has seen some service, for a coin in the course of circulation imbibes a certain amount of magnetic fluid from each person who handles it ; and this renders a well-worn coin more susceptible to magical influences than a new one." The reason alleged for asking the loan of an old coin is of course "spoof," but there is a reason; and it is twofold. In the first place it ensures your getting a coin tolerably like your own; which you have chosen in accordance with that description, and which you have marked after some common- place fashion, say with a cross scratched upon one of its faces. Secondly, a well-worn coin, having lost the sharp edge which is caused by the milling in a new one, passes the more easily through the slot, which for obvious reasons is kept as narrow as possible. Performer, advancing toward the person offer- ing the coin, continues: | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,106 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 106 | 90 LATEST MAGIC per cent is not bad, is it ? Observe, I use no vio- lence. It's all done by kindness. I just warm the coin a little over this candle-flame. That softens the metal and I am able to squeeze another penny out of this one, so!" Show as two accordingly, by sliding off the hindermost coin in its shell, exhibiting it on both sides, and laying it on the table. "You have all heard of turning an honest penny. Well, this is one way of doing it. It is said, too, that one good turn deserves another, so we'll try again. I warm the first penny a little more, and again I pull another out of it.'' (Draw second double coin from behind the original penny.) "Now we have three, two in my hands" (showing one in each hand) "and one on the table. "I think I heard somebody say that I couldn't make any more I don't like to do it, because the process takes a good deal out of the original penny, and I might spoil it. On the other hand, I don't like to decline a challenge, so here goes! I warm these two again, and then, with a little extra pres- sure, because it naturally becomes more difficult each time, I get yet another penny, as you see. So now, in all, we have four." (Show those in hand as three, by drawing solid coin out of shell, then, picking up double coin from mat, show as four accordingly.) "Did I hear a lady say 'Just one more'? Well, then, one more." (Develop the double coin just picked up, and show as five.) | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,108 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 108 | 92 LATEST MAGIC it." (Make the movement of picking up one of the double coins, and of rubbing it into the coin in left hand, but in reality "vanish" it, in the sup- posed act of picking up, into the pocket of mat.) "And now I pass this other one into it in the same way, and we have only the original penny left. It is like the ten little niggers, isn't it, only that they never came back. Here is your penny, Sir. Please observe that it still has your own mark upon it, which is proof positive that there has been 'no deception.'" N. B. If the performer is a novice, he may simplify the trick by loading the coin mat with one double and one ordinary coin only, or two ordinary coins, limiting the successive productions accordingly. THE MISSING LINK At an early period of my magical career, I devised a trick to which I gave the name of Con- catenution Extraordinarg, and which will be found described in Later Magic, page 94. In effect it consisted of the magical welding of a number of loose iron links into a continuous chain. It was performed by the aid of a Black Art table, a bot- tomless tumbler, and a silk thread. "Though I say it that shouldn't," it was an ingenious trick, and I was very proud of it. Unfortunately, some good natured friend (I rather think it was | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,110 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 110 | 94 LATEST MAGIC Thirdly, two shorter lengths of similar chain, consisting of thirteen links each, and a loose brass link, corresponding to the one in the centre of the longer chain. The complete chain is to be placed at the outset in the hinder compartment of the mirror glass, which should be of such a size that the chain nearly fills it. Lastly will be needed a bottle containing Eau de Cologne, of which a few drops have been poured on the chain in the glass. The patter may run to something like the fol- lowing effect. "You are doubtless aware, ladies and gentle- men, that electricity is now largely employed in the welding of metals. Of course to produce such a result on a large scale, such as welding guns, enor- mous strength of current is required; amounting in fact to millions of ampères, or volts, or ohms, or watts. I blush to confess I don't know which is which, but it's of no consequence. If I had ever SO many ampères, or the rest of it, I shouldn't know what to do with them. I am only able to manu- facture my electricity on a very small scale, but with the aid of a little magic, I get very good results. "You are also no doubt aware that when certain metals, particularly copper and zinc, are brought into close connection, an electrical current is set up between them. The same thing applies, in a | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,112 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 112 | 96 LATEST MAGIC the same effect, but I use Eau de Cologne because it smells nicer. And now I must ask the loan of some lady's handkerchief, to cover the glass, and concentrate the electric current." Holding the handkerchief in right hand, pick up the glass with left hand, and raise it a few inches from the table. In lowering it, cover it with the handkerchief, and at the same time give it the necessary half-turn. Take out your watch, and make believe to time the operation, remarking, "I find it needs a full half-minute, to allow the charm to work. Time! Let us see how we have suc- ceeded." Take off the handkerchief, and draw the chain slowly out of the glass. "Yes. All is well. I should say welded, and I trust you will say, 'Well done.' The chain is complete, and now consists of twenty-seven links, the lucky number. Perhaps some gentleman will verify the fact. "I must tell you frankly that I don't guarantee the correctness of my explanation. I can't say exactly how much the electricity has to do with it. I only know that if you go to work the right way, which means, do as I do, you gret the result, and there you are. This experiment always provokes a lot of discussion. The other evening one gentle- man said it was done this way. A lady said it was that way, and a sharp boy (the younger they are the more they know) was quite sure it was done another way altogether. But they were all wrong. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,114 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 114 | 98 LATEST MAGIC the Satanic supper. The following is an applica- tion of the Signor Molini's idea on a scale better adapted to the drawing room. Requisites. (1) Three zinc or zinc-lined tubes, as a, b, c, in Fig. 15, ranging in height from about three inches A B C FIG. 15 upwards, and graduated in size so as to fit easily one within the other. (2) Three balls, one red and two white, of such diameter as to pass easily through the narrowest tube. Two smaller balls, one red and one white, about half an inch in diameter. (3) A box of matches. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,16 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 16 | < PAGE MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS 88 Money-Making Made Easy 88 The Missing Link 92 Culture Extraordinary 97 The Bounding Beans 104 Lost and Found 110 The Riddle of the Pyramids 115 The Miracle of Mumbo Jumbo 123 The Story of the Alkahest 130 The Oracle of Memphis 137 The Mystery of Mahomet 146 The Bewildering Blocks 156 An "Od" Force. 162 The Mystery of the Three Seals 170 The Wizard's Pocketbook . 180 CONCERNING PATTER 192 THE USE OF THE WAND 203 A FEW WRINKLES 215 . 222 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,75 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 75 | A CARD COMEDY 59 myself, it isn't anything particular to look at, but it has an extraordinary talent for finding out things; even secrets that people don't know them- selves. Now you will admit that the name of that card on the table is at present an A1, copperbot- tomed secret. Even the gentleman who chose the card doesn't know what it is; you don't know: in fact nobody knows. Nothing could well be more secret than that. But this tape will find it out. Will you, Sir," (addressing the gentleman who chose the card) "be kind enough to pass this loop over your left little finger. Thank you, and now I want some lady to assist me. Perhaps you will oblige, Madam?" A sufficient length of the tape is unrolled, and the reel placed in the lady's hands. "And now I will ask you to do me the further favor of taking a card from this other pack." (The second queen is forced on the lady.) "Now, Madam, what was the card the gentleman chose? You don't know Oh, yes, you do. The tape has told you. Unless it has betrayed me for the first time in my experience, it will have com- pelled you by an effect of sympathy to draw the very same kind of card as the one freely chosen, as you will remember from the other pack. What card did you draw? The queen of diamonds? (Goes to table, and turns up card on tray.) "The tape was right, you see. The card the gentleman drew is also a queen of diamonds." In default of the card mat, the trick can be | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,77 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 77 | A CARD COMEDY 61 assuming a perplexed air, you say, "I don't know why it is, but I have that peculiar sensation in my left thumb that always means that something has gone wrong. What it is in this case I can't imagine, but I must find out before we go further. As the two chosen cards have passed out of my hands, I may now ask the ladies who drew them to name them. "The queen of hearts and the king of clubs, you say? Ah! that accounts for it. When those two cards come together there is sure to be trouble. The queen of hearts is a bit of a flirt, and the king of hearts is very jealous, particularly of the king of clubs, who is rather a gay dog, though he is old enough to know better. I fancy I hear some sort of commotion going on in the flower-pot." (You look into it.) "Yes, it is just as I feared. The king of hearts has found out that his queen has gone off with the king of clubs, and has followed the queen post-haste. Here he is, you see." (You plunge hand into flower-pot, and take out and exhibit the two drawn cards, and with them one of the two kings of hearts.) "It's too bad, for as a matter of fact the queen of hearts doesn't really care two-pence about the king of clubs. In fact she has even been known to call him a giddy old kipper. "But I can't have my arrangements upset by these little family jars. To teach the king of hearts better manners I shall put him in solitary | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,79 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 79 | A CARD COMEDY 63 always had a sort of affection for this in its oldest and simplest form, viz., the reversible flat box with loose flap falling from the one into the other half at pleasure. I should not recommend the use of it at a school treat, as there would be much risk of some demon small boy proclaiming to all whom it might concern that he "knows how that's done," but before an average mixed audience its use is safe enough. Should one of the spectators happen to be acquainted with the box he will probably smile in a superior way, pluming himself on having a little inside information, though he may be no nearer the complete solution of the trick than the rest of the company. The expert will easily guard himself against even this small risk. For example, he may use a duplicate box, innocent of guile, ostensibly merely to contain the cards he is about to use, and after turning the pack out of it upon the table, switch this (obviously empty) box for the faked box to be used later, or after using the latter he may extract the fake and the superseded card during the jour- ney back to his table, where the box will of course be inspection-proof. Better still, he may make matters absolutely safe by using an improved box, which has been chris- tened the "Fast and Loose'' card-box. This is a recent invention of an Italian wizard named Veroni, of Glasgow (an old soldier of Garibaldi). It is an idealised version of the old flat box, being | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,233 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 233 | A FEW WRINKLES 217 many purposes for which Seccotine is too aggres- sively viscous, while ordinary paste is not adhesive enough. In such cases I can strongly recommend Pastoid, a composition midway between glue and paste. For all purposes for which paste (in small quantity) is ordinarily used, Pastoid may be sub- stituted with advantage. I myself came across it accidentally two or three years ago, "since when," like the gentleman in the soap advertisement, "I have used no other." The maker is Henry Rob- erts, Middlesborough, but it should be obtainable of any up-to-date stationer or fancy dealer. It is supplied in glass jars, at sixpence and a shilling. 3. Where an actual glue, of fine quality, is needed, procure sheet gelatine, to be had of any grocer. Cut into small pieces and melt in an ordinary gluepot using water enough to make the resulting solution about as thick as ordinary gum water. It should be used as near boiling point as possible, and the joined surfaces left to dry under the heaviest pressure available. A joint made with this glue is practically invisible.¹ 4. For dividing up thin stuff (wood or card- board), into rectangular slabs, the handiest tool is the "cutting gauge." This is practically iden- tical with the better known "marking gauge," save 1 For the information contained in this paragraph, as also that re- lating to the use of Veneers I am indebted to Mr. Holt Sehooling, who is an expert in such matters. My own essays in the direction of fancy cabinet-making have for the most part been limited to rough models to be reproduced in finished shape by more practised hands. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,235 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 235 | A FEW WRINKLES 219 mill-board, without folding or bending, preference should be given to "Bristol" board, sold by artists' colour-men. This is somewhat more expensive but is stiffer and harder and has a better surface than the commoner articles. 9. For joining wood to wood without glue where there is no great thickness to be penetrated, "needle-points," procurable of any ironmonger, will be found useful. These are stout eyeless needles, of very brittle steel, about two inches in length. To use them, bore with a fine bradawl a hole partially through the wood, then drive in the needle-point by gentle tapping with a hammer, and when it has penetrated the desired depth snap off all that remains above the surface. 10. Also useful for many purposes are what are called by drapers "blanket" pins. These are of brass, and a card of such pins in three sizes, rang ing from two to three inches in length and varying proportionately in thickness, may be bought for a penny. Pins a trifle shorter and thinner than the above are known as "laundry" pins. Apart from their normal uses, pins of these kinds are very useful for bending into hooks, or to cut up into short lengths of stiff straight wire for pivots or otherwise. 11. For all effects dependent upon a thread pull use, in place of ordinary thread, plaited silk fish- ing line. This is procurable of any sports' out- fitter or fishing tackle dealer, in twenty and forty | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,237 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 237 | A FEW WRINKLES 221 and shorten it to an exact square, closing the lower end as before. Envelopes of the above kind are procurable in many varieties of paper, and in widths ranging by various fractions of an inch from four inches upwards. 13. To make a line, thick or thin, run freely over a pulley-wheel or through an eyelet, use as a lubri- cant powdered talcum, otherwise known as French chalk. This is equally useful for minimising fric- tion between wooden surfaces, or between wood and metal, say between a pulley-wheel and the pivot on which it turns. Where the slight extra cost is not an obstacle the use of ivory as the mate- rial of a pulley-wheel secures the perfection of easy running. It is, I trust, hardly necessary to say that wher- ever I have mentioned an article to be had by pur- chase, my recommendation is based solely upon practical experience of its merits. I have no inter- est, direct or indirect, in any of the articles men- tioned, and my knowledge of their manufacturers is derived solely from their respective labels. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,231 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 231 | A FEW WRINKLES 1 EVERY conjurer who has in him, as all conjurers should have, the creative instinct of the artist, and aims therefore at putting something of himself into his work, must of necessity be to some small extent an amateur mechanic. The hints which fol- low are addressed to the reader in that capacity. I have no pretension to teach him how to do things in the way of construction, but merely to make the doing of them easier. Though relating to matters in themselves small, the "tips" which follow may safely be said to come within the scope of Captain Cuttle's celebrated counsel, "when found make a note of." It often happens that the amateur mechanic has to take considerable trouble and pains in procuring some special requirement, while there is already on sale, at small cost, just the thing he wants, if he only knew what to ask for, and where to get it. The paragraphs which follow will, in some at any rate of such cases, supply the needful information. 1 This book having been written primarily with a view to British readers, some of my recommendations will naturally be of no value to my American friends, but I have not thought it necessary to delete them. L. H. 215 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,39 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 39 | A MAGICAL TRANSPOSITION 23 tion it deserves, and have probably far from exhausted its possibilities, but I offer by way of illustration the trick next following, which it seems to me would be rather effective, particularly as an introduction to some other card trick. We will call it A MAGICAL TRANSPOSITION Prepare two cards, say an eight of hearts and a seven of spades, by blackening all their edges save one of the narrow ends,¹ and backing each with velvet matching the mat. Lay the two cards SO treated face down with the white edge towards yourself on the mat at some little distance apart, or preferably on separate mats. Force corre- sponding cards on two members of the company and deliver an oration to something like the fol- lowing effect: "We hear people talk sometimes about the quickness of the hand deceiving the eye. I sup- pose such a thing must be possible, or nobody would have thought of it, but it seems to me that if it did anything of the kind, either the hand must be extra quick, or the eye extra slow. I know I should be afraid to attempt anything of that sort myself, but if you are a magician of the right sort you have no need to do so, for you can deceive the eye with- 1 Better still, thicken the under edge by the interposition between card and velvet of a slip of white card, as described in The Detective Die, post. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,93 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 93 | A NEW LONG CARD PACK 77 in the hope of embarrassing the conjurer, may ask at the close to be allowed to examine the envelope containing the drawn cards. Such an examina- tion, if permitted, would of course largely give away the trick. If the performer has any reason to fear such a contingency, he may guard against it by "switching" the envelope, during his return to the table with it, for a duplicate containing an ordinary mixed pack. In some part of this the three cards corresponding to those drawn should be placed together, as the obnoxious person, if him- self one of the drawers, will naturally expect SO to find them. At a public performance such a precaution would be supererogatory. A NEW LONG CARD PACK AND A TRICK DEPENDENT ON ITS USE Some few months ago I was shown by a clever amateur, Mr. Victor Farrelly, a pack of cards pre- pared, after a method of his own, to replace in a more subtle form, the familiar biseauté pack. Mr. Farrelly's plan is to round off, in a very minute degree, three of the corners of an ordinary pack. If a given card be turned round in a pack SO treated, it is obvious that its unfiled corner will project, to a microscopic extent, beyond those above and below it, rendering the card instantly discoverable by touch. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,95 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 95 | A NEW LONG CARD PACK 79 pack has been shuffled by one of the company, are added to it, and forced upon three different spec- tators. We will suppose that the three selected cards are the queen of hearts, forced on a gentle- man; the king of clubs and the ten of diamonds; the two last mentioned forced on ladies. This done, each of the drawers is invited to replace his or her card in the pack, which is passed from the one to the other for that purpose, and before it is returned to you is once more shuffled. You then deliver a "yarn" to something like the following effect: "Please bear in mind, ladies and gentlemen, exactly what has been done. To begin with, you have seen that the pack was thoroughly well shuffled. Three cards were then freely chosen from it. They have been put back, not by me, but by the persons who drew them, and the pack has since been shuffled again. It is therefore obviously impossible that I should know either what cards have been chosen, or whereabouts they may now be in the pack. But I enjoy impossibili- ties. The more impossible a thing is, the more I want to do it. I will find out these cards or die! Don't be alarmed, I don't mean to die just yet; SO I must do the other thing. It's easy enough, if you know how to do it. "In the first place I cut the pack into three por- tions." (You cut three times, nipping the "long:" corners between second finger and thumb, at each | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,97 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 97 | A NEW LONG CARD PACK 81 society, and you will therefore naturally have chosen a king. But which king? Think hard of your card, please. A picture of a dark-complex- ioned gentleman comes up before my mind's eye, and I feel that I can say with confidence that the card you chose was the king of clubs. Am I right? "And you, Madam. I have an idea that you have a taste for pretty things, particularly jew- ellery. Such being the case, you would naturally choose diamonds. Think of your card, please. Thank you. I see I was right in my guess. The card you chose was the ten of diamonds. "And now to verify my discoveries. If my wand has done its work, those same three cards will now have percolated through the rest, and settled down at the bottom of these three heaps. Let us see whether they have done so." (The three heaps are-turned over.) "Yes, here we have them: the king of clubs, the queen of hearts, and the ten of diamonds. It is a curious thing for the cards to do, and I daresay you would like to know how it is done. As a matter of fact, it is done by synthetic readjustment of dissociated atoms. You don't know what that means, perhaps? Well, to say the truth, I don't quite know myself, but that is the scientific explanation, so no doubt it is correct." The trick may very well end at this point, but if the reader possesses a card-box, or other appar- atus adapted for "vanishing" cards, he may bring | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,81 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 81 | A ROYAL TUG OF WAR 65 their little tempers, just as we have. Some of them are bosom friends; others again hate each other like rival suitors to the same best girl. The four kings are generally pretty friendly, but there is a good deal of emulation between them, par- ticularly between the two red kings on the one hand, and the two black ones on the other. Each pair claims to be the stronger, and they are always pleased to have a chance of putting the matter to the test. "I will give you an illustration of this, by allow- ing them to hold a little tug of war. They have already had six trials, and each side has won three of them. This evening we will let them play a final game, which is to settle the matter. Will you, sir, kindly pick out the four kings for me, and lay them on this little tray. Thank you! (This done, performer lays mat with cards on table.) "I will drop the two red kings into this flower- pot." He takes them from the mat and after showing them drops them into the flower-pot (in reality into the pocket), "and the black ones into this other." (The black kings are allowed to slide directly off the mat, into the flower-pot, the con- cealed pair going with them. "Are your Majes- ties ready? Silence gives consent! Then Go!" He waits a moment or two, and then looks over into the flower-pot with the pocket. "Nothing has happened yet. Yes, there goes the king of dia- monds, pulled over to the other side. There's not | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,27 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 27 | ADHESIVE CARDS 11 pressed against the surface SO treated, the two adhere, and for the time become, in effect, one card only, viz., the one whose face is exposed, the other having temporarily disappeared from the pack. This renders possible many striking effects. To take an elementary example, let us suppose that the old-fashioned flat card-box, or some other appliance for magically producing a card, is loaded with, say, a seven of diamonds. The cor- responding card is forced on one of the company, and taken back into the middle of the pack, on the top of the prepared card. The performer does not disturb or tamper with the pack in the smallest degree. He merely squares up the cards, and, pressing them well together, hands them to be shuffled, meanwhile calling attention to the card- box, which is shown apparently empty. He then asks the name of the drawn card, announcing that it will at his command leave the pack and find its way into the box. He now counts off the cards, showing the face of each as he does so, and leaving it exposed upon the table. The seven of diamonds has disap- peared, being in fact hidden behind the prepared card, which we will suppose to be in this instance the queen of clubs. Leaving the cards outspread upon the table, the performer opens the card-box, and shows that the missing card has somehow found its way into it. In the hands of a novice, the trick might end at | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,181 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 181 | AN "od" FORCE 165 The opposite end of the thread, which will be somewhere about thirty inches in length (this again being a point to be determined by experiment), is passed through the curled end of a good-sized safety pin. This, for use in the trick, is attached to the inside of the performer's vest, just within the lowest part of the opening. To the free-end of the thread, after passing through the loop of the pin, is attached a disc of copper or zinc, three- quarters of an inch in diameter, against which, on one side, is pressed and flattened out a pellet of conjurer's wax, in good adhesive condition. If the length of the thread has been duly regulated, the little disc will rest normally just within the vest, but can be drawn out the extent of a couple of feet or so, returning swiftly to its hiding place the moment it is released. (3) A glass ball-professedly crystal. (4) An ordinary match-box, empty. Instructions for the working of the trick will be most conveniently given step by step with the patter, which may run as follows: "In the early days of Queen Victoria's reign, when the oldest of us here present were good little boys or girls, and the rest were not born or thought of, there lived a celebrated scientific gentleman, called the Baron von Reichenbach. I am sorry to say he was a German, but he couldn't help it. As his father and mother were Germans, he had to be one too. It shows how careful children ought to be | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,63 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 63 | ARITHMETIC BY MAGIC 47 them to rise up and paw the air. It all depends on the strength of the will. I myself happen to have a very strong will, in fact, I don't know anyone who has a stronger will, except my wife. I exert my will, and say, "first card, rise! and up it comes, as you see." Stepping well back from the spectators, SO that they cannot distinguish from what part of the pack the card comes, he works up the hindmost card by the familiar "hand" method. ("Modern Magic," p. 129.) "Here we have one of the two cards. Let us see what it is. The five of diamonds! Good! And now for the other. Second card; rise! Up comes another card, you see, the deuce of diamonds. Those are the cards which were drawn, are they not ? "Now the question arises, "what shall we do with 21 It is a pity the ladies didn't choose bigger cards. You can't'go nap' 1 on a deuce and a five, can you ? I think I can't do better than use them to show you a little experiment in conjurer's arith- metic. Will some young mathematician among the audience kindly tell us what two and five, added together, make?" (He waits for reply, but if none, pretends to hear one.) "Seven! Right first time. And if you take two from five how many remain? Three Good again. Really 1 To endeavor to take all five tricks in the game of Napoleon. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,35 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 35 | BLACK ART MATS 19 a quarter of an inch or so by means of a stiffening along its inner edge. By having the millboard foundation cut in half before it is covered, the mat may be made to fold like a chessboard for greater portability. FIG. 9 If some small article, say a coin or ring, is laid on mat just behind the mouth of the pocket, it may be made to disappear therein, being in fact swept into the pocket in the act of apparently picking it up. In the case of a coin, the pocket may by a slight alteration of procedure be used to effect a "change"; a substitute, palmed beforehand, being exhibited in place of the one professedly picked up from the mat. It is desirable when placing the mat upon the table for use to see that the mouth of the pocket is duly open and has not been, by any accident, pressed flat, and SO closed. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,37 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 37 | BLACK ART MATS 21 the case of the trick entitled Lost and Found, post. Another little device which will be found useful in connection with the black art mat is a cardboard disc covered as above, to one side of which a coin, say a half-crown or half-dollar, is cemented as in Fig. 10 Fig. 10. Such a patch, laid on the mat, coin side down, will attract no notice, but the mere act of turning it over will at any given moment produce the coin. The "change" of a coin may be expected very neatly by the aid of this device. Suppose, for example, that the performer desires to retain, unknown to the spectators, possession of a marked coin just handed to him. He lays it, to all appear- ance, in full view upon the table, but as a matter of fact merely turns over a patch, loaded as above, already on the table, the borrowed coin remaining in his hand. The velvet patch may also be utilised in another | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,62 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 62 | CARD TRICKS ARITHMETIC BY MAGIC Preparation. The two "flower-pots" (see page 5), separated, are placed upon the table. Also the card mat (see page 1), loaded with the ten of any given suit, say diamonds, taken from the pack per- former is about to use, and a double-faced card, representing on the one side the seven, and on the other the three of the same suit. The deuce and five of same suit to be laid on the top of the pack. Performer, advancing pack in hand, palms off the two top cards, and offers the rest to be shuffled. This done, he forces these two cards on different persons. On receiving back one of them, he brings it to the top; executes a false shuffle leaving it in the same position ; brings it again to the middle by the pass, and has the second card replaced upon it; then, once again making the pass, brings both together to the top. (The use of the Charlier pass is here recom- mended.) The patter may be to something like the follow- ing effect: "Two cards have been chosen, ladies and gentlemen. I can't say what they are, but I can very easily find out. I shall simply order 46 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,209 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 209 | CONCERNING PATTER 193 great deal, and done very little, and that I had had very little real magic for my money. On the other hand, the loquacious doctor was always amusing, and it must not be forgotten that to amuse, even more than to puzzle, is the raison d'être of the mod- ern magician. It seems to me therefore quite legitimate to use, to a reasonable extent, the art of the raconteur to supplement that of the magician. If my own patter is in some cases found super- abundant, I have at any rate done my best to make it amusing, and if the reader opines that I have not paid sufficient regard to the late Mr. Ducrow's cele- brated maxim, "Cut the cackle, and come to the 'osses," he is quite at liberty to cut my cackle to what he may consider more reasonable proportions. No doubt, time would be saved thereby. If, for instance, he were to cut out the little romantic fictions with which I have introduced "The Miracle of Mumbo Jumbo" and "The Story of the Alka- hest," and start "right away" with the bare per- formance of the trick, both could be exhibited in little more time than I have allotted to either alone. Which treatment is likely to give the greater satis- faction to his audience, he must decide for himself. Where the performer has the gift (for a "gift" it undoubtedly is) of devising effective patter for himself I am strongly in favour of his doing SO. Borrowed patter may be likened to a borrowed dress-coat. It is never likely to be an exact fit, and | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,211 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 211 | CONCERNING PATTER 195 away from the true explanation of the marvel, and to suggest, in a more or less plausible way, some other, remote from the real one. The suggested explanation may be either pseudo- scientific, where possible based on some generally accepted truth (and it is surprising what a long way even a few grains of truth go in such cases) ; or it may be downright "spoof," delivered however with due appearance of seriousness. The explana- tions will naturally fall a good deal short of the George Washington standard of truthfulness, but the most tender conscience need not in such a case have any scruples on the score of veracity. No sane person expects truth in a fairy tale, and a magical entertainment, from beginning to end, is but a fairy tale in action. To put the matter in an epigrammatic nutshell: Truth is "a gem of purest ray serene," A virtue always to be cultivated, But such depends,-you'll gather what I mean, On how you happen to be situated. At home, abroad, wherever I may be, I tell the honest truth, and shame the d- . But when you ask to be deceived. Good gracious! You can't expect me then to be veracious. In that case only do I make exception, And most deceive when vowing "no deception." This function of patter, the leading away the minds of the audience from the true explanation of the puzzle offered them, may be materially assisted | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,213 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 213 | CONCERNING PATTER 197 but with only a cloudy recollection as to what they were. In devising, as is sometimes desirable, new patter for an old trick, an endeavour should be made to look at the effect from an entirely fresh point of view, so as to make the trick practically a new one. A remarkable instance of such a transformation is furnished by an incident in the life of Robert- Houdin. At one period of his career he was entrusted by the French Government with a very important mission. He was sent to Algeria, spe- cially charged to "astonish the natives," and by his greater wonders to destroy their belief in the pretended miracles of the Aissoua. Among other surprises, he decided to make use of his "Light and Heavy Chest," a chest which, as the reader is doubtless aware, became at command, by means of an electro-magnet in the pedestal on which it rested, so "heavy" that the strongest man could not lift it from its base. This trick, pro- duced at a time when the phenomena of electricity were but little understood, has produced an immense sensation at his Paris performances. But the Master instinctively felt that the trick in that shape would produce little or no effect on the more primitive mind of the Arab. He would sim- ply have taken for granted some mechanical means of holding down the chest, beyond his own com- prehension, no doubt, but by no means to be regarded as miraculous. Robert-Houdin decided | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,215 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 215 | CONCERNING PATTER 199 cheerful. Geniality of manner is one of the most valuable assets of the conjurer. Above all, don't be nervous. You may say "I can't help it," but to a great extent you can. It is largely a matter of will. Start with the idea that all will go well, and it will probably do SO. On the other hand, a low- spirited conjurer always makes a low spirited audience. In any case, be sparing of puns, which have been deservedly described as the lowest form of wit. A single pun, if good enough (or bad enough) may win a laugh, and score to your credit, but to pep- per an audience with verbal shrapnel in the shape of puns is an outrage on good taste. Passing to the third function of patter, the mis- direction of attention in the course of a trick, we will assume that you have made a start in the right direction at the outset, by suggesting some fanciful explanation of the effect you intend to produce, SO that your audience, starting from wrong premises, do not know the points at which their too close observation would be inconvenient. The best way of diverting their attention at one of these critical points is obviously to attract it to some other direc- tion. A mere sentence, particularly if accom- panied by appropriate action, will suffice. Sup- posing, to take an elementary instance, that the performer desires to drop unseen into the profonde from his left hand some small article for which he has just deftly substituted a duplicate, now exhib- | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,217 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 217 | CONCERNING PATTER 201 that he is actually the person whom he represents. The modern magician should do the same. If he has enough of the true artistic spirit to imagine, when he steps forward on the platform, that he is a magician, and that his miracles are genuine, he will go a long way towards producing a like impres- sion in the minds of his audience. Bearing this in mind, describe what you propose to do as an "effect," a "marvel," an "experiment," or a "phenomenon"; never by any chance as a "trick." It may be objected that I have myself repeatedly used the obnoxious word in the course of the fore- going pages, but that is another matter. This book is written by a conjurer for conjurers: and as between ourselves we are forced to admit, painful though it be to do so, that our greatest miracles are only tricks. But we need not tell the public SO. Logically-minded persons know it well enough, if they are allowed to think about the matter. Our business is to make them, for the time, forget it. A wise old Roman said: Populus vult decipi: decipiatur. Your audience wish to be deceived; in fact they have come together for that purpose. By all means let them be deceived to the top of their bent; and the first step towards effectually deceiv- ing them, is to persuade them, if possible, that there is "no deception." The patter for a given trick, once composed, and tested by a few performances in public, may thenceforth, SO far as the professional is concerned, | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,208 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 208 | CONCERNING PATTER IT will doubtless have been observed that I have in the foregoing pages been somewhat lavish in respect of patter. I have done SO for two or three reasons. First, in order to enable the reader to form a better estimate of the effect of the trick presented, duly clothed and coloured, to the mind of the spec- tator. A trick described, however minutely, from the mere mechanical or technical point of view, gives scarcely more idea of its actual effect than the rough charcoal sketch of the artist does of the finished painting. Secondly, because ready-made patter, if the reader cares to use it, will save him a considerable amount of trouble. My third reason is more personal, namely, that it has been a labour of love to do SO. To my mind the devising of some little bit of appropriate fiction to serve as intro- duction to a trick is the pleasantest part of the inventor's work. It may perhaps be thought that I have, in some of the more ambitious tricks, been overliberal in this particular. I remember thinking, after wit- nessing a "show" by Dr. Lynn, a popular per- former of the last generation, that he had talked a 192 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,15 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 15 | CONTENTS PORTRAIT OF PROFESSOR HOFFMANN Frontispiece PAGE PREFACE vii SOME New APPLIANCES OF GENERAL UTILITY 1 Magical Mats 1 Fairy Flower-Pots 5 Patter Introducing the Flower-Pots 8 Adhesive Cards and Tricks Therewith 10 The Missing Card 12 NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF THE "BLACK ART" PRINCIPLE 17 Black Art Mats and Black Art Patches 17 A Magical Transposition 23 The Detective Die 26 Dissolving Dice 32 Where is It? 38 CARD TRICKS 46 Arithmetic by Magic 46 Those Naughty Knaves 49 Magnetic Magic 55 The Telepathic Tape 57 A Card Comedy 60 The Fast and Loose Card-Box 63 A Royal Tug of War 64 Sympathetic Cards 66 Tell-Tale Fingers 68 Divination Doubly Difficult 72 A New Long Card and Tricks Therewith 77 The Mascot Coin Box 83 ix | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,117 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 117 | CULTURE EXTRAORDINARY 101 it off again. In its downward movement the tube passes over the little hook on No. 2; but in lifting it off again its upper edge comes within the outer arm of the hook, and carries this off with the ball attached to it, leaving tube No. 2 empty. The lat- ter, shown empty accordingly, is passed over No. 3 and carries off its load in the same way. You have thus proved (!) in the most convincing way that all three tubes are empty, though as a matter of fact No. 3 is the only one in that con- dition, Nos. 1 and 2 each containing a suspended ball. The patter from this point may vary according to the fancy of the performer. If he has the knack of producing the appropriate combination of fact and fiction, it is preferable that he should do SO for himself. As I have elsewhere remarked, bor- rowed patter rarely comes SO "trippingly on the tongue" as that of which the performer can say with, let us hope, undue depreciation of his merits, "a poor thing, but mine own." The fable with which I should myself introduce the trick would run somewhat as follows: "You have all heard, ladies and gentlemen, of intensive culture, gooseberries grown while you wait, and that sort of thing. It is done by enclos- ing the seed, or the young plant, in a confined space and keeping it warm and comfy. It has always seemed to me that there is a good deal of magic about the process, and I thought I would like to | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,119 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 119 | CULTURE EXTRAORDINARY 103 second finger and thumb of the left hand, and apparently take it back by means of the pincette or tourniquet; then professedly dropping it into the second tube. "And now, to complete the set, we shall have to grow a red ball. Here is a seedling of that col- our." You pick up the little red ball, and make believe to pass it after the same fashion into the third tube. "And now to supply the heat. We do not need much, the space being SO confined. I find that even the flame of a match is sufficient." You strike a match and move the flame round and round within the top of the larger tube till the thread catches fire and releases the ball. Should this be heard to drop, you account for it by remark- ing "I dare say you noticed a little explosion. That is caused by the sudden radio-activity of the component atoms re-arranging themselves in the expanded form." You raise the tube and show the ball: then go through the same process with the second tube. Under cover of raising this tube to show the ball, you get the large red ball from the vest into the left hand and palm it. "Perhaps you would like to watch the progress a little more closely." You pick up the third tube and place it upright on the palm of the left hand, in so doing introducing the palmed ball from below, and advance with it to the company. "The red balls are especially sensitive to heat. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,89 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 89 | DIVINATION DOUBLY DIFFICULT 73 The requirements for the trick consist of two packs of cards, and an envelope with adhesive flap, of such a size as to accommodate one of them. One of the two packs is a "forcing" pack, consisting of three cards only, each seventeen times repeated. The cards of each kind are however not grouped all together, as is usually the case, but are arranged after the manner explained in More Magic (p. 13), viz. : assuming the three cards to be the knave of clubs, the seven of spades, and the nine of dia- monds, the pack will consist of groups of those three cards, in the same order, repeated through- out. The effect of this arrangement is that, wherever the pack be cut, the three cards above or below the cut will always be a set of those three cards: and the same result follows, however many times the pack may be cut, or however many such groups may have been taken from it. The second pack has no preparation, but the three cards corresponding to those of which the forcing pack is composed are SO placed as to be ready to hand for palming. The performer advances with the forcing pack, meanwhile executing a false shuffle of the kind which leaves the pack as if cut, but otherwise undisturbed as to order. Holding the pack on the outstretched palm of his left hand, he invites some- one to cut it. This done, he takes back with the other hand the upper portion of the cut, and says, "You have cut where you pleased, have you not ? | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,91 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 91 | DIVINATION DOUBLY DIFFICULT 75 Will you kindly shuffle this other pack for me." (He runs the cards over fanwise, showing their faces, SO as to prove that they are an ordinary mixed pack: then hands them to be shuffled, and while this is being done, palms the three secreted cards. "Shuffle them thoroughly, please, and then spread them a little, faces down, upon the table, and lay your handkerchief over them. "Now I am going, in the first place, to attempt a little thought-reading. I shall endeavour by that means to discover the three cards each person chose, and then, by means of the sense of touch, which I have cultivated to a rather unusual degree, to pick them out, without seeing them, from among the cards under the handkerchief. I shall only ask one indulgence. To leave a little margin for possible mistakes. I shall ask your permission to pick out four cards instead of three for each per- son, SO as to give me one extra chance. Will the gentleman who drew first kindly look my way, and say to himself slowly, the names of the cards he drew. Thank you, Sir! I think I read them right." He inserts his hand under the handker- chief, and after a little pretended fumbling, brings out the three palmed cards, with one indifferent card in front of them. He does not show or look at them, but asks the second chooser to think hard of his three cards, afterwards taking four more from under the handkerchief. Having done the same in the case of the third drawer, he spreads | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,141 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 141 | Ine Or 120 tally across it, about halfway down. Through this a black pin, bent at the head, passes as shown in Fig. 22. In preparation for the trick a piece about three feet long of black plaited silk line, with a small wire ring at one end, is passed by the aid of a needle through the hole in the tray from the outer side; thence upward through the various sections of the pagoda, beginning with the undermost, till FIG. 22 it finally comes up through the head. After the needle has been drawn off, the end of the thread is formed into a loop, which is passed over the cross- pin before mentioned. The thread is then drawn taut from below, the several segments of the pagoda resting fairly one upon another in the cen- tre of the tray. The intermediate portion of the thread is drawn up till the little ring at the outer end comes close to the tray, and is laid upon it in | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,155 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 155 | Inn VRACLE OF 139 ing selected the question he or she desires to have answered, the dial is laid on the stand with the "suit" or Fig. 26 side uppermost, and the pointer is placed in position on its pivot. The querist is invited to breathe into the glass, which is then lowered on to the stand. The pointer begins to move, and after a moment or two of indecision, 9 Fig. 26 Fig. 25 Fig. 27 comes to rest opposite one or other of the four suit- pips; we will suppose, for the sake of illustration, the diamond. The glass is then lifted off, the dial reversed, the pointer replaced, and the glass once. more lowered on to the stand. Again the pointer moves, and stops this time, we will say, at the num- ber "seven." The seven of diamonds is sought | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,238 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 238 | L'ENVOI WITH these last lines I lay down my pen, as I have long since laid down the wand. I do SO with regret, for writing about magic has always been to me a labour of love, but failing energy and failing eyesight warn me that my day is over, and that "the night cometh, wherein no man can work." When I first began to discourse of magic, I had the whole field, in a literary sense, to myself. That state of things has long since ceased to be. Fertile brains and ready writers have taken up my task, and magic has now a worthy literature, growing day by day. "So mote it be!" Furthermore, if I may be allowed a word of ad- vice, let me say that every lover of magic, be he professional or amateur, should join a magical so- ciety. No great work can be carried forward with- out organization, and the success of such bodies as The Magician's Club and the Magic Circle here, and the Society of American Magicians over seas, has proved that magic is no exception to the rule. I must not close without a word of hearty thanks to Harry Houdini, Oscar S. Teale and John W. Sargent, of the Society of American Magicians, for their generous offices in connection with the publi- cation of my book. With this last legacy to the friends, at home and abroad, who have derived pleasure or profit from my writings, I bid them a cheery farewell. LOUIS HOFFMANN. 222 3477-3 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,9 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 9 | LATEST MAGIC BEING ORIGINAL CONJURING TRICKS INVENTED AND ARRANGED BY PROFESSOR HOFFMANN (ANGELO LEWIS, M.A.) Author of "Modern Magic," etc. WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS FIRST EDITION NEW YORK SPON & CHAMBERLAIN, 120 LIBERTY ST. 1918 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,17 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 17 | LATEST MAGIC INTRODUCTORY SOME NEW APPLIANCES OF GENERAL UTILITY THE little appliances to be presently described are the outcome of ideas which, after a long period of incubation in my note-books, have ultimately taken concrete form in what, I venture to believe, will be found to be practical and useful items of magical apparatus. I may further claim that they combine in an exceptional degree absolute inno- cence of appearance with a wide range of practical utility. Examples of their uses are indicated in the following pages, but the inventive reader will find that these by no means exhaust their possibili- ties of usefulness. MAGICAL MATS The first to be described are of two different kinds, to be known as the "Card" and "Coin" Mat respectively. They are in appearance simply cir- cular table-or plate mats, with an ornamental 1 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,244 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 244 | LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 1 029 714 238 0 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,127 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 127 | LOST AND FOUND 111 magic in it still. Not so much as there was, I dare say, but still it retains a good many magical quali- ties. Among them is a curious talent for recover- ing lost property. For instance, I once had a dog. His name was Socrates, but he was generally called 'Socks.' In fact, he preferred it. He was a val- uable dog, because he combined SO many different breeds. He was partly pug, and partly grey- hound, and partly dachshund, and partly chow, and partly bull-dog and partly terrier, and partly of two or three other breeds that I can't for the moment remember. One day Socks went out to see a friend, and didn't come back again. I sat up all night for him with a stick, but he didn't come home till morning. In fact, he didn't come home even then. I thought I had lost him for good, and I was quite distressed about it. "Just when I was beginning to get over the loss I had a further shock. My precious Desdemona handkerchief was missing. But the very next day I heard a barking outside, and there was my dog with the handkerchief tied round his neck and three other dogs with him. The handkerchief had recovered them all. "You don't believe that little story. I thought you wouldn't. People never will believe anything a little bit out of the way. It is just the same with fish stories. I know a man who, when he was a boy, fishing in a pond with a maggot on a bent pin, caught a four-pound salmon. He didn't claim | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,129 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 129 | LOST AND FOUND 113 the handkerchief to find it, but first you would like, no doubt, to have a look at the handkerchief itself. Notice the richness of the pattern. It is said to be after a design in the Alhambra. I don't mean the Alhambra you gentlemen go to, but the real Moorish one in Spain. Leaving the handkerchief for the time being in the possession of a spectator he returns to the table, meanwhile palming the velvet patch, and the substituted half-crown, and ostensibly picks up the original, in reality rendering it invisible by laying the patch over it, and showing the substitute in its place, after the manner described at p. 19. He then advances to the company with the substi- tute coin and offers it to one or other of the spec- tators, remarking, "Take it, please, and pass it to one or other of your neighbours SO that I shan't know where it is."7 Under pretence of offering the coin, he passes it from the one hand to the other, and vanishes it by, say, the tourniquet, SO that the person holding out a hand to receive it gets nothing, and says SO. "What do you say, Sir? You have not got it? But surely, I have just handed it to you. You are not joking? Then it must have fallen on the floor. Please look around you a bit." (Pretends to do so himself.) "Not there? Well, this is extra- ordinary." (To the lender of the coin.) "I am very sorry, Sir. Your money is lost in a way I did not anticipate. But after all, when I come to | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,131 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 131 | LOST AND FOUND 115 THE RIDDLE OF THE PYRAMIDS This, in good hands, will be found a very effec- tive trick. I have the less hesitation in saying so, because the assertion is only to a very limited extent self-praise. The idea of the effect to be pro- duced was my own, as also to a certain extent the method of producing it. I had even got SO far as to devise, in anticipation, suitable patter. When, however, I proceeded to put my ideas into practice I found myself pulled up by unexpected obstacles. The object to be attained, as will be seen by the sequel, was the instantaneous re-adjustment of the sundered parts of a small pyramid, and this I pro- posed to do by means of the pull of a thread, fine enough to be practically invisible. Now, to make segments of a pyramid not only draw together, but sit squarely one upon another, it is necessary to have forces operating simultaneously in two dif- ferent directions, and the need for this caused diffi- culties which I found myself unable to cope with. Indeed, I had practically decided to content myself by producing a somewhat similar effect in a sim- pler way, as exemplified in the trick which I have called the Miracle of Mumbo Jumbo, which next follows. As luck would have it, however, I mentioned my difficulties to my good friend, Mr. Holt Schooling, a gentleman whom I have more than once had occasion to refer to in my writings in connection | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,19 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 19 | MAGICAL MATS 3 Each mat has a secret space, after the manner of the old "multiplying" salver, between its upper and under surfaces. The opening in each case is opposite the lower end or point of the shield before mentioned, so that, however the mat may be placed, a glance at the shield will always furnish a guide to the position, for the time being, of the opening. Fig. 2 In the case of the card mat the secret space (see Fig. 2) is just large enough to accommodate three playing cards, one upon another. The corre- sponding space in the coin mat (Fig. 3) is shorter, narrower and deeper, being designed to receive, | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,71 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 71 | MAGNETIC MAGIC 55 The expert will recognise this last effect as a "chestnut" among card tricks, but it is none the worse on that account, and it forms a particularly appropriate sequel to the principal trick. If the performer possesses the "flower-pot," one of these will naturally be used in place of the hat. MAGNETIC MAGIC Requirements. Card mat, loaded with a single known card (precise nature optional). Pack of cards with corresponding card at top. A horse- shoe magnet, the larger the better for the sake of effect. The two flower-pots, placed at some dis- tance apart, preferably on separate tables. We will suppose that the card selected for the purpose of the trick is the ten of spades. Per- former advances, and delivers patter to something like the following effect. "By way of a change, I should like now to show you a little experiment in magnetism, but mag- netism of a new kind. The old sort was a com- paratively poor affair. It was only useful with iron or steel. Anything else it wouldn't attract for nuts. My sort of magnetism is a very superior article. It will attract all sorts of things, so long as they are not too heavy, like a sack of coals, or a lawyer's bill. So far, I have been chiefly experi- menting with cards, and I will show you how it works. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,104 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 104 | MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS MONEY-MAKING MADE EASY Requirements. Coin mat loaded with two double pennies, shell side undermost. Lighted candle and velvet mat (with pocket) on table. Presentation. Performer comes forward with coin mat hanging down in his right hand (mouth of loaded space upwards), and asks for the loan of a penny, marked in some conspicuous way. Receiv- ing it on the mat, he shows it, so placed, to the per- sons, seated on each side of the owner, in so doing making it obvious to them, without remark, that his hands are otherwise empty. Then returning to his table, with the mat and the coin on it still in his hand, he delivers patter to the following effect: "Now I am going to show you a nice easy way of making money. I was told when I was a small boy, "Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.' I believe they do. The pounds take such good care of themselves that very few of them seem to come my way. But you can make a bit even with pennies, if you know how to set about it. All you need is a really good penny to start with. It doesn't matter how you get the penny. You may beg, borrow, or steal it. Per- 88 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,105 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 105 | MONEY-MAKING MADE EASY 89 sonally, I prefer to borrow it. If you try the other two ways you get yourself disliked, but you can always get people to lend you things, if you ask prettily; and I've always been celebrated for my nice borrowing manner. You must all have no- ticed that the gentleman lent me a penny without the slightest hesitation. I daresay if I had asked him, he would have made it two-pence, or even six- pence, if he had as much about him. In this case, however, one penny is enough for my purpose; and here it is with the owner's own mark upon it. Observe that it is just a plain ordinary penny, and you can see for yourselves that it is the only one I have-in my hands, I mean. I am always truth- ful. As a matter of fact, I believe I have another in my left trouser-pocket, but I promise you that I won't use it.'' Pass mat, with coin on it, from one hand to the other, showing the hands otherwise empty, and leaving the mat finally in the right hand: then let the marked coin slide off it into left hand, the concealed coins passing with it. Put down the mat, and show all three coins together (the marked coin in front) held between fore-finger and thumb, broadside toward the spectators. Thus held, they are, even at a few feet distant, undistinguishable from a single coin. "Now I am going to make money. Not much, perhaps, in fact only a penny at a time. I shall start by making this one penny into two. Cent | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,107 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 107 | MONEY-MAKING MADE EASY 91 "But here I must really draw the line. If k ept on like this, there would be none of the original penny left. It is already getting weaker and weaker. Besides, there wouldn't be time for any- thing else, and I have several still more wonderful things to show you. "And now to put these extra pennies back again into the original coin. At present it is only one- fifth its proper weight and if the owner tried to pass it in this condition there would be trouble. I should explain, by the way, that these others are not really solid coins: though they look like it. They are what the spiritualists call astral coins, if you know what that means: I don't quite know myself; SO I won't attempt to explain, but I believe in the Police Courts they are known as 'duffers.' ", Lay all five coins on the velvet mat, each of the shells slightly overlapping the solid coin to which it belongs. "Here we have one, two, three, four, five. I pick up two of them." (Draw shell over solid in act of picking up.) "I give them a gentle squeeze and they become one only." (Show as one, and replace on mat behind the mouth of pocket.) "Now I treat two more in the same way." (Repeat accordingly, replacing these also, as one, on mat.) "We have now only three left. Let me see, which is the original? Ah here it is, with the owner's mark upon it." (Pick it up and show in left hand.) "Now I rub one of these others into | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,33 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 33 | NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF THE "BLACK ART" PRINCIPLE BLACK ART MATS AND BLACK ART PATCHES The Black Art Table has long since established itself in the affections of the conjurer as one of his most effective aids. At a stage performance the presence of one or more such adjuncts is almost a matter of course, but the drawing room performer finds many occasions when, for one reason or another, the use of such an aid is precluded. Some wizards, as a matter of personal convenience, decline to burden themselves with more artistic luggage than can be bestowed in an ordinary hand- bag. Others, again, hold (and not without rea- son) that the use of a special table, imported by the performer himself, tends to discount the marvel of his show; as being suggestive of that "prepara- tion" which every artistic conjurer is anxious to disclaim. It is no doubt an easy matter to arrange a good enough programme for which the aid of "black art" is not needed, but this means the exclusion not merely of a valuable auxiliary, but of many of the most striking magical effects. I have pleasure in introducing to the reader a substitute which, though its capabilities fall a good 17 | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,13 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 13 | PREFACE The tricks described in the following pages are of my own invention, and for the most part are en- tirely new departures: not only the effects pro- duced, but the appliances by means of which they are produced, being original. From the nature of the case, it follows that few of the items described have been submitted to the supreme test of performance in public, but all have been thoroughly thought out; most of the root- ideas having in fact been simmering in my mind for more than two years past. One or two of them may demand a more than average amount of ad- dress on the part of the performer; but the ma- jority are comparatively easy, and I believe I may assert with confidence that all will be found both practicable and effective. Should any of my mod- est inventions be found, as is not improbable, sus- ceptible of further polish, the keen wits and ready fingers of my brother wizards may safely be trusted to supply it. The items entitled The Mystery of Mahomet, The Bewildering Blocks, and The Wizard's vii | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,85 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 85 | TELL-TALE FINGERS 69 sibly be known beforehand to the performer; and in the second place to persuade him that it is dis- covered in some actually impossible (and therefore magical) way; taking advantage, where possible, of some known scientific truth which may lend colour to your suggestion. It is surprising, in con- juring matters, how much even the smallest per- centage of fact increases the power of the average spectator for swallowing fiction. The patter for the trick which follows has been arranged upon these lines. The requisites for the trick are a pack of cards from which three known cards have been with- drawn and palmed (or SO placed to be in instant readiness for palming), a hand-mirror, and a silk handkerchief. The introductory oration may run somewhat as follows: "You all know, ladies and gentlemen, what an important part finger-prints now play in the detec- tion of crime. Happily. there is no connection between conjuring and crime, beyond the fact that they both begin with a C. No conjurer that I know of has ever murdered anybody or been mur- dered himself, and when a conjurer borrows a half- crown, he always-well, almost always returns it. But each one of us, whether criminal or curate, burglar or bishop, possesses a definite set of finger- prints, quite unlike those of anybody else. And, what is more, we cannot touch anything, ever SO | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,87 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 87 | TELL-TALE FINGERS 71 is again shuffled, and spread face upward on the table. "Each of the three cards which have been drawn now has a complete set of finger-prints upon its surface, but there are no doubt others on many other cards, the result of previous handling. To enable me to distinguish the right ones, I must ask each person who chose a card to give me, for the purpose of comparison, a fresh impression, on the glass of this mirror. First, however, we must remove any prints that may already be upon it." He accordingly breathes upon the glass, and wipes it carefully with the handkerchief. "Now, Sir" (to the person who first drew), "will you kindly press your hand flat against the glass. Thank you. Not a very clear impression, but I dare say it will be good enough. I have now only to discover the card bearing the same imprint, and I shall know that it was the one you drew." (He picks it out from the exposed cards on the table.) "Here it is, I think, the of " (as the case may be). The other two cards are then discovered after the same fashion. As the performer knows beforehand what they are, this will give him little trouble, but he will be wise, for the sake of effect, not to discover them too readily. For the same reason, great importance should ostensibly be attached to the thorough cleaning of the hand mir- | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,173 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 173 | THE BEWILDERING BLOCKS 157 inserted at the top is found to have passed to the bottom, the other two moving up accordingly. This surprising effect is produced by the secret introduction into the tube of a fourth block of which the spectators know nothing. This, which FIG. 32 FIG. 33 FIG. 34 we will call the "trick" block, is, like the rest, col- oured black at the top and bottom; but of the remaining four sides two, contiguous to each other, are red, and the other two blue. When the tube is handed back to the performer | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,175 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 175 | THE BEWILDERING BLOCKS 159 man called Fidgety Phil, There is a little poem about him. It says: 'Fidgety Phil Couldn't keep still, Made his mother and father ill.' "There are a lot more verses but I am sorry to say I don't know them. However, these few lines are enough to show you what sort of a boy Fidgety Phil was. He was the kind of boy that wherever he is, he wants to be somewhere else. When he was standing up he wanted to sit down, and when he was sitting down he wriggled about on his chair till he was allowed to stand up again. "These little blocks are all that are left of a box of bricks which are said to have belonged to Fidgety Phil and they show what even a box of bricks may come to if a bad example is constantly set before them. These three little bricks have got to be just as fidgety as Phil was himself. Any- how, that is the only way in which I can account for their queer behaviour. "Please have a good look at them, and see if you can discover anything peculiar about them. I can't, myself." (The blocks are handed for exam- ination.) "They seem to me to be just ordinary bits of coloured wood, and this square tube is believed to have been a chimney pot belonging to the same set. I want you to notice particularly that the bricks are just the right size to fit closely | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,177 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 177 | THE BEWILDERING BLOCKS 161 bottom, checked by the third finger, and replaces tube upright on table. "As before, I drop in first the blue, then the white, then the red." (This last being the trick block, care must be taken to keep its red sides well to the front.) "Again I left off the chimney pot, and again you see, the bricks have changed places. White has come to the top, and red has gone to the bottom again." The trick block, which this time remained at the top, is now allowed to slide down to the bottom. The tube is again placed on the table, but so turned that the blue sides of the block within it are brought to the front. "I can't tell you why the bricks behave in this way, but you can see for yourselves that I have nothing to do with it. We will try it once more, and for a change I will put the red block in first, then the white and then the blue. That order will be easy to remember. Red, white and blue reckon- ing from the bottom upwards. Again I remove the cover. The same thing has happened again, but with a little difference. White has come to the top again, but blue has this time gone to the bot- tom."7 While attention is drawn to the new order of the blocks, the performer allows the ordinary blue one, now left in the tube, to slide out into his hand, and in picking up the others secretly substitutes | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,123 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 123 | THE BOUNDING BEANS 107 thing particular about them. You won't notice any difference between them and any other beans, but as a matter of fact they are a good deal more energetic than beans of the ordinary kind, and when they get to know and love you, they will do all sorts of remarkable things. "I will pour a few of them into this glass." (The front compartment of the mirror glass is filled to about two-thirds of its height.) "To pre- vent their getting out again without your knowing it I will press them down with a handful of these pretty paper shavings." This is also done, the quantity of paper being SO regulated, in accordance with previous experi- ment, that when pressed down it shall come half an inch or SO below the brim of the glass. "To make matters still more secure I will ask the loan of a lady's handkerchief to cover the glass with." The handkerchief is taken in the right hand, the left meanwhile raising the glass a little way to meet it. In covering and lowering it again to the table the needful half-turn is made. "I will not touch the glass again until the experi- ment is finished. Meanwhile I want to call your attention to these two tubes. You will observe that one of them is slightly larger than the other. A gentleman told me the other evening that I was wrong in saying SO. He maintained that the one was smaller than the other. I didn't argue with | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,125 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 125 | THE BOUNDING BEANS 109 should 'ask a pleeceman.' I did ask a policeman, and he said, 'Go I won't mention, but I don't think he meant it as a translation. My own idea is that it is a bit of Esperanto. Anyhow, it has the desired effect; for you see the beans have left the glass" (uncovering it and showing it empty), "and they have jumped into this tube, which is what I wanted them to do." The beans are poured from the tube into the vacant portion, now to the front, of the mirror glass, with due care that the coil at bottom shall not be seen. "But there's something wrong here. I must have made some little mistake in the pronunciation of the magic spell, for the paper seems to have dis- appeared as well as the beans. There is certainly no room for it in the tube. Here it is, though, or some of it." The paper is unwound, and when it comes to an end the wand is passed through A and C (now bottomless) together, again proving (?) that the former which is always shown to the spectators could not possibly have contained the beans in any natural way. A moment or two later the inner tube can easily be got rid of behind the mass of paper ribbon. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,41 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 41 | THE DETECTIVE DIE 25 "they have returned to their original positions. "Now you will realise, if you think about the matter, that those two cards couldn't in any nat- ural way change places without your seeing them do it, neither could the one change into the other. But this is where magic comes in. What I really did was to hypnotise you a little SO as to make you fancy, when I told the cards to change, that the eight of hearts was the seven of spades, and that the seven of spades was the eight of hearts. It's quite simple, when you know it, and you can see for yourselves that the quickness of the hand has had nothing to do with the matter. For my own part I like to do things slowly; the more slowly the better, and then you can all see how it's done." The trick is simple enough; but it will test the performer's expertness as to neatness of execu- tion. He must be careful in the first place to put each of the drawn cards as exactly as possible on the opposite velvet-backed card; and in picking up two cards together he should frame them, so to speak, between the middle finger and thumb at top and bottom, and the first and third fingers at the sides. Held in this manner they rest squarely one upon the other and there is little fear of their "duplicity" (or "duplexity") being perceived. In the act of again turning the double card down the upper one should be partially drawn off the one below it; this facilitating the picking of it up alone a few moments later. / | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,43 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 43 | THE DETECTIVE DIE 27 2. Six cards of like denomination (say for the purpose of illustration six queens of diamonds), each backed with black velvet and blackened at the edges all around save at one end. Here the card is thickened by the interposition of a slip of white card-board between itself and the velvet, so that the card as viewed from that end shall show a clearly visible white edge. Each card has all four of its corners snipped off to a microscopie extent, say a sixteenth, or less, of an inch. 3. An ordinary pack of cards one of which (in the case supposed, the queen of diamonds) bears a mark upon its back recognisable by the performer, but not conspieuous enough to be noticed by any one else. 4. An ordinary die and dicebox, or a champagne tumbler to be used in place of the latter. 5. A tray or plate, about six inches in diameter, whereon to throw the die. 6. The wand. Preparation. Velvet mat on table, and laid upon it, face down in a row (or a double row, in the case of a small mat), the six velvet-backed cards. These, SO laid, will be undistinguishable by spectators at a very short distance from the mat itself. Each is laid with its "white" end toward the hinder part of the table, so that this shall be visible to the performer when standing behind it. The marked queen of diamonds is laid on the top of the pack. The die and dice-box, on their tray, | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,45 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 45 | THE DETECTIVE DIE 29 which would naturally upset my game and get me into trouble with my partner. The die is equally peculiar, but in another way. From some curious effect of sympathy it knows where a given card is to be found when I don't know myself. "The only possible explanation I can think of for their peculiarities is the fact that both cards and die were formerly the property of an old magician, and that after his death they were shut up together for some years in the same box with this wand, which also belonged to him, and that they have imbibed some of its magical qualities. I will give you a sample of their 'eccentricities.'' ", Performer takes back the cards and proceeds to force the queen of diamonds on some member of the company (a lady for choice). Leaving the drawn card for the time being in her hands, he asks a gentleman to shuffle and cut the rest of the pack and count off from the cut five indifferent cards. The card drawn by the lady is then shuffled with these, so that its position among the six shall be unknown. Performer, taking these from the holder, deals them in a row (or double row, as the case may be) upon the velvet mat, placing each exactly over one of the velvet-backed cards; the white hinder edges of these guiding him as to their positions. "We will now consider these cards as numbered in regular order, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six! Among them somewhere or other, is the | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,47 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 47 | THE DETECTIVE DIE 31 which (being one of the indifferent cards) shows a different face. "The queen has gone, you see. And now to ascertain whether she has really passed to number five." The two cards standing at that number are lifted together, and again a queen of diamonds is exhib- ited. The trick can of course be repeated any number of times, but it is better not to prolong it beyond a third or fourth "move." In picking up two cards together, in order to show the undermost, they are lifted with second finger at top, thumb at bottom and the first and third fingers at the sides. Thus "framed" SO to speak, the two cards will lie squarely the one upon the other and be undistinguishable from a single card. When it is desired to lift the upper card alone, it should be nipped between the second fin- ger at top right-hand corner and thumb at bottom left-hand corner, when it will be brought away clear without difficulty. There is one contingency for which the per- former must be prepared, namely, that the throw of the die may happen to correspond with the actual position of the card drawn. Both cards of the pair are in this case alike, and the performer cannot, at the succeeding throw, show that the drawn card is no longer in its late position. This possibility is provided for by having the back of the card marked as before explained. Should the contingency in question arise, the performer, hav- | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,49 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 49 | THE DISSOLVING DICE 33 Presentation. The opening "yarn" may run as follows: "I once read a story about a man who invented a most ingenious piece of furniture of the 'com- bination' kind. It started, say, as a table, but by giving it a pull here and a push there, it became a step-ladder. Another pull and push, and it turned into a mangle, or by just turning a button or two, you could make it a clothes-horse. "The story says that at first it was a great suc- cess, but after a little while the thing began to work too easily, and sometimes changed of its own accord when least expected, which was a drawback. It was annoying, naturally, when you were using it as a step-ladder, and hanging up a picture, to have it suddenly turn into a clothes-horse, and land you on the floor. It was vexing, too, when it was a table, and the family were seated round it at breakast, to have it turn into a mangle, and mangle the cups and saucers. "I shouldn't care myself to have a piece of fur- niture like that: it would make life too exciting. But the story gave me an idea. It struck me what a convenience it would be, after showing one of my little experiments, to be able to turn the articles I had been using into what I wanted for the next. I haven't got very far as yet, but I have made a beginning in a small way, and I will show you how it's done. "I have here three wooden dice, with a cover for | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,51 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 51 | THE DISSOLVING DICE 35 dice are solid, and secondly, to enable the per- former, in replacing them on the table, to turn each the other way up, so as to bring the loose side undermost. This is best done by placing the thumb on top of the die, with the first and second fingers behind it, then tilting the die over a little to the front, and slipping the two fingers under- neath it. After showing it on all sides, as above mentioned, it is an easy matter to replace it with the loose side undermost, as desired. "Now, as it happens, I have no immediate use for dice, but I want to show you a pretty little effect with billiard-balls. Naturally, the thing to be done is to change the dice into billiard-balls. It's quite easy, if you are provided with my patent quick-change combination dice. All you need to think about is to take care to have even numbers in front." (You turn the dice accordingly, and in so doing lift each die a little, and shift it forward a couple of inches or so, leaving the loose side undisturbed just behind it, the ball travelling for- ward with the die, though still covered by it.) "You don't see why they should show even num- bers? Because they would look 'odd' - if they didn't. Quite simple,-when you know it. Now I cover all three dice over, to spare their blushes, as I explained just now. I wave my wand over them and say, 'Presto! Proximo! Change! And we shall find the dice have all turned to bil- liard-balls." | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,53 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 53 | THE DISSOLVING DICE 37 The sequel may vary, according to the fancy of the performer, and his skill in ball-conjuring. For lack of a more effective dénouement, the trick may be brought to a finish as follows: Secretly getting the shell ball into his right hand, and picking up the red ball with the left, the performer proceeds: "Well, here we have three balls, one red and two white. To prevent ill feeling between them, I think we had better make them all the same colour: and as the white are in the majority, we will have them all white. It is quite easy, if you know how to do it. You have only to breathe on the ball, give it a roll round in the hand to take the colour off, and there you are." After breathing on the ball, you bring the right hand containing the shell over it, and exhibit it, shell in front. You then transfer it in the same condition, to the opposite hand. Then pick up one of the two white balls with the right hand, transfer it to the left and show the two side by side. Then pick up and add the third ball, in SO doing letting the red ball fall into the right hand, and while calling attention to the three in the opposite hand, drop it into the profonde. You then bring up the shell over one or other of the two solid white balls, thereby transforming the three into two. Drop the solid from the shell into the right hand, making the two into one; finally causing the disappearance of this last after the usual manner. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,21 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 21 | THE FAIRY FLOWER-POTS 5 upon it, turn the mat over, and wave it about freely. If the coin adheres securely, the mat is in working order. THE FAIRY FLOWER-POTS These are, strictly speaking, only flower-pot cases, called in French cache-pots. They may be of leather or cardboard, ornamented on the out- side, but plain black inside, their general appear- Fig. 4 ance being as shown in Fig. 4. They have neither top nor bottom, and when not in use, can be opened out flat or rolled up as in Figs. 5 and 6, for greater portability. The pair, when needed for use, are exhibited in | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,23 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 23 | THE FAIRY FLOWER-POTS 7 being self-evident, but it has a pretty effect, and the exhibiting of the two pots as one in the first instance admits of the presence, within the outer one, of a secret pocket, open at top, as depicted in Fig. 7, but folding down, when not in use, flat against its side.¹ 0 o 0 0, FIG. 7 The main object of this pocket is to enable the performer to "vanish" a card. The card to be got rid of is dropped ostensibly into the flower- pot, or rather, the pot being bottomless, through it on to the table, where, when the pot is lifted, the spectators naturally expect to see it. It has however disappeared, having in fact been dropped into the pocket, where it remains concealed. Two, or even three cards may on occasion be dealt with in the same way. By covering the pocket with the 1 It is extremely difficult to construct the "pots" so that the pocket is workable on the concave inner surface, but if they are made four, five or six-sided the pocket folds against a flat surface and works perfectly.-ED, | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,25 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 25 | THE FAIRY FLOWER-POTS 9 One of them was my own. The other I had bor- rowed-from under the seat. You don't believe it? Well, I said you wouldn't. I always know! "But that is not all. It isn't only the bad effect on the conjurer's own morals, and sometimes on the hat. People are SO careless. They do leave such funny things in their hats. Cannon balls and birdcages; babies' socks and babies' bottles; rab- bits and pigeons, and bowls of fish, and a host of other things. And just when you are going to pro- duce some brilliant effect, you are pulled up short by finding some silly thing of that sort in the hat. It's most annoying. "So, after thinking it over, I made up my mind to do away with hats altogether. Of course I don't mean for putting on people's heads, but so far as conjuring is concerned, and it struck me that a pretty flower-pot, like this, would form a capital substitute." (Show as one, the combined pots, inside and out.) "Much nicer than a hat, don't you think? It is prettier, to begin with, and then again, you can see right through it, and make sure there is no deception. You see that at pres- ent the pot is perfectly empty. "But no! I scorn to deceive you. I am like George Washington, except that I haven't got a little axe. I cannot tell a lie. At least it hurts me very much to do so, and I don't feel well enough to do it now. No! It is useless any longer to dis- guise it! The pot is not really empty, for you see | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,99 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 99 | THE MASCOT COIN BOX 83 As regards the disappearance of the three cards, the performer is of course by no means restricted to the use of the card-box. If he is an expert in sleight-of-hand, he may with even better effect, "vanish" them one by one by means of the back palm, dropping them a moment later into the pro- fonde. THE MASCOT COIN BOX This is a little device on the same principle as the well-known flat card-box, but adapted for use with coins, and with an addition which largely increases its utility inasmuch as it will not only enable the performer to "change" or "vanish," but to get instant and secret possession of a coin placed in it. The box (see Fig. 14) is of ebonized wood, unpolished, and in size about three inches square. It consists of two parts (a and b), which are alike in size and appearance, so that either half may be regarded as "box" and either as "lid," at pleasure, according as the one or the other is made uppermost, no difference being perceptible be- tween them. In the centre of each half is a cir- cular well, not quite two inches in diameter. Used with the box is a thin dise of wood corre- sponding to that of which the box is made. This is of such diameter as to fall easily from the one well into the other, according to the way in which the box is turned, but on the other hand fits so | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,101 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 101 | THE MASCOT COIN BOX 85 the case of the card-box. But the "mascot" has a speciality of its own, in the fact that in that half of the box marked a (see Fig. 14) a horizontal slot is cut on the side opposite to the hinge, just long enough and wide enough to allow the passage of a halfcrown. The wood being dead black, this small opening is invisible save to close inspection, which the box is never called upon to undergo. When it is desired to gain secret possession of a coin lent by one of the company, the lender is invited to place it himself in the box, held open bookwise as in Fig. 14, the side b of the box having been previously loaded with a duplicate coin. The lender of the coin may place it in whichever side of the box he pleases, but the manner of clos- ing the box will vary accordingly. If he places it in the side a, the opposite (or loaded) side is treated as the lid and turned down over a. In this case, the coin being already in the slotted half, no turn- over of the box is necessary, the performer having merely to allow the coin to slip out into his hand. In the opposite case, viz., that of the coin being placed in b, a is treated as the lid, and the coin being in this case above the disc the box must be turned over before it can be extracted. If pre- ferred the performer can hold the box SO that the coin will naturally be placed in b, but in this case the turn-over is unavoidable. When the box is again opened, the duplicate coin is revealed in place of the original, which is mean- | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,103 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 103 | THE MASCOT COIN BOX 87 "I don't want even to touch the coin myself till the very last moment, so I will ask you meanwhile to put it in this little box. I believe it was built for a watch-case, but as I don't happen to need one, I use it to hold my money, when I have any, or when I can get somebody to lend me some." The box is held open bookwise, as above men- tioned, and closed according to circumstances, in one or the other of the two ways described. "I will now ask some gentleman to take charge of the coin in the box. Who will do so? You will, Sir? Thank you. But stay! I think I heard somebody say (it was only said in a whisper but I heard it) 'I don't believe the halfcrown is in the box.' It is very sad to find people so suspicious, especially when I take such pains to prove that there is 'no deception.' But the gentleman was wrong, you see." (He opens box, and shows the substitute coin.) "Here it is. Take it out, sir, and keep it in your own hands till I ask you for it again." During the delivery of the patter the borrowed coin has been extracted, and the coin exhibited in the box and handed for safe-keeping is, of course, the substitute. The box, as being no longer needed, is laid without remark upon the table, and the trick proceeds, after whatever may have been its intended fashion. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,143 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 143 | THE MIRACLE OF MUMBO JUMBO 127 "I mention these little matters in order to give you an idea of the place, in case any of you might like to take a week-end trip there. If you are old and tough, you might risk it. If you are young and tender, you had better not. "The special point of interest is a curious pagoda in the centre of the village. It is seventy-five feet high and is supposed to be the habitation of Mumbo Jumbo; a sort of deputy devil, much respected in those parts. This little model is an exact copy of it. You can't call it pretty, but there is a very remarkable thing about it. When the king dies (which happens by accident about once a fortnight), the pagoda is pulled down, and if the new king is acceptable to Mumbo Jumbo (which depends upon the amount of his tip to the chief witch doctor) old Mum rebuilds it himself by magic. You don't see him do it. The pagoda just sits up and paws the air, so to speak If Mumbo does not approve, the proposed king gets a knock on the head with a cocoa-nut, and some more liberal Golliwogg is crowned instead. "I naturally wanted to know how the miracle was worked; and I managed to buy the secret from one of the witch doctors. He sold it to me for a pair of sixpenny-half penny sock suspenders. He didn't wear socks, but that didn't matter. He put the suspenders on at once and strutted about, as proud as a dog with three tails. "Now, I am going to tell you the secret. Scien- | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,29 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 29 | THE MISSING CARD 13 temporarily for the time being in view on the table. The next step is to pick up pack A, and force from it the knave of diamonds, receiving it back on top of the prepared card, passed to the middle of the pack for its reception. Squaring up the pack and applying the necessary pressure, the performer offers it to be shuffled, meanwhile delivering him- self to something like the following effect. "Before going further, ladies and gentlemen, I want you to remember exactly what has been done. A card has been chosen from this pack. It has been put back again, the cards have been shuffled, and you can all bear witness that I have not touched them since. Nobody knows, except the lady who chose it, what card she chose. Whereabouts in the pack it may be at this moment not one of us knows, even the lady herself. I can assure you truthfully that I don't, but I propose, by force of magic, to compel that card, whatever it may be, to leave that pack altogether, and pass into the other one. Nay, more than that, I shall com- pel it to place itself at any number in that pack you like to name. What shall we say ? Seventh: Good. "Now please bear in mind that that pack, like the other, has just been shuffled, and that I have not touched it since. It is therefore manifestly impossible that I should know the position of any card in it. Of course, as there is already a knave of diamonds in the pack, it is just possible, though | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,31 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 31 | THE MISSING CARD 15 Let us make sure first, though, whether he has really left the other pack." Picking up pack A, he counts the cards slowly, not looking at them himself, but showing the face of each before laying it on the table. "Stop me, please, if you see the knave of diamonds." He counts, "one, two, three, four,' and so on to the end. "Fifty-one cards only! Then there is one card missing, and as you have not seen the knave of diamonds, and as all the other cards are here, it is plain that it is he who has left the pack. We have still to find out whether he has obeyed orders, and gone over to the other pack. You wished him to place himself seventh, I think. I won't touch the cards myself. Will some gentleman come for- ward, and count them off for me?" (This is done.) "The seventh card is really the knave of diamonds, is it not ? "But, you may say, this might be the knave properly belonging to this pack. Please look through the pack, sir, and if there has been no deception you will find the proper knave in some other part of it. You have found the other knave ? Then you will admit that that proves clearly that this first one is the identical card the lady drew." 1 It would be easy to give other combinations dependent on the use of the adhesive principle, but 1 A somewhat more elaborate trick of mine on the same principle (The Elusive Card) will be found described in the Magazine of Magic, Vol. II, pp. 13, 47. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,109 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 109 | THE MISSING LINK 93 Mr. David Devant) pointed out to me that about ninety-live per cent of my ingenuity was wasted, inasmuch as the same effect, SO far as the spectator was concerned, could be produced by infinitely simpler means, viz.:-by using a glass with double mirror partition, when all the other paraphernalia became unnecessary. You had only to load the hinder compartment with the complete chain, and after a due amount of "talkee-talkee," drop the loose links into the forward one, turn the glass round, and the deed was done. The trick, as a trick, was just as good in its new shape as before, but being at that time (compara- tively) young and foolish, its extreme simplicity spoilt it for me, and I lost all interest in it. Not long since, however, I was reminded of it by com- ing across the chain and links which had figured in my performance of the trick, and it struck me that, in a slightly modified form, it may still be worth the attention of the drawing-room conjurer. The requirements for the trick in this, its latest form, are as follows: First, the mirror glass; and as to this I may note in passing that the "mirror" is best made of tin- plate, not too highly polished, in place of the look- ing-glass plate which was, until a quite recent period, generally employed for the purpose. Secondly, a length of small iron chain, made up of twenty-six links, connected in the centre by a twenty-seventh link of brass. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,113 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 113 | THE MISSING LINK 97 It is done just the way I have shown you, and if you do as I do, and say as I say, you will no doubt produce the same result.¹ If you don't, well, you will be no use as a conjurer, and you had better go into some other business." Some less instructed reader may possibly enquire, "But why the Eau de Cologne? What does that do?" Precisely nothing, and therein lies its virtue. As indicated in the section on "patter" (post) it often happens that some little bit of spoof, supererogatory in reality so far as the spec- tator is concerned, is accepted as covering the real key to the puzzle. This is a case in point. Taking it for granted that the Eau de Cologne would not be used without some reason, the spectator sets to work to discover that reason, and so gets farther from the real solution. CULTURE EXTRAORDINARY The root-idea of this item must be credited to Signor Antonio Molini, the inventor of the very effective stage trick known as Le Souper du Diable. The principle on which that trick is worked is so subtle, and withal SO simple, that it is surprising that it has not long since been applied to the production of less bulky objects than the tablecloth, eatables and drinkables which figure in 1 This last bit of patter is a plagiarism from somebody or other, I rather think the late Dr. Lynn. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,163 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 163 | THE MYSTERY OF MAHOMET 147 down, the internal diameter of the tube is very slightly narrowed, forming a sort of "choke," SO that a ball dropped into it at the upper end does not fall right through, as one would naturally expect, but stops at that point, wedging itself lightly, SO that the tube can be reversed without any fear of the ball falling out, though it can be instantly driven out by bringing down the tube smartly on the table, or by very slight pressure behind it. The other part of the secret lies in the fact that two balls are in reality used, the existence of the second being of course unknown to the spectator. The tube being loaded as above mentioned, i.e. hav- ing the one ball wedged in it just below the choke, if the duplicate is dropped in from above it will apparently fall through, though as a matter of fact this ball comes to a standstill in the tube above the choke, while the other is driven out at the bottom. The secret use of this second ball enables the per- former to produce sundry surprising results in the way of appearances and disappearances. The possibilities of the trick in this form are however speedily exhausted, and it has a serious drawback in the fact that it is necessary to invert the tube afresh before each production, as it is obvious that a ball contained in it must be brought below the choke before it can be produced. I had at one time rather a fancy for the trick, but it seemed to me that it was capable of a good deal of | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,165 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 165 | THE MYSTERY OF MAHOMET 149 switch to right or left, raises the loop to a hori- zontal position against one or other of the sides of the tube, when it no longer offers any obstacle to the passing of the ball. The wire used is SO thin that with the halfhoop lying against its side a spec- tator may safely be allowed to look through the tube even at a very short distance, without fear of his perceiving the presence of the wire. The requirements for the trick, all told, are as follows: (1) The wand. (2) The plain tube. (3) The trick tube. (4) Two white balls. (5) A red ball. (6) A lighted candle. (7) A small red silk handkerchief. One of the white balls must be vested or other- wise so placed as to be ready for production from the wand. The second white ball and the red ball are stowed in the pochettes, one on each side. The faked tube may be vested and exchanged for the plain one during the journey back to the table after the dummy has been tendered for inspec- tion; the latter being dropped into the profonde. These however are matters which the expert will arrange after his own fashion. If the perfor- mer, not being an expert, doubts his ability to | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,167 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 167 | THE MYSTERY OF MAHOMET 151 other people. His coffin was placed in a mosque, where it hangs in the air like a captive balloon, about twenty feet up, resting on nothing at all. I am not certain as to the exact height from the ground, but that is what the Moslems say, and they would hardly tell a story about a little thing like that. It has always been a mystery what keeps the prophet up aloft. Some say it is done by mes- FIG. 30 merism, some say by magnetism, and one old gen- tleman declared it was done by mormonism. No doubt, when you come to think of it Mahomet was a bit of a Mormon. But they are all wide of the mark. As a matter of fact the coffin rests on a slab of compressed air. It's quite simple, when you know it. I haven't a coffin handy, but by means of this little tube I can show you the effect of the same principle on a smaller scale. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,169 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 169 | THE MYSTERY OF MAHOMET 153 table and drop the ball in once more. Where is it now' ? On the table, you say. Quite right: here it is."7 (Lift tube, closing it, and placing it on end beside ball.) "But now I take a few handfuls of air and press them well down into the tube" (makes believe to do so), "and I drop the ball in again. This time you see it does not fall through. As a matter of fact it has stopped halfway, resting on the compressed air in the tube." (Lift tube, showing that the ball has not passed through. After replacing the tube switch the wire loop to the horizontal position, allowing the ball to drop inside the tube.) "I think there can be no doubt that this is the way Mr. Home, the medium, man- aged to float about with his head in the air and his feet on the mantelpiece. All that was needed was a few pints of compressed air in his tail-pockets. It's quite simple, when you know how it's done. "Of course, as the tube is open at the top, the effect doesn't last very long. The compressed air gradually expands again and becomes too thin to support the ball any longer. I dare say by this time it has done so."7 (Lift tube, exposing ball, and re-closing tube). "Yes, here it is." "I can keep the air from escaping to a certain extent, because I happen to have a very strong won't. A strong will is a good thing to have, but sometimes a strong won't is even more useful. Once again I will fill the tube with compressed air." (Make believe to do so, then pick up the closed | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,171 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 171 | THE MYSTERY OF MAHOMET 155 becomes very sensitive to colour. I will just give the ball a rub with this red silk handkerchief and drop it into the tube again." Drop in white ball after rubbing, keeping tube closed; then raise it and show red ball at bottom. "Here it is again, you see, but it has taken the colour of the handkerchief and is now a rosy red, a sort of maiden's blush; the blush of a very shy maiden. Unfortunately maiden's blush is not a fast colour, unless it's the wrong kind; the kind that's rubbed in with a powder puff. This kind soon gets pale again. I rub the ball again, this time with a white handkerchief, and again drop it into the tube." Drop in red ball, tube closed, lift and show white ball, under cover of its appearance transferring tube to opposite hand and allowing red ball to run back into palm to be got rid of a moment later. "I think I heard a lady say, 'Where is the red ball ? This is the red ball, at least it was the red ball a moment ago. There is no other, for, as you see, the tube is empty." Again drop tube over candle as in Fig. 30. Pass ball from hand to hand and finally make believe to swallow it, meanwhile dropping it into the pro- fonde. "After being treated like this the ball becomes so volatile that I used to be always losing it. But I never lose it now. I just swallow it and then I | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,185 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 185 | THE MYSTERY OF THE THREE SEALS 169 now moved away from himself, and the pressure of the brake being relaxed, the coin is now drawn in the same direction. "Quod erat demonstrandum," as our old friend Shakespeare (or was it Euclid) used to say." (To the lender of the coin.) "You must take care of this coin, Sir; it is now charged with a minute quantity of the 'od' force, and SO long as you keep it you can never be 'stony-broke.' I will show you just one more effect with it before I return it to you." While speaking, he has carelessly picked up the coin, and replaced it on the inner side of the screw SO that this shall be no longer encircled by the thread. Picking up the match box from the table, he pushes out the "tray" portion with the fore- finger; then throwing aside the outer case, he picks up the tray, and inverts it over the coin. "I will now show you that the 'od' force still operates even though it is cut off from any direct connection with the subject of the experiment: but in this case a little more power is required." So saying he rubs the glass ball again on his coat- sleeve, and, moving the ball accordingly, causes the coin to travel towards him, the matchbox natur- ally moving with it. In again picking up the coin, to return it to the owner, he detaches it from the disc, which flies back to its original resting-place. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,187 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 187 | THE MYSTERY OF THE THREE SEALS 171 "trick" envelope. This is of the same size and kind as the innermost of the nested envelopes but has undergone special preparation as follows: Taking two ordinary envelopes, cut round the edges of one of them with a penknife, completely dividing back from front. Take the plain or non- flap side of the one SO treated, lay it squarely under FIG. 36 the flap of the other, and stick the flap down upon it in the ordinary way: then add a seal of red wax, as closely as possible corresponding in appear- ance with the two seals of the innermost of the nested envelopes. Lastly, cut away the super- fluous paper round the seal and the edges of the flap. The envelope will now be shown as in Fig. 36, and when closed will have the appearance of an envelope sealed in the ordinary way, though it | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,189 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 189 | THE MYSTERY OF THE THREE SEALS 173 George the Third, I can't say I do myself. He was. before my time, but there is a funny little story told about him. One day when out for a walk, he went into a farmhouse where he found the family having their dinner. One dish consisted of apple- dumplings, and the question crossed the King's mind, 'How on earth did the apples get into the dumplings? He didn't like to ask, but he couldn't get the puzzle out of his head. He thought about it SO much and it worried him SO that at last he went clean out of his mind. He became non compos mentis, which is the doctors' polite way of saying dotty. "I mention this story by way of a caution. What I am goong to show you is ever SO much more incom- prehensible than any number of apple dumplings; in fact, SO extra-extraordinary that if anybody here was the least bit 'excitable and I sprung it upon him unawares he might go dotty like old Georgie. So if any of you feel at all nervous, don't hesitate to go home, or you can go and sit on the stairs till this particular experiment is over. Nobody moves! I am pleased to find that you are all SO strong-minded, but if anything happens don't blame me. "I have known strong men ; men of massive intel- lect, like myself, come here with a smile on their faces, but when they left the smile was replaced by an air of grim determination. You could see at a glance that they had made up their minds to find | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,191 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 191 | THE MYSTERY OF THE THREE SEALS 175 in the other hand: "I have here two envelopes, or, to be exact, six envelopes, for each of those you see contains two more, one within the other: all carefully sealed. I am going to pass the coin this gentleman has lent me into the innermost of one or other of them, I don't care which, for they are exactly alike, so I shall leave the choice to your- selves." While you are speaking as above the disengaged hand slips the genuine coin into the trick envelope, closes it, pressing the flap well down, and palms it, dropping it a moment or two later into a pochette till needed. "You decide for this envelope? Just as you please. As the other will not be needed I will ask somebody to open it, and bear witness that things are exactly as I have stated." Leaving the chosen envelope on the table in full view and bringing forward the other, have the lat- ter opened by some member of the company with the penknife. Hand the envelope produced from it, with the knife, to a second spectator, to be dealt with in like manner. When the innermost is reached, have this opened by the lender of the marked coin : this apparent proof of good faith tending to make him less critical when, at a later stage, he is invited to do the same with the trick envelope. "Nothing could be fairer, could it ? You will all agree that it would have been impossible to intro- | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,193 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 193 | THE MYSTERY OF THE THREE SEALS 177 hands into the innermost envelope. But I don't expect you to take my word for it. Will you, sir" (any given spectator) "open the outermost envel- ope, first, however, satisfying yourself that it is still securely sealed ?" It is just possible, though not very likely, that the person to whom the envelope and penknife have been handed may notice, and remark audibly, that he cannot feel any coin in the envelope. If such a remark is made, you reply that the coin naturally had to be de-materialised before it could pass into the envelope, and it will take a few minutes for it to re-materialise, but it will become gradually more solid, and will then be distinctly perceptible. The outer envelope having been opened you take back its contents, and under pretext of getting as many witnesses as possible to fair play, have the next envelope opened by a second person, seated at some little distance from the lender of the shill- ing. The last named gentleman is invited himself to open the last envelope, or rather, the trick envel- ope, which you in transit substitute for it. Having already opened a precisely similar envelope, and found it securely fastened, he is not likely to antici- pate anything different about this one. If he uses the penknife and euts it open along the edge of the flap in the usual way he will naturally hold it with the thumb upon the seal and all will be well. As a rule, he will be more concerned to identify the coin as the one he lent than to seek for any sus- | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,195 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 195 | THE MYSTERY OF THE THREE SEALS 179 find by no means difficult of execution, though it will need some little practice to work it neatly. While the second envelope is being opened, get the trick envelope from the pochette into the right hand, clipping it against the second and third joints of the second and third fingers, with the "seal" side turned away from them. When the genuine envelope is handed to you receive it with the left hand, and immediately transfer it to the right, pushing it between the fingers and the palmed one, with the seal facing in the same direction. The moment it is masked by the fingers push the trick envelope outward with the thumb, bringing this into view in its place. Smartly executed the change is instantaneous and cannot possibly be detected. The apparent object of passing it from hand to hand is to have the left hand empty and SO free to take back the penknife from the last holder. From this point all will be easy, as it is the trick envelope which is now alone in view, and all you have to guard against is any accidental exposure of the one now hidden in the hand. This description may justly appear somewhat long-winded, but its length is occasioned by the number of small details demanding notice. In performance, the trick should not take, at most, more than ten minutes. The introductory patter may of course be shortened at pleasure. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,153 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 153 | THE ORACLE OF MEMPHIS 137 THE ORACLE OF MEMPHIS This is of the nature of a magical toy rather than a conjuring trick proper, but its exhibition may form a pleasant interlude in the course of a social entertainment. I invented it at an early O b Fig. 24 stage of my magical career, and exhibited it on various occasions for the amusement of friends, but made no further use of it. The apparatus has been put aside, and has been out of sight, out of mind, for many years past. Coming across it acci- dentally some short time ago, I was agreeably sur- prised to find that it would still answer questions as promptly, and doubtless as truthfully, as of yore. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,157 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 157 | THE ORACLE OF MEMPHIS 141 the two ends of the ribbon, and so arranged in point of length that when the glass is suspended from the forefinger, as in the diagram, the thumb and second finger of the operator shall be just right for moving it round in either direction, the little knot guiding him by feel to bring it to the desired point. not C FIG. 28 The exhibitor is not limited to any particular set of questions and answers. At the cost of a fresh pack of cards and a little ingenuity, he can | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,159 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 159 | THE ORACLE OF MEMPHIS 143 Ten of Spades. Not likely. " Clubs. It is like your cheek to wish for it. 5. What am I thinking about at this moment? Jack of Diamonds. A new hat. " Hearts. Servants. " Spades. You wouldn't like me to tell. " Clubs. That it is a long time between drinks. 6. What shall I do to get health? Queen of Diamonds. Don't think about it. " Hearts. Keep smiling. " Spades. Take Podger's Purple Pills. " Clubs. Eat less. 7. How old am I? King of Diamonds. Just right, don't get any older. " Hearts. Whatever you are, you don't look it. " Spades. You never tell, so I won't. " Clubs. Old enough to know better. 8. What shall I be this time next year Ace of Diamonds. A year older. " Hearts. A trifle stouter. " Spades. A year wiser. " Clubs. Bald as a baby. It will be found on comparing them that the answers are arranged on a regular system, those on the red cards being of a more or less complimen- tary nature, or otherwise favourable; the black suits less so, particularly the clubs, which are | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,161 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 161 | THE ORACLE OF MEMPHIS 145 ourite plaything of Helen of Troy. Historians do tell such tarradiddles that one doesn't know what to believe. "The powers of the Oracle are limited, for it will only answer eight questions, and in its own way, but its answers are quite trustworthy-well, per- haps not quite. Let us say as trustworthy as those of Bond Street fortune-tellers at a guinea a guess. Who will be the first to test its veracity ? "I should mention, by the way, that, as each answer exhausts a certain amount of power, the same question must not be asked more than three times. You would like to consult the Oracle, Madam? Then please select one of the questions on this card, and read it out for the information of the Company. "You wish to know" (repeating question). "Good. The answer to your question will be found on one or other of the cards in this pack, and the Oracle will tell us which one to look for. First, however, I must ask you to breathe into this glass. That supplies the missing link, SO to speak, and makes it a sort of personal affair between you and the Oracle." (This is done.) "Thank you. Now I shall place the glass on its stand, and this little pointer" (holding it up and placing it on its pivot) will reveal the correct answer, first indicating the suit among which the answer is to be found. You may notice that it wobbles a bit at first. That is because it is think- | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,133 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 133 | THE RIDDLE OF THE PYRAMIDS 117 is of necessity a small affair, being four inches in heiglt, about six across the base, and two across the top. It is divided into five horizontal slabs or segments, as indicated by the dotted lines. Mid- way on each side of each slab, at about half an inch distance from the upper edge, a minute hole is bored, parallel to the outer slope of the segment; exactness in this particular being an essential con- dition of success. Of the four holes in each slab, two only are actually used in the trick, the other two being added partly for the sake of uniformity, and partly to disguise the significance of the other pair. Each slab, save those at the top and bottom, is also perforated perpendicularly by three or four holes of considerable diameter, the object of these being merely to lessen the weight of the slab. In preparing the pyramid for use in the trick, a piece of plaited silk fishing-line, stained black, and in length five to six feet, is passed by the aid of a needle upwards through the small hole in one side of the largest slab; then in the same way through the corresponding hole in the next, and SO on till it comes out through the uppermost. Thence it is again passed downward through the next adjoin- ing hole in each slab till it comes out at the bot- tom, when the ends are drawn level and tied in a knot. The use of plaited silk fishing line for such pur- poses is one of Mr. Schooling's specialties, and is a "tip" to make a note of. Line of this kind is in | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,135 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 135 | THE RIDDLE OF THE PYRAMIDS 119 table. It is SO minute that there is no fear of its attracting attention.¹ In presenting the trick the pyramid, with its sec- tions duly threaded and placed one upon another, is brought in on a wooden board similar to an ordinary drawing-board, measuring twenty-four inches by sixteen, and like the pyramid itself, stained black. It is essential to the satisfactory working of the trick that the "base" section of the pyramid shall not shift when the thread is pulled. This is ensured by having two L shaped "stops" of thin wood glued or screwed to the board near the left hand corner nearest to the performer when in use. The trick may be introduced as follows: "I don't know whether any of you ladies and gentlemen are well up in Egyptology. I can't say I am, myself. I know a camel when I see one, but that is about as far as I have got. There is, how- ever, one point about it which has always inter- ested me very much. It is a point which has puz- zled not only the Egyptologists, but all the other ologists; namely, how the pyramids were built. They consist, as no doubt you know, of enormous masses of stone; so large that the cleverest engi- neers of our day cannot tell us how they were placed one upon another. If you can imagine the lifting of the Royal Exchange in one lump and dumping it down on the top of the Bank of Eng- 1 As a further precaution it should be painted flesh-color. | |
latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf,137 | latestmagicbeing00hoff.pdf | 137 | THE RIDDLE OF THE PYRAMIDS 121 pyramids. I have managed to collect a small quantity of an unknown force which answers very closely to Lord Lytton's description of Vril, and I have charged this wand with it. As regards kill- ing things, I have only tested it SO far on a black beetle. The experiment was a success. He was blown to atoms, all but one hind leg. I should like to try it on a tiger; if I could get one cheap. Does any gentleman present know of a second- hand tiger in a good strong cage going cheap ? No? I was afraid you wouldn't. I am hoping however for a chance of trying it some night on a burglar. If a gentleman of the Bill Sykes per- suasion should steal into my chamber at dead of night with felonious designs upon my Waterbury and my collarstud, he will be as a dead man. I shall just point this wand at him and say 'Die,' and he will be merely a little heap of ashes to be swept up by the housemaid in the morning. "I can however give you an example of the power of my Vril as a motive force. I shall do so by using it to build or rather rebuild this little pyra- mid in your presence. "This is a correct copy of the real thing. It takes to pieces, as you see. One, two, three, four, five!" As he pronounces the last few words, the per- former, standing behind his table, picks up the pyramid, and holding it aloft in his right hand draws away the base from the other sections, slid- |
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