r,i^ V 1 54 7

Book_

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COPYRIGHT DEPOSOi

GPO
Other Books by Professor Hoffmann

The Secrets of Conjuring; and Magic ;

or. How to Become a Wizard. Translated from
the work of Robert Houdin. Fourth Edition.
400 pp., with 68 illustrations. 8vo, cloth, $1.00
The Secrets of Stage Conjuring;
Translated from the work of Robert Houdin.
256 pp., with portrait and 35 illustrations. 8vo,
cloth . $1.00
Card and Table Games
Third Edition (1903). 666 pp., with a Chapter on
" Bridge" by Archibald Dunn ; with many illus-
trations printed in red and black. 8vo, cloth
extra net, $2.00
Illustrated Booh of Patience Games
Printed in red and black. Fourth Edition. 198
pp., with 53 red-and-black illustrations. 8vo,
cloth . $1.00
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY
31 West 23d St New York
LATER MAGIC

BY

PROFESSOR HOFFMANN
AUTHOR OF MODERN MAGIC, MORE MAGIC, ETC.

n J \
t a

WITH 220 ILLUSTRATIONS ,

NEW YORK
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY
1904
LONDON : GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, Ltd.
 LIBRARY o* CONGRESS
Two Copies Received
JAN 30 1904
■ Copyrignt
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c
CLASS «- XXc. No.
; COPY B '

New York
E. P. Copyright,
Dutton & Company
1904
Published, February, 1904

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 PREFACE.

IN producing yet another volume on Magic, I have

to offer my best thanks to the many conjurers,
professional and otherwise, who have kindly communi-
cated to me good things of their own, and given me
permission to use them. To my friends Hartz and
David Devant, and, among amateurs, to Mr. CO.
Williams, of Cardiff, I owe a special debt of gratitude
in this particular.
I have further to record my great obligation to Messrs.
Hamley Brothers, the oldest and best-known firm of
London dealers, for much useful information, and for
valuable assistance in the way of lending apparatus for
illustration.
The editors of Mahatma and Die Zauberwelt kindly
placed the contents of their columns at my disposal,
and I have freely availed myself of their courtesy.
Where the author of a given trick is known, I have
given him the credit of the invention, but the discovery
in such cases of the real Simon Pure is not always an
easy matter. Till a conjuring trick has become a suc-
cess, nobody cares who invented it, but let it once
"catch on," and there are half a dozen claimants for the
honour. If, therefore, I have unwittingly wronged any
one in this particular, I trust he will accept my apology.
iii
iv Preface

My original idea was to make this work cover the

whole field of conjuring, but I speedily found that it
would be unwise to attempt to do so. Magical material
has accumulated to such an enormous extent during
the last few years as to make it impossible to deal with
it adequately within the compass of a single volume.1
No doubt a trick may be described, after a fashion, in
half a page. Indeed, this is too often done in magazine
articles, wherein a trick is explained just far enough to
gratify the curiosity of the reader, — and to spoil his
enjoyment of it for the future. But a conjuring trick
so described is like an air picked out with one finger on
the piano. To give it artistic value it needs harmoni-
ous setting (in other words, a carefully arranged mise
en scene), and a suitable accompaniment, represented
by the "patter" of the performer. To pursue the
simile still further, there are often several variations on
the same theme, each of which is equally deserving of
being recorded. To do full justice to a single trick,-
therefore, instead of half a page, half a dozen may be
needed.
Having therefore to elect between dealing with the
whole subject superficially or a part thoroughly, I
finally decided for the latter alternative. I have no
intention, however, of leaving my work incomplete.
The present volume has taken over two years to com-
pile; but some months of that time were devoted to
the classification and indexing of material, much of
1 When Modern Magic was written, the price-list of Messrs.
Hamley (who were then, as now, the principal English makers of
conjuring apparatus) consisted of a single slip of paper about
fourteen inches long. At the present day their catalogue com-
prises over a hundred double-column pages, and contains more
than a thousand items.
 Preface v

which I have not been able to make any present use of.
If life and health permit, I hope to make an early be-
ginning upon a further volume, dealing with the sub-
jects unavoidably omitted in this one.
Louis Hoffmann.
 CONTENTS.
PAGE
Preface iii
Introduction ' , . xvii
CHAPTER I

THE CONJURER'S DRESS, AND CONTRIVANCES IN

CONNECTION THEREWITH
The Coat 2
The Vest .......... 4
The Trousers 5
Removable Pochettes 6
The Shirt-Cuffs 8
A Trick with the Ordinary Shirt-Cuff . . . .10
The Hat 12
CHAPTER II
APPLIANCES AND EXPEDIENTS OF GENERAL UTILITY
Various Forms of the Servante . . . . . .16
Bag Servantes 17
Methods of Fixing . . . . . . .18
A New Form of Portable Servante . . . 19
The "Premier" Servante . . . . . .20
The Revolving Servante . . . . . .24
The Vest Servante . . . . . . .25
The Conjurer's Cigar-box . 28
A Special "Trap" ........ 30
Improved "Pulls" . . ... . . 33
Willmann's Vanisher . . . . . . 33
The Flying Ring . . . . . . -35
The ' ' Lightning ' ' Vanisher . . . . . -37
Improvements in the Direct, or Non-Mechanical, Pull . 39
Guides, for Use with Pulls ...... 40
vii
viii Contents
PAGE
The Glass with Mirror Partition . . . . . .42
Different Forms of the Glass . . . . .46
Illustrations of its Uses . . . . . .47
Contrivances for " Passing Off " ...... 49
The Hartz Bottle ........ 50
The Hartz Matchbox 50
The Hartz Pistol . . . . . . . .52
Another Form of Pistol for the Same Purpose . . 53
The "Excelsior" Clip -54
The Smoke Apparatus . . . . . . • . . 55
A Magical Explosive ........ 60
Suggestions for its Use . . . . . . .61
The Spider . . , . . . . . . . 62
The " Multum-in Parvo " Vanisher . . . . .67
The Hartz "Hook," for Working Mechanical Pieces . . 68
The Magic Bell . . . . . , . .71
The Crystal Cash-box . . . . . . -73
The Bird-Cage .74
Change (or Load) from Back of Assistant . . . -77
The Pneumatic Sucker . . . ... -78
The Ball Clip .81
The Velvet Changing Bag .81
CHAPTER III
A SPECIAL TABLE, AND SOME TRICKS PERFORMED
BY ITS AID
The Heller and De Vere Table . . . ... .85
The Bottomless Tumbler ...... 92
Tricks Performed by the Aid of the Above Table
Concatenation Extraordinary ..... 94
A Simpler Method, with the Mirror Glass . . 98
Devant's Method ....... 99
The Rose in the Glass . . . . . . .100
CHAPTER IV
THE MAGIC WAND, AND TRICKS THEREWITH
The Production of the Wand
From the Sleeve ........ 102
From the Purse . . . . . . . .103
From Decanter on Table . . . . . .104
 Contents ix
PAGE
The Self-supporting Wand . . . . . .105
Introductory Patter . . . . . 105
Various Methods of Suspension . . . . .108
The Wand Supported without any Mechanical Aid . 112
The Rapping Wand . .• 113
The Auto-gravity Wand 116
The Climbing Ring .118
The Rising and Falling Wand . . . . . .120
Various Methods . . . . . . .121
Special Wands for Various Purposes
Wands for the Production of Handkerchiefs . . .122
How to Change the Wand into a Handkerchief . . 126
A Wand for the Production of Cigars . . -130
The " Swallowing" Wand . . . . . .132
CHAPTER V
TRICKS WITH WATCHES
Methods for Obtaining Secret Possession of a Watch
The Paper Bag (Various Kinds) . . . . .134
Wrapping in Paper . • . . .. . .138
The Alpaca Bag 140
" Exchanging" a Watch (Various Methods) . . . .142
The American Vanisher . . . . . . -.145
A New "Palm" for Watches 146
The Noisy Watch-winder . . . . . .148
An Improved "Repeater" . . . . . . .149
To Reproduce a Borrowed Watch in Any One Selected of- a
Number of Boxes . . . . . . .150
A Lost Watch Found in Performer's Purse . . . .152
Another Method . . . . . . -154
A Borrowed Watch Changed to a Lemon . . . .156
A Borrowed Watch Reproduced from a Glass of Milk . . 157
A Watch Fired from a Pistol, Attaching Itself to a Borrowed
Hat .162
A Novel Watch Trick . . . . . . . .163
WatchAnother
It!Method. .. " .. .. - .. .. .. .. .. 165
167
The Locked and Corded Boxes . . . . . .172
The Old Method . . . . . . . .173
The Writer's Own Method .174
The Hartz Method 176
x Contents PAGE

The De Vere Method . " 180

The Flight of Time 183
CHAPTER VI

TRICKS WITH RINGS

Exchanging the Ring . . . . . .189

To Catch Rings on the Wand . . . • . .191
A Borrowed Ring Found in a Potato . . . . . 194
The Ring and the Card . . . . . . .196
The Mystic Glove and Rings .198
The Old Method . . . . ... .199
The Hartz Method 199
The Wedding Ring and Flag . '. . . . .204

CHAPTER VII

TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS

The Recommendations of the Handkerchief for Magical Pur-

poses 207
Section I

THE MAGICAL PRODUCTION OF HANDKERCHIEFS

The False Finger ......... 209

The False Thumb 214
The Finger Shell and False Palm . . . . . .215
The Rubber Band 216
Production from Bend of Elbow . . . . . .217
Production from the Trouser-Leg . . . . . .217
The Hand-Box 218
The Cache . . . . . . . . . .219
The Hamley Handkerchief Ball .. . . . . .220
Production from the Wand . . . . . . .222
Production from a Match-Box . . . . . .222
The " Monarch" Handkerchief Producer .... 223
Clips for Handkerchiefs . . . ■ . . . .224
A Novel Method of Production . . . . . .225
 xi
Contents

Section II
THE MULTIPLICATION OF HANDKERCHIEFS
PAGE
From the Sleeve . . . . . . . . .226
Conradi's Multiplying Tube 227
A Simple Appliance for Handkerchief Multiplication . .228
Black, Red, and White . . . . . . .229
Handkerchief Multiplication on a Larger Scale . . -232
Still well's Handkerchief Act . . . . .234
Simultaneous Production of a Desired Number of Handker-
chiefs ......... 238
Handkerchiefs Increasing in Size as well as Number . . 239
A Special Method of Producing the First Handkerchief . 240
Section III
COLOUR-CHANGING TRICKS

The Inventors of the Colour-Change . . . . .241

Various Methods of Colour-Changing . . . . .242
The Conradi Tube . . ' . . . . . . 242
Sundry Appliances for Colour- Changing . . .242
Roterberg's Colour-Change . . . . . .244
Marcellin's Colour-Change . . . . . 246
Colour-Changing by the Aid of a Paper Tube . . .247
The Elementary Method ...... 248
Willmann's Colour-Change . . . . . .252
A Six- fold Colour-Change .256
To Change the Colour of a Handkerchief by Merely
Drawing it Through the Hand . . . .258
The Brass Tube, with Sliding Cup, for Colour- Changing . 260
Willmann's "Metropolitan Railway" Trick .... 262
Section IV

METHODS OF "VANISHING" A HANDKERCHIEF

The Rubber Ring 268
A New Handkerchief Vanisher . . . . . .269
Roterberg's Vanisher, and Passes Therewith . . .270
Another Method of Using the Vanisher . . . .273
The " Eau de Cologne " Bottle . . o . • . 275
Xll Contents
PAGE
A Handkerchief Changed to a Billiard-Ball . . . -277
An Ingenious Device to Facilitate the Palming and Vanishing
of a Handkerchief . . . . . . .278
The Glass Ball, for Changing a Handkerchief to a Billiard-Ball 279
The Nickel Tube for Vanishing a Handkerchief . . . 279
Improved form . . . . . . . .281
The Nickel Tube with Pull . . .. . . . .283
The Vanish from a Paper Cylinder . . . . .284
The " Lamp- Chimney " Vanish . . „ .• . 284
To Vanish Four Handkerchiefs Simultaneously . . .287
Section V
METHODS OF REPRODUCING A VANISHED HANDKERCHIEF
Reproduction Beneath a Soup-Plate . . . . .290
Reproduction from a Sealed Envelope . . . . .292
Two Vanished Handkerchiefs Reproduced from a Nest of
Three Envelopes . . . . . . .294
The Drum-Head Tube . . . . . . . 297
Reproduction from a Candle . . . . . . 299
Buatier de Kolta's Method . . . . . 299
The Glass Box, for Reproducing a Handkerchief :■ . . 302
Section VI
MISCELLANEOUS HANDKERCHIEF TRICKS

Devant's Handkerchief Trick 303

The Hat and Handkerchief . . . . . .315
The Closed Glass Tube {L'Etui en Cristal) . . . .317
The Handkerchief Cut and Restored (Modern Method) . 319
The " Marvellous Metamorphosis " Silver Cylinder . .320
A Handkerchief Changed to Paper Ribbons . . . .322
A Handkerchief Transformed into Paper Shavings . .323
The Egg and Handkerchief Trick (Modern Methods) . .326
D'Alvini's Egg and Handkerchief Trick . . .327
Egg, Handkerchief, and Onion . . . . . 329
The very Latest Egg and Handkerchief Trick . . 331
Handkerchiefs Turned into a Snake . . . . • 333
Hartz's Method 335
The Dancing Handkerchief
Parlour Method 335
Stage Method 336
 Contents xiii
PAGE
Right and Left 338
The Flying Handkerchiefs . . . . . . .341
The Shower of Sweets (Improved Method) . . . -344
A Postscript . . . 345
CHAPTER VIII
FLAG TRICKS

Bertram's Flag Trick -349

Flags and Paper Shavings . . . . . . 351
Flags Converted into Silken Streamers . . . . -352
The Production of Flags on Staves Complete . -353
The Flag and Worsted Ball 357
Devant's " Transvaal Flag" Trick 361
CHAPTER IX
TRICKS WITH GLOVES

" Vanishing " the Gloves ..... .. 366

The Glove Passed into the Wand . . . . . .368
A White Glove Changed to a Black One . . . -369
Glove-Dyeing by Magic . . . . . . . 371
The Damaged Glove and Lady's Stocking . . . .376
A Glove Conjured into a Nut, Egg, Lemon, and Orange . 378
Dr. Avon's Glove Trick 385
CHAPTER X
TRICKS WITH EGGS
The Celluloid Egg 390
The Self- Balancing Egg . . . . . . .391
The Egg-cup, for Vanishing an Egg . . . . -392
An Improved Egg-Holder . . . . . . .394
The Magical Production of Eggs 396
Production of Eggs from the Mouth . . . -399
Bellachini's Method . . . . . . .401
A Smashed Egg Vanished from a Handkerchief . . . 403
The Diminishing Egg . . . . . . . .405
To Vanish an Egg from the Hand . . . . .405
A Special Egg Vanisher . , , . , . .407
xiv Contents
PAGE
The Wandering Eggs . .- . . . . .409
Another Method . . . . . . .412
New Egg and Tumbler Trick . . . . . -417
An Illustration of Free-Trade Principles . . . .418
Eggs from Nowhere, and Back Again 425
An Egg-Laying Hat . . . . . . . 426
A Novel Egg-Bag Trick . . . . . . 429
The Ribbon-Producing Egg ... ... 432
The Bewitched Orange ....... 434
CHAPTER XI
TRICKS WITH HATS
To Cut a Piece out of a Hat, and Restore it . . . . 438
A Glass of Wine in a Hat . . . . . . . 440
The Mesmerized Hat ......... 444
A Billiard Cue Produced from a Hat . . . . .447
Methods of Loading a Hat ....... 448
Various Productions from Hat
Half a Dozen Babies ....... 450
Alarm Clocks . . . . . . .451
Flower- Balls -453
Bouquets ......... 454
The Garland of Oak-leaves 455
A Cake Baked in a Hat (Improved Method) . . . 456
The Wandering Oranges 459
A Glass of Wine Passed Visibly through the Crown of a Hat 463
The Vanished Cannon-Bail . . . . . . . 468

CHAPTER XII
MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS
The Afghan Bands 471
The Chinese Paper-Tearing Trick . . . . . -473
The Original Form of the Trick 474
Various Methods of Performing it 475
Ellis Stanyon's Method 478
Maurice Garland's Method, with Colour-Change . . 483
The Melting Coin (Improved) 484
The Great Dictionary Trick ....... 490
My Friend in Thibet 497
 Contents xv
PAGE
The Flying Thimble
The Original Trick . . . . . . . 502
The Thimble and Paper Cone . . . . 506
The Patriotic Thimble 506
The Multiplying Thimble . . . . . .508
The Vanishing Thimbles 513
The Changing Dice 514
Improved Methods . . . . . . 515
Chameleon Water . . . . . . . .519
Rainbow Water . . . . . . . . .522
The Magic Organ Pipes (Le Souper du Diable) . . 525
New Method . . . . . . . . 531
Devant's Jar of Water and Hat . . . . . .538
Devant's Bag of Mystery ... ... 544
l'envoi
 INTRODUCTION.

TIME flies ! The remark is scarcely original, but it

forces itself upon me when I realize that over five
and twenty years have passed away since I first took
pen in hand to discourse of Modern Magic, and more
than ten since its sequel, More Magic, was written.
And while Time has been flying, Magic has not
lagged behind. The Art of Deception, like other arts,
has made vast strides during the last quarter of the
dead century. Indeed, probably at no time in the
world's history has so much thought and ingenuity
been brought to bear upon this subject. New and
brilliant illusions have been devised, new sleights and
improved methods have been invented, and old tricks
have been so rejuvenated as to be practically new.
The present volume is designed to give a brief account
of the latest novelties and the most up-to-date meth-
ods in some of the leading departments of Magic, and,
so far as those departments are concerned, to enable
the conjurer of the twentieth century to start fully
equipped, in point of knowledge, in the race for celeb-
rity.
I have availed myself of this opportunity to meet in
some degree the wishes of the many correspondents
who have from time to time begged for ''more patter."
It is a request with which I am not in complete sym-
xvii
xviii Introduction

pathy, for I hold that a conjurer, if he has the true

artistic spirit, will not be content to wear borrowed
plumes. The technique of his art he may well acquire
from others, but there his indebtedness should end.
No mere copy, even of the most perfect original, can
ever claim first rank as a work of art. The outline of
the trick the wizard may fairly borrow, but the mise en
scene should be all his own.
Originality in this respect is the more desirable, be-
cause the same form of words which comes easily and
gracefully from one man may be utterly out of character
in the mouth of another. We have it on the authority
of Shakespeare that a giant's robe sits uncomfortably
on a dwarfish thief, and the giant would scarcely be
more at his ease in the garments of the dwarf. Bor-
rowed patter is like a borrowed dress-suit, — more
than likely to be a misfit.
I find, however, that many beginners, and some even
of the more advanced, though they may be able to
master the mechanical requirements of a given feat,
find it difficult to supply the needful dramatic element ;
they lack the creative power which clothes the dry
bones, and gives them life. As an assistance to such
weak brethren, I have set down in full the patter
adopted by myself or others in connection with sundry
tricks of special interest. Several varieties of style
will be found here illustrated.
LATER MAGIC

I
 LATER MAGIC

CHAPTER I.

IN commencing a new book on Magic, I find myself

constrained to go once more to some extent over
ground I have already trodden. But though the
ground is the same, the landscape is altered. As in
cities, so in conjuring, the vacant spaces are gradually
built upon. There are many regions which formerly
might have been disposed of in a few words, but which
now afford abundant material for description. The
reader will forgive me, therefore, if I hark back for a
brief space to a subject already discussed in my earlier
volumes, viz. :

THE CONJURER'S DRESS

AND CONTRIVANCES IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.

It is one of the consequences of having a reputation

as a conjurer, that one must be prepared to support it,
so to speak, in season and out of season. The amateur
in particular is liable to be called upon to " show a few
tricks" at a moment's notice, and it may be on occa-
sions when his often repeated boast of "no prepara-
tion" is a painful reality. Fortunately, such calls
2 Later Magic

most frequently arise at festive gatherings, where even-

ing dress is the prevailing costume, and evening dress
is the proof armour of the modern conjurer. Sundry
special features of a conjurer's dress-suit were noted in
Modern Magic, and so far as it goes, the description
is still correct. But the magician of the twentieth
century in this, as in many other directions, has im-
proved considerably upon his predecessor of the last
generation.
To give the reader an idea of the extent to which the
wizard's war-paint may be "faked" for the purpose of

Fig. i.

his art, his attention is invited to the accompanying

diagrams (Figs, i, 2, 3), which illustrate some of the
numerous possibilities in this particular.
THE COAT.

Every conjurer is familiar with the ordinary loading-

pocket within the breast of the coat. In a (Fig. 1) we
 Later Magic 3

have another form. The pocket (which may be dupli-

cated on the opposite side) is in this case made to extend
downwards to the waist, or even further, tapering as
it goes. Its object is to hold a folding bouquet, a
plume of feathers, or other article of greater length than
breadth. In some cases the mouth of the pocket is
enlarged by laying it open down one side for a few
inches, to facilitate the production of the object, b b
are the usual profondes, and c c are pochettes (of rather
doubtful utility) under the tail of the coat, one on each
side, and having vertical openings. In addition to
these are the regular tail-pockets, opening on the out-
side and used without disguise for the ordinary pur-
poses of pockets.
The letters d d represent a special pocket, opening
under the armpit, a little above the breast pocket, and
continued downwards through the whole length of the
coat, being in fact a mere tube of silk, discharging at the
bottom into the profonde, so that any object of suit-
able size and weight, say a watch, placed ostensibly in
the breast pocket, at once secretly slips down into the
profonde. Some performers have the upper openings
of these pockets made on the outside of the coat, under
the armpits, the article being in this case secretly
slipped into the pocket under cover of the act of draw-
ing back the coat sleeve.
Even the coat collar has its magical uses. The outer
edge of the upper part (the portion which goes round
the neck) is sewn to the coat, forming a tubular pocket
designed for the reception of a silk handkerchief. The
ends, e e, are open, and an inch length of black silk
thread, attached to the corner of the handkerchief,
with a black bead at the free end, enables the performer
4 Later Magic

to draw it out when desired, this being done under

cover of his own body, while his back is turned to the
audience. Under each lapel may be a minute pochette,
/ /, very handy for receiving a coin, a small glass ball,
or a pack of "diminishing" cards. A "clip," sus-
pended on either side, may be used, either in substitu-
tion for the little pochette, or as auxiliary thereto.
Two additional pockets of small size are sometimes
inserted at the points g g. These may either open
vertically, or have the mouth downward, in which
'latter case they conceal a clip for holding a coin.
THE VEST.

From the coat we pass to the vest. This offers,

from its smaller size, less scope for adaptation, but its

Fig. 2.

magical uses are still considerable. In addition to the

everyday pockets on the outside, and the customary
elastic band sewn round the inside of the waist 1 to
facilitate what is known as "vesting" (i.e., concealing
articles under the front edge), sundry special pockets
may be introduced. Thus a a (see Fig. 2) are two
1 Many experts dispense with the elastic band, substituting for
it three elastic gussets, shaped like an inverted A» one over each
 Later Magic 5

semi-circular pockets just within the breast, adapted

for the reception of small fish-bowls or the like. Out-
side, at the back, on a flap suspended from the waist,
may be a couple of similar pockets. Inside the breast
are two smaller pockets, b b} opening vertically. (Simi-
lar pockets maybe placed outside, but in such case the
opening is brought somewhat nearer to the armpit.)
And in front, just inside and above the waistband,
may hang two or more clips for the reception of cards
or coins.
THE TROUSERS.

These naturally have their share in the general so-

phistication. Aleather sheath, a (see Fig. 3), down
either leg, provides a resting-place for the
staff of a flag, a Japanese sunshade, or
other lengthy object. A loose-mouthed
pocket, b, on either hip, placed some-
what farther forward than the customary
pistol-pocket, forms a capital receptacle
for articles to be vanished. Some per-
formers use a single pocket, about nine
inches in width and seven in depth,
lying over the central portion of the
loins, with a vertical opening on each
side. A pocket of this kind will be found
extremely useful for many tricks. For
card-conjuring, this may be replaced
by a couple of oblong pockets, opening
vertically at the side, and designed each pIG> 3<
to hold a prepared pack of cards in a
hip and one in centre of back. The lowermost button and button-
hole should in any case be brought as low down as possible, and a
hook and eye may be added at the extreme bottom corners.
6 Later Magic

horizontal position, about an inch of the cards

projecting.
Further, the outer seam down either leg, a little above
the knee, is frequently opened for about an inch in two
or three places ; the openings (which are invisible when
the performer stands up) being in fact the mouths of
tiny pockets destined for the reception of small silk
handkerchiefs, fitted as described on page 3, to be
produced, as the doctors say, pro re natd. A couple of
rubber bands, attached inside the trouser-leg, just above
the boot, may form a temporary abiding-place for half
a dozen playing cards, to be "passed" there in the
course of a performance a la Thurston.
With the pochettes situate behind the leg at c, the
reader is doubtless already acquainted, these having
formed part of the equipment of the conjurer ever since
the days of Robert-Houdin. They may be larger or
smaller, according to the particular purpose they are
intended to serve, and it is feasible (and sometimes very
useful) to have a small pocket sewn on the outside of a
larger one.

Apropos of pochettes, by the way, I must not omit

to note a little appliance of recent invention, in the
shape of a removable pochette. This is
in appearance as shown in Fig. 4. It is
of black cloth, stretched on a wire frame
which keeps its mouth always open, and
is hooked to the back of the trouser-leg,
or elsewhere as may be desirable, by
means of bent pins, soldered to the
frame. It is large enough to receive
a pack of cards, a watch, or a small-sized billiard ball.
 Later Magic 7

These pochettes are more particularly designed for

the use of the amateur, who, performing only occa-
sionally, may not care to encumber his dress suit with
the regular pochettes of the professional conjurer.

Reverting to pockets proper, i. e., forming part of the

actual garment , I may mention a somewhat exceptional
pocket which, where circumstances admit of its use,
will be found extremely valuable. It is only available
where the performer has the command of a stage of
his own, with an accessible space below it, and its
object is to secretly "pass off" borrowed articles to
an assistant below. Opening on the right or left hip,
just above the ordinary pochette, it consists of a simple
flat tube of silk, two and a half inches wide, open at
each end, and extending right down the trouser-leg.
To use it, an opening, three inches long and one and a
half wide, must be cut in the stage, and hidden from
the view of the spectators by the foot of a small round
table or gueridon, placed just in front of it. Below the
opening is suspended a small net. Obviously, if the
performer stands in a suitable position beside or be-
hind the table, and drops, say, a watch, into the
mouth of the pocket, it will travel down the tube,
through the hole, and into the net. It is, however,
essential that the position of the foot be absolutely
correct, as otherwise the watch might fall on the stage
instead of through it, with results unpleasant to all
parties. The right position is secured by having three
wire nails driven into the floor, with the last half -inch
(or less) of their length projecting above it, one for the
back of the heel, the others for the outer edge of the boot
to rest against . With these as guides , the performer can
8 Later Magic

in a moment ascertain by feel the exact position for the

due working of the arrangement. If it is desired after-
wards to move the table, the hole can be closed by the
assistant from below by a hinged trap, secured by a
turn-button. The best form for the net is conical, as
by adopting this shape the shock of the fall (in any
case very slight) is reduced to a minimum.
It is hardly necessary, I presume, to caution the
reader against supposing that the garments of even the
most thoroughgoing professional are provided with all
the special appliances I have mentioned. Complica-
tion naturally leads to confusion. The best plan, and
the one usually adopted, is to start with only the
regulation pochettes and profondes; and as the per-
former enlarges his programme, to add such other con-
veniences ashe may find needful for the presentation
of new items.
THE SHIRT-CUFFS.

The sleeve has from time immemorial had the credit

of being an accomplice of the conjurer, but hitherto no
breath of suspicion has tarnished the white surface of
the shirt-cufL Its good name is, however, no longer
entirely deserved, for the ingenuity of the up-to-date
wizard has pressed even the innocent wrist -band into
the service of deception.
The conjurer is about to vanish, say, some small
object. That there may be no question of "up his
sleeve," he bares his arms to the elbow, first, however,
removing his shirt-cuffs, which are of the detachable
kind, and placing them carelessly (?) on the table, the
one standing on end, the other lying down, so that all
can see through it. Having transferred the article to
 Later Magic 9

be vanished (apparently) from his right hand to his

left, he with the right hand puts the upstanding cuff
a little to one side, as if merely to get it out of his way,
and in so doing, secretly drops the palmed article
therein . It is not heard to fall, neither is it seen on the
table when the cuff is again picked up, but passes
silently back into the possession of the performer.
There are two ways of adapting the shirt-cuff for
this purpose. In> the first, an oval flap is hinged to
the stud which fastens the cuff, and by the pressure of
a spring is impelled, when the cuff is not in use, to
take the position shown in Fig. 5. When the cuff is in

Fig. 5.

wear, the spring yields, and the flap lies flat against the
side, as shown by the dotted lines in the same figure.
With this explanation, the working of the arrangement
becomes obvious. When the cuff is taken off and
placed on the table, the flap, which is lined on the
upper side with some soft woolly material, takes the
position shown in the diagram, and the article drops
into the cavity thus created. When the performer
again picks up the cuff, he does so with the fingers
inside and thumb outside, and so at once regains pos-
session ofthe article.
IO Later Magic

The alternative mode of construction is a little more

complicated. Round the inner circumference of the
cuff, at its centre, is a band of thin brass. Pivotted
to the button, which is of the solitaire kind, and to the
opposite side of this band, is a half-ring of stiff wire,
which, by giving a half -turn to the solitaire, may be
brought to the one side or the other. To this half- ring,
and to the opposite half of the circular band, is sewn
a little cup-shaped worsted net. When the cuff is in
wear, the stud is so turned as to throw the moveable
semicircle over against that portion of the band to
which the net is attached, in which condition the net
lies flat against the side of the cuff, and presents no
obstacle to the insertion of the wrist. When removed
from the arm, a half -turn of the stud in the opposite
direction expands the net, which is thereby spread
across the whole of the internal space, and the appara-
tus becomes ready for use.

Before quitting the subject of the shirt-cuff, and by

way of relief to the monotony of preliminary instruc-
tions, Imay take the opportunity to describe a very
effective little trick, in which the unprepared shirt -cuff
plays a highly important, though unsuspected, part.
The only conditions are that it must be of such a size
as to slip easily over the hand, and that (as in the case
of the mechanical shirt-cuff) it must be fastened, not
by links, but by a single stud or solitaire, so that its
shape when in use shall be cylindrical.
The effect of the trick is to vanish a glass of water
from under a handkerchief. In the old method of
producing this effect, as the reader is doubtless aware,
the performer was obliged to use a special handker-
 ii
Later Magic

chief of his own, and a servante, in some shape, was

necessary for the removal of the glass. In the form of
the trick I am about to describe neither servante nor
prepared handkerchief is necessary, the trick being per-
formed literally without apparatus.
The performer, having borrowed a hat, places it on a
table at some little distance. Then holding up in his
right hand a tumbler three parts full of water, he an-
nounces that he is about to pass it into the hat, and
asks whether he shall do so visibly or invisibly. Pre-
sumably with the idea that they will find out the more
easily " how it 's done," spectators always answer * ' vis-
ibly" to this question. "Good!" he says. With his
left hand, he takes the glass, grasping it overhand {i. e.,
with thumb and fingers encircling the rim from above,
as in Fig. 6), and gently lowers it into the hat (at the

Fig. 6.

same time secretly letting the shirt-cuff slip over the

hand, and settle down round the glass). There is a
general laugh, the audience feeling that they have been
' ' sold." "That 's the way to do it visibly," he says;
" simplest thing in the world, — you just drop the glass
into the hat. Any foo — fellow, I mean, — can do that.
Now I wir ^o it invisibly, which you will find is a much
12 Later Magic

neater method. Will somebody lend me a handker-

chief?"
A handkerchief having been procured, he spreads it
over the hat, and then dipping the right hand into the
hat (holding the hand in the same position as before)
he brings up, apparently, the glass within the handker-
chief. (See Fig. 7). As a matter of fact it is the

Fig. 7.

shirt-cuff only that he brings up therein, the glass re-

maining in the hat. With pretended precaution, as
though afraid of spilling the water, he introduces
the left hand under the handkerchief, as if to grasp the
glass. In reality he passes the hand up within the
cuff, taking care that the lower edge of the latter shall
be fairly within the coat sleeve. Then saying, "One,
two, three, go !" he lets the cuff sink down to its normal
position, and with the right hand shakes out the hand-
kerchief inthe direction of the hat, where the glass of
water is in due course found.
THE HAT.
One or two ways in which a tall hat may be adapted
for magical use were noted in More Magic, but their
 Later Magic 13

utility is discounted by the necessity of using the con-

jurer's own head-gear, a proceeding naturally giving
rise to suspicion. The little appliance which I am
about to describe is not open to that objection.

Fig. 8.

The apparatus in question (Fig. 8) consists of an

oval disc of pasteboard, a a (in size a little less than the
crown of a hat), to which is attached, by means of a
hinge of cloth or leather, an upright partition, b.
Though shown upright in the diagram, this partition
normally lies flat on a a, folding at pleasure either way.
The whole apparatus is best covered with black silk, in
order to diminish friction. In its flat condition is it
tucked under the performer's vest. In returning with

Fig. 9.

a borrowed hat to his table, he introduces the "fake" ;

a a adapting itself to the shape of the crown, while b,
having no longer room to lie flat, rests in a sloping
 Later Magic

position against the back or front, as shown in the

sectional view, Fig. 9. The hat is thus divided into
two compartments, c, d, which will be open or closed,
according as b is tilted to the one side or the other.
Any light object being now placed in the hat natur-
ally falls into the side for the time being open (in the
diagram, c). When the performer, in the course of
the trick, desires to show that the object has disap-
peared, he has only to tilt b over to the opposite side
as shown by the dotted line (closing c and opening d).
He then grasps the hat with the fingers inside (thereby
keeping b in position) and turns it over, the fact that
nothing falls out being proof positive, according to
conjurer's logic, that the hat is empty. By reversing
the process, the article may be made to return to the
hat, or, by slightly modifying the procedure, one article
may be "changed" to another.

It may be worth while here just to mention another

change by means of a hat, which was used by the late
Dr. Lynn in connection with a "dove" trick. The
dove, wrapped in paper, was changed, if I remember
rightly, into a bouquet similarly covered. The bouquet
parcel, enveloped in a wig, is placed under the left arm,
inside the coat of the performer. This we will call
parcel No. 1. He begins by asking the loan of two
hats, and while the second is being handed up, " loads ' '
the first with the wig and its contents. The wig he
presently produces from it: the parcel contained
therein remaining in the hat. The performer having,
in the course of the trick, wrapped up the dove so as
to form a similar parcel (this we will call parcel No. 2),
places it in the same hat, while he asks a volunteer
 Later Magic

assistant to hold it, with both hands, mouth upwards,

on his head. Presently he tells the assistant that he
has the wrong sort of head, and may perhaps be able
to hold the parcel better without the hat. He ac-
cordingly takes out the parcel (really No. 1) and gets
him to hold this on his head in place of the hat, which,
with parcel No. 2, is put aside to be cleared by the
assistant (under pretence of brushing and returning) at
the first opportunity. After a little more patter the
visible parcel is opened, and the contents are found to
have changed in accordance with the intention of the
trick.
The second hat is placed, when received from the
lender, for a moment or two mouth downwards over
the first. Of course this makes not the slightest differ-
ence, and this hat might very well be dispensed with,
being merely borrowed to facilitate (by distracting
the attention of the spectators) the loading of the first
hat.
It can hardly be claimed for this change that it is
highly artistic, but on the other hand it has the ad-
vantage ofbeing remarkably easy.

\
 CHAPTER II.

APPLIANCES AND EXPEDIENTS OF GENERAL

UTILITY.

NOT only in the adaptation of his dress to magical

ends, but in the greater variety of his tools, and
in the ingenuity of his expedients, does the wizard of
to-day " go better " than his compeer of the last century.
Before proceeding to the description of specific tricks,
I think I cannot do better than give some account of
these more up-to-date devices.

VARIOUS FORMS OF THE " SERVANTE."

The tendency of modern conjuring is to do away, as
far as possible, with the idea of mechanical aids. To
that end, the wizard of to-day endeavours to avoid any
suggestive appearance about his stage. The centre
table, in particular, behind which the acute spectator
had learnt to know or suspect the existence of a hidden
receptacle, is no longer fashionable. But the servante,
in some shape or other, is still a necessity, the only
alternative to its use being an excessive amount of
" pocket" business, which is quite as undesirable as too
frequent retirement behind the table. Accordingly,
the ingenuity of performers has been largely directed
to the improvement or disguise of the servante, or the
discovery of adequate substitutes for it.
16
 Later Magic

BAG SERVANTES.

The idea of the "bag" or "net" servante, alluded to

in More Magic (p. 6) as a novelty, as at that time it
was, has since been developed to a remarkable extent.
This class of servante is now produced in a host of
different forms, as may be gathered from the annexed
diagrams, representing a few only of its varieties.
Figures 10 and 11 are designed to receive small articles

Fig. 10. Fig. ii.

only, and are placed in position by thrusting the wire

arms into small screw-eyes, fixed in the under side of
the table top. As the screw-eyes have to be fixed be-
forehand, and as the average householder is apt to
object to having gimlet-holes bored in his furniture,
this method of fixing is practically restricted to tables

Fig. 12. Fig. 13.

belonging to the performer himelf, or to very accom-

2 modating friends. Fig. 12, which has a gimlet-pointed
i8 Later Magic

screw of its own, is open to the same objection. A

couple of needle-points 1 may however be pressed into

Fig. 14. Fig. 15.

any hidden part of even the handsomest table without

injuring it, and this is the mode of fixing adopted in
the case of the servantes represented in Figs. 13 and

Fig. 16. Fig. 17.

14. Fig. 15 is provided with a flat tongue, which may

be thrust into the opening of a table drawer. Nos. 16
1 It may be well to explain that the needle-points here referred
to have no connection with sewing needles. They are of plain
steel, eyeless, about two inches in length, and the thickness of a
carpet needle. Their normal function (apart from conjuring) is
the attachment of mouldings of wood or composition to picture
frames and the like. A hole is first bored, with a fine awl, in the
object to be affixed, and the needle-point is then driven by means
of a hammer through the hole till it projects as far as need be for
the specific purpose on the opposite side. So much as remains
projecting of the butt end of the needle is then broken off flush
with the surface of the wood. Needle-points are procurable in
small packets of any ironmonger.
 Later Magic

and 17 are adapted for attachment to the back of a

chair, the former by means of hooks going over the
back rail, the latter by pressing two needle-points or
good-sized drawing-pins, through the holes shown in
the upright slips, into the wood.
I have recently seen, at the depot of Messrs. Hamley
Brothers, a new form of portable servante, as illus-
trated in Fig. 18. Here a a a a represents an oblong

a a.
Fig. 18.

frame (about six inches by four) of stiff wire. To one

of the larger sides of this are soldered two uprights,
b by two inches in height, and from each of these pro-
jects two needle-points, one at top, one at bottom. The
two upper points should slope very slightly downwards,
and should be first inserted in the wood, the lower
points being then pressed home. A servante thus fixed
will bear a very considerable amount of weight. To
remove it the lower points must be drawn out first.
The open space between the four corners aaaa is
filled by a tightly stretched piece of black calico, or
woollen network. This is omitted in the diagram, be-
cause its insertion would have obscured the essential
point, the mode of fixing.
Fig. 19 represents a chair servante specially adapted
for "changing" a pack of cards. The prepared pack
is held, as shown, in a spring clip. In the act of moving
the chair backwards or forwards, the performer rests
20 Later Magic

his hand for a moment on the back. In that moment

he drops the pack he has been using into the circular

Fig. 19.

bag, and grasps in its place the prepared pack. A re-

cent improvement consists in hingeing the ring of the
bag to the clip, so that, when not in use, they may be
folded together for greater portability.
THE ''PREMIER" SERVANTE.
Figs. 20, 21, and 22 illustrate a new and ingenious
form of chair servante, listed by Messrs. Hamley as

Fig. 20. Fig. 21. Fig. 22.

the " Premier." This has sundry special recommenda-

tions. Itis of the "bag" variety; in shape oblong,
 21
Later Magic

and made of black cloth, stretched on a wire frame.

Its most striking feature is that the bag has a lid, also
of cloth tightly stretched, which may be raised or
lowered at pleasure. When lowered, as in Fig. 20,
(thereby closing the bag), its upper surface in itself
forms a flat servante, on which any article may be
placed. When an object is to be got rid of by dropping,
the "lid" is raised, as in Fig. 21, a catch keeping it
from again falling, and so giving access to the "bag"
portion. This servante can be raised or lowered rela-
tively to the height of the back of the chair, and when
not in use can be folded flat for packing, in which
condition it takes the shape depicted in Fig. 22.

Where the chair used has an open back, it would

seem impossible to adapt a servante to it, but the
difficulty is only apparent. By throwing a shawl or
large handkerchief over the back of the chair, the
presence of the servante is effectually masked.
Apart from the "screw" and "hook" arrangements,
there is another possible way of attaching a servante,
which seems to me to have special recommendations,
though I have not submitted it to sufficient practical
test to be able to speak with absolute confidence as to
its value. I refer to the " sucker" arrangement so fre-
quently used for suspending light articles to the inside
of shop windows. This is a little red rubber cup, to
the outside of which is attached a hook. The rubber,
previously moistened, is pressed against the glass, so
as to force out the air from within, when it remains
firmly attached, being maintained by atmospheric
pressure. The same thing happens if it is pressed
against any highly polished surface, as, for instance, the
22 Later Magic

back of a chair, or the frame of a table. I should not

be disposed to rely on a single sucker, but to fix two of
them into a little wooden slab, measuring say three by
one and one half inches, and an inch thick. The screw
or needle-point of the servante might then be inserted
in this (or the servante attached directly to it) ; one or
more of such slabs being used, and so placed as might
be most suitable for the particular purpose.
It will be seen later on that the pneumatic sucker has
been made useful to conjurers in other ways, but I am
not aware that any one has yet used it for the support
of the servante.

Where a glass filled with water has to be got rid of,

the " bag " is made of India rubber or other waterproof
material, while in other cases the bag portion of the
servante is dispensed with altogether ; as, for instance,
where the object to be supported is a billiard-ball or
cannon-ball, when what is known as a "ring" servante
(see a in Fig. 23) of appropriate size is all that is

Fig. .23.

necessary. In billiard-ball tricks an open ring, as b in

the same figure, is preferable, the ball being more easily
got hold of. To ensure noiselessness in use, the ring
should be covered with some soft material.
In some cases the object needs only to be suspended,
in which case a hook, preferably of the kind known as
 Later Magic

a cup-hook (Fig. 24) may answer the purpose. Two of

such hooks fixed at an appropriate distance will serve

Fig. 24.

to support an object of considerable length; ranging

from a wand to a sunshade or umbrella. Or, in place
of hooks, the article may be supported on a straight pin
or pins, fixed so as to slope slightly upwards. The
outer end of the pin may be sharp or blunt, according
to the purpose for which it is to be used. Thus, if it
be desired to impale on it an orange, or a handkerchief
rolled into a ball, the sharper it is, the better ; if merely
intended to hang something on by means of a loop, the
point may be as blunt as you please.
As regards the mode of attachment, the pin or hook
may either be fixed on a wooden base, from the opposite
side of which project a couple of needle-points, to be
pressed against the wood of the table or chair, as in Fig.
25, or the base may be of tin or thin brass with a couple

Fig. 25.

of small holes in it, as Fig. 26. A couple of good-sized

drawing-pins are pressed through these holes into the
 24
Later Magic

wood, and all is secure. Two converging pins, one

above the other, as a in Fig. 25, make a still more
substantial fixture.

Fig. 26.

Where a light object is to be suspended by means of a

loop of thread or wire, a drawing-pin, driven half-way
home, will be all that is necessary to support it.
THE REVOLVING SERVANTE.

One of the latest ideas in this department is a

" revolving" servante; the invention of Mr. Hal.
Merton, an ingenious American performer. It is in-
tended to form part of one of the familiar round tables,
with fringed cover, frequently used as a side table.
It is in three parts, a (see Fig. 27), is a small metal
disc permanently attached to the under surface of the
table-top, near its hinder edge, and having in its centre
a female screw, b is a metal rod, with thread tapped
to correspond at top, and a button at bottom, c c is
the servante proper, a circular disc of wood, three
quarters of an inch thick, and ten inches, or thereabouts,
in diameter, with a hole in its centre large enough to
receive b. To fix it, b is passed through c, from below,
and its upper end is screwed into a, the servante being
thus suspended from above. It is obvious that when
 Later Magic

the side for the time being projecting at the back has
been utilized to produce or disappear a given object, a

Fig. 27

mere touch will cause the servante to revolve to any

desired extent, and so make a fresh portion of its sur-
face available for use.
It is claimed for this servante that it has the ad-
vantage of combining an unusually large amount of
working space with a very small amount of projection
from the table. It has the further recommendation of
being attached and removed with great facility. How
far it will in other respects meet the test of practical
experience has yet to be determined.
THE VEST SERVANTE.
The growing desire of performers to be independent
of any special table, and at the same time the obvious
objections to a too frequent recourse to pockets, almost
naturally suggest the inquiry, "Cannot the open front
of the vest be made available for the disappearance
of small objects?" The first wizard to answer the
26 Later Magic

question in any practical way was, to the best of my be-

lief, my friend Mr. David Devant, who invented and
has used for many years past a very effective form of
vest servant e.
Mr. Devant's contrivance consists of an oblong plate
of zinc, ten inches by seven, covered with cloth, and a
tube of sheet-iron or gun-metal, four and one half inches
long, pressed into an oval form, its longer diameter be-
ing four inches and its shorter two and one half inches.
This is covered in like manner, and the cloth is con-
tinued below the tube to a depth of three inches, and
closed at bottom, forming a bag wherein articles may
fall noiselessly.

The plate is first placed in position, across the lower

part of the shirt-front within the vest. This indeed
may be worn all the evening without inconvenience.
The tube is then inserted between this and the shirt-
front, the lower part passing inside the waistband of the
trousers. (See Fig. 28, in which the dotted lines show
 Later Magic

the apparatus in position, a representing the tube, and

b b the covered zinc plate. The slight abnormal pro-
jection of the vest attracts no inconvenient notice.)
Mr. Devant himself uses the appliance more par-
ticularly in connection with handkerchief tricks (to
receive the false finger, or a rolled up handkerchief).
But it is equally available for vanishing small balls,
cards, or other articles of appropriate size.

Another form of vest servanteis a speciality of Messrs.

Hamley Brothers, who list it in their catalogue as "The
Wonder of Wonders." It is in any case a very in-
genious and well-thought-out appliance.
It consists of a belt one and a half inches in depth
encircling the body under the vest. (See Fig. 2 9 , giving

Closed29.
Fig.

a view of the apparatus in its normal condition.) The

hinder half, a a, of this belt is of leather, secured at
back by a buckle, b. The forward half consists of
two bands of nickelled steel, ddd and e e e, the latter
lying in front of the former, c c are wire loops con-
necting the leather and the metal portions. / is a
hinge, connecting the two steel bands, but allowing
them to be separated at pleasure, g is a sleeve, hold-
ing them together at the opposite side, but allowing
28 Later Magic

e e e to slide over ddd. The latter, which in use re-

mains immovable, (practically forming part of a fixed
belt) , is slightly flattened in the centre. As the outer
band is not thus flattened, there remains between them
a space, plano-convex in shape, four inches in length
by half an inch at its greatest breadth. By pushing the
knob h towards the centre, the outer band is forced to
assume a more decided convexity, at the same time
diverging, throughout its length, from the inner band.
The distance between them at the centre may be
thus increased as far as the encircling garments will
allow, say, up to two inches (see Fig. 30.) Sewn to

Fig. 30.
O/ten,

the lower edges of both bands, across a space of nine

inches in width, is a shallow bag of black net, or silk, *,
forming a receptacle for objects dropped within the
vest. When the appliance has served its immediate
purpose, a finger inserted under the vest at the left
side draws back the knob Ji, and the outer band
returns to its original unobtrusive condition.

THE CONJURER'S CIGAR-BOX.

As a substitute for the servante, and indeed for many
of the purposes of the conjurer, a cigar-box will be
found to be of material assistance, particularly in an
extempore "show." So familiar an object excites no
 Later Magic

suspicion, but the conjurer's cigar-box is not always

quite so innocent at it looks. Herr Willmann, of
Hamburg, a gentleman to whom the magical world is in-
debted for many useful inventions, has devised a cigar-
box which, though of perfectly ordinary appearance, is
in truth elaborately "faked " for the service of the con-
jurer (see Fig. 31). The very label on the lid is a delu-

Fig. 31.

sion, being in fact a small trap, hinged at one end.

Behind the box, if desired, is attached by means of a
couple of needle-points, a net or other servante, and
the interior of the box is padded so that any article
passed through the trap shall make no noise in falling.
Another form of cigar-box is specially designed for
" changing" small objects. The box has the bottom
removed from its normal position, and replaced an inch
or so higher up. Room is thus left above it for a couple
of rows of cigars, while the space below forms a tem-
porary cover for the article which it is desired to ex-
change. Thus, suppose that the performer desires to
exchange an ordinary pack of cards for a prepared one.1
1 I myself many years ago arranged a small box on the same
principle, for this specific purpose. The box was of cardboard,
and externally of such a size as just to accommodate three packs
 Later Magic

When it is desired to effect the change, the performer

lays the unprepared pack close beside the box under
which the prepared pack lies hidden. Presently, under
cover of his own body, or of some other object, he care-
lessly lifts the box, as if merely to put it out of the way,
and in so doing places it over the unprepared pack, the
concealed pack being thereby exposed in its place. As
he has beforehand shown, in a casual way, that the box
contains cigars, no one is at all likely to suspect any
preparation or contrivance about it.
At a smoking concert, or similar entertainment, the
presence of a cigar-box is perfectly natural. Where it
is necessary to find some special pretext for its intro-
duction, itmay be brought forward from a side- table to
stand something on, say a tumbler or a billiard-ball,
professedly that the spectators may have a better view
of the object. Even an unprepared box of cigars may
on occasion come in usefully, as the space behind it on
the table forms a natural servante, a folded handker-
chief supplying the necessary padding.
Apropos of the trap in Herr Willmann's cigar-box, I
may pause to describe a little arrangement of my own
in relation to such traps, which will be of special in-
terest to the many amateurs who take a pleasure in
manufacturing their own apparatus ; though, be it said,
I by no means commend the practice for general adop-
tion, home-made apparatus, unless of the simplest kind,
being usually very inferior to the purchased article.

of cards, one above the other. The bottom, however, was only
two thirds of the way down, the third (prepared) pack being con-
cealed underneath this and being exchanged for one of the others
as above described. A rubber band round the box kept all snug
until it became necessary to use it.
 Later Magic 31

In a regular con juring-t able, traps are, as a matter

of course, made of metal, but in a home-made table or
in a box, as described in More Magic (p. 7), designed to
take the place of a table, the amateur will find wood a
better material for the traps, and rubber bands the
best form of spring. Fig. 32 illustrates the external

Fig. 32.

appearance of the box used by myself. It will be seen

that its surface is divided, by incised lines, into squares,
ostensibly by way of ornament. As a matter of fact,

Fig. 33.

however, one of the squares is a trap, whose construc-

tion may be gathered from an inspection of Figs. 33
 Later Magic

and 34, the former representing the interior of the

2
box 3 with the trap closed, the latter the trap itself,
open. The flap is attached, by two hinges, a a, to the

Fig. 34.

under surface of the lid, the crosspiece b b, which is

screwed to the flap, precluding any possibility of its
rising too high. The upward pressure necessary to
keep it in position is afforded by the tension of a rubber
band, b, on each side, slipped over the heads of two
ordinary round-headed screws. Of course such bands
require frequent renewing, but, on the other hand, they
cost practically nothing. They have the advantage of
working in the gentlest and most noiseless way, and
their tension can be adjusted to a nicety, by due regard
to the size and width of the bands used. The little
wire bolt, c, keeps the trap securely closed when not
needed for immediate use. A drop flap, which, may
or may not have gussets at the sides, forms a con-
venient servante.
The servante shown in the illustration is made to
draw out a little way, so as to increase its available
area.
The handle for carrying the box is fixed on the
" hinge" side, which in use is turned towards the spec-
tators. Ifof the sunken kind, there is no objection to
 Later Magic 33

its being placed in the centre of the lid, the trap being
shifted a little more to the right or left, but the former
position of the handle makes the box more convenient
for carrying.

IMPROVED " PULLS."

Readers of More Magic may remember that under the
title of "The Wandering Ring" (p. 196) a trick was
described involving the use of a spring pull ; whereby
the ring was secretly transferred (via the coat sleeves)
from the left hand into the right. In connection with
appliances of general utility, it will be worth while to
call the attention of the reader anew to this little con-
trivance, which, in its up-to-date forms, not only is
more perfect in detail, but finds a considerably ex-
tended sphere of usefulness.
As to the first of these improved forms, I cannot do
better than quote, with a little amplification, the de-
scription given by Herr Willmann in his Moderne Salon '
Magie.
Within a cylindrical brass drum (see Fig. 35) is fixed

Fig. 35.

a spring barrel, round which is coiled a catgut line, a,

and which is wound up by drawing out this line. To
one of the faces of the barrel is attached a ratchet
wheel, between the teeth of which a pall, attached to
3
34 Later Magic

the upper end of the spring, b, can be inserted, but is

again withdrawn by pressing e (which is a movable
arm, pivoted against the face of the drum) towards b.
The outer end of e is wedge-shaped; and this being
forced under the end of b the pall is lifted and the
barrel released. To the free end of the gut line is at-
tached apair of spring nippers, c, which, when the
apparatus is not in use, rest partially within the mouth
of the funnel-shaped tube, d. A spring between the
shorter arms of the nippers keeps their jaws closed so
long as they are clear of the tube, but so soon as the
shorter arms are drawn within it, these are pressed
together by the sides of the tube, and the jaws open.
The full length of the gut line is about five feet. It
may be drawn out to this or any less extent, and fixed
at that point by means of the pall. The apparatus
thus arranged is placed for use in the trouser-pocket
on the right side. The line is carried across the back
and down the left sleeve, the nippers hanging in the
neighbourhood of the wristband.
The performer desires, say, to vanish a silk handker-
chief. He takes it by the centre, letting the four
corners hang down, and transfers it by the part he
holds to the left hand. This hand meanwhile has got
possession of the little nippers, and, by pressure on their
shorter arms, has opened their jaws, between which he
inserts the centre of the handkerchief. The moment
he releases the pressure of the fingers the jaws close, and
the handkerchief is held securely. The performer now
places his right hand in the trouser-pocket, and presses
e under b, thereby withdrawing the pall and causing
the barrel to wind up the gut line. Meanwhile, standing
with his left side turned towards the spectators, he
 Later Magic 35

slowly waves the left hand about, and while apparently

merely gathering the handkerchief into the hand,
allows it gradually to be drawn through the hand up
the sleeve. As soon as it is quite free, the pull draws
it across the back into the pocket. By elevating the
arm, and so allowing the line to run freely, or by press-
ing the arm to the body, and thereby checking it, the
speed at which the pull operates can be regulated at
pleasure.
The performer continues the rubbing away move-
ment of the left hand for a moment or two after it is
actually empty. Meanwhile the nippers have been
pulled home into the tube d, when the jaws open and
release the handkerchief. The performer may then
produce it from his pocket with the right hand, the left
being shown empty.
The working of the trick as above described enables
the conjurer to have the handkerchief marked by the
spectators in any way they please, so as to negative
any idea of substitution.

The apparatus may equally well be used to cause a

ring to travel from one hand to the other, as described
in More Magic. The trick in question is so exception-
ally effective that, for the benefit of readers who may
not possess that book, I here reproduce it, in a slightly
altered form.
The performer, with the apparatus arranged, as above
mentioned, in the right trouser-pocket, and with the
nippers secured between the fingers of the left hand, or
with their jaws closed on the shirt-cuff, borrows from
different persons a couple of rings, the more excep-
tional in appearance the better. Showing a number of
 Later Magic

short
36 ends of narrow ribbons of various colours, he in-
vites athird person to choose one of them, and there-
with to tie the two rings together. Under pretence of
examining the knot, he engages the ribbon in the
little nippers, the cord, still slack, passing along the
under side of his wrist.
With due precaution against any tell-tale exposure
of the nippers, he shows the rings, held between the
tips of the fingers and thumb. "These are the rings
you lent me, are they not? I close my hand upon
them, so. Now you would imagine that so long as I
keep my hand closed, and you keep your eyes on my
hand, the rings could not possibly escape from it. But
you would be mistaken. However closely you may
watch my hand, the rings will leave it, and find their
way into this pocket. " He thrusts the right hand for
a moment into the trouser-pocket, as if merely to show
which pocket he is referring to, and in that moment
presses the little lever which releases the pull. "All I
have to do is to dematerialize them, which I do by
means of a little friction." With the fingers of the left
hand he makes a rubbing movement, and under cover
of such movement, lets the rings escape up the sleeve.
A moment later he shows the hand empty; and pro-
duces the rings from the pocket on the opposite side,
as previously announced.

Where the article vanished by the pull is not to be

immediately reproduced, a different arrangement is
sometimes adopted, the apparatus being attached by
means of a belt to the waist of the performer behind his
back, underneath the coat ; the mouth of the tube d
being directed to the left armhole. The barrel is in
 Later Magic
37
this case started by means of a subsidiary pull, a piece
of fine black cord attached to e, thence passing through
a hole in the central screw, and finally brought round
the right side, and attached to one of the front brace-
buttons. By allowing the hand to rest for a moment
on the hip (a perfectly natural position) the performer
is enabled to get hold of the cord, a very slight tighten-
ing of which suffices to start the pull. This arrange-
ment admits of the employment of a larger and stronger
apparatus than could well be used in the pocket.
THE LIGHTNING VANISHER.

Another excellent mechanical "pull, " for the know-

ledge of which I am indebted to the courtesy of Messrs.
Hamley, goes by the above name. In principle it is
practically identical with that last described, but the
two differ in many points of detail. Fig. 36 illustrates
what may be called the front view, and Fig. 37

a a

Fig. 37
Fig. 36.

the back view, of the apparatus, which is of brass,

handsomely nickel-plated. The drum, clock-barrel,
 Later Magic

cogwheel, and catch are retained, but the latter is

38
withdrawn by pressure on a lever, a, and the line is
not of gut, but whip -cord with a gut loop.
The vanisher is placed in position by means of a
horseshoe-shaped wire loop, b b, for the reception of
which a special pocket is made in the vest, outside,
close to the right armhole; the side shown in Fig. 37
being next the body, and the lever, a, resting just
within the armpit. In this position, a very slight pres-
sure of the arm against the body depresses the lever
sufficiently to withdraw the catch and release the
pull. The tube c comes just within the sleeve, at the
armhole ; and the cord, which is in this case only about
two feet long, passes, on leaving the tube, through an
inch length, of soft rubber, d, which acts as a buffer on
its return, the pull in this case being designed to act very
rapidly. The spring is therefore made very strong,
and brings back the cord with great energy. The cord
is knotted on the outside of the rubber, which breaks
the violence of the shock. "
The special object of this pull is to instantly vanish
a handkerchief; though it may of course be made
available for other purposes. For this particular use,
however, the nippers described in connection with the
other pull are dispensed with, and replaced by a simple
loop of thin gut, about six inches in length. The
handkerchief to be vanished is secretly passed through
this as far as the middle, and doubled in half. If it
then be held loosely in the hand, and the pull released,
it flies up the sleeve with the rapidity of a lightning-
flash.
This appliance is frequently used in connection with
the very popular trick of vanishing a silk handkerchief
 39
Later Magic

from a glass lamp-chimney held between the two

hands.1

While upon the subject of " pulls " I must not omit to
mention one or two little modifications which may fre-
quently be made with advantage in the direct or non-
mechanical pull. The reader will doubtless remember
that in the case of the ' ' Buatier ' ' pull, which was the
first of this class, one end of the cord was secured to the
left wrist, whence it passed up the sleeve, across the back,
and down the right sleeve, where it terminated in a
little cylindrical cup, for the reception of the handker-
chief or other article to be vanished. A valuable addi-
tion to this form of pull is a piece of flesh-coloured silk
thread, about twelve inches, or a trifle more, in length,
the ends of which are attached to the edge of the cup,
at opposite sides. The loop thus formed is passed over
the second or third finger. At the proper moment the
second finger of the opposite hand is passed under this
loop; and by a slight forward movement, draws the
cup into the hand, where it is forthwith palmed for use
as may be desired.
So far, however, as the mere disappearance of hand-
kerchiefs isconcerned, the cup may be altogether dis-
pensed with, the pull consisting merely of a piece of
stout silk thread. At one end of this a running loop is
formed, and this is attached to the right shirt-cuff.
The cuff must be one of the two-stud kind, and the
loop drawn over both studs, the two keeping the loop
so far distended as to admit of its instant detachment.
From the cuff the thread passes up the right sleeve,
across the back next to the shirt, and out of the left
1 See post, "Handkerchief Tricks."
 Later Magic

armhole
4Q of the vest, the end being attached to the
hinder brace-button on that side, but sufficient slack
being left to form a short hanging loop just below the
vest. Thus arranged, the thread creates no obstacle to
the freest movements on the part of the performer.
When the pull is needed for use he releases the running
loop, by the aid of the opposite thumb, from the two
studs, and passes it over the second and third fingers.
In the course of his patter it is an easy matter to pass
the handkerchief as far as its centre within the loop,
after which the fingers are withdrawn, the handker-
chief remaining in the hand. The thumb of the left
hand being now inserted in the bight of the silk thread
on the opposite side, a quick downward movement
draws it tight, and causes the handkerchief to vanish
up the sleeve.
It will be found desirable to use thread of two colours,
flesh-colour for the running loop, and black at the op-
posite end, joined at some intermediate point.
It will be obvious that the running loop and stud ar-
rangement isequally applicable to a rubber pull.

GUIDES, FOR USE WITH PULLS.

In connection with pulls, I may here mention a little

contrivance which has been recently introduced for
keeping the cord in the way it should go, and, theo-
retically, for making the pull work more easily and
certainly. It consists of a brass tube of not quite
an inch in length and one quarter of an inch out-
side diameter, mounted on a circular flange of the
same metal, as shown in Fig. 38. The little holes
in the metal plate are to enable it to be sewn to the
 Later Magic 41

performer's vest, in such position as may best suit the

purpose in view.
The contrivance is well intended, but, in the form

Fig. 38

above described, its utility is extremely questionable.

If the direction of the cord is through it in a straight
line, a guide is obviously unnecessary. If, on the other
hand, the cord enters or leaves the tube at an angle,
friction must necessarily be created, varying in degree
as the angle is more or less acute. If such a contri-
vance be necessary, a better form would be as shown in
Fig 39, the cord passing between two grooved wheels,
mounted between two slips of brass,
chamfered as to their inner edges, and
placed so close together that there would
be no possibility of the cord jamming.
Personally, however, I have found ex-
cellent results from a much simpler
contrivance, viz., a ring of polished ivory,
half an inch in external, and a quarter of
an inch in internal diameter, stitched to
the garment with due regard to the direc-
tion of the cord. In default of ivory,
a similar ring of bone or brass may be used with very
little sacrifice of practical effectiveness ; but ivory
is the ideal material where friction is to be avoided.
Another ingenious anti - friction contrivance, in-
 Later Magic

tended specially for use with elastic pulls, is the inven-

42
tion of Mr. J. Holt Schooling, of statistical celebrity.
Mr. Schooling's plan is to thread the elastic cord
through a tube of coiled hard brass wire, about one
quarter of an inch in diameter. One end of this tube
is made fast at the starting-point of the elastic. The
other is led across the body, and out at the armpit on
the side at which the pull is arranged to operate. Thus
guarded, the elastic works with an extremely small
amount of friction.
THE GLASS WITH MIRROR PARTITION.

Among appliances of general utility, this merits a

place of special honour, for few pieces of apparatus
have a wider range of employment.
The credit of the original idea belongs to the veteran
wizard Hartz, to whom the conjurer of to-day, though
usually unconscious of the obligation, is indebted for
some of the most effective weapons in his magical
armoury.
The apparatus, in its simplest form, consists of a
glass tumbler (preferably on a foot and having straight
sides, as shown in Fig. 40) divided ver-
tically into two compartments by a mov-
able partition of patent plate, i. e., thin
silvered glass, protected on the silvered
side by a coating of coloured varnish. To
use it, the tumbler, with the plate in posi-
tion, is so placed on the table that the
mirror side of the partition shall be
directly facing the spectators, in which
condition the glass appears to be empty, though the
space behind the partition may contain anything the
 43
Later Magic

performer pleases, say bonbons. When he desires to

produce these, he shows a handkerchief, first on one
side, then on the other, to prove it unprepared ; and
throws it over the glass. He then nips it in the centre,
between finger and thumb, and so lifts it off again, at
the same time lifting out the partition with it. This
remains within the handkerchief, and may be removed
at leisure; meanwhile the glass, previously shown
empty, is now seen to be half full, any doubt on the
subject being removed by an immediate distribution of
the bonbons.
The tumbler thus prepared is, however, merely the
germ of the complete contrivance, which enables the
performer to show both sides of the goblet, and so an
empty and a full compartment, or two different sets
of contents, in succession.
To this end, the mirror partition is made to consist
of two pieces of the patent plate, glued back to back,
with a piece of cotton velvet between them. The velvet •
should be a shade larger than the plates themselves,
and when all is dry the margin should be trimmed
down to a width of about an eighth of an inch; this
arrangement making the partition fit more exactly in
its place, and at the same time preventing any rattling
against the sides of the glass.
Thus arranged, the glass looks alike, whichever side
of it is presented to the spectators. The hinder com-
partment isloaded with, say, a blue silk handkerchief;
the front compartment being at the outset empty. In
this latter is now openly placed a red silk handkerchief.
It is clear that if now the glass be reversed, the front
compartment for the time being will be occupied by the
blue handkerchief, the one having apparently changed
44 Later Magic

into the other. The blue handkerchief being removed,

the glass is again apparently empty.
The only difficulty is to give the glass the necessary
half -turn without the knowledge of the spectators, and
this is practically no difficulty at all, for it may be done
in three or four different ways. In the case of a small
glass, the simplest plan is to hold the glass in one hand,
and with the other to throw a handkerchief over it.
The operator a moment later decides to perform the
trick without cover, and so at once removes the hand-
kerchief, but meanwhile the glass has received the
necessary half -turn, and the trick is done.
Another plan is to borrow a lady's fan, and with it to
fan the glass and its contents, the half -turn being made
under cover of the fanning movement. If the contents
of the two sides are to a casual view alike, as for in-
stance ifa white silk handkerchief, enveloped in a blue
one, is to be changed for a red one similarly enveloped,
even this amount of cover is not necessary. The per-
former, standing beside his table, lifts the glass with
the hand nearest to it, and transfers it across his body
to the other. In this case the semicircle described by
the arm automatically produces the half -turn of the
glass.
For stage use, the mirror principle is applied to
glasses of large size; large enough, indeed, in some
cases, to accommodate a dove or small rabbit in
the hinder compartment. For the semi-revolution of
glasses of this size it is necessary to make special pro-
vision, which usually takes one of two forms. The
first plan is to have a circular disc, a little larger than
the foot of the glass, let into the top of the performer's
table. Just below the opening a wooden bar is fixed,
 45
Later Magic

and on this, by means of a metal pin in its centre, the

disc revolves, actuated by a thread, led away "behind
the scenes" to the hands of the assistant. A "stop,"
at a given point on either side, prevents the disc mak-
ing more than the desired half -turn. The vase being
placed upon the disc, the performer covers it with a
handkerchief. This he does in a leisurely way, holding
the handkerchief in the first instance well to the front,
before dropping it on the top. During the instant thus
occupied, the assistant pulls the thread, and the trick
is done. By having a double pull, travelling round the
spindle in opposite directions, the vase may, if desired,
be brought back to its original position, but this is
rarely necessary.
Another plan, which is in some respects preferable,
is to place the vase, as if for its better exhibition, on a
heavy circular stand, of ebony or ebonized wood,
about two inches in height. The upper part of this,
which is covered with black velvet, is movable, and
works in a precisely similar way to the disc let into the
table top; the pull being led away after the same
fashion as with the former. If it is necessary to bring
in the stand after the commencement of the perform-
ance, the assistant should take up his position with the
thread in his hand, and pay it out gently till the per-
former has placed the stand in the desired position.
Besides the immense variety of "changes" which a
glass of this kind places within the reach of the per-
former, ithas another use, by no means to be despised.
The glass, say, is standing on the table empty, having
been used for some trick and being apparently done
with for the time being. The performer rests his wand
upon it, lying from back to front. Presently he has
46 Later Magic

occasion to get rid of some article, say a glove, which

is palmed in his right hand. With the same hand he
picks up the wand, and the glove drops silently into
the hinder compartment. A moment later the glass is
carried off by the assistant, who extracts the hidden
article, and disposes of it as may be necessary for the
purpose of the trick.
Where it is proposed to utilize the glass in this ex-
ceptional way, and not for its ordinary purpose, the
hinder compartment is sometimes lined with tin-foil,
making, while such compartment remains in the rear,
no difference in its external appearance. The space
thus enclosed is then half filled with cotton wool (pre-
ferably black) on which a watch or other delicate
article may be dropped without fear of injury. Of
course in this case there is no revolution of the glass.

Two cautions may here be given with advantage.

First, as to the pattern of the glass. This should not
be quite plain externally, but of a cut or moulded
pattern, a little external ornament assisting materially
to mask the presence of the mirror partition. What is
called a celery glass lends itself very well to the ar-
rangement. The other point to be noted is that any
object placed in the foremost compartment, and not
entirely filling it, is reflected by the mirror; thus an
egg appears as two eggs, and so on. This may be got
over by professing to put two eggs in the glass, while
actually putting in only one. Some performers meet
the difficulty by using a half egg, cut longitudinally,
and laying the flat side close to the mirror. In either
case, however, it must be remembered that the per-
former's hand is also reflected so long as it is in the
 Later Magic 47

glass, and it is therefore necessary to stand so as to

screen it, at the critical moment, from the view of the
spectators.

The following is a simple illustration of the use of the

mirror glass in its smaller size.
The glass (without the partition) is first handed for
inspection, and when returned is covered with a bor-
rowed handkerchief. In covering it, however, the per-
former introduces, with a little intentional clumsiness,
the mirror partition, and behind it two small silk hand-
kerchiefs, ofdifferent colours. (These articles have pre-
viously been concealed under the vest.) Being taxed
with having introduced something, he disproves the
accusation (apparently) by uncovering the glass, which
appears to be empty. He then, standing beside the
table, and holding a handkerchief at right angles to the
audience so that both sides can be seen, draws it side-
ways over the glass. He then picks up the glass by
grasping it through the handkerchief and invites some
one to take hold of the foot under the handkerchief, and
to clasp the handkerchief tightly round the glass, so
that nothing can possibly get in. Then, taking two
other silk handkerchiefs (duplicates of those in the
glass), the operator "vanishes" them by any method
he pleases (see post) and orders them to pass into the
glass. Finally he jerks off the outer handkerchief, nip-
ping the glass division through the fabric and carrying
it off with it, when the two silk handkerchiefs are
revealed.
Hartz, in his mechanical days, was accustomed to
utilize the mirror glass for an important addition to
the brilliant "Shower of Gold" trick. The glass used
 Later Magic

in this case was a tall celery glass, with double mirror

48
partition. At the outset, both compartments were
empty. Showing a bag of golden (?) coins, the per-
former poured them unmistakably into the glass (the
forward compartment) . In covering the glass with a
handkerchief, he turned it round, bringing the empty
side to the front. The coins were then ordered to pass
(as described in More Magic, pp. 428-433) into the
glass vase upon the mechanical table, wherein they were
duly heard to fall, and were ultimately found. When
the mirror glass was again uncovered, the coins with
which it had been filled were no longer visible, proving
incontestably, according to conjurer's logic, that those
same coins had actually passed into the other vase.
By another adaptation of the same principle Hartz
produced an extremely effective form of the ' 1 Fish and
Ink" trick. The mirror partition was in this case se-
cured by a waterproof cement to the sides of the vase.
(This, by the way, is a costly and troublesome matter,
for, to be perfect, the glass must be grooved vertically to
receive the partition.) The side remote from the au-
dience was beforehand filled with water and goldfish,
the other side being left empty. In this condition
the glass was placed on the table, but a little later
(professedly in order that it might be better seen) a
block of wood, containing a turn-table arrangement
as already described, was introduced beneath it. Ink
was brought forward in an earthenware jug, in size
apparently of similar internal dimensions to the vase,
but so filled up with cement as to contain in reality only
half as much as its external appearance would seem to
denote. The ink, however, was the real thing, and
the spectators were invited to satisfy themselves fully
 49
Later Magic

as to its genuineness, even by tasting it, if desired.

This done, it was poured into the forward compartment
of the vase, which it just filled. The performer, retiring
to as great a distance as possible (so as to divide general
attention with the vase) fired a pistol. Under cover
of the report the assistant gave the necessary pull, the
glass revolved, and the ink was seen to be transformed
to clear water, with goldfish swimming about in it.

CONTRIVANCES FOR "PASSING OFF."

One of the conjurer's most frequent requirements is

to be able, unperceived, to "pass off" borrowed articles
(watches, rings, and the like) , to be dealt with accord-
ing to circumstances, behind the scenes. With a stage
arranged after Robert-Houdin's fashion, this was a very
easy matter. The stage was enclosed on each side as
well as at the back, forming what is known as a " box "
scene, representing a drawing-room, with white and
gold furniture of the Louis XV. period.1 Fixed against
the canvas wall on either side was an elegant little
table, of the bracket or "console" kind. In each of
these was a trap, down which any article to be passed
off might be dropped. The assistant, thrusting his arm
into the interior of the table from behind, took pos-
session of the article, and disposed of it according to
the requirements of the case. But the Robert-Houdin
stage is a thing of the past. The tendency of the
present day is to do with as little stage-furniture as
possible, and it has been found necessary to devise
other methods of "passing off," to meet the altered
1 For an exact representation of Robert-Houdin's stage, see The
Secrets of Stage Conjuring, p. 31.
4
50 Later Magic

conditions of modern conjuring. Some such devices

have been already described, and others will be indi-
cated in connection with special tricks. But the
wizard, like the archer, cannot have too many strings to
his bow, and here again Hartz comes to the fore with a
couple of clever and little known contrivances.
The first (Fig. 41) is a clear glass bottle, as used for
claret, from one side of which has been cut out a piece
oval in shape, and measuring about three
inches by two. To this is adapted a sort
of tin cup, forming a dry chamber within
the body of the bottle, but not interfer-
ing, save to a very small extent, with its
capacity for holding liquid. In the bottom
of the cavity is a little cotton wool, to
' prevent the rattling of anything placed
inside.
Fig. 41. The performer desires to pass off, say,
a borrowed watch, of which he has secretly
gained possession. At the appropriate moment (feeling
a little faint, or for other good and sufficient reason)
he asks his assistant to bring him a glass of wine, A
glass and the bottle are brought in on a tray, the
opening of course turned away from the audience.
The performer helps himself, and replaces the bottle ;
which is then carried away again, the audience little
suspecting that in the act of pouring out the wine the
performer has passed into the bottle the borrowed
article, a substitute having been previously left in
sight, or in the keeping of one of the spectators.

The second contrivance, suitable for smaller articles,

such as coins or rings, takes the form of a match-box,
 Later Magic

or match-vase, of the kind in which the matches are

inserted upright (see Fig. 42). The performer, wishing
to pass off, we will suppose, a borrowed
ring, under some pretext calls for a light ;
say, in order to seal up a packet professedly
containing the borrowed article. The as-
51
sistant brings him, in one hand a candle,
and on the palm of the other the box of
matches. An examination of the box, if Fig. 42.
permitted, would reveal the fact that it
has a tubular opening, as indicated by the dotted
lines, right down the centre, the matches resting
between this and the outer portion. In the act of
taking a match, the performer drops the ring down the
centre space into the assistant's hand. This done, the
box may be placed upon the table, and left there till
the trick is concluded, the assistant walking off with
the borrowed article.
The same thing may be done with an unprepared
match-box of the ordinary kind, the ring being simply
dropped among the matches. But in this case the box
must be carried off by the assistant, a less perfect ar-
rangement than leaving it on the table, and carrying
off the borrowed article only.

A contrivance of my own for " passing off " purposes

was a metal powder-flask, with a cavity in the side,
after the manner of the Hartz bottle. This was
brought in to load a pistol. Having served this pur-
pose, it carried off in its interior the borrowed article.
Another expedient which suggested itself to me,
though I never made practical use of it, was to have a
candlestick made with a cavity in its foot, into which
 Later Magic

the borrowed article might be dropped. There is

never52 any lack of pretexts for the use of a candle in
magical performances.
THE HARTZ PISTOL.

Among Hartz's earlier inventions is an ingeniously

contrived pistol for passing off borrowed rings. It
was, however, a little too suggestive of being made
specially for conjuring purposes, which was probably
the reason that the inventor, in his later performances,
discarded it in favour of the more subtle expedients
already described. It has now for some years been
procurable at the principal conjuring depots.
To an ordinary pocket-pistol is adapted a cylindrical
brass tube, as a a in Fig. 43, about two inches in
diameter, shouldered off into a neck
of smaller dimensions, b, where it fits
over the pistol. So large a barrel
naturally demands a special ramrod.
The stem, c, of this, is of wood, but
the head, d, which is two inches
deep, is of metal, cylindrical in form,
and of such diameter as to pass easily
down the barrel. Its lower edge is
slightly turned in all round. Resting
on this turned edge is a loose bottom,
e, normally pressed downwards by a
Fig. spiral spring, /, above it (kept in posi-
tion by a central pin, g), but yielding
43-
easily to upward pressure. With this is used a brass
cup, h, in general appearance exactly like the head of
the ramrod, but of such a size as to fit somewhat
tightly within it.
 53
Later Magic

When it is desired to use the pistol, the barrel

proper is loaded, in the ordinary way, with a light
charge of powder, and the tube a a is placed in position.
Into this the cup h is then privately inserted, the per-
former taking due precaution that the weapon shall
thenceforth be held muzzle uppermost. The borrowed
rings are now dropped into the tube, naturally falling
into h. The act of ramming down forces d over h,
the loose bottom e receding to make way for the rings.
When the ramrod is again withdrawn, and carried off
by the assistant, the rings are carried off within it, and
are at his disposal for the purpose of the trick.

Fig. 44. Fig. 45.

Apropos of pistols, I may take the opportunity of

mentioning another rather ingenious pistol-tube, of
French construction. This also is cylindrical in shape
and contains a piston a a, normally pressed upwards by
the action of a candle-spring, b, to the position shown
in Fig. 44, but capable of being pressed back as in
Fig. 45, and secured in that position by a spring catch.
To the upper face of a a bit of crumpled white cambric
is glued.
The performer, having borrowed a number of small
54 Later Magic

articles, drops them unmistakably into the tube, in

which he has previously forced back the piston as
shown in Fig. 45, finally borrowing a white handker-
chief, which he uses by way of wad. Going to a side
table in search of a cap for the pistol, he lowers the
mouth of the tube for a moment behind the farther end
of the table, and at the same moment releases the
catch. The spring expands, and the articles are shot
out on to a servante, whence they are subsequently
carried off by the assistant. The internal appearance of
the tube remains the same as before ; the dummy hand-
kerchief having taken the place of the borrowed one.
With this pistol it is desirable (professedly "not to
alarm the ladies ") to use caps only, as the explosion of a
charge of powder would have disagreeable consequences.

THE "EXCELSIOR" CLIP.

The little appliance to which the above title is given
is one of the smallest pieces of apparatus which can be
used by the conjurer, but its usefulness is out of all
proportion to its size. It is a minute spring clip, of
steel, with the outer portion of one of its longer arms
bent over into the form of a hook, and sharpened to a
point, so that it can be hooked on
to any portion of the clothing (see
Fig. 46). Its extreme length is
only half an inch, and its width
three eighths of an inch. The clip,
however, opens widely enough to
take in the edge of a half-crown (as
in Fig. 47), and on the other hand
closes with so firm a grip that it will securely hold
a card, or even a slip of paper.
 Later Magic
55
The possible uses of this little clip are legion. For
instance, it may be hooked, holding a shilling or a
half-crown, inside the vest, just above the waistband,
or underneath the lapel of the coat. ' Under the vest
a little higher up, it will hold a card, or half a dozen
cards, ready for production when necessary. By its
aid a coin may be hung on one finger at the back of the
hand, and so " vanished," or may be temporarily sus-
pended on the back of a volunteer assistant, to be
reproduced, apparently from nowhere, a moment later.
Or again (for this little" tip" I am indebted to Mr. John
Hamley) the performer may ask a volunteer assistant
to thoroughly shuffle the pack. When it is returned,
he remarks that that was a good enough shuffle for a
beginner, but if the gentleman had been a poker-player,
he would have kept back a few cards under his knee,
so ! Whereupon he passes his empty hand under his
own knee and produces a straight flush, or some
similarly staggering combination. The explanation is,
of course, that the cards in question were suspended in
the clip behind the leg, the performer taking care, until
he has produced them, to keep full face to the company.
These are but a few of the possible uses of the Excel-
sior, which, by the way, has two secondary advantages :
first, it is so small that if accidentally dropped on the
floor it causes no sound and attracts no attention ; and
secondly, its price is so nominal that the performer can
use, or lose, half a dozen without feeling any the poorer.

THE SMOKE APPARATUS.

Most of my readers are doubtless acquainted with the

" smoke" trick, viz. ; the production of clouds of white
 Later Magic

vapour by means of the combination of liquid ammonia

6
and 5hydrochloric acid. A few drops of each suffice,
the mode of combination depending upon the trick in
hand, and the fancy of the performer. In the original
form of the trick a glass vase, with a cover of the same
material, was used. The vase was wetted with, say,
the ammonia, and the cover with the acid. So soon as
the cover was placed on the vase, the "smoke" began
to form within. In another version the performer
produces two clay pipes, empty, and to all appear-
ance innocent of preparation ; but when he takes one of
them in his mouth, and covers its bowl with that of
the other, heavy white clouds at once begin to roll out
from between them. It is hardly necessary to mention
that the one pipe contains a few drops of the alkali,
and the other a like quantity of the acid, and that the
performer, though pretending to inhale, really exhales,
thereby forcing out the vapour from between the pipes.
To inhale the vapour, which is chlorine gas, would be
distinctly undesirable.
There is in any case hardly enough in the smoke trick
to make it worth independent exhibition, but as an in-
cidental effect arising naturally in the course of some
other trick, it will often have considerable dramatic
value. When for instance a performer takes a given
article (apparently) in his hand, and rubs it away to
nothingness, the feat will gain considerably in point of
realism if he can make it dissolve in visible smoke. A
German conjurer, Dr. Avon, has devised an ingenious
little apparatus for producing this effect with ease and
certainty.
An inspection of our illustration, Fig. 48 (borrowed
from the German magical serial, Die Zauberwelt), will
 Later Magic
57
make the construction of the apparatus pretty clear,
a is a little flat bottle of, say, half an ounce capacity,

Fig. 48.

and b is a test tube. In the mouth of each is a cork,

perforated by two holes, h is a tube of glass or
metal (or two tubes connected by a third of rubber)
forming a channel of communication between the two
vessels, which are enclosed in a little tin case, /. The
little bottle is destined for the reception of the hydro-
chloric acid, and the test tube for that of the ammonia,
say twenty drops of each. The object of having the
bottle a comparatively large, in proportion to its con-
tents, isthat it may act as a chamber for the formation
of the gas. In each cork is inserted a second short
bent tube, of glass or metal, in connection with one of
rubber. The rubber tubes may be of small bore, but
should be heavy in point of substance, that they may
not collapse too readily on pressure. The tube g, the
one in connection with the ammonia, terminates in a
rubber ball, e, pressure on which will naturally force
the vapour of the ammonia out of b and into a, and
thence, transformed into chlorine gas, through the tube
c on the opposite side. This tube is from considerations
 Later Magic

8
of 5space shown "broken off" in the diagram, but it
is in fact of considerable length. The outer end may
either be left open, or terminate in a little tap, as d.
The dimensions of the tin case need not exceed two and
one half inches square and three quarters of an inch
from back to front, so that it is easily carried in an
inside pocket, or it may be attached, by means of a
couple of bent pins soldered to the case, to the inside
of the vest.
From the case the tube c is carried down the right
sleeve, terminating a little above the cuff, and attached
thereto by a thread, so as to be promptly get-at-able.
The air-ball, e, should hang somewhere on the opposite
side, covered by the coat, but within easy reach of the
performer's left hand.
The treatment of the free end of c is an open question.
Dr. Avon himself suggests two or three alternatives.
First, to leave it quite open. This plan has the draw-
back that an accidental pressure of the air-ball might
cause a premature appearance of the "smoke" from
the sleeve, which the performer would find it difficult
to account for satisfactorily. To prevent this, the use
of a little tap, as d in the diagram, is suggested, but this
likewise is open to objection as being liable to catch in
the sleeve. A third plan is to transfer the little tap
to the point g, but here it is not very readily get-at-able.
There is a further point to be considered, viz., that
in either of the cases above mentioned the white vapour
comes out in a single stream from the extremity of c;
whereas to produce a complete illusion it should rise
in a cloud from the hand. To meet this difficulty, the
inventor suggests that c be made to terminate in a
hollow ball, perforated with several holes.
 59
Later Magic

In my own opinion, neither of these plans is entirely

satisfactory. What is needed is some form of terminal
which shall effectually cut off the gas till needed, and on
the other hand, when it escapes, shall allow it to do so in
a diffused form. I would suggest some such appliance
as depicted in Figs. 49, 50, wherein a a represents a

Fig. 49. Fig. 50.

hollow egg, of some hard wood, two inches in length

by one and one quarter in diameter, and divided in half,
internally, by a diaphragm, b b, perforated (as would be
also the upper half of a a) with several holes. These
would usually be kept closed by the contact of a
disc d, connected with a plunger c, forced upwards by
the action of a spiral spring. The lower end, e, of the
egg would be hollow, and in connection with the
rubber tube c in Fig. 49. The working of the ap-
pliance will be almost self-evident. In its normal
condition the holes in b b are closed ; but the moment
the stud, /, at the head of the plunger, was pressed
down, these holes would be clear, .and the gas would
stream out through the openings in the upper part of
a a.
A very effective illustration of the use of the smoke
6o Later Magic

apparatus in the hands of the inventor himself will be

found in the chapter devoted to " Glove Tricks."
A MAGICAL EXPLOSIVE,

The mention of the smoke apparatus recalls another

little chemical secret, for the knowledge of which I am
indebted to a very distant correspondent, Mr. W. J.
Collins, of North Ipswich, Queensland. Discreetly used,
it will be found to impart an element of genuine mys-
tery even to an otherwise commonplace trick.
The recipe is as follows: Take a few flakes (not
more) of ordinary iodine, say as much as will lie on a
threepenny-piece. Reduce to powder, place in a wine-
glass, and add a small teaspoonful of liquid ammonia.
Let the mixture stand for half an hour, and then filter
through blotting-paper. A dark brown substance is
left behind, formerly known as iodide of nitrogen.
This, however, is now found to be a misnomer; there is
in fact no appropriate popular name for the product.
The chemical formula is NH3I2. It is a powerful ful-
minate, and indeed will explode spontaneously if dried
in too warm a place. It should be divided, while still
wet, into minute portions, each not much larger than a
millet seed. Each of these is laid on fresh blotting-
paper for a few minutes to get rid of its superfluous
moisture, and then, while still damp, transferred to the
article on which it is intended to be used. When quite
dry, the slightest friction, or even pressure will make it
explode, though, in the minute quantities above mentioned,
without danger.1
1 The reader may here be reminded that all fulminates are dan-
gerous in careless hands, and the one I have described is excep-
tionally lively. Too much caution, therefore, cannot be used in
 Later Magic 61

The magical possibilities of such' an explosive will be

obvious to any experienced performer. One of the
uses suggested by Mr. Collins is the preparation of a
penny with a little dab of the fulminate. This is secretly
substituted for a borrowed coin, and a spectator is in-
vited to hold it, being at the same time told that if he
rubs it ever so little it will jump out of his hand. When
he does so, the explosion takes place, and unless he has
much stronger nerves than the majority of people, he
forthwith drops the coin, the effect to the spectators
being that it has spontaneously jumped out of his hand.
Again, by preparing the wand accordingly, the mere
act of drawing it through the hand, or of tapping some
object with it, will suffice to produce a report, which,
not being explainable upon any ordinary principles,
lends valuable support to the performer's profession
of mystic powers.1 The key of a box, the knob of a
drawer, the corner of a card, or the edge of a paper bag
may be prepared in like manner, and thus made to pro-
duce a new element of surprise in the trick for which the
article is used.
To take a single illustration of the use of the ful-

handling it. The neophyte is recommended, first, never to manu-

facture more of the compound than is needed for his immediate
purpose; and, secondly, to familiarize himself with it by careful
and frequent experiment before he attempts to use it in public,
as an excess, even of a few grains, might have disagreeable conse-
quences. Apellet even of this size (•) will produce a very audible
explosion.
1 The central point of one end of the wand is a very good spot
for the application. The wand thus prepared may be used through-
out the evening without any fear of the fulminate going off pre-
maturelv, while at the right moment the performer has only to
brLig down the wand vertically on any hard surface, to produce the
desired explosion.
62 Later Magic

minate in enhancing the effect of a trick, let us suppose

that the performer, having had a card drawn from the
pack, replaced (palmed off), and the pack shuffled,
finally causes it to appear at the bottom. The trick,
performed after this bald fashion, would be too com-
monplace tobe worth the doing by any but the mildest
of amateurs. But suppose that the performer has be-
forehand prepared a small tray with a dab of the ful-
minate in its centre, and that with the announcement,
"I shall now cause the selected card to pass to the
bottom ' ' (where he has already placed it) , he brings the
pack down with a slap upon the tray, and thereby
causes the explosion. The spectators cannot doubt
that the card really did pass down at that particular
moment, for they heard it go. The mark caused by the
fulminate on the face of the card will be further proof of
"no deception," and if the performer gravely assures
them that this is a new discovery in electricity, or the
like, nine tenths of the audience will be quite ready to
believe him.
THE SPIDER.

Although from considerations of space I ha^ f ~4

myself compelled to exclude coin tricks from 1
ent volume (reserving them for future treatmr , and
although the 1 ' spider ' ' was primarily designed for t
such tricks, it is so far an appliance of general ut
that I think it may fairly find a place in the pi
chapter.
Readers who have had the pleasure of witn
clever performance of Mr. Nelson Downs will 1: \ iot<
his use of the very effective sleight known as the "back
palm, " whereby a coin is made to appear in and disap-
 Later Magic

pear from the hand at pleasure without even closing the

hand.
The modus operandi is as follows: The coin, which
should be equal in diameter to the collective width of
the second and third fingers (say a half-crown, if the
hand be small, or a double florin or five-shilling piece in
the case of a broad-handed person), is laid flat on the
second and third fingers in the position shown in Fig. 5 1,

Fig. 51.

and held in that position by the pressure on its opposite

edges of the first and fourth fingers. The second and
third fingers are then bent down behind the coin till their

Fig. 52.

tips reach its lower edge, as in Fig. 52. These are again
straightened, but this time in front of the coin, which
 64

Later Magic

describes a semi-revolution on its own axis, a a, to allow

of their passage ; finally remaining at the back of the
hand, as in Fig. 53, still supported by the lateral pres-

Fig. 53.

sure of the first and fourth fingers. The hand, of

course, seen from the front, appears perfectly empty.
The reverse movement brings the coin back again to
its first position.
This is by no means an easy sleight, though it may
be made much more so by using a specially prepared
coin, having a couple of wire points, one eighth of an
inch or less in length, soldered at right angles to its
edge at opposite ends of its diameter. The lateral
pressure of the fingers on these points holds the coin
securely, and it revolves upon the axis thus created.
Even so, however, a clumsy performer might manage to
drop the coin. In aid of such weak brethren the in-
genuity ofmagical inventors has devised a mechanical
appliance, known (from a fanciful resemblance to that
insect) as the "Spider," and enabling the merest tyro
to produce a similar effect not only with coins but other
small objects, with comparative certainty.
There are several forms of the spider, according to
the effect desired to be produced. To produce and
 Later Magic

"vanish" a coin, the apparatus is made as follows:

Through a coin of sufficient size a hole is drilled (in the
direction of its diameter) from side to side. A piece of
copper wire, seven and one half inches in total length, is
passed through this hole, bent as shown in Fig. 54, and
at right angles to each of its ends is soldered a half-
ring, also of copper, the whole, save the coin, being then
enamelled flesh-colour. The coin revolves freely on its
wire axis. To use the appliance, the performer so places
it in the hand that the two semicircular clips embrace
the roots of the first and fourth fingers, when the coin
will take the precise position indicated in Fig. 5 1 . The
working is the same as that of the genuine sleight, but,

Fig. 54.

of course, infinitely easier, for it is, in this case, im-

possible tolet fall the coin. The framework, being of
the same colour as the hand and lying between the
fingers, is practically invisible at a very short distance.
For the production of coins from the empty hand, a
small metal shield takes the place of the perforated
coin. To this shield is ri vetted a spring clip, between
which and the shield four coins can be secured. The

apparatus,
5 duly " loaded," being placed in position, the
66 Later Magic

hand is shown empty (the clip and its contents being

transferred to the back). The performer drops the
hand, and at the same moment brings the clip to the
front. The back of the hand is now kept towards
the audience. With the thumb he pushes one coin to-
wards the finger-tips, and produces it, say, from a
lady's muff, or from under a gentleman's coat collar.
With a wave of the arm, he again shows the hand
empty by turning the coins to the rear ; then bringing
them back produces a second coin after some similar
fashion, and so on, till the contents of the clip are ex-
hausted.
A third form of the spider is designed to produce
and vanish an egg. In this case the revolving shield
is again employed : but, in place of the coin-clip, it has a
couple of sharp points, three eighths of an inch in length
and about half an inch apart, projecting at right angles
from its surface. The egg, though ostensibly the
genuine production of the hen, is in reality of cork,
whitened over. It is, therefore, an equally easy matter
to impale it on the projecting points and to detach it
from them when the trick is complete, the shield being
returned to the back of the hand.
There are yet other forms of the spider, adapted
for different purposes. With a little practice, the
necessary movement of the second and third fingers can
be executed so rapidly as to be almost imperceptible,
even with the hand at rest. If covered by a slight
sweep of the arm at the same time, it becomes quite in-
visible. Any amateur desirous of obtaining a cheap
reputation for skill in sleight-of-hand cannot do better
than procure one or two spiders. The expert will
probably elect to leave them alone. At best, the con-
 Later Magic

and on all sides of us far greater wonders than it ever

did on Robert-Houdin's stage. This altered state of
things has naturally diminished its value to conjurers,
who nowadays use it but little.
The disuse of electricity for magical purposes is in one
respect to be regretted, inasmuch as several effective
stage tricks, which depended upon it, have with it
fallen into desuetude. The reader may be glad to
know of a method hitherto absolutely unknown where-
by some of the best of these can be worked without the
aid of electricity, and, indeed, with greater ease and
certainty.
The tricks for working which Hartz devised the ap-
paratus which I am about to describe (and which has
never been used by any performer save himself) are
those of the Crystal Cash-box and Bell, and a special
bird-cage trick, wherein a canary is made magically to
appear in the suspended cage.
The apparatus itself, to the eye, consists merely of a
piece of blind-cord hanging down in the centre of the
stage just inside the proscenium, with a brass hook on
its lower end. It is not, however, quite so simple as it
looks. The hook is shown in section, actual size, in
Figs. 57, 58. It is in fact a piece of brass tubing, bent
and finished off to the required shape. At the lowest
point of its inner curve is a hole through which comes
the point of an inner and smaller hook, a a, the other
end of which is connected with a silk line, b, passing up
the supposed blind-cord. This latter is in reality a
flexible tube of fine brass wire rolled spirally, and cov-
ered with wool or silk in such manner as to give it the
ippearance of a cord. The upper end of the hook is
•educed in diameter, as shown, to allow of the end of
 Later Magic

this7otube being passed over it. When the inner line is

slack the hook is in the condition shown in Fig. 57, but

Fig. 57. Fig. 58.

when it is drawn taut the point of the inner hook is

raised, as in Fig. 58.
The upper end of the cord is out of sight, but if the
spectator were permitted to trace it to the point of at-

tachment, he would find the arrangement depicted in

Fig. 59. Here a a is a brass plate six inches in length,
 Later Magic

screwed to the inside of the proscenium, b is the upper

end of the supposed blind-cord, and c c c the line pass-
ing through it, and led away to the hand of the assis-
tant, dd is a short piece of rubber cord, one end of
which is attached to a staple at e, and the other led to
ct at a point (/) a little beyond the guide-pulley g.
This rubber cord acts as a check, and prevents the silk 71
line being pulled so far as to lift the cord b with it. It
also ensures the return of c c c, and the consequent
withdrawal of the hook a (Figs. 57, 58) the moment
the pull is relaxed.
Each of the pieces of apparatus worked by means of
this device is suspended by a ring hung on the hook,
the mechanism of such ring being the complement of
that of the hook. Fig. 60 gives a view of the magic bell.

Fig. 60.

The bell itself is of clear cut glass ; the fittings of metal.

It will be observed that the hammer lies on the outside.
To make the bell sound, the hammer must be lifted,
and fall again. Fig. 61 shows how this is effected.
The ring a a is hollow, as is also the shank b b. The
stem c, which carries the hammer, forms the longer arm
of a lever which works on a pivot at d, and whose
 Later Magic

shorter arm terminates just over a slot cut cross ways

72 ring at e. For greater clearness, this lever is
in the
shown midway between its two alternative positions,
but as a matter of fact, its shorter end normally lies
close to the inner surface of the ring, in actual contact
with the opening e. When the shorter arm of the lever
is in this position, the stem c is likewise depressed,

Fig. 6i.

and the hammer lies in contact with the bell. But if

the ring be now suspended on the hook, and the thread
pulled, the pin, on rising out of the hook, compels a
corresponding elevation of the lever c. The hammer is
thereby lifted, and when the pull is again relaxed, it
falls and strikes the bell. This may be repeated ad
libitum, each pull causing a separate stroke. By ar-
ranging the pulls accordingly, the bell may be made to
count up to any given number, or answer questions
after the spiritualistic fashion with three for " yes," one
 Later Magic
73

for "no," and "two" for "doubtful," or as may be

arranged.
When showing the bell around for inspection, the
performer naturally inserts his finger in the ring,
thereby concealing the fact that there is a slot cut in it.
It should be mentioned that after working the bell in
the manner above described, Hartz was accustomed to
take it off the suspended hook, and to transfer it to
another hook forming part of a light brass stand, placed
upon the "run-down," where it still sounded as before.
The ' ' hook ' ' in this case was on the same principle as
that already described, but was worked by electricity,
the general arrangement being the same as described in
the case of his "Glove and Rings" trick, of which
particulars are given in a later chapter.

The working of the Crystal Cash-box without elec-

tricity iseffected in a very similar manner. The box
is of bevelled plate-glass, set in a metal frame, and is
about nine inches in length, six in breadth, and four in
depth. It is suspended by a single ring in the centre
of the lid, as shown in Fig. 62. This ring is attached to

Fig. 62.

a circular plate, about an inch and a half in diameter.

On opening the box a similar plate is seen on the inside
of the lid. Between the two plates is a circular cav-
ity cut through the thickness of the glass, forming a
74 Later Magic

receptacle to hold four half-crowns. The inner plate is

in truth a movable flap working on a spring hinge, just
strong enough to make it self-closing. The flap, when
the coins are in position, is secured by a tiny catch, with-
drawable by the same kind of mechanism in the ring
as has been already described in the case of the bell.
The box being suspended on the hook, and set
swinging, the performer at the right moment makes the
motion of* passing the visible coins into it. The line
being pulled, the concealed substitutes fall into the box,
those professedly thrown from the hand being van-
ished by means of the ''tourniquet," or otherwise as
may best suit the performer. The flap closes of its own
accord. The coins taken from the box are of course
exchanged for the borrowed coins (which have been
duly marked) before they are handed for identification.

The special bird-cage trick I have mentioned is in

effect as follows : A handsome cage of brass wire, circu-

Fig. 63.

lar, with dome top (the familiar pattern of a canary-

bird's cage, as in Fig. 63) has remained in full view, on
 Later Magic 75

the floor at back of stage, from the commencement of

the performance. The performer borrows a ring, which
is loaded into a pistol. He then fetches the cage from
the back, and suspends it from the hook, hanging, as
usual, in the centre of the proscenium. The cage is
obviously empty, nor apparently is there the smallest
space wherein anything could be concealed, and yet,
when the pistol is fired at the cage, a canary appears
therein. Round the bird's neck is a ribbon, bearing
the borrowed ring.
The secret lies mainly in the construction of the cage.
The ring at top, by which it is suspended, rises from the
centre of a circular plate three and one half inches in
diameter. Immediately below this (see Fig. 64) is a
cylindrical box a, three inches in diame-
ter by one inch deep. This, like the
coin cavity in the cash-box, is closed
by a flap, b, working on a spring hinge
just strong enough to keep it closed
when empty, but yielding to the slight-
est pressure upon it. There is, how-
ever, aspring catch at c, which keeps b FlG' 64'
securely closed till such catch is withdrawn, for which
purpose the ring at top contains similar mechanism
to that described in the case of the bell and cash-box.
This "top" fits into a circular space in the upper part
of the bird-cage ; and when dropped into position fixes
itself securely by a self-acting catch on each side.
Used with this is a duplicate top, of precisely similar
appearance, but having no mechanism whatever, and
having no means of attachment to the cage, so that it
simply lifts in and out of the circular space above men-
tioned. When the cage is first seen at the back of the
 Later Magic

stage, this dummy top is in position. The other,

which76 we will call the trick top, is behind the scenes.
It should here be explained that when Hartz, in his
earlier days, was working a miscellaneous programme 1
on a stage of his own, he adopted to some extent the
Robert-Houdin arrangement, though greatly simplified.
In particular, he had a small table placed against the
side scene. The end of this table farthest away from
the spectators was open, and was so arranged as to
form a small servante. Here the assistant was able,
from behind, to place any article of which it was
necessary that the performer should gain secret pos-
session.
This arrangement is utilized for the purpose of the
bird-cage trick. After the borrowed ring has been
passed off by one or other of the means already de-
scribed, the assistant attaches it to the neck of a canary
and inserts the bird in the trick top of the bird-cage.
This is then placed on the servante above mentioned.
The performer, making some excuse to go to the side
table, gets possession of it. He then proceeds to
fetch the bird-cage, and, while stooping to pick it up.
under cover of his own body removes the dummy top,
and substitutes the faked top, which, as before men-
tioned, fixes itself. The trick is now done. He hangs
the cage on the hook and fires the pistol at it. The
assistant pulls the line. The catch is released, the flap
b opens, the bird falls out by its own weight, and in-
stinctively drops on the perch ; while b closes again by
the action of the spring.

1 Now abandoned in favour of the one great production trick

known as "A Devil of a Hat"; in which no other performer has
ever attempted to compete with him.
 77
Later Magic

It is obvious that the same principle might be applied

to produce many other effects, say, the dropping of
coins into a suspended glass. The manufacture of the
apparatus in the first instance is a matter of great
nicety, but, once properly adjusted, it is by no means
likely to get out of order.

In connection with devices of general utility I must

not omit to mention the

CHANGE (OR LOAD) FROM BACK OF ASSISTANT.

This is by no means an absolute novelty, for it will

be found mentioned in connection with the " inex-
haustible bottle" trick, in a series of papers on leger-

Fig. 65.

demain in Messrs. Cassell's Popular Recreator, first

published, if I remember right, in 1873. Fig. 6$ is
 Later Magic

practically a reproduction of the illustration there given,

78 needs no explanation. Who was the originator
which
of the idea I cannot say, but after remaining unused
and generally unknown for a good many years, it has
recently been revived, or re -invented, and employed
with good effect in various tricks by two or three lead-
ing performers.
In order to cover the necessary passing of the per-
former's hand behind the back of the assistant, the
latter should bring in something or other on a tray or
plate, held with both hands before him. The per-
former, standing close beside him, takes this with the
one hand, and with the other makes the desired
"change."
Naturally the assistant must not turn his back to the
spectators in leaving the stage. He must retire after
a somewhat crab-like fashion, moving sideways. To
facilitate this, he should make his appearance from a
point as far back as possible, and his retreat at a point
as far forward as possible, meanwhile advancing no
farther from the wing than is absolutely necessary.

THE PNEUMATIC SUCKER.

This, though as yet but little used, promises to be-

come avaluable aid to the sleight-of-hand conjurer.
Every schoolboy knows what a "sucker" is; viz.:
a disc of sole leather with a string passing through its
centre, and having, when wetted, the quality of adher-
ing to any smooth surface against which it is firmly
pressed, by reason of the weight of the atmosphere.
It is some years since the principle was embodied in a
little contrivance (a red rubber cup, to the convex side
 79
Later Magic

of which was attached a hook) for suspending light

articles against the glass of shop-windows.
It is only quite recently, however, that this useful
principle has been pressed into the service of the con-
jurer. The credit of leading the way belongs, I believe,
to our friends in America, to whom their brother
wizards have been indebted for many ingenious con-
trivances. So far as I am aware, it is as yet only
made use of for two purposes, viz. : for vanishing and
reproducing a billiard-ball in the hand, and as the
terminal of a pull. I have little doubt, however, that
other uses will speedily be found for it.1
For ball-conjuring purposes, the apex of the little
rubber cup, or hollow cone, which is seven eighths of an
inch in diameter, is furnished with a loop of gut, large
enough to go easily over the forefinger. (See Fig. 66.)

Fig. 66.

If the concave side of the cup is slightly moistened, a

billiard-ball pressed against it will require a direct pull
of considerable strength to dislodge it, though it may
be detached in a moment by lifting the edge of the
rubber with the thumb or finger.
If the loop be passed over the forefinger as iri Fig. 67,
the ball can be instantly transferred from the palm to

1 For another suggested use of the same principle (the suspension

of the servante), see ante, p. 21.
8o Later Magic

the back of the hand, and vice versa, enabling the per-
former to show the hand empty, and yet the next
moment to produce a ball from it.

Fig. 67.

It should be mentioned that the sucker is only effec-

tive with objects having a polished or enamelled sur-
face. With a cork ball, for instance, it would be quite
useless, because the roughness of surface would pre-
vent absolutely air-tight contact. For moistening the
cup, by the way, glycerine is preferable to water; as
from its viscid nature it tends to promote such perfect
contact.
Where the sucker is used as the outer end of a pull,
it is attached to about six inches of fine gut, and this
again to a piece of cord, elastic or otherwise, according
to the nature of the pull. It is most useful perhaps in
connection with the well-known form of rubber pull in
which the object to be vanished is drawn between the
coat and vest of the performer, under the left arm.
Such a pull, armed with a sucker, can be instantly at-
tached to a billiard-ball, an egg, or a champagne tum-
bler,1 and will vanish it in the most satisfactory
manner.

1 This particular vanish is a speciality of Mr. Maurice Garland.

 Later Magic 81
It may also be used for coins, if they are well worn ;
with new ones its action is not quite so certain ; espe-
cially ifthe sucker is applied to the obverse side, which
in many coins, by reason of the intricacy of the pattern,
has a rather rough surface.
THE BALL CLIP.

This (one of Messrs. Hamleys' specialities) is another

very simple little piece of apparatus, but of great
utility. It is of brass wire, bent and brazed into the
form shown in Fig. 68, being practically that of a horse-
shoe each of whose arms terminates in a
hoop about one and three quarters of an inch
in diameter, though the size may vary, ac-
cording tothe object to be supported. From
the central point of the horseshoe projects
a straight wire stem, the end of which is bent
into a very sharp hook. This hook enables
the performer to attach the clip behind a pIG< 68.
chair or table, or to any part of his own
garments, the two rings receiving between them the
billiard-ball, egg, or other like object which it is desir-
able to have instantly accessible. The ball is held in
perfect security, and yet a touch dislodges it when
needed.
THE VELVET CHANGING BAG.

I am again indebted to Messrs. Hamley for the know-

ledge of this, which is also one of their "specialities,"
and one of the most recent additions to the armoury of
the magicians. Even the professional performer need
not disdain, upon occasion, to avail himself of its assis-
tance; while to the numerous class of amateurs who
6
82 Later Magic

put their trust in apparatus, rather than in their own

skill, it should be extremely valuable.
In appearance (see Fig. 69) it is a handsome bag
about five inches across by seven deep, of crimson
velvet or plush, and mounted on a ring to which is
attached a polished mahogany handle, about a foot
long. The performer turns the bag inside out, reveal-
ing nothing but a very innocent-looking black lining.
There is no sign of any inner pocket, or anything else
of a suspicious character, but notwithstanding, articles
dropped into the bag are changed in a most mysterious
way. Thus a white ball dropped into the bag becomes
a red one; a knotted cord is reproduced free from

Fig. 69.

knots, while a damaged handkerchief entrusted to the

keeping of the bag is instantly restored. In fact,
there is scarcely any limit to the number and variety
of the transformations that may be effected by its
means.
An inspection of Fig. 70 will lead the reader half-
way to a knowledge of the secret. This lies mainly in
 Later Magic 83

the ring and handle, of which this diagram shows the

construction.
e

Fig. 70.

The handle, a b c, is in two portions, that between the

points a and b being hollow. Through this portion
passes a stiff wire rod, one end of which is firmly at-
tached to the solid portion, b c, of the handle, and the
other to one extremity of a half -ring, dd, the other
extremity of such half -ring being pivoted into the whole
ring, e e e, so that, by twisting b c accordingly, this half
ring can be brought to either side, as may be desired.
The bag, besides its lining proper, has also a half or
dividing lining, the upper edge of which is stitched to
the half-ring. This, therefore, when turned to the one
side or the other, carries this inner lining with it, mak-
ing it lie against the corresponding side of the bag.
We will suppose that a given article is privately
placed in the bag, the half-ring being in the position
shown in Fig. 70. A half -turn of b c causes the half -ring
to perform a semi-revolution within the bag, shifting
the false lining over to the opposite side ; and shutting
in the article just placed therein between the false and
the true lining. The bag may now be turned inside
out, and will appear to be empty. Some other article
being borrowed and dropped in, and a half -turn in the
 84

Later Magic

reverse direction given to the handle, this last article

is in turn shut in between the false and the true lining,
and that first put in is revealed, the one having ap-
parently changed into the other.
The manifold uses of such an appliance are almost
self-evident. These are by no means limited to ostensi-
ble transformations, for which indeed the bag should
be but sparingly used. Its more artistic function is to
effect secret changes, the article placed therein being
exchanged for another of similar appearance, while the
genuine one remains in the bag, to be carried off and
dealt with as may be needful for the purpose of the
intended denouement.
 CHAPTER III.

A SPECIAL TABLE AND SOME TRICKS PER-

FORMED BY ITS AID.

WITH the aid of the appliances described in re-

ceding sections, the performer should, at any
rate for a short drawing-room "show," require nothing
further in the way of stage furniture. Where, however,
he has a free hand as to his scenic arrangements, a
table of his own is an immense assistance. I do not
now refer to the imposing centre- or side-tables which
were in vogue in the days of Robert-Houdin, or even to
the less elaborate pieces of furniture which survived to
the time when Modern Magic was written, and, to a
certain extent, are even now used. Simplification is
the order of the day, and the more completely a con-
jurer can, at any rate in appearance, abjure mechanical
aids, the more highly will his performance be appre-
ciated by experts. But he must have something
whereon to place the various articles made use of in
his show, and this being so obviously necessary, the use
of a single small table, round or square, as the case
may be, excites no suspicion.
The table I am about to describe I regard as one of
the most valuable accessories, 8if 5 not the most valuable,
which a conjurer can possess. It is a good many years
since it was first invented, but the few who were privi-
leged to use it guarded the secret with almost masonic
86 Later Magic

caution, and it has till now remained practically un-

known to the great majority of magical performers.
It was the joint invention of Robert Heller, a brilliant
performer now, alas! gone to his rest, and Professor
De Vere, formerly well known as a magician and
maker of 'conjuring apparatus in London.1 I gained
my knowledge of it from the latter, under a pledge of

Fig. 71. Fig. 72.

secrecy, from which, fortunately for my readers, I am

now released.

The table may be either of the "gipsy" form, as

illustrated in Fig. 71, or mounted on a central pillar,
1 Professor De Vere has so long disappeared from sight, so far
as London is concerned, that I find a very general impression that
he, too, has " joined the majority." I am happy to be able to cor-
rect that idea. Professor De Vere, after a sojourn of some years in
Brussels, migrated to Paris, where he has acquired the good- will of
the famous ateliers of Messrs. Tissot and Voisin, and is now doing
a flourishing business (wholesale only) in the neighbourhood of the
Folies Bergere.
 Later Magic

as in Fig. 72. The first named has perhaps the ad-

vantage inpoint of portability, as the top may be made
to lift off and the legs to divide at the centre ; in which
condition the whole may be packed into a very small
compass. The table shown in Fig. 72 may also be made
to take apart, but the process is a little more compli-
cated. In either case the table top is of wood, covered
with black velvet, on which is embroidered in narrow
silk braid of some bright colour (yellow for choice) a
geometrical pattern. The pattern shown in Figs. 7 1, 73

Fig. 73.

was devised by myself for my own use, and was found

to answer the purpose extremely well. Figs. 74 and
75 depict other designs, which may be useful by way of
Fig. 74.
 Later Magic

suggestion. Herein, however, the performer may fol-

low his own fancy, so long as the table top is broken
up by intersecting lines into spaces of a convenient size
and shape to be treated as will presently appear. In
one or more of such spaces, the velvet and the wood
beneath it are cut away just within the braid, as
shown by the darkened portions in the diagrams. A
pocket of black velvet, about four inches deep, is then
inserted into the space and its upper edges glued to
the wood. It will be found that the opening thus
made is, by artificial light, undistinguishable from the
surface of the table, even at so short a distance as
three or four feet; the effect to the spectator being
that the surface is unbroken. A silk or woollen fringe,
of the same colour as the braid, and five inches deep,
round the edge of the table top, prevents the pocket
being seen from below.1
The performer has thus in effect one or more in-
visible holes in his table top. The expert will readily
appreciate the advantages of such an arrangement. A
billiard-ball, say, is placed close to one of the openings.
The performer ostensibly picks it up, and comes for-
ward with it to the spectators. As a matter of fact,
just as the hand reaches it, a touch with the little finger
sends it over the hole, and it falls noiselessly into the
1 The pockets need not be left permanently open. Each piece of
wood cut out of the table top should be carefully preserved, rubbed
down with glass-paper, and covered with black velvet. Thus
treated, it will form a sort of plug, whereby the hole whence it was
taken may be closed at pleasure. The table in this condition may
stand habitually in a drawing-room, without any one observing
anything abnormal about it.
When giving a "show," only the pocket or pockets which the
performer proposes to use should be opened, the others remaining
closed.
 Later Magic

pocket, the hand closing, apparently on the ball, in

9° upon empty space.
reality
I myself carried the idea a step farther, so as to
make the table available for productions as well as dis-
appearances. For'this purpose the table was con-
JF
structed asshown, in section, in Fig. 76. On the under
d.
c J-f

1
*—
e

Fig. 76.

side of the table top, a a, is a wooden collar, b b. Into

this fits a cylindrical cup, c, corresponding, as to inter-
nal diameter, with a circular opening, d, in the centre
of the table top. This cup forms an extension of the
supporting pillar of the table. Through the whole
length of such pillar passes an iron rod, e, bearing on its
upper end a wooden disc, /, forming a sort of piston
loosely fitting the cup. The top of / is covered, as is
also the inside of c, with black velvet, the central open-
ing corresponding with the pattern on the table top.
The outer edges of / are polished, to minimize friction.
 Later Magic

To the lower end of the rod e is attached a cord 1

passing over two pulleys, g, h, in the leg of the table,
and thence passing through or across the stage to the
hand of an assistant. When this cord is pulled e rises,
bringing the disc or trap / flush with the surface of the
table, and thus "producing" anything that may have
been hidden within the cup. 9i
When the pull is relaxed, the weight of the rod causes
/ to sink down again to its normal position.
A performer of any ingenuity will find almost un-
limited uses for a table of this description. Thus, after
vanishing a glass of water at some other part of the
stage, he may turn a borrowed hat mouth downwards
on the table, and cause the glass to reappear under the
hat. Or, in place of the hat, he may spread a borrowed
handkerchief over the table, then, nipping its centre
between the finger and thumb, he may slowly raise it,
the glass or other article rising simultaneously under
cover of the cone thus formed. Again, placing a
billiard-ball on the table just in front of the opening
and gently fanning it, he may change it into two, the
supplementary ball rising in the centre of the table
under cover of the fan. Or, showing a red billiard-
ball, and covering it with a handkerchief, held as above,
he may change it to a white one, the red ball being got
rid of into one of the side pockets ; and the white one,
under cover of the handkerchief, rising on / in its place.
Or again, under cover of the fan the table may be made
to cover itself and overflow with an almost incredible
number of "spring" flowers (in the mechanical sense) ;
1 What is known as "snood-line" is the best for any purpose of
this kind. It is smooth, lissom, and compact, and works with a
minimum of friction.
 Later Magic

all that is necessary being to pack them, with due care,

2 cup c beforehand.
into 9the
If the performer prefers to work without an assistant,
it would be an easy matter so to arrange the table that
the pull should be brought into action by the release of
a counterweight behind (or within) the pillar of the
table.1 In this case the trap would of course not sink
down again, but in most cases it is better that it should
not do so. Where (in the former working) it is desired
to keep it elevated, this may be done by passing the
cord round a cleat.

As a most valuable adjunct to the table in question, I

may here take the opportunity of calling attention to
THE BOTTOMLESS TUMBLER.

This is an ordinary glass tumbler, from which the

bottom has been cut out. I had a tumbler thus
treated for my own use, and for some years believed
myself to possess a monopoly of the idea. It has,
however, for a long while past been common property ;
and in truth, the utility of such an appliance is so
obvious that it may well have been invented, and re-
invented, half a dozen times over.
To give an elementary example of its use ; the glass
may be held in the hand, either resting on the palm,
or with a finger crossing the lower opening. A billiard-
ball, say, is dropped into it, plainly in view. A bor-
rowed handkerchief is now thrown over it, and the
glass (with the other hand) placed on a table, the ball,
ostensibly so safe within, being left comfortably
1 This might take the form of a piece of leaden tube, encircling
the centre rod.
 Later Magic
93
palmed in the hand which first held the glass, to be dis-
posed of at pleasure. An egg or a folded handkerchief
may be dealt with in like manner.
The German magical serial, Die Zauberwelt, suggests
a modification which appears to be, for certain purposes,
an improvement ; viz. : instead of removing the whole
bottom of the glass, to remove the central portion only,
leaving a rim, half an inch or so wide, all round. This
reduction of the size of the opening permits of an egg
being laid lengthwise in the tumbler, and shown round
therein, without placing the hand beneath. The ends
of the egg rest, so long as it is kept horizontal, on the
edges of the opening, but the moment the glass is tilted,
in ever so slight a degree, the egg falls through as
readily as though the whole bottom of the glass were
wanting. A gentle shake, professedly to show by the
sound that the egg is still in the glass, will instantly
dislodge it.
The glass may even be so arranged as to enable the
performer to prove its unpreparedness by half filling it
with water before showing the trick. To enable him to
do this, the bottom of the tumbler must be ground
mathematically flat, and a disc of thin glass cut pre-
cisely to the shape of the bottom. The glass, with its
lower edges lightly smeared with vaseline, is then
pressed down upon the loose bottom, which will adhere
to it. The glass so arranged will be for the time quite
water-tight, so long as the loose bottom is kept from
shifting. A finger below the glass will make all secure
in this respect. When the performer has poured away
or drunk the water, it is but natural that he should
wipe the glass, when the movable bottom may be left
in the cloth used in the drying process.
 Later Magic
94
I shall have more to say with regard to the bottom-
less tumbler in relation to "egg and handkerchief"
tricks, when I reach the appropriate section. Its great-
est value, however, is in connection with the table de-
scribed inthe earlier part of this chapter. Indeed, the
one may almost be said to be the complement of the
other, from the extraordinary facility the two com-
bined afford for the " vanishing" of small objects. An
egg or billiard-ball, say, is placed in the glass as it rests
on the table beside one of the pockets, and the glass is
covered with a handkerchief. (In such cases, by the
way, it heightens the effect to secure the handkerchief
by stretching a rubber band over it, round the rim of the
glass.) The glass has then only to be moved an inch
or so in the direction of the pocket; the article goes
' ' down trap," and the glass is empty.
This, however, is only one of many uses. As a fur-
ther illustration I cannot perhaps do better than de-
scribe alittle trick of my own, which depends mainly
on this particular combination. It appeared in my
programmes as "Concatenation Extraordinary," and
puzzled a good many, even of the initiated.
Its effect, baldly stated, is as follows: A number of
metal links, iron or brass, are handed round on a small
salver, with a request that some one in the audience
will count them. They are found to number, say,
thirty. The performer pours them into a tumbler
which is standing on his table, and stirs them about
with his wand. Then laying aside the wand, he dips
the hand into the glass and takes out a link. Strange
to say, another follows it, and another; the whole hav-
ing somehow formed themselves into a chain. The
links are counted, and the number found to corre-
 Later Magic 95

spond with that of the loose links previously shown.

The tumbler is turned upside down, and seen to be
empty.
To prepare for the trick, get a piece of chain such as
would be used to hold a good-sized dog, and about four
feet in length. Divide this in half, and with a couple
of pairs of pincers separate the links of one half, again
bending back each link to its original condition, so that
they cannot possibly again be joined without mechan-
ical aid. The number of loose links must exactly cor-
respond with those still connected. Attach to one end
of the latter a black silk thread about two feet in length
and place it in one of the pockets of your table, leaving
the thread outside. Pass the latter from below up-
wards through the bottomless tumbler. Place this
beside one of the pockets ; then draw the thread till the
uppermost link of the chain comes level with the surface
of the table, and at the point where the thread, thus
drawn taut, just reaches the edge of the table top, tie
on it a small black bead. This done, release the
thread and tie its free end to a nail-head or very small
screw-eye driven into the edge of the table. Close
beside this screw-eye (which should be on the right side
of the table, as viewed by the audience) fix a tiny
cleat. A lady's black dress-hook, pressed nearly flat,
will answer the purpose, its object being merely to fix
the thread when desired, instantly and securely, at the
point indicated by the bead.
These preparations made, and the loose links duly
laid on a plate or salver, with a second in reserve, the
performer is ready to show the trick, which he may
introduce somewhat as follows :

" You are probably aware, ladies and gentlemen, that

 Later Magic

one of the favourite manifestations of the spiritualists

is the96passage of one solid body through another. It
sounds rather mysterious, but I can assure you that
it 's the easiest thing in the world, if you only know
how it 's done.
" I have here a number of links of a chain, — thirty, to
be exact 1 — each one solid and separate. Will you
kindly examine them, and see if, by any exertion of
force, you can link two of them together. Count them,
please, on to this other tray. You find exactly thirty?
Good ! Now, for the greater convenience of the spirits,
we will place them in this tumbler." (He holds up the
glass, a foot or so above the table, the loose thread not
interfering with this, and replaces it, just in front of
the pocket wherein the chain is.) "You know spirits
always feel more at home in a tumbler. Take notice
that I put the links fairly in the glass." (He drops
them in, half a dozen at a time.) "Now we will stir
them up a bit, so as to get them thoroughly mixed with
the spirits. This gradually dematerializes them, in
fact, they are getting soft already. Spirits do have
that effect, particularly if you take too much of them."
During the delivery of the last few sentences the
performer has taken up his position behind the table,
and has been stirring the links with his wand, held in
the right hand. Meanwhile the left hand gets hold of
the thread, pulls on it till the bead comes in sight, and
hitches this under the little cleat.
The thread, thus drawn taut, describes a straight
line from the edge of the tumbler to the cleat. The
performer now lays aside the wand, and dips his hand
into the glass to take out a link. In so doing he
1 Or whatever the actual number may be.
 Later Magic
97
pushes the glass slightly backward so as to bring the
lower edge of the tumbler just over the edge of the
pocket. A slight pull or pressure with the left hand
on the thread causes the end of the chain to rise
through the loose links into the tumbler, where it is
seized by the fingers of the right hand and drawn
slowly up, the left hand meanwhile grasping the glass
and moving it gently round and round, as if to con-
tinue the mixing of the links, but in reality to allow
them to sink gradually down into the pocket of the
table. The right thumb pushes the thread off the top
link (the thread should be attached loosely with a view
to this) . The performer leaves the glass on the table,
and brings forward the chain, that it may be examined,
and the links counted. He may conclude with a mild
joke, as follows:
" I have only been able this evening, ladies and gentle-
men, to show you this experiment on a very small
scale, but size is no object. If any gentleman will
bring me some larger links, — the links of a chain cable,
if he likes, — I shall be happy to unite them in the same
manner. Did I hear somebody suggest golf links?
Certainly, sir ; nothing easier. You have only to bring
them, any evening you like, and I will undertake to
join them together."
I may mention that by the aid of the mirror glass, de-
scribed at p. 42 it is possible to produce a similar effect
in a much simpler way. The glass must, in this case,
be of the reversible kind, with double mirror ; and the
chain must be at the outset concealed in the hinder com-
partment. The performer, after the loose links have
been examined, drops them, three or four at a time,
into the front compartment. He then lifts the glass
7
 Later Magic

and places a plate beneath, ostensibly to cut off all

98
connection with the table. In so doing, he gives the
glass the necessary half -turn. The chain is now in
front, and may be produced at leisure, the glass being
left apparently empty. The trick is in this case less
convincing than by the original method, inasmuch as
the glass cannot be turned upside down at its conclu-
sion, but as, to the eye of the spectator, it appears
clearly empty, this is not a very serious omission.
Or again, the trick being worked by the more elabo-
rate method first described, the mirror glass may be
utilized for an additional effect. The glass should in
this case have in its hinder compartment a second
chain, and, thus loaded, be placed on a second table, at
some little distance. Having " joined" the first set of
links and submitted the resulting chain for examina-
tion, the performer lays the latter, gathered up together,
just in front of a second "pocket" in the table he has
been using. Passing to the other table, he lifts up the
loaded mirror glass, replaces it, without turning, and
covers it with a handkerchief. Remarking that the
chain is as yet so lightly materialized that it will pass
just wherever he wishes, he picks it up, apparently, be-
tween his hands (really letting it fall into the table-
pocket), and, advancing to the second table, holds the
hands over the glass, and rubs them one against the
other as if rubbing the chain away. After a few
seconds, he shows the hands empty, and, nipping the
partition through the handkerchief, lifts both together,
revealing the chain in the glass. To produce the
maximum of effect, the sleeves should be drawn back
before (apparently) taking the chain in hand.
As in this case the reproduced chain is brought for-
 Later Magic 99

ward in the glass, which is obviously without prepara-

tion, the audience are all the more firmly persuaded, if
indeed they needed persuasion, that the glass first used
was of the like innocent character.
While upon the subject of this particular trick, I may
take the opportunity to describe yet another method,
the invention of my friend Mr. David Devant, for pro-
ducing asimilar effect. The links are in this case of
lighter make, being about the size of a finger-ring,
nickel-plated, and brought in by the performer in a
wine-glass, held in his right hand. He pours them out
upon a tray. Then, taking them in the left hand, he
drops them back again one by one, suggesting to the
ladies that they will find this a very good way of work-
ing the familiar "loves me, loves me not" oracle.
Having thus shown that the rings are unconnected, he
transfers the glass to the opposite hand, and forthwith
draws them out again in the form of a chain, leaving the
glass empty.
a

Fig. 77.

The secret lies in the glass, which has one foot only,
but two bowls, as shown in Fig. 77. Each of the
bowls, a, b, has about half an inch of stem, and these are
fused together at right angles. At the upper part of
the stem (in the foot portion) an eyelet is formed. To
L.ofC.
IOO Later Magic

connect the stem with the bowls, a piece of wire is

passed through this eyelet, and round the two glasses
at their point of juncture. A loose hinge, so to speak,
is thus created between the two portions of the appar-
atus, and either bowl may in turn be made to take the
vertical position, the other sticking out horizontally by
its side, the foot portion remaining throughout perpen-
dicular.
When the glass is first shown, the loose rings are in a,
and the chain in b, which, the stem of the glass being
held between forefinger and thumb, rests naturally
within the hand, the palm closing its mouth. When
the performer transfers the glass from hand to hand,
he covers the mouth of a with the previously empty
hand, and brings it quickly down into the palm, b in
turn assuming the vertical position.

But to return to the Heller and De Vere table. An-

other effect, for producing which this and the bottom-
less tumbler co-operate very neatly, is the magical
production of a rose. The performer takes a rose from
his button-hole, and announces that he will pass it into
the tumbler, which is seen standing on the table. The
rose vanishes from his hands, but the tumbler remains
empty, and there is a quiet smile at his expense. " Ah !
you think I have failed," he remarks, "but that 's a
thing I never do. To pass the flower into the glass I
was compelled to dematerialize it, and it will take a few
moments to materialize it again." He raises the glass
a few inches and replaces it, in order to emphasize the
fact that it is empty. " The process is quickened by a
current of air. Will somebody oblige me with the loan
of a fan? " A fan having been procured, he proceeds
 Later Magic 101

gently to fan the glass, wherein after a moment or

two the rose appears. He takes it out, and presents it
to the lender of the fan in acknowledgment of her
courtesy.
With the reader's present knowledge, the trick will
require but little explanation. There are two roses, as
like each other as possible. The first the performer gets
rid of by palming. The stalk of the second is passed
into a small loop at the end of a black silk thread.
Rose and thread are then lowered through the glass
into one of the pockets of the table. (This pocket, by
the way, must be of a size rather smaller than the
circular opening at the bottom of the glass). The
opposite end of the thread is led over the edge of the
glass to the hand of an assistant behind the scenes.
By gently pulling, he causes the rose to rise into the
glass, the movement of the fan in front of it effectually
masking the manner of its appearance.
It will be found a good plan to cover the mouth of the
glass with a paper weight, or a small but heavy plate,
professedly as an additional proof of "no deception,"
but in reality to keep the glass steady during the
operation.
 CHAPTER IV.

THE MAGIC WAND AND TRICKS THEREWITH.

THE PRODUCTION OF THE WAND.

THE wand being the symbol, and professedly the in-

strument, ofthe wizard's power, he cannot more
appropriately commence his performance than by some
feat which appears directly to attest its magical
qualities. One of the most effective " manifestations"
of this kind is to come forward empty-handed, and
make the wand appear, so to speak, from nowhere.
The arch-wizard Robert-Houdin has described a very
simple method for producing this effect.1 At one end
of the wand is a minute metal ring, to which is at-
tached ablack thread, a trifle longer than the wand
itself. The other end of the thread is fastened to the
right sleeve of the coat, just inside the cuff. Thus at-
tached, the wand rests (ring end upwards) within the
sleeve, the performer of course taking care not to slope
the arm downwards till the right moment. When he
desires to make the wand appear, he has only to extend
the arm with a quick outward sweep, when centrifugal
force at once shoots it into his hand.
Where this method of production is adopted, it will
be found an improvement to dispense with the little
ring, and in place of it to bore a minute hole through
1 The Secrets of Conjuring and Magic, pp. 302, 303.
102
 Later Magic

one end of the wand from side to side. The thread

(which should in this case be double the length of the
wand) is passed through this hole, and its two ends, tied
together, secured to the sleeve. When the loop thus
formed is broken the wand will come away " all clear.' '
Another effective way of producing the wand is for
the performer to draw it out of his purse, explaining
that being in company with mixed gold and silver tends
to keep up its magnetic force, or giving any other sham-
scientific reason for adopting so peculiar a method of
safe-keeping.
To produce the desired effect, all that is needed is a
small purse of the "bag" kind (see Fig. 78), the lower

Fig. 78.

seam of which has been ripped open. The wand lies

till needed in the left sleeve, kept from falling out by a
slight flexure of the second and third fingers. The
purse is placed in the trouser-pocket on the same side,
with the open seam upwards. In the act of placing the
hand in the pocket to take out the purse, the end of the
wand is introduced into the opening. The purse being
then shown, is opened in the ordinary way, and the
wand taken out of it,— being in reality drawn through
it. If the performer stands with his left side towards
the spectators, and uses due care as to his position, the
arm masks the wand, and no one can possibly see
that it comes from the sleeve.
io4
Later Magic

Another arrangement which may be adopted for

magically producing the wand is to place it in a clear
glass decanter on the performer's table, its upper end
projecting above the neck. The wizard, on coming
forward, finds that he has somehow mislaid the talis-
man without which he is powerless. He looks about
on all sides, but in vain, till the wand itself calls atten-
tion to its presence by rising and falling an inch or so
and so rapping inside the decanter. Delighted to re-
gain the instrument of his power, the performer holds
his hand ten or twelve inches above the decanter,
simply saying "Come." The wand obeys, rising
spontaneously into his hand. Wand and decanter
may be submitted to the closest inspection, but nothing
whatever is found to account for their remarkable be-
haviour, which to the uninitiated remains an inscrutable
mystery.
The expert will appreciate the novelty of the effect,
though it depends merely upon a new use of a very old
friend of the wizard, — a black silk thread. The thread
in this instance is attached to the lower end of the
wand, the remainder of the silk being led away over
the neck of the decanter, through an eyelet on the
table top, to the hand of an assistant behind the
scenes, who pulls as may be required. (See Fig. 79.)
The best method of attaching the thread is to pass it
through the eye of a stout needle, making a knot on
the opposite side. The needle, broken off to half its
length, is then inserted into a hole, just large enough to
receive it loosely, bored in the lower end of the wand
in the centre of its circular section. (See detail dia-
gram, a,Fig. 79.) While the thread is in operation this
is perfectly secure, but the moment the wand is taken
 Later Magic*

hold of by the performer, the needle drops out by its

own weight, and is drawn away with the thread.

Fig. 79.

My readers will doubtless recall a very similar trick,

in which an open penknife is made by the same means
to rise and fall in a champagne bottle, but the applica-
tion of the principle to the production of the wand is,
I venture to believe, an entire novelty.

THE SELF-SUPPORTING WAND.

The performer having produced the wand, either by

magical means, or by the more prosaic method of bring-
ing it on openly with him, he may next proceed to
demonstrate its mystic qualities. Here, by the way,
he may take the opportunity to deliver, with all possible
gravity, a little discourse of a pseudo-scientific charac-
ter, say as follows :
"Many people imagine, ladies and gentlemen, that
the conjurer's wand is merely carried for the look of the
thing, as ladies carry their fans, or life-guardsmen
their 'swagger-sticks.' Allow me to assure you that
such is not the case. The magic wand is made of a
io6 Later Magic

very rare and peculiar description of wood, and pos-

sesses still more rare and exceptional qualities.
" The wood of which it is made is that of a particular
kind of rose-tree. As you are no doubt aware, there
are many descriptions of rose. In Africa, for instance,
they have the red rose, the white rose, and the negroes.
In England we have the primrose and the hedgerows.
Herrings have hard roes and soft roes, and even in this
room we have the front rows and the back rows. None
of these, however, is the kind of rose I mean. Not to
keep you longer in suspense, the wood of which the
wand is made is that of the dog-rose, produced by
grafting on an ordinary rose the hind leg of a healthy
dog. It must be done in the dog-days, and the result
will be the genuine magical dog-rose. I have never
seen it growing, but I am told that you can always dis-
tinguish itby the peculiarity of its 'bark,' and by the
fact that its branches are not mere ordinary boughs,
but bow-wows. It is of the wood of this remarkable
tree — this ' rum shrub, ' if I may be permitted the ex-
pression— that magic wands are made. In fact, any
other wood wouldn't do.
"I am sorry to perceive a sceptical expression on
some of your faces, and I am almost afraid you don't
quite believe what I am telling you. However, even
if you doubt my statement as to the origin of the
wand, I can easily satisfy you as to its extraordinary
properties.
''Among other peculiarities, it is extremely sensitive
to animal magnetism. This, no doubt, is on account of
the amount of dog in the rose, and the fact leads to
some very curious results. For instance, you have all
heard of the law of gravitation, meaning, in plain lan-
 Later Magic

guage, that if you don't hold a thing up it will fall down.

If an old lady drops her umbrella in the street, you will
often hear her exclaim, ' Oh ! law !' an instinctive trib-
ute, though she may not know it, to the law of gravi-
tation. Everything on earth is subject to that law,
except — the magic wand.
"See, I merely make one or two mesmeric passes
over it, and then let go. Anything else would fall, but
the wand remains suspended by magnetic attraction,
floating in air without any support. (See Fig. 80.)

Fig. 80.

I take it between my finger and thumb, so; I open

them, but it still hangs suspended, this time in a verti-
cal position. (Fig. 81.) Right hand, left hand, it is
all the same thing. If the influence is strong enough,
actual contact with the hands may even be dispensed
with. I can place any object, this tray for instance,
between, and you see that the wand still remains sus-
pended. (Fig. 82.)
" To prove to you that this effect is not produced by
any mechanical means, any one is welcome to take the
wand and tray straight from my hands, and to examine
them as freely as he pleases.
io8 Later Magic

"As long as the animal magnetism lasts, the effect

will continue, but the strain on the will is too great to
be kept up for any length of time.
" Pray, don't imagine that this is a trick, ladies and
gentlemen. I have merely shown you this little ex-
periment to prove to you that this is a real magic
wand. I shall show you much more surprising things

presently."

Fig. 8i.

There are several ways of suspending the wand. I

speak under correction, but I believe I may claim to
have been the first to produce the effect with the wand
in general use by the performer. The trick was
originally exhibited by the Fakir of Oolu (Professor
Sylvester) as an introduction to his Aerial Suspension.
He used a light rod of black wood, about two feet in
length. The secret, in his case, lay in the fact that at
certain points in such rod were inserted short pieces of
black wire, projecting from it about five eighths of an
 Later Magic

inch ; not quite at right angles to it, but each pair slop-
ing slightly inwards towards each other. By laying the
hands on the rod, and spreading the fingers between
these points, a hold was obtained which made its hori-
zontal suspension a very easy matter, or it could be
suspended vertically by hitching one of the projecting

I
Fig. 82.

points over the thumb or a finger. Of course a rod so

prepared could not be handed for inspection.
In another form of the trick, spring clips, sometimes
one only, sometimes two, shaped as represented in Fig.
83, duly blackened, and lined with black velvet, took
the place of the fixed points. These could be slipped
on and off the wand at pleasure, allowing of its being
offered for examination, and in use served the same
purpose as the wire points in Sylvester's version.
I IO Later Magic

In a third form of the trick, worked with a walking-

stick, the secret consisted in a piece of black silk thread
attached to the stick at two points, a few inches apart,

Fig. 83.

the fingers being passed within the bight thus formed.

Naturally, a stick so prepared could be suspended in
various ways, but it could not be examined. To meet
this difficulty, it was brought on in a wooden case
which also contained an unprepared duplicate. This
was first taken out and offered for examination, then
put back in the case, and therein mechanically
"changed" for the prepared stick, the arrangement
being an admirable illustration of " how not to do it"
in the presentation of a trick.
A better plan, which held the field for some time, was
to have an endless loop of black silk thread, of suitable
length, passed over the performer's head, and hanging
down over his breast. The wand, being passed half-
way through this, was pressed by the thumb and
fingers of one or both hands against the silk, and so
held in any desired position, much care, however,
being needed in manipulation, lest the black thread
should become visible against the white shirt-front.
Another method was to have the thread attached by
one end to the left wrist, and thence led up the left
sleeve across the back, and down the right sleeve,
terminating in a loop, which was passed, till needed,
over the thumb. In showing the trick, the thumb was
 Later Magic 111

withdrawn, and the wand passed within the loop in its

place. The tension of the thread was in this case gov-
erned by the position of the arms, the length being so
regulated that, at the close of the trick, a complete
extension of the arms should draw the loop out of
sight, within the right sleeve.

The methods above described are interesting as show-

ing the gradual development of the trick, but all have
their drawbacks, and may now be considered obsolete,
the method I am about to describe producing the
desired effect in a much more complete and satisfactory
manner. The silk thread is still used, but in a different
and more artistic way.
A needle being threaded with the silk, which should
be between four and five feet in length, is then passed
through the front of the performer's vest from within,
on the right-hand side, at a point about level with the
chain-hole, and an inch or so from it. When the needle ■
comes through, it is again inserted an inch and a
quarter below its point of exit, and passed through to
the inside. The needle is now removed, leaving both
ends of the thread hanging down inside the vest. These
are tied together, and to them is attached a little
cylindrical weight, about one and a half inches in
length by three quarters of an inch in diameter,
rounded at top and bottom to minimize friction.1 This
being allowed to slip down the performer's trouser-leg
and the vest buttoned, he is ready to show the trick.
While delivering his introductory remarks, he holds
1 The best way to make the weight is to fill a short length (say
two and one half inches) of brass tube with molten lead, and file
down the ends to the desired shape, finally inserting into one end a
brass screw eye, whereto to attach the thread.
112 Later Magic

the wand horizontally before him between the hands,

supported by the pressure of the fingers on either end.
In the course of his patter, the right thumb is slipped
under the small portion of silk thread which lies outside
the vest, and draws the thread out far enough to enable
him to pass the wand within the loop thus formed. By
pressing the wand outward against the silk with one
or both hands (see Figs. 80, 81), he can now hold it
suspended in any desired position.
The thread cannot be seen at a short distance, even
against a wand of light colour. If the wand is black, or
has black mounts, and the thread is made to lie ac-
cordingly, itis absolutely invisible.
An especially good effect is produced by replacing the
thumb by a circular Japanese tray, as shown in Fig. 82.
One or the other hand being then shifted, and grasping
wand and tray together, tilts them into a horizontal
position, and offers them for examination, the tilting
movement causing the thread to slip spontaneously off
the end of the wand. The weight, being considerably
heavier than the wand itself, keeps the thread con-
stantly taut, however long or short the distance to
which it may for the time being be extended. As soon
as the wand is removed, the thread is again automatic-
ally drawn close up to the vest.
By the use of a little subsidiary sleight, the effect of
the trick may be greatly enhanced. If the wand is
sufficiently light (I have one made hollow for this par-
ticular purpose) , it may with a little practice be held at
the extreme tips of the fingers of one hand, without
any mechanical aid. To compass this, spread the
fingers as widely apart as possible, the tips of the
second and third lying upon the wand, and drawing it to
 Later Magic

you, the tips of the first and fourth against the wand,
pressing it in the opposite direction. By means of
these opposite pressures, a slight but sufficient grip is
obtained, and the wand thus held may be waved about
in various directions. The thumb takes no part in the
operation.
If the experimenter's second and third fingers are
long in proportion to the other two, he will find this
sleight very easy. If, on the contrary, the four fingers
are pretty nearly alike in length, it will be found pro-
portionately difficult, as also if the hand is naturally
dry. A touch of glycerine on the finger-tips, promptly
wiped off again, will, however, neutralize the latter
disability, and will in any case materially facilitate the
performance of the trick.
It is obvious that this mode of sustaining the wand
does not allow it to be suspended in the variety of ways
available by the thread method, but its special value is
that in this case the performer can walk down among
the spectators and allow them to take the wand directly
from his hands, again " suspending" it the moment it is
returned to him. Seeing clearly that in this instance no
mechanical aid is employed, they are led, by conjurer's
logic, to the conviction that such has been the case
throughout.
As an appropriate sequel to the suspended wand
effect, I will here describe a little illusion of my own,
viz.:

THE RAPPING WAND.

As a further proof of the magical properties of the

wand,8 the performer states that it will answer (by
ii4
Later Magic

rapping on the table) any questions put to it, pro-

vided only that they be such as can be answered by a
simple ' ' Yes " or 1 1 No . ' ' Three raps signify ' ' Yes, ' ' and
one rap ' ' No " ; while two mean ' ' Doubtful " or " Ask me
an easier one," after the approved spiritualistic fashion.
To prove that the wand has no mechanical connection
with the table, the operator brings forward and hands
for examination an ordinary Japanese tray, circular,
and in diameter about a couple of inches less than the
length of the wand. (If this same tray has been
already used in the course of the "suspension" of the
wand, so much the better.) This, when returned, he
places on the table, and lays the wand upon it, one end
in the tray, the other projecting over the opposite edge
in the direction of the spectators. (See Fig. 84.) He

Fig. 84.

himself stands quite away from it, and puts such ques-
tions as may be desired, the wand replying by raising
its forward end a couple of inches, and bringing it
sharply down again on the edge of the tray. It will
rap out numbers in like manner. If the performer is
 Later Magic

expert in card-conjuring, the suit and value of a forced

card may be thus named, with very good effect. The
wand may be asked in how many years or months a
given lady or gentleman will be married ; how many
children they will be blest with, and so on, the an-
swers being given with all possible promptness ; though,
as prophecies, they may be a little unreliable. At any
moment the wand and tray may be handed for exami-
nation, but the utmost acuteness will not detect any-
thing abnormal about them.
The secret lies in the apparently unimportant fact
that there are a couple of lighted candles on the table,
about two feet apart, one on each side the tray (see
Fig. 84). In one of the candlesticks (which should be
fairly heavy) at a height of about three inches from the
table is fixed a little hook, with its extremity pointing
straight upwards. In the other candlestick, at the
same height, is a little brass eyelet, say an eighth of an
inch in internal diameter. A loop is made in the end
of a piece of fine black silk, and passed over the hook.
The other end is threaded through the eyelet of the
other candlestick, and carried "behind the scenes"
(which may be anywhere out of sight) to the hands of
an assistant. When the performer is about to place
the tray on the table the assistant draws the thread
tight, giving room for the tray to be passed underneath
it. This is done in such manner that three fourths of
its diameter lie behind the thread. The thread is then
slackened, and the wand laid upon the tray at right
angles to the thread, its forward end projecting as al-
ready described. The assistant now produces the raps,
as desired, by alternately pulling and slackening the
thread.
n6 Later Magic

At the close of the trick the performer moves the

candlesticks a little farther apart, or nearer together,
and in so doing detaches the loop from the hook,
when the thread may be drawn away altogether by the
assistant.
This trick figured in my programmes as " The Divin-
ing Wand — A R(h)apsody." It will be obvious that
there are many other ways in which the intelligence of
the wand may be tested; e. g., to make it declare the
throw of a pair of dice, the order in which numbers
are arranged in a box, etc,

THE AUTO -GRAVITY WAND.

The special wand which bears this imposing title is

the invention of Dr. Elliott, a well-known and very in-
genious American conjurer. It is a metal tube, a, b,1
divided internally, as shown in section in Fig. 85, by

Fig. 85.

the sloping partitions c, d, into three compartments.

The partitions, it will be observed, do not extend quite
across the wand, but leave narrow passage-ways be-
tween the centre and end compartments, such pas-
sages being on opposite sides of the wand. Within the
tube is a small quantity of mercury, which, according
to the direction in which the wand is sloped, may at
1 Dr. Elliott himself describes the wand as of metal, but, in view
of the corrosive effect of mercury on most other metallic substances,
I should imagine that wood, or even papier mdche would be a more
satisfactory material. If the wood be of a fairly tough kind, a
skilful turner would find no difficulty in boring it as desired.
 Later Magic

pleasure be made to take up its position in either of

the three compartments. If allowed to run, say into
the end a, it is obvious that that end will become
materially the heavier, and the wand may be balanced
on the finger, or on the back of a book, after the un-
natural fashion shown in Fig. 86. By letting the mer-

IS

Fig. 86.

cury run to the opposite end, that end will in turn

become the heavier.
A curious effect may be produced by laying down the
wand with its loaded end on a table or chair, three parts
of its length projecting beyond the edge, in impudent
defiance of the law of gravitation.
It need hardly be said that the performer should
take an early opportunity of exchanging the wand for
one of similar appearance, but less abnormal in its
construction, as it cannot well be handled without be-
traying its secret.1
1 Since the foregoing description was written, I have seen at
Messrs. Hamleys' depot a wand in which the same effect is pro-
duced in a much simpler manner, and which can consequently be
produced at much less expense. The wand is in this case of papier
m&che, and is merely a hollow tube, closed at each end. with a
cylindrical leaden plug, about two and one half inches long, fitting
loosely within it. If either end of the wand is depressed, the weight
naturally slides down to that end, and the same effects, as to
balancing it in eccentric positions, can be produced with it as with
the more expensive wand.
n8 Later Magic

THE CLIMBING RING.

Some years ago I invented a stage trick to which I

gave the name of " The Spiritualistic Ball and Ring." 1
The apparatus consisted of a rod of wood or metal,
rising perpendicularly from a heavy stand or foot ; a
wooden ball, with a bore through its centre a trifle
larger than the rod, and a wooden ring, of the kind
used with curtain poles. Each item was submitted to
the closest examination, and yet, on the performer
dropping either the ball or the ring over the upright, it
would rise, fall, or stop half-way as it might be com-
manded.
The secret lay in the fact that the performer, im-
mediately before dropping the ball or ring (whichever
was first used) over the upright, privately attached to
the top of this latter one end of a silken thread, the
opposite end of which was in the hands of an assistant
behind the scenes. The ball in falling down the rod
carried down with it the slack of the thread, by pulling
which it could be made to rise or fall at pleasure. A
wizard of a younger generation, Professor Ellis Stanyon,
has recently devised a simpler but not less effective
form of the same trick, which in its new shape may be
offered as a further proof of the extraordinary proper-
ties of the magic wand.
The wand in this case (see Fig. 87) takes the place of
the fixed upright, and a borrowed finger ring that of the
wooden ring used in the older trick. The thread may
be connected with the wand in various ways, but one of
the best, in my opinion, is to use a wand made after
a frequent magical pattern, with a nickel-plated mount
1 See More Magic, p. 395.
 Later Magic

at each end. A cap, of very thin metal, and plated in

like manner, as a in the diagram, is made of such a size
as to be easily slipped over the mount, b. When in
position it does not alter the
appearance of the wand, and
is therefore not noticeable,
even at close quarters. At
one side of this cap, near the
closed end, is found a mi-
nute hole, through which is
threaded a piece of fine
black silk, a little longer than
the wand, secured by a knot
on the inside. The opposite
end of the thread is attached
to the lowest button of the
performer's vest. The cap,
till needed, may be tucked
under the vest, or lie hidden
just inside the vest pocket.
Having handed the wand
for examination, the performer gets the cap into his
right hand, and when the wand is returned to him slips
its lower end into it. He then takes the wand (by the
opposite end), in the left hand, so that the cap is now
on its outer end. The slack of the thread is secured
by the thumb, and, lying along the wand, is invisible.
Holding the wand with the cap end upwards, he ad-
vances to the holder of the borrowed ring, and invites
him to drop it over the top. The trick is now
practically done. The thumb having released the
thread, by moving the wand a little farther from the
body the thread is tautened, and the ring rises, as
120 Later Magic

shown in the figure. By bringing the wand nearer

to the body the thread is slackened, and the ring sinks
again. The wand may, for the sake of variety, be
held by the top instead of the bottom. The effect is
the same. By making professed mesmeric passes over
it with the opposite hand, the slight backward or
forward movement is completely disguised.
By way of finish, the left thumb again secures the
thread. The outer end of the wand is lowered, the
ring is allowed to slide off it into the right hand, and
returned to the owner. The right hand then seizes the
wand by the "cap" end, and offers it for renewed ex-
amination. The act of taking it draws off the cap,
which remains in the hand, and is got rid of without
difficulty.
If the performer uses a wand with ebony ends, black
japan may be used for the cap in place of nickel-plating.
As an alternative to the use of the cap, the necessary
connection of the thread to the wand may be made by
means of a needle attached to the thread, and dropped
into a hole in the upper end of the wand, just reversing
the arrangement of the wand rising in the decanter.
(See p. 104.) The needle in this case, however, should
not be broken, as the point enables it to be stuck till
needed in some convenient part of the performer's
clothing.

THE RISING AND FALLING WAND.

The same arrangement of the wand may by a slight

alteration in working be made to produce the reverse
effect; viz., a borrowed ring being held stationary be-
tween the finger and thumb, and the wand passed
 121
Later Magic

within it, the wand may be made to rest suspended

without visible support, or to rise and fall at command.
The wand being attached to the body by means of the
cap and thread, as already described, is passed verti-
cally downwards through the ring, but the end to which
the thread is attached is in this case undermost. The
ring now forms a fixed fulcrum, against which the
thread works. By holding the ring so that the thread
shall be just taut, the wand is kept stationary. By
increasing or diminishing its distance from the body,
it is made to rise or fall as desired.
A word of caution may here be desirable. The wand
should not be raised so high as to make its longer half,
and consequently the greater portion of its weight, be
above the ring, or it will topple over, and thereby
' ' give away ' ' the trick.

Another ingenious, but to my own mind not quite so

satisfactory, rising wand is constructed as follows : The
wand is hollow, with a movable cap on each end.
This is of thin brass, nickelled, with a ring of the same
material and depth beneath it, so that, whether the cap
be on or off, the appearance of the wand is the same.
To the centre of each cap on the inside is soldered an
eyelet, and these two eyelets are connected within the
wand by a piece of thin rubber, of such a length as to
lie straight between them, but not drawn taut, when
the caps are in position.
When the performer desires to demonstrate the magi-
cal quality of the wand, he takes it upright by the
lower end in, say, the left hand, and secretly taking off
the lower cap, passes it between the first and second
fingers to the outside of the hand. With the other
122 Later Magic

hand he then presses the wand down in a vertical direc-

tion as far as it will go, holding it down against the pull
of the elastic by the grasp of the left hand.
With the opposite hand he then begins to make
mesmeric passes over it, at the same time ordering it
to rise, which the gradual relaxation of the fingers
allows it to do. When it has reached its full elevation
he replaces the cap on the lower end, and proceeds to
use the wand for some other trick.

SPECIAL WAxNDS FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES.

WANDS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HANDKERCHIEFS.

Two or three forms of wand have been devised for

the magical production of a small silk handkerchief, to
be subsequently used in the performance of some other
trick.
One such wand consists of a thin metal tube, japanned
or otherwise ornamented to match the wand in ordi-
nary use. One end is permanently closed ; to the other
is adapted a metal plug (see A in Fig. 88) on the under
side of which is fixed a tiny hook. The handkerchief
to be produced is worked carefully into the wand,
corners first. When the centre is reached, this is at-
tached to the little hook, and the stopper replaced.
By secretly withdrawing it at the proper moment,
the performer gets the handkerchief into the hand
without difficulty.
Another and better pattern only differs from the
above in the fact that a minute eyelet is substituted
for the little hook, and the handkerchief is attached to
it by a loop of thread, which is broken after the hand-
kerchief has been produced.
 Later Magic

The method of using wands of these makes is as fol-

lows: The performer borrows a handkerchief and re-
ceives it(or places it) with its centre on the prepared
end of the wand, which is held upright in, say, the
right hand. With the opposite hand he nips the centre

Fig. 88. Fig. 89. Fig. 90.

of the borrowed handkerchief and draws it off the wand,

carrying off within it the little plug and the handker-
chief attached thereto, which now hangs down inside
the borrowed one. The wand, with its open end to the
rear, is tucked under the right arm. The borrowed
124
Later Magic

handkerchief is shaken a little, and then turned over,

revealing the silken one within it. The two are now
displayed one in each hand, after which it is an easy
matter to detach the plug and to restore it to its
normal position in the end of the wand.
A third wand is constructed on the "pop-gun" prin-
ciple, as illustrated in Fig. 89. Here a is a short tube,
open throughout, and fitting on to one end of the wand,
which is at that part turned thinner, as b, in order to
receive it. The wand is prepared for use by drawing
this little tube half-way off the wand, and loading the
handkerchief into it ; the performer concealing the tem-
porarily altered appearance of the wand by keeping that
end in the hand. When it is desired to produce the hand-
kerchief, pressure on the opposite end drives the tube
home, and forces the handkerchief into the hand,
while the wand reassumes its normal appearance.
Wands of one or other of the above kinds are fre-
quently used in a modern version of the old trick of
" the handkerchief burnt and destroyed," to supply the
performer with the little bit of cambric which is re-
quired for the purpose of the illusion.
A fourth wand for similar purposes consists of a
metal tube (a, in Fig. 90) duly japanned and nickelled,
in one end of which is inserted, for the reception of the
handkerchief, a smaller tube b, about two and one half
inches in length, open at its inner end, but closed at its
outer end by a disc of metal a shade larger in diameter
than the wand itself, the projecting edge enabling it to
be instantly withdrawn, say under cover of passing the
wand from one hand to the other. A slot, half an inch
wide, is cut in the side of b, to facilitate the extraction
of the handkerchief.
 Later Magic

When b is withdrawn, the end of a naturally remains,

for the time being, open ; but a little caution will pre-
vent this being noticed.
The same wand is also used for the purpose of " van-
ishing" ahandkerchief, which is in such case coaxed
into the tube b under cover of rubbing it between the
hands. The handkerchief is placed, say, apparently
in the left hand, and the wand taken in the right ; in
which the loaded tube remains. A wave of the wand,
and the handkerchief has disappeared, after which a
very small amount of dexterity suffices to return the
tube into the wand, when both hands can be shown
empty.
Where the wand is to be used for this latter purpose
only, the slot in the side of b is not necessary.

Such appliances are useful in their way, particularly

to such performers as fear to trust to the subtler magic
of their own fingers, but the expert will find it just as-
easy, with a little address, to produce the handkerchief
from the wand in ordinary use, without any adventi-
tious aid. To effect this, the handkerchief, first twisted
ropewise, should be wound as tightly as possible round
one end of the wand, the final " end" being tucked in,
with the aid of a small paper-knife or other convenient
instrument, behind the inner folds, in which condition
the handkerchief forms a compact little ball.
The performer comes forward with the wand (hand-
kerchief end) in his right hand. In the course of his
"patter" he transfers this end to a temporary resting-
place under his left arm, while he draws up his sleeves,
incidentally showing both hands empty. He then
grasps the projecting end with the left hand, and
126 Later Magic

instantly transfers the opposite end to the right, which

moves to meet it, thereby masking the presence of the
rolled -up handkerchief. This he forthwith slides, still
covered by the hand, to the centre of the wand. For
the final production, he has only to slip the hand-
kerchief off the wand, and shake it out.
In this connection it may be worth while to inform
the reader

HOW TO CHANGE THE WAND INTO A HANDKERCHIEF.

This affords a neat method of reproducing a small

silk handkerchief, after it has been vanished at an
earlier stage of the trick. (See post, " Handkerchief
Tricks.")
Take a slip of white paper (printing paper will be
found the best for the purpose) five inches in width, and
about three inches longer than the wand you are ac-
customed to use. Roll this round the wand and fasten
it off with little dabs of paste or gum at intervals along
the edge.
When the paste has dried, remove the wand, and into
the paper tube thus formed introduce, with the aid of
a pencil, the handkerchief which you propose later
to produce. Push the handkerchief well towards the
middle of the tube, leaving the ends open.
The tube thus prepared is to be placed behind the
table, supported on a couple of hooks, screwed into the
back, as in Fig. 9 1 .
It will be observed in the diagram that a "second pair
of hooks, at a slightly higher level, is for the time being
vacant. The only further requirement is a second
piece of paper like that of which your tube is formed,
 Later Magic

with one of its longer edges freshly gummed (so as to

be still sticky) for about half an inch throughout its
length.

Fig. 91.

When you desire to show the trick, you make some

sufficient excuse for wrapping up the wand. You show
the piece of paper, and, standing behind your table, lay
it down with the gummed edge upwards and close to
the hinder edge of the table.
Wrap up the wand in this, starting at the side remote
from you, and rolling it, with the paper round it, to-'
wards you with the fingers, till it reaches the edge of
the table, where it is received by the vacant pair of
hooks, while the thumbs, which come naturally below
the table top, lift the tube containing the handkerchief
into its place, the gum meanwhile keeping the paper
round the wand from unrolling. The change is so
natural and so instantaneous that no uninitiated per-
son is in the least likely to suspect it.
You now turn in the paper tube at each end, as if to
secure the wand which it is supposed to contain, and
ask some spectator to hold it horizontally between the
two forefingers above his head. Holding it in this
manner he is unable to judge either of its weight or its
solidity.
128 Later Magic

A little further patter follows, as may be appropriate

to the trick, after which you take it from him, tear off
the paper, and show the handkerchief. The wand
(really a duplicate) may be reproduced from the per-
former's pocket, or from the sleeve a la Robert-Houdin,
as described at page 102.

Another effective way of reproducing the wand is from

a conical paper bag, previously formed under the eyes
of the spectators from a plain piece of paper. For this
variation the performer will require a duplicate wand,
made hollow at one end, the cavity being of such a size
as to fit the third finger. This is at the outset laid upon
the upper pair of hooks (shown vacant in Fig. 91) with
the open end lying to the performer's right hand, as he
faces the company. The piece of paper to form the
bag should be six to eight inches in width, and in
length three or four more than the wand.
The performer, stepping behind his table, picks up
the piece of paper, and shows both sides of it. He then
lays it down again with its hinder edge projecting a
little beyond that of the table, while he shows his hands
empty, and draws up his sleeves. He then again picks
up the paper, using the right hand, and in so doing in-
serts the third finger into the open end of the wand,
which he is thereby enabled to bring up behind the paper.
It now becomes an easy matter to form the paper cone
with the wand inside it, after which the smaller end of
the cone is twisted, and the upper edges folded down.
This is of course done before the wand shown is wrapped
in the other piece of paper, so that the two hooks are
again left vacant for use as already described.
The insertion of the finger into the wand will be
 Later Magic

facilitated by having a nail or needle-point driven into

the back of the table, level with the hooks, for the solid
end of the wand to butt against.

The most difficult part of the trick is to find a reason-

able excuse for wrapping up the wand. One plan is to
treat the so doing as a concession to the audience, who
(as you take for granted) are by this time satisfied that
with the wand you can do anything you please, so — on
this occasion only — you propose to do without it,
wrapping it up to keep it out of mischief.
Another mise en scene for the trick is to pretend that
you are about to make a present of the wand to some
spectator. In this case the handkerchief is omitted,
and when the paper tube is torn apart by the spectator
he finds it empty, the wand having found its way back
to the possession of the performer. After this proof of
its fidelity he naturally has not the heart to part with it,
and the spectator is compelled to dispense with the in-
tended gift.
Instead of at once handing the supposed wand in its
envelope to the spectator, and allowing him to open
the paper, the performer may remark: " But perhaps
this will be inconveniently long for the pocket ; I had
better make it smaller for you." So saying, he clips
one end of the paper tube between the first and
second fingers, and with the other hand rolls it into a
coil round these fingers, the paper cylinder flattening
as pressure comes upon it. By the time the coil is
complete it is abundantly clear to the audience that
the wand has somehow escaped from its envelope, and
it only remains for the performer to reproduce it else-
where, as may best suit him.
130 Later Magic

A WAND FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CIGARS.

The principle of the "half-crown wand," viz., the

extrusion of an object concealed within the outer end
of the wand by means of a sliding piston within it, has
been ingeniously applied to the magical production of
cigars. In this case, in place of the half-crown, the
piston terminates in a stout needle, which, when the
piston is pushed forward, projects a couple of inches
or so beyond the end. When the piston is drawn back,
the needle disappears within the wand.
To prepare the wand for use, a cigar, of small size, is
impaled upon the needle, and drawn back within the
wand. Within easy reach of his left hand, either in a
pochette or under the vest, the performer has another
cigar, of precisely similar appearance.
Holding the wand so that its open end shall not be
noticeable, he may lead up to the trick by a few re-
marks on the so-called "divining" wand, and the
quality claimed for it of "dipping " when the holder
approaches water-springs or minerals, however deeply
hidden beneath the surface of the earth. He informs
the company that the wand he holds possesses a similar
quality, but in a somewhat different way, the attractive
force being in this case exerted by tobacco, and the
wand becoming heavier whenever it is brought into the
near neighbourhood of the soothing weed.
To prove his assertion, he places the tip of a fore-
finger on each end of the wand, and holding it hori-
zontally before him, advances to some gentleman of
the company (preferably one whom he knows to be a
smoker), and suddenly lowers the wand, as if involun-
tarily, acouple of inches. "Sir, I feel the wand is get-
 Later Magic

ting heavier. Am I right in supposing that you have

tobacco or cigars about you?" If the answer is in the
affirmative, he passes on, with a smile of satisfaction,
to some other gentleman, continuing in the same way
till he comes to some one who declares, in spite of the
evidence of the wand, that he has nothing in the shape
of tobacco about him. "This is strange," remarks the
operator; "I never knew the wand make a mistake
before. Now it tells me positively that you have
tobacco somewhere about you, and according to the
direction of the pressure it should be somewhere about
your chest. Will you kindly open your breast pocket ? ' '
He thrusts the wand inside the coat, and brings it out
again with the cigar on its end. "The wand was right,
you see. I 'm afraid you take a whiff on the sly ; in
your sleep perhaps. Anyhow, this cigar is evidently
your property. Allow me to return it to you."
While the general attention is drawn to the unex-
pected appearance of the cigar on the end of the wand,'
the performer has ample opportunity to palm in his
left hand the reserve cigar. Apparently transferring
the cigar on the wand to that hand, he draws the visi-
ble cigar back into the tube, shows the loose one in its
place, and hands this latter to the supposed owner.
The trick may then be repeated in the same way;
save that this time the cigar produced on the end of
the wand is itself given away, the left hand grasping it
just as the piston is drawn back, and so drawing it off
the needle-point.
If the exhibition takes place in public, it is extremely
likely that one of the lady spectators may have a muff
on her lap. In such case the performer may cause
some amusement by coming to a halt in front of the
132 Later Magic

lady, and assuring her that the wand indicates (though

he can scarcely believe it) that she has tobacco in some
shape in her possession. He may then proceed to
''find" a cigar in her muff, the open ends of which
render the production exceptionally easy.

THE " SWALLOWING" WAND.

This wand derives its rather curious title from the

fact that it is made, to all appearance, to pass, to the
extent of two-thirds of its length, down the throat of
some young gentleman selected from the audience.
The wand is in fact the one ordinarily held by the
performer, made, say, of some hard wood, with ivory or
ebony mounts, as a in Fig. 92. The secret lies in the

Fig. 92,

use in addition of a little metal tube, 6, of such a size

as to pass easily over the tube, and of the same length
as one of the mounts, which it is japanned or enam-
elled to exactly represent.
To use the wand, this is secretly slipped over one end
of it. The performer then inserts the opposite end into
the mouth of his victim, covering any portion of the
mount left visible by grasping it between the fore-
finger and thumb of the left hand. He then slides the
false mount up and down with the opposite hand, as
shown in Fig. 93, the effect to the eye of the spectator
being that the whole wand is drawn in and out of the
 Later Magic

victim's mouth. The free end of the wand is allowed

to pass up the sleeve of the performer.

Fig. 93.

This is of course not presented as a trick in itself,

but introduced as a piece of by-play, under pretence
of measuring the boy's mouth, or under some similar
pretext. It may be relied upon to create much fun
among a juvenile audience.1
1 For an effective use of this wand in a somewhat different way,
see the trick entitled "The Flight of Time," post.
 CHAPTER V.

TRICKS WITH WATCHES.

'HE first requirement, in the case of most watch

I tricks, is to obtain secret possession or control of
the borrowed article ; so as to be able, unknown to the
spectators, to deal with it as may be necessary for the
purpose of the trick. The use of the "watch-box"
(with or without the ' ' ticking ' ' movement) is familiar
to all conjurers, and another method, suitable for stage
use, has been indicated at page 7. A third plan is to
form, in view of the spectators, a conical paper bag, to
have the watch 1 dropped therein, and after a little
appropriate " talkee-talkee," to open out the paper and
show that it has disappeared. The paper is then
crumpled up, as having served its purpose, and the
watch, which remains therein, is extracted at leisure
for disposal as may be necessary.
The secret here lies in the fact that the sheet of paper
is in reality double (see Fig. 94), consisting of two
sheets of newspaper or plain printing paper, a, b, c, d,
pasted together throughout, with the exception of a
kite-shaped portion extending from corner to corner, as
indicated by the letters d, e, b, /, d in the diagram. The
loose corner of the upper sheet is cut off, so that the line
134
e, f forms the mouth of a triangular pocket.
1 This may, according to circumstances, either be the original or
a substitute, for which the original has been changed.
 Later Magic

In the act of twisting the sheet of paper into a bag

the mouth of this pocket (which is kept on the inner
side) is opened, and the watch is dropped therein.
When the paper is again spread out, and held by the

Fig. 94.

corners a and d, or d and c, the watch has disappeared,

but does not fall, being in fact comfortably resting in
the angle b.

Fig. 95.

Another method of forming the bag is to take a

four-page sheet of some periodical of convenient size,
as shown in Fig. 95, and to prepare it by pasting a
136 Later Magic

duplicate (by the edges only) over the upper page. The
portion pasted (half an inch wide) extends from a to b,
b to c, and c to d; a to d being left open, and forming
the mouth of a square pocket, nearly the size of the
page. In use, the paper is twisted as shown in Fig. 96,

Fig. 96.

the inner edge of the pocket being laid over against the
opposite side of the bag. As in the former case, any
article dropped into the bag actually goes into the
pocket, and, when the paper is again unrolled, and held
by the corners a, d, or either of them, is found to have
disappeared.

For the knowledge of another, and in some respects

more artistic method of working this disappearance, I
am indebted to Mr. C. O. Williams, already mentioned.
The speciality of this method is that the sheet of paper,
which is about fourteen inches square, is quite unpre-
pared. Itis twisted in the ordinary way into a cone,
 Later Magic

but of comparatively small size, being at its largest

diameter not more than three inches across. (See
Fig. 97.) A watch is dropped into it, and the corner a
turned down as in Fig. 98. In this condition it is

Fig. 97. Fig. 98.

handed to a spectator to hold. After a little by-play

the performer takes it from him, grasping it by the
upper end, with the fingers in front and thumb behind.
He holds it to the spectator's ear, asking if he hears the
watch still ticking. In so doing, however, he lowers
the bag to a horizontal position, the effect of which is
that the watch runs to the larger end, where it is
secured by light pressure with the fingers. The cone is
then restored to its normal position, smaller end down-
wards. The bag may now be transferred from hand
to hand, the watch being clipped by the thumb and
fingers of each in turn. It may then be opened out,
and shown empty, the watch remaining hidden at first
behind the folded -down corner of the paper and after-
wards palmed.
138 Later Magic

This method demands some amount of address on

the part of the performer, but, smartly worked, pro-
duces acomplete illusion, the general belief of the spec-
tators being that the watch is up to the last moment
at the bottom of the bag, and consequently out of reach
of the hand which holds it. If a folded silk handker-
chief be secretly dropped into the bag with the watch
(the latter uppermost) , the handkerchief will remain at
the bottom during the subsequent manipulations, and
when the bag is opened will be found to have taken
the place of the timepiece, — a very effective little
transformation.

Another method is to wrap the watch in a sheet of

printed paper, laid flat on the table. The watch can
be felt and heard to tick inside the package, and yet
it can be instantly extracted by the performer. To

Fig. 99.

achieve this result, the paper is again " faked," but in a

different manner. The paper should be one having
three columns of print, such as Tit-Bits or Answers, as
illustrated in Fig. 99. A half -column cut from a similar
 Later Magic

paper is gummed or pasted by its edges along the lines

a b, a b; the ends a a and b b being left open. The in-
tervening space forms a sort of tunnel across the sur-
face of the paper. The sheet being spread upon the
table, the performer, standing at the side marked b b,
places the watch in the centre, and wraps it up by
folding the paper over once or twice towards himself,
first, however, slipping the bow of the watch within
the opening a a. The effect of the folding, if properly
managed, is that the watch slides along the paper tun-
nel towards the performer. When it has reached the
position indicated by the letter c, he turns down the
sides from left and right. The watch is now to all ap-
pearance securely wrapped in the middle of the paper,
though in reality it is resting in an outward fold only,
whence the performer can allow it to drop into his
hand at pleasure.
It is obvious that the page may be prepared as above
described while still forming part of the serial selected,'
and torn therefrom in the presence of the audience
when required for use, — an additional guarantee, in ap-
pearance, that it is an ordinary sheet of paper.

The same effect may, with a little address, be ob-

tained with a piece of unprepared paper. The paper
should in this case be about six inches square, of stout
substance, but not harsh or brittle. The performer,
taking this in the left hand, lays the watch on its
centre, and folds down, first the right, and then the
left side over it, not too closely, but leaving a clear half
inch of space on each side of the watch. In folding
down the paper, he moulds it a little to the shape of
the watch. Having turned down the sides, he next
140 Later Magic

folds down the upper end in like manner. Before

making the final fold, he tilts the paper slightly to-
wards him. The effect is that the watch runs down to
the lower end of the paper, the little finger of the left
hand, placed beneath, preventing it from coming too
far, and the lower end of the paper is then folded back
with the watch in it. The watch is therefore, as in the
last case, resting in an outer fold, wherein it may be
heard to tick, but whence it can be slipped out instantly
when desired.

The following neat expedient is the invention of a

German conjurer (Professor Ernst, of Hamburg). A
piece of flash paper, five inches square, is prepared by
making two cross cuts, X , an inch and a half long, in
its centre. If this be done with a sharp knife, and with
the paper laid out on a flat surface, the paper may be
shown at a few feet distance, without the cuts being
noticeable. Having thus exhibited it, in a casual
way, the performer lays it on his left hand, and a
borrowed watch (lady's size) upon it. He then gathers
up the corners, and twists them together. He holds
the packet, still on the hand, to the ear of some spec-
tator, who is satisfied by the ticking that the watch is
still there. On arriving at his table, he with the right
hand picks up the packet by the screwed-up corners,
and immediately flashes it off, over the candle, at the
same time dropping the watch, which has passed
through the opening and remained in the left hand, into
his profonde, to be dealt with as the nature of the in-
tended denouement may require.

Among other useful appliances for secretly gaining

possession of a borrowed watch is a small black alpaca
 Later Magic 141

bag, of special construction. To make it, assuming

that the bag is to be seven inches in depth, a strip of
the material twenty-one inches long by, say, five inches
in width, will be required. This is folded in three,
lengthwise, as follows : The lower end, to the extent of
seven inches, is folded back on the centre portion. The
cloth is then turned over, and the upper end folded
down in like manner. The outer edges on each side are
sewn together; the raw edges at top and bottom are
hemmed, and the folded edge of each stitched so as
also to represent a hem. The result is a double bag
(see Fig. 100), with one opening, a b, at top, and an-

Fig. 100.

other, c d, at bottom, though to the eye of the specta-

tors the bag appears a perfectly ordinary one.
To prepare it for use, the performer drops a dummy
watch into the mouth a b, and lets it sink into the
corner c. He then takes the bag by that corner, there-
by holding the dummy in position, turns the bag over,
and gets the lender of the borrowed watch to drop it
into the mouth c d. He then moves away in order to
place the watch in the custody of a second spectator,
but during the transit transfers the bag from hand to
142 Later Magic

hand, and in so doing again turns it over, gripping the

borrowed watch in place of the substitute, and releasing
the latter. When he reaches the spectator to whom he
proposes to confide the watch, he asks him to put his
hand in the bag and take it out himself. It is, of
course, the dummy which is taken out, the genuine
article remaining in the bag, and being carried off by
the performer or his assistant, to be dealt with as
required.
If the circle of spectators is so small that there is a
fear of the substitute watch being caught sight of by
persons who have seen the original, and who might
notice a difference between them, each may be wrapped
in a piece of soft paper before placing it in the bag.
There is another method of using the same kind of
bag, in which this preliminary wrapping up is essential.
In this case, the performer, after receiving the borrowed
watch in the bag, simply lets loose the dummy. It falls
with a crash on the floor, and the performer discovers, to
his pretended horror, that there is a hole in the bag;
hence the supposed accident, which he repairs after
some pre-arranged fashion. For this mode of working
it is better to have the mouth of the bag, from a to b,
stitched half-way across, leaving only just room for
the passage of the dummy watch, which in this form of
the bag can lie snugly in the opposite corner, till, by
tilting the bag accordingly, it slides down to the open-
ing, and falls through it.
" exchanging" a watch.
It is a frequent occurrence in watch tricks, that the
watch wrapped up, or otherwise dealt with even at
the earlier stage of the trick, is not the original, but a
 Later Magic

substitute. As a necessary preliminary, the former

must be exchanged for the latter. There are many
ways of effecting this. One of the simplest is as fol-
lows: The performer has the substitute at the outset
in a pochette on the left side. At the same moment
when, with the right hand, he receives the borrowed
watch from the owner, he drops the left hand to the
side, and palms the substitute. He then asks some
one to be good enough to hold the watch for a moment.
In transit he makes the motion of transferring it to
the left hand, really palming it in the right, and with
the left hand handing over the substitute.
Another daring but generally effective plan is to
have the substitute watch in one of the outside coat-tail
pockets. On receiving the borrowed watch, the per-
former makes believe to transfer it from the right hand
to the left (really palming it). He then orders it to
pass up the sleeve, shows his left hand empty, and re-
produces itwith the right from under the left arm or
from inside the vest. Again he makes believe to place
it in the left hand, and this time orders it to pass into
the tail-pocket. Plunging the right hand into the
pocket, he leaves the borrowed watch therein, and
produces in its place the duplicate.
The first pass should be made while standing close
to the owner of the watch, that he may tacitly identify
it, on production from under the arm or from the vest,
as his own. In (apparently) producing it for the
second time, the performer will do well to stand a little
farther off, that the proprietor may not be in a position
to detect the substitution.
Where in the course of a trick the performer desires
openly to 4 'vanish" a watch (either the original or the
 144
Later Magic

dummy which, to the spectators, has temporarily rep-

resented it), this may be neatly and effectively done
by means of a "pull" of silk elastic, one end being
attached to the performer's vest, midway between the
shoulders, and the other to a short piece of fine gut.1
At the opposite end of this is a little wire clip with its
points bent inwards and crossing each other, as shown
in Fig. 101. Just above the wire, secured by a knot
above and below it, is a leaden bullet, a,
with a hole through it. The length of the
pull is so adjusted that the clip shall lie nor-
mally midway up the forearm, or a little lower
down. When the arm is shortened by resting
the hand upon the hip, the appliance naturally
falls lower, and is brought within reach of the
hand, the "bullet, which gives a better hold
than the wire hook, being nipped between the
finger and thumb. By passing the bow of
Fig. ioi. the watch between the bent points of b; it is
instantly and firmly secured. The watch is
then professedly rubbed away to nothing between the
hands, a sudden straightening of the arms, with simul-
taneous relaxation of the pressure of the hands, causing
it to fly up the sleeve.
It is hardly necessary to remark that the performer
should take the earliest available opportunity to retire
and release the watch from its captivity, as its unex-
pected reappearance, dangling from the sleeve, would
be distinctly objectionable.

1 Where, as in the present case, it is desirable that an elastic pull

should give freely, and yet exercise a quick and lively tension, this
object is better attained by the use of several strands of fine rubber,
knotted together at the ends, than by a single rubber cord.
 Later Magic H5

THE AMERICAN VANISHER.

Another appliance for the same purpose is known as

the "American" vanisher. (See Fig. 102.) This is a
flat metal ring one and one half inches in diameter,
and not unlike a key-ring, which indeed it resembles a

Fig. 102.

good deal in principle. At one part of its circumfer-

ence ithas a three-quarter inch opening, a, the ends on
either side being slightly curled back. Across this open-
ing lies a piece of clock-spring, rivetted at one end, b.
The other end, c, is free, but presses firmly against the
inner circumference of the ring. If the bow of a watch
be inserted in the opening, and pressed against the
spring, the end c gives way just sufficiently to allow
the passage of the bow. The moment it has passed c,
it is securely threaded on to the ring. On the side of the
ring opposite to the opening is an eyelet, d. To this
is attached a piece of cord elastic, the two ends of
which are then threaded through a ring (preferably of
ivory), sewn to the performer's vest on the left side,
near the waist, and thence carried to the opposite side
of the body, knotted together, and slipped over one of
the front brace-buttons. Getting the ring secretly into
10
146 Later Magic

his left hand and keeping the elastic cord well under
cover of his arm, it is an easy matter for the performer
to slip the bow of the borrowed watch within the ring.
Once secured, it is made, by an extension of the arms,
to vanish under the coat, where it remains until the
performer has an opportunity to leave the stage and
remove it from the ring.

In connection with this subject of getting possession

of a borrowed watch, I may here mention

A NEW " PALM " FOR WATCHES.

This is in effect the application of the familiar

" thumb'' or "Frikell" palm to the case of a watch.
The credit of the idea belongs, I believe, to "Selbit,"
in whose Magician's Handbook I first made its ac-
quaintance.
Selbit instructs the performer to take the watch (pref-
erably one of the keyless kind, the winder affording a
better grip) between the thumb and middle finger;
then, under cover of taking the watch in the left hand,
to remove the thumb, and with the middle finger push
the watch until the bow and winder are received in the
root of the thumb, which closes upon them and holds
them fast, the fingers being spread apart as if the hand
were empty. The left hand is to be closed, as if con-
taining the watch, and carried upwards.
In one or two points I venture to think (if I may
venture on a friendly criticism) that these instructions
may be improved upon. In the first place, I would
suggest as preferable that the watch be allowed at the
outset to lie flat on the second and third fingers, not
 Later Magic

quite upright, but with the bow pointing somewhat to

the left (in a northwest direction, so to speak). See
Fig. 103.

Fig. 103.

Under the foregoing conditions, the momentary clos-

ing of the fingers, as the right hand moves towards the
left, turns the watch over, and throws the bow just into
the fork of the thumb, in the very position most favour-
able for getting an immediate and secure grip upon it.
Secondly, the direction to hold the fingers spread
apart after palming the watch seems to me ill-advised.
Many performers appear to think that extending the
hand like a starfish when hiding something concealed
in it constitutes an ideal ''palm," but this is a great
mistake. The object of the conjurer in all his acts and
movements should be to imitate nature as closely as
possible. Now in nature no one ever by any chance
holds the hand in this manner. The hand in such an
abnormal attitude "doth protest too much," and, by
its over-assertion of being empty, suggests to the acute
observer that something is concealed therein. In the
present case, with the thumb necessarily held close to
the hand, the outspread position of the fingers becomes
even more violently suggestive. The most natural
148 Later Magic

position of the hand in such a case is with the second,

third, and fourth fingers slightly bent, and the fore-
finger alone extended, indicating the opposite hand.

But to return to the main branch of our subject.

When a conjurer has once succeeded in getting a watch
out of the possession of its rightful owner, it is usually
his custom to apparently maltreat it in some way or
other, and it may be convenient here to refer to a
couple of little pieces of apparatus designed to produce
this effect.

THE NOISY WATCH-WINDER.

This consists of a little flat metal case, a a (see Fig.

104), about two inches in length by one in breadth, and
three eighths of an inch in depth. The
one end is closed. Projecting from the
opposite end is a little cog-wheel, b, taking
up its whole breadth. Within the case is
a steel spring, c, whose free end is engaged
in the cogs of the wheel.
When the wheel is moved in the direc-
tion shown by the arrow in the diagram,
JblG. 104. J t .
a sharp metallic sound, like the winding
of a bottle-jack, or of a large clock, is produced.
To use the winder, it is held in the right hand, across
the second and third joints of the fingers, with the
wheel end pointing to the forefinger. A borrowed
watch is taken in the opposite hand, and a pretence
made of winding it (after the usual stem-winding fash-
ion) . The performer at the same time runs the ball of
the right thumb over the cog-wheel, causing it to re-
volve, and thereby producing a sound horrifying to the
 Later Magic

owner of the watch, who naturally fancies that some

deadly damage is being done to his or her cherished
timekeeper. The noise may be made greater or less
according as the soundhole d is left open, or covered by
the lower part of the thumb.
A little additional effect may be produced by the
performer placing the watch to his ear, and exclaiming
"Dear me! it has stopped!" This seems such a
natural consequence of the supposed ill-usage that
everybody is quite ready to believe it, and the relief
of the owner is the greater when the timepiece is ultim-
ately returned safe and sound.

AN IMPROVED "REPEATER."

The old "repeater," the apparatus whereby a bor-

rowed watch was made apparently to strike the hours
or answer questions, has been fully described in one of
my earlier works,1 and is doubtless familiar to the
reader. There is, however, a more modern form of
repeater, designed by Hartz, which, though in principle
the same thing, has a little improvement in detail
which makes it much more certain and more manage-
able in working.
Instead of the mechanism being set in motion, as in
the older pattern, by direct pressure of the performer's
body against the button a (Fig. 105), it is in this case
actuated by a cord which passes over the button, and
the tightening of which causes the necessary depression.
The improved apparatus, which takes the form shown
in Fig. 106, is secured by a strap b to the forearm of
the performer, a little above the wrist. One end of the
1 See " The Mesmerized Watch," Modern Magic, p. 222.
i5o Later Magic

cord c is attached to the eyelet d. The opposite end,

after passing over the stud a, is drawn up the sleeve,
and inside the vest, where it is attached to one of the

Fig. 105. Fig. 106.

hinder brace-buttons. The effect of this arrangement

is that when the arm is extended the cord is drawn
taut; the stud is pressed, and the repeater begins to
strike, ceasing as soon as the pull is relaxed.
An example of a very effective use of this little ap-
paratus will be found described in connection with
Hartz's version of the " Locked and Corded Box" trick,
p. 176.
Having now discussed at length various methods of
getting possession of a borrowed watch, and of har-
rowing up the feelings of the owner by submitting it to
imaginary injury, I proceed to describe a few effective
ways of relieving his mind by its reproduction.

TO REPRODUCE A BORROWED WATCH IN ANY ONE SE-

LECTED OF A NUMBER OF BOXES.

The performer having, by one or other of the arti-

fices already described, obtained possession of a bor-
rowed watch, pretends that it is lost, and sets to work
 Later Magic

to find it. After a little consideration, he says: " You

need not be anxious, sir. I fancy I know where it is.
I expect it has found its way into my jewel-case. Ah,
there is the case, on that table."
The so-called jewel-case proves to be of a very un-
pretentious character, being, in fact, a common cigar-
box ; which, being opened, is seen to contain about a
dozen equally common cardboard pill-boxes. Putting
these out on the table, the performer proceeds to open
them, one by one. They may either be empty, or, if
preferred, may contain sundry articles of Mohawk
Minstrel jewelry; diamonds as big as florins, and so on,
each introduced with appropriate patter as the gift of
some crowned (or half -crowned) head to the performer.
All the boxes are opened in turn, but the watch is not
to be found, and the performer finally declares that he
must try another method. By his magic power he
will compel the watch to travel into one or other of the
boxes. At the pleasure of the audience, he puts aside
box after box, till only one is left, and in that one is
found the missing article.
To begin with, the so-called jewel-case is a box
of the kind described at page 29, having a hollow space
beneath it. In the course of his patter the performer
manages to place the watch in an extra pill-box, and
when he takes up the faked cigar-box, he slips this
underneath it, keeping it in position with the fore-
finger till the cigar-box is again fairly down on the
table. As each pill-box is returned, after being ex-
amined, he lays it down again close by the cigar-box.
When he has gone through them, he says: " Well, this
is very peculiar; but the watch has got to be found
somehow or other. I must try another plan." So
152 Later Magic

saying he lifts and puts aside the cigar-box, as if merely

to get it out of the way; thereby leaving the extra
pill-box close in rear of the others. There is not the
smallest fear of the spectators detecting the addition.
He then makes use of the familiar equivoque. Divid-
ing the boxes into two equal, or about equal, parcels,
he lays his wand between them. "Which half shall I
take, ladies and gentlemen? Left or right?" What-
ever the reply, he pushes aside the half that does not
comprise the watch, with the remark, " That disposes of
that lot," or something to the same effect. He now
arranges the remainder in two rows, parallel to the
company. "Which of these, ladies and gentlemen?
Back row or front row? " And, whatever the reply, he
again discards the row which does not suit his purpose.
" Once more, ladies and gentlemen, this lot or that lot ? "
And so, until only one box is left, being the one which
contains the watch.
It will be found that ten boxes is a good number to
start with, the additional box making eleven. In
making the first division, which will naturally be into
five and six, the box containing the watch should be
one of the five; and at the next step the division
should be three and two, the right box being one of
the two. This ensures having the right box reached
in three trials, which would not be the case if, at either
stage, it formed one of the larger parcels.

A LOST WATCH FOUND IN THE PERFORMER'S PURSE.

The purse used for this trick should be one of the

"bag" shape, and of a kind which, when closed, fastens
itself by simple pressure. This should be placed, open,
 Later Magic

and mouth uppermost, in the left trouser-pocket of the

performer. To prevent its closing prematurely, its
jaws may be kept apart by means of a little piece of
cork, in each end of which a notch has been cut, and
which acts as a gag. In addition to this, the operator
must provide himself with a dummy watch, lady's size.
This is intended to be sacrificed, and may therefore be
as common as he pleases.
The performer begins by borrowing a lady's watch,
which he forthwith exchanges for the substitute, keep-
ing the genuine one in the left hand. Asking some
gentleman to take charge of the watch (really the
dummy) , he hands it to him accordingly. In so doing
he turns his right side to the company (having chosen
his assistant so as to necessitate this), and takes the
opportunity to slip the left hand into the trouser-
pocket, and the borrowed watch into the open purse,
which he should not now wait to close, as he will have
ample opportunity to do so later. The gentleman re-
ceiving the substitute watch is asked to close his hand
tightly upon it.
The performer now fetches from his table a small
alpaca bag about six inches by four, and asks the
holder of the watch to drop it in. The only speciality
of the bag is that one of its lower corners is unstitched
for a space of about two inches. Naturally, when the
dummy watch is placed in it, it finds its way to the open
corner, and falls through it on to the floor. The per-
former professes himself grieved at the accident, and
endeavours to repair the damage by rubbing the watch
between his hands, but to his still greater distress it
disappears altogether. (This may be effected either by
sleight-of-hand, or by means of a pull, as the performer
154
Later Magic

pleases.) After keeping up the pretence of embarrass-

ment for a little while, he decides that the watch
is fairly lost, and that his only plan will be to pay a
money compensation to the owner. Having ascer-
tained what value she puts upon it, he takes his purse
out of his pocket in order to pay the amount, but, to his
pretended astonishment, no sooner opens it than he
finds therein the missing timekeeper.
When the hand is put in the pocket, the performer
pushes aside the little gag, and closes the purse, before
producing it.
This trick is sometimes performed with a purse
whose bottom seam has been ripped open (as in the
case of the " wand " trick described at page 103) and the
watch introduced through the opening thus made.
Nothing, however, is gained by this arrangement,
which is indeed a needless complication, and has the
further disadvantage of preventing the purse being
offered for examination.

ANOTHER METHOD.

A very neat little trick, terminating in the same way,

is one of the specialities of the well-known wizard, Imro
Fox. Having wrapped a borrowed watch in a hand-
kerchief, which he holds to the ear of a spectator to
prove that the watch is still there, he bangs it violently
upon the table. The owner feels more and more
anxiety as to his property, and is not much better
pleased when the performer, shaking out the handker-
chief, shows that the watch has departed altogether.
The trick comes to an end, as in the former case, with
the offer of a money payment by way of compens-
 Later Magic

ation, and the unexpected finding of the watch in the

purse.
As the acute reader will no doubt have suspected, the
watch is no longer in the handkerchief when it is
banged upon the table, the actual blow being given by
the ball of the wrist. The cleverness of the trick lies
in the manner in which the watch is extracted from it.
To effect this, the performer lays the handkerchief
squarely on the table, with the watch a shade to the
right of its centre. He then folds it straight down the
middle, the portion on the left side being laid over that
on the right. One third of the farthermost portion is

Fig. 107.

then brought forward over the centre, and the forward

portion turned back over that again. The shape of the
folded handkerchief is now an oblong, as in Fig. 107,
closed on all sides except b; which is open. The posi-
tion of the watch is as indicated at 1 in the diagram.
If at this stage the performer were to turn back b on a,
the watch would be fairly wrapped up, and this is what
he apparently does. He picks up the handkerchief, the
end a in the left hand, b in the right, and folds b on a;
but a moment before he does so, he lowers the right hand
a little, and lets the watch slip down to position 2 . The
effect is that, when the final turnover is made, the
watch lies in an open pocket, the opening being toward
156 Later Magic

the left hand, into which the watch is then allowed to

slide.1
The right hand takes the now empty handkerchief,
and holds it to the ear of a spectator, who hears the
tick, not of the watch just seen, but of another, strapped
to the arm of the performer, just above the wrist. The
banging of the supposed watch on the table then fol-
lows. While attention is thus called to the right hand,
the left hand steals to the trouser-pocket, and inserts
the watch in the purse, to be produced in due time as
already described.

A BORROWED WATCH CHANGED TO A LEMON,

A valuable accessory for use in a watch trick is the

ticking lemon, a speciality of Messrs. Hamley Brothers.
This is an excellently modelled imitation lemon, of
papier mdche, with a circular hole, one and a half
inches in diameter, in one side of it. Half of the in-
ternal space is occupied by a watch movement, which
being wound up produces a ticking sound. The re-
mainder of the cavity (that part next the opening) is
left unoccupied.
A lady's watch and handkerchief having been bor-
rowed, the performer proceeds, ostensibly, to wrap the
watch in the handkerchief, but in reality substitutes
the lemon. Handing the ball thus formed to the
owner of the watch, he asks her if she can hear it tick-
ing in the handkerchief. She naturally replies that she
does. He then disposes of the actual watch for sub-
sequent reproduction in some effective way. (A good
1 The reader will observe that the wrapping-up of the watch in
the handkerchief is in effect the same as the folding in paper, de-
scribed at page 139.
 Later Magic

plan, though old-fashioned, is to work it into a loaf,

which is then loaded into a hat, and given to some one
to hold over his head.)1
This done, the performer asks the lady whether she
still hears the watch ticking. On receiving her reply,
he bares his arms, takes back the handkerchief, and,
commanding the watch to pass wherever he intends it
ultimately to be found, opens the handkerchief and
rubs it between his hands, really into the lemon, which
he then exhibits in place of the watch, the handker-
chief having vanished altogether.
While the general attention is called to the repro-
duction of the watch, which immediately follows, he
has ample opportunity to exchange the mechanical
lemon for an unprepared one of similar appearance.

A BORROWED WATCH REPRODUCED FROM A GLASS OF

MILK.

This particular denouement to a watch trick is one de-

vised by myself many years ago, and one which I
can recommend as both easy and effective.
A watch is borrowed and passed off, by one or other
of the methods already described. Presently the assist-
ant brings in on a tray two tumblers, one empty, the
other full of milk. To prove no " deception," the per-
former pours the milk from the one glass to the other.
Then, dipping two fingers in the milk, he produces
thence the missing watch, which he wipes, and returns
to the owner, who usually examines it with a disgusted
air, and a mental vow that he will never trust his
cherished timepiece to a conjurer again.
1 More Magic, p. 193.
158 Later Magic

As a matter of fact, he has no reason for any un-

easiness, for .the watch never goes into the milk at
all. The secret lies in the use of a little hook of
special design, as depicted in Figure 108. It con-
sists of a slip of zinc, one and one quarter inch in
length and three eighths of an inch wide, bent into the
shape shown in the diagram. The upper and under
sides of the longer arm, a, are covered with glass-paper

Fig. 108. Fig. 109.

or soft rubber, to enable it to be gripped more firmly

between the fingers. The depression c serves to re-
ceive the bow of the watch, and b to hook it on to the
edge of the glass, as shown in Fig. 109. The watch is
brought in, thus suspended, behind the tumbler of
milk, and the tray bearing this and the empty tumbler
is placed on a table, preferably in the centre of the
stage. The performer stands beside the table, facing
the audience, in such a position that the tray and
glasses are on his right hand. Picking up the empty
glass with his left hand, and the full one with the right,
at the same time slipping the arm a of the "hook" be-
tween the first and second fingers, he faces half round
to the left, so as to turn the back of the right hand
towards the spectators, and pours the milk from the
 Later Magic

one glass to the other. He places the now empty glass

on a table or chair on his left (thereby still keeping
the back of the hand to the audience), and then with
the right hand grasps the newly filled one and hooks the
watch, which has remained in his hand, on to the edge
of this. He has then only to make a half -turn to the
right, thereby bringing the glass to the front, and the
hand behind, and in that position to place the glass on
the table. After a due amount of " talkee-talkee, " he
dips two fingers in the milk, and in withdrawing them
lifts up the watch from behind. Of course it is not
even moistened, save by the touch of the wet fingers,
but a careful wiping adds to the effect of the trick, and
at the same time creates an opportunity for the re-
moval of the hook.1
The arrangement of the earlier part of the trick,
leading up to the use of the glass of milk, is of course
quite optional. In my own working, before a juvenile

1 The late M. Hermann, of Berlin, to whom I communicated the

above trick, suggested that an effective card-trick might be worked
on similar lines. I never put it to a practical test, but mention it
in case others may be inclined to do so. His idea was a glass, filled
with ink, behind which is suspended a given card, say the king of
hearts. Two cards are drawn from the pack; the one (forced)
being a duplicate king of hearts; the other, say the eight of dia-
monds, chosen freely.
The king of hearts is taken back, shuffled with the pack (really
brought to the top, palmed off, and got rid of). The eight of dia-
monds is then taken back from the holder, and plunged into the
glass of ink. When drawn out again, it is dry, and has changed
to the king of hearts, i. e., the king of hearts has been drawn up
from behind, while the eight of diamonds remains in the ink.
The idea presupposes the use of the small cards used on the con-
tinent of Europe. The hook, instead of being turned up at its
outer end, would in this case terminate in a clip for the reception
of the card.
i6o Later Magic

audience, the introductory portion took the form of an

amended version of the old "mortar" trick. The
pestle and mortar were of the improved kind described
in More Magic (p. 188), in which the fragments of a
smashed watch are beforehand placed in a circular
hollow at the bottom of the mortar, and the borrowed
watch is picked up by the pestle, the head of which
has a padded cavity for its reception. The general
course of the 'trick is in this case somewhat like the
following.
A small-sized watch having been borrowed, is dis-
covered bythe critical eye of the performer to be out of
order, and he volunteers to put it to rights. The first
step is, naturally, to take it apart. This he accom-
plishes by placing it in the mortar, and apparently
smashing it to pieces. Under pretence that it is "a
very hard watch," he asks his assistant to fetch him
the kitchen poker, and when brought hammers the
fragments with the knob of this. The pestle, as no
longer needed, is carried off by the assistant, who ex-
tracts the watch, and hitches it on to the edge of the
glass of milk. Meanwhile, the performer picks out of
the mortar a few of the fragments, pours them back
again, and continues the smashing process. Bang!
Bang! Bang! (Here, by the way, a considerable ad-
ditional effect may be obtained by dropping into the
mortar half a dozen of the little paper amorces sold as
caps for toy pistols. Every time the knob of the poker
comes down on one of these there will be a loud but
quite harmless explosion.)
With a genial smile, the operator remarks: "I 've
done it now, I think, and pretty quickly, I flatter
myself. A regular watchmaker would have taken
 Later Magic 161

half an hour over that little job," (Here the assist-

ant brings in the two glasses, as above.) "Now for
the restoration process. When a watch has been keep-
ing bad hours, or is otherwise out of sorts, nothing
does it so much good as a drop of milk. You may
remember that the March Hare dipped his watch into
his tea, but it did it no good. I believe he also tried
butter, but found that butter didn't suit the works.
If he had used milk instead, his watch might have been
going now. You don't believe me ? Excuse me, I
never say anything I can't prove, and to prove this
I will restore this lady's watch by the milk process. I
must make sure that I have all the pieces." He
picks the fragments out of the mortar and drops them
into the empty glass. He then transfers the milk, and
with it the watch, to this latter glass as already de-
scribed, gives the milk a stir with his wand, and ulti-
mately produces the watch, restored, apparently from
the milk. The fragments remain at the bottom, and
with the glass are presently removed by the assistant.1
In cases where the spectators are so placed that they
might possibly get a side view of the watch hanging be-
hind the glass, this difficulty is met by bringing in three
glasses on the tray ; an empty one on each side, and the
one filled with milk (behind which the watch is con-
cealed) in the middle.

1 At one period I made a practice of appending a Shaksperian

quotation in my programmes to each trick, and if the performer
happens to be a student of Shakspeare he will find it a very interest-
ing task to select mottoes for this purpose. Some of the quotations
that suggest themselves are curiously apposite. In the present
instance the motto was from Much Ado about Nothing — "Call the
rest of the watch together." For a handkerchief trick a capital
motto mayii be found in Othello — "There 's magic in the web of it."
l62 Later Magic

A WATCH FIRED FROM A PISTOL, AND ATTACHING ITSELF

TO A BORROWED HAT.

This is another effective way of reproducing a

smashed watch. A watch is borrowed, and mal-
treated after the -usual fashion of conjurers (the real
watch being meanwhile dropped into a pochette) . The
fragments of the substitute are placed in a pistol.
This done, the performer bethinks himself that he
lacks a target to fire at, and it strikes him that a tall
hat would be a good thing for the purpose. He bor-
rows one accordingly. He hesitates for a moment
where to deposit it, but finally decides to place it over
a wide-mouthed carafe which happens to be standing
on the table, and which is of such a height that the hat
rests suspended on it, with its brim just clear of the ta-
ble. Getting as far away as possible, he fires at the hat,
when the watch is seen, apparently, to affix itself to it.
The working of the trick is very simple, though it de-
mands acertain amount of address. On returning to
the stage after borrowing the hat, the performer takes
the opportunity to insert into one of its sides, about
half-way up, a sharp -pointed black pin, bent into the
form of an S hook. In arranging the hat upon the
water-carafe, he brings up the watch behind it, and
hangs it on this hook. The carafe is placed upon a
movable disc, either in the surface of the table or
forming a sort of pedestal, as described at pp. 44, 45.
When the pistol is fired, the carafe and the hat with it
make a semi -revolution, and the watch is brought to
the front. If, as is not unlikely, the hat is seen to
"wobble" a little, this is merely regarded as a natural
result of the force of the explosion.
 Later Magic

A NOVEL WATCH TRICK.

The description of this capital trick I quote from

The Magician's Handbook, by " Selbit." The author
states that it is based on a suggestion from Mr. Howard
Thurston. It has been said, with some truth, that it
takes two conjurers to invent a really first-class trick,
and the present, it would appear, is an example of
such "honours divided." Selbit describes the trick as
follows :
"After some gentleman has obliged with the loan of
his gold chronometer, the performer carefully wraps
it in a piece of tissue paper, and places the package in
his outside breast pocket, leaving half the paper show-
ing. This is never again approached by the hand till
the conclusion of the trick. The conjurer next bor-
rows agentleman's hat, which he gives to any voluntary
assistant to hold above his head as high as possible,
while he (the performer) stands some distance away
and commands the watch to pass from the paper packet
into the borrowed hat. The assistant then looks into
the chapeau, and discovers to his great astonishment
that the performer's command has been obeyed. Both
the borrowed articles are then handed back, and the
paper package is undone and shown to be quite empty.
"The main part of the secret consists in having a
special tube attached to the interior of the outside
pocket, which extends from the left breast of the coat
to the right-hand coat-tail, passing round the per-
former's back.1 When the watch is taken, it is care-
fully wrapped in a piece of tissue paper, which tears by
means of finger pressure as it is placed in the pocket.
1 Compare p. 3.
 Later Magic

Consequently, by the time the borrowed hat is taken

off the table, and attention called to the fact that it
would be an impossibility for the watch to leave the
paper package without the audience seeing it go, the
chronometer has slid down the tube, and out of the end
in the right coat-tail, into the hat rested there to re-
ceive it in such a manner as to effectively hide the
watch as it passes into the chapeau. Now an assistant
is told to hold the hat above his head, and he is also
requested to listen to the borrowed watch ticking in
performer's breastpocket. He acknowledges that it is
there, because he can both see and feel it, though really
he is listening to the conjurer's own watch, which has
been previously placed in the top vest pocket, which
will be found to match exactly the position that the
borrowed watch would occupy in the outside pocket if
it were really there. After the apparent impossibilities
have all been set forth, and the effect worked up as
brilliantly as possible, the climax is brought about- as
described above. Of course, if it is desired to work the
experiment in a dress suit, the tube can be arranged to
run from the inside breast pocket just as easily as from
the outside pocket in a morning coat."
There is only one observation which I think it de-
sirable to make on the above description. If I read
Selbit's explanation rightly, the cloth tube is to be
open at the lower end, and to discharge the watch
directly into the hat. Such an arrangement (if this
be the meaning) would be objectionable for several
reasons. First, it would necessitate holding the hat in
an unnatural and suggestive position; secondly, the
hat must be at the right spot exactly at the right
moment, or there would be a catastrophe ; and lastly,
 Later Magic

supposing those two difficulties surmounted, the watch

would fall into the hat with an audible and objection-
able "thud." The better arrangement would be to
make the tube discharge itself into the prof onde on the
right side, and by arranging the patter accordingly, to
give the watch full time to get home before the hat is
actually taken in hand. If this is received in the left
hand, with a slight forward movement of the body,
there will be ample opportunity for the right hand to
drop to the side and palm the watch, which can then
be loaded into the hat without difficulty.

watch it!

This capital trick is, I believe, of "Selbit's" own in-

vention.give
I in effect his own instructions for work-
ing it,1 recommending the reader to improve upon
them if he can see his way to do so, the trick being one
that from its nature is susceptible of any amount of
variation.
The performer must provide himself, to begin with,
with four watches, of the cheap nickelled kind, exactly
alike in appearance.2 To the bezel of one of them, just
above the xn., is brazed a needle point about a quarter
of an inch long, pointing downwards. This forms a
little hook, by means of which the watch is hooked into
the performer's coat, behind his back, but within reach
of his hand. The other three watches, which have no
preparation, are disposed as follows : Two of them are
placed in the vest pocket, one attached to the swivel

1 The Magician's Handbook, p. 58.

2 Match-boxes made in imitation of such watches may now be
purchased for a few pence, and are quite good enough for the pur-
pose of the trick.
 Later Magic

of the watch chain, the other loose; and the third is

placed, bow downwards, under the front of the vest.
For facility of reference we will call the watch attached
to the chain No. i ; the one tinder the vest, No. 2 ; the
one on the back, No. 3 ; and the one loose in the
pocket, No. 4.
Prepared as above, the performer comes forward to
the audience, and takes out watch No. 1, as if to see the
time. The sight of the watch suggests that he might
do a little conjuring with it. He accordingly takes it
off the chain and tucks the end of the latter under the
front of the vest, in so doing hooking the swivel into
the bow of No. 2. Apparently transferring No. 1 to the
left hand (really palming it in the right) , he carries the
left hand, with the (supposed) watch, to the mouth,
and makes believe to swallow it. After some small
amount of facial distortion, as if he found a difficulty in
getting it down, he draws in the pit of the stomach,
when No. 2, thereby released, drops to the full extent of
the chain. This is caught hold of by the left hand, the
right hand meanwhile dropping No. 1 into a pochette or
the profonde.
No. 2 is then unhooked from the chain, and taken in
the right hand, while the empty swivel is put back,
with the left hand, into the vest pocket, and in so doing
is hooked into the bow of No. 4. No. 2 is next
apparently transferred by any of the familiar passes
from the one hand to the other, and the hand in which
it is ostensibly left is rubbed lightly against the pit of
the stomach. The performer exhibits this hand
empty, and then turning round, shows that the watch
has passed through his body, and is hanging on his
back. This is of course really No. 3, which has been
 Later Magic

there from the outset. While he thus turns away from

the company he has ample opportunity to get rid of
No. 2.
With some little pretence of difficulty, he gets No. 3
from off his back, and holds it in his right hand, with
the face toward the spectators. Turning his right side
away a little, he counts "One, two, three!" dropping
the hand each time, and making believe at the word
"three ' ' to throw the watch in the air. The hand rises
empty, having at the third downward movement left
the watch hooked against the clothing.
After showing the hands empty, and casually remark-
ing that "It is all right — the watch knows its way
home," the performer places the left hand on the
watch-chain, and slowly draws out No. 4, the surprise
occasioned by its unexpected appearance giving him
ample opportunity to again palm No. 3, and transfer it
to safer quarters.
The hooking of the swivel into the bow of the watch,
using the fingers of one hand only, will require some
practice, but the trick is so exceptionally good that the
needful labour will be well-bestowed.

watch it! (Another Method).

This is another version of the same trick, arranged by

the versatile gentleman known as "The Conjuring
Comedian," Mr. G. W. Hunter.
Three watches only are in this case used. One has
no speciality. Of the other two, each has a sharp -
pointed hook, as already described, soldered to it, but
in this case to its hinder side, a little below the bow.
Of these two watches, one, which we will call A, is
 Later Magic

attached to the watch-chain in the usual way, and is

placed in the performer's left vest-pocket; and the
other, which we will call B, is attached by means of the
little hook to the back of his coat, about the level of
the waist. For the disposal of the unprepared watch,
C, a somewhat more elaborate arrangement is made. A
piece of black thread, eight or nine inches long,1 is at-
tached tothe swivel of the watch-chain already referred
to, passed through the bow of the watch, and then
fastened to the lowermost button of the performer's
vest. This watch is then " vested ' ' in the ordinary way.
Thus furnished, the performer is ready to commence
operations, the course of the trick being as follows :
1. He takes watch A out of vest pocket, detaches
it from swivel, transfers it (apparently) from the
right hand to the left, opens this hand with a pat on the
top of his head, and reproduces the watch from his nose,
the left hand receiving it as it falls.
2. Taking the watch apparently in the right hand
by the tourniquet, he "passes" it through the knees,
from left side, reproducing it on right side.
3. Taking the watch in the right hand and making
a pretended upward throw with it, he palms this
watch (A) and, facing smartly round, shows B on his
back. While removing this latter with the left hand,
he hooks A under the lapel of the coat on the right
side.
4. Standing with the left side turned to the specta-
tors, and taking B in his right hand, he again makes
a pretended upward throw with that hand, but in

1 The exact length most suitable must be ascertained by experi-

ment. It must be such as to allow the watch to drop to the full
extent of the chain, but not farther.
 Later Magic

lowering the hand for the throw leaves the watch

hooked on to right coat-tail. Bringing up the right
hand empty, he with the same hand lifts the lapel, ex-
hibiting watch A, which he removes with the left hand.
5. Still keeping the left side turned to the audience,
he makes an upward "throw" with the left hand,
palming A therein, and almost at the same moment
makes a right-about-face, exhibiting B on the right
coat-tail. While attention is drawn to this, he hooks
A on to the left coat-tail.
6. He is now standing with the right side to audi-
ence. Taking B (the watch last shown) in the right
hand, he makes believe to place this in the left hand,
really palming it in the right. Blowing on the left
hand, he shows it empty, then stoops and places the
right hand behind his right trouser-leg, below the knee,
as if to bring up the watch from thence. As a matter
of fact, however, he leaves the watch hooked behind
the trouser, and brings up the hand empty, but so
turned that the spectators cannot see that it is so,
until after he has gone through the movement of pla-
cing the supposed watch in the left hand, which has,
meanwhile, secured watch A from the left coat-tail.
To the eye of the spectator, it appears that he has
simply brought up the watch from behind the right
leg and placed it in his left hand.
7. Showing the watch, first in the left hand, then in
the right, he places it apparently in the left hand, really
palming it in the right; he then makes an upward
throw with the left hand, at the same time opening this
hand, and with the right hand producing the watch
from under the left elbow.
8. Standing with his left side to the audience, with
 Later Magic

A in his left hand, he makes an upward throw with the

same hand, palming it, and immediately turning round
shows B behind the right trouser-leg. Again slightly
turning away, he carries down the right hand to the
spot, as if to bring up the watch, but in reality leaves
it where it is, bringing up the hand, closed but empty,
and again transfers the supposed watch to the left
hand, showing in reality the one already there.
9. Again turning his left side to the spectators, he
makes an upward throw with the left hand, palming A
therein, and, facing round, shows B on trouser-leg.
This he removes with the right hand, and in again
turning round so as to face the audience, hooks A on
his back with the left hand,
10. Carelessly passing B from hand to hand, and
finally leaving it in the left, he makes believe to take it
into the right hand by means of the tourniquet. He
then opens this hand, at the same time giving himself a
sudden slap on the chest, and turning round shows A
on his back, the watch having apparently passed
through his body.
While removing A with the right hand, the left hooks
B to the under side of the coat lapel on that side.
11. Pretending to transfer A from right hand to
left, he palms it, and makes the movement of rubbing it
with the left hand through the lapel, which he then
lifts, and shows that it (in reality B) has " passed"
accordingly. A (which is now done with) is mean-
while dropped into right profonde.
12. Standing with his left side towards the audi-
ence and B in his right hand, he makes an upward
throw, but as the hand sinks for the throw, leaves the
watch hooked to the back of the right coat-tail. He
 Later Magic 171

follows with his eyes the supposed upward flight of the

watch, and in due course its supposed descent, the fore-
finger of the right hand likewise following its imaginary
course till, finally, it indicates the end of the chain,
which is now allowed to hang loose over the front of
the vest. At the same moment the stomach is re-
tracted, when C drops down the thread, apparently
attaching itself to the end of the chain.
13. He places C in the vest pocket, and while bow-
ing his acknowledgments, secures B from the coat tail,
and palms it, to be got rid of at the first convenient
opportunity.

It is obvious that the performer is by no means re-

stricted to the above series of passes, happily con-
ceived as they undoubtedly are. The ingenious idea
of the watch made to appear by running down a thread,
in particular, might very well be adapted to other
modes of production. The watch might be made, for .
instance, to appear in the centre of a handkerchief or
flag, running down from one of two corners held in the
hands. Or again, after one watch had been hooked on
the centre of the back, and thence removed, another
might run down a thread to the same spot from under
the coat collar, being kept in position till needed by a
needle passed through the bow, and withdrawn at the
right moment by pulling a second thread attached to
the needle. Yet again, a watch concealed at the outset
in the trouser-pocket, or suspended on a dress-hook just
below the vest, might be made at the proper moment
to run down to a given spot on the trouser-leg. In fact,
this simple little contrivance opens up a whole range
of new effects to the imaginative performer.
172 Later Magic

Another telling effect, of a different kind, would be

to privately hook an extra watch into the lining of a
hat which has been borrowed and used for some other
purpose, and then leave this, mouth downwards, on
the table. At some appropriate stage of the trick the
performer would "pass" the watch into the hat, and
then, with bared arms and hands obviously empty,
reach up into it and produce the missing article.

THE LOCKED AND CORDED BOXES (l).

Twenty years ago, this was one of the "star" items

of a conjurer's programme. Nowadays, in conse-
quence of the prevailing craze for dispensing with visi-
ble apparatus, it is hardly ever seen. This is a pity,
for it would be difficult to name a more effective illus-
ion.1 For the benefit of the younger generation, to
most of whom the trick is absolutely unknown, I will
briefly describe it. As a watch plays a prominent part
in it, it may appropriately find a place in this chapter.

A borrowed watch, with possibly a ring or glove in

addition, is wrapped in paper and tied round with

1 The revolt against an excessive use of apparatus, such as was

found in the days of Professor Anderson, was a movement in the
right direction, but it has been carried to excessive lengths, and I
am inclined to believe that there will be a gradual reaction. Per-
fect manipulation of cards, coins, or handkerchiefs will always com-
mand the admiration of the expert, and may serve well enough to
fill the space of a music-hall turn; but for a whole evening's enter-
tainment greater variety and broader effects are necessary, and
these are to be obtained by the judicious use of stage apparatus.
The perennial success of Mr. Maskelyne's entertainment is largely
due to his happy combination of magical elements of wholly differ-
ent kinds.
 Later Magic

ribbon. The little packet thus made is loaded into the

conjurer's pistol.
Presently he fires, taking as his mark a good-sized
box, which, elaborately corded, has been in sight of
the audience the whole evening, either standing on a
side table, or, more frequently, suspended by a rope
over the centre of the stage. The box being lowered
and the cord removed, it is found to be locked, but the
key is speedily discovered, say in a lady's muff, or
hanging on to a gentleman's whiskers. The performer
opens the box, and takes from it another box of similar
appearance, and corded in like manner. This also
being opened, another box is produced. The precise
number of the series may vary, but it comes to an end
with two boxes, locked but not corded. The innermost
is handed to some lady to open, and within it is found
the packet containing the borrowed articles.
The key to the mystery lies in the fact that the
smallest but one of the boxes is bottomless. We will
suppose that the series consists in all (as it most fre-
quently does) of four boxes, of which we will call the
largest No. 1, and so on. The performer stands either
behind or just beside his table, on the servante of which
rests, open, the smallest box, No. 4 (which, it should
be mentioned, closes with a spring lock). The ex-
perienced reader will hardly need to be told that the
packet containing the watch is not actually placed in
the pistol, but is deftly exchanged, at an earlier stage,
for another of similar appearance. At the first con-
venient opportunity, the performer drops the genuine
packet into the box on the servante, and closes the
lid.
When the performer, after firing, opens box No. 1
 *74
Later Magic

and takes out No. 2, he for a moment places the latter

behind the former, which, however, he immediately
afterwards puts aside, or hands to his assistant. No. 2
is then pushed to the front of the table, to make room
for No. 3, which in turn is placed for a moment behind
No. 2. Before taking out No. 3, however, and while
in the act of pushing forward No. 2, the performer,
with his disengaged hand, brings up No. 4 from the ser-
vante, and places this behind No. 2. No. 3 (which it
will be remembered is the bottomless box) is then
lifted out of No. 2, and brought down over No. 4,
which is in due course produced from it, and the trick
terminates as already mentioned.

It always seemed to me that the trick as above

described, excellent as it undoubtedly is, lacked finish
in one or two particulars. In the first place, the use
of the bottomless box is somewhat hazardous ; indeed,
I once saw a very eminent performer "give away " the
trick by an accidental exposure of this part of his
apparatus. The other point is less serious, and is
indeed merely a matter of artistic feeling. It ap-
peared to me that, to make the trick perfect, all the
boxes, down to the smallest, should be corded as well
as locked.
The first defect I cured by having a box made with a
loose bottom, folding up against the back. I could not
have it hinged in the ordinary way, as the hinges would
have been more or less visible. I hinged it therefore on
pivots, working in slots in the sides of the box. These
slots were curved, each forming an arc of nearly a
quarter of a circle, and in length about half an inch.
This arrangement allowed the pivots the necessary
 Later Magic

amount of play, and enabled the bottom to sink fairly

and squarely into its place. Mortised into the opposite
end of the flap were a couple of spring bolts, which,
when the bottom was down, made all secure. It could
only be again released by pressing back both bolts
simultaneously, and this could only be done by insert-
ing a couple of pins through minute holes in the front.
A little wooden wedge (removed by the performer at
the right moment) prevented the bottom falling pre-
maturely, but the moment box No. 4 was taken out it
dropped spontaneously, locking itself as above de-
scribed; and in this condition the box would stand
the most minute examination without telling any
tales.

We now come to the "cording" question. In the

case of this same box, No. 3, the difficulty was that the
cords must not cross the bottom, as they would in such
case interfere with the introduction of No. 4. This
difficulty I got over by inserting at each corner of the
bottom of No. 3, and midway between each corner, a
brass-headed nail, not driven quite home. The nails
at the four corners were for appearance only, but by
the aid of the other four a piece of doubled string was
brought across the top, sides, and ends of the box, with-
out crossing the bottom. The other boxes had nails in
similar positions, the tacit suggestion being that they
were merely placed there to serve as feet, and to pre-
vent the bottom of the box scratching any surface it
might be placed upon.
The cording of box No. 4 presented a problem of a
different kind. This box must necessarily remain open
until after the introduction of the packet, and there
was clearly no time to cord it afterwards. I got over
176 Later Magic

this difficulty by cording it first, but the supposed cord

was in fact white cotton-covered rubber, dyed a light
brown to resemble string.
After being duly " corded," the box was opened a
couple of inches or so, and the lid propped in that
position with a bit of stiff wire, for the reception of
whose ends minute depressions were made in the box
and lid. The performer's hand, in introducing the
packet, dislodged the wire, whereupon the box closed,
the rubber cord contracted, and the box became to all
appearance a genuine "corded box."

the locked and corded box (n.). (Hartz's Method.)

I may here take the opportunity to give a brief ac-

count of Hartz's working of the same trick, which also
has several points of difference from the current ver-
sion. It belongs to what may be called his "mechani-
cal" period, and in various particulars would be too
elaborate for the taste of the present-day conjurer ; but
it is interesting as affording a further example of the
artistic completeness with which, to the smallest detail,
his illusions are worked out.
Like myself, Hartz had felt the bottomless box to be
a weakness. He used in place of it a box with a bottom
of blackened millboard opening in halves, like the
familiar rabbit- trap, save that it opened upwards, in-
stead of downwards. The introduction of the inner-
most box into this was effected by means of a special
table, of small size, which in the first instance stood
against the side-scene, and was not brought forward
until needed to rest the boxes on. In the top of this
table was a trap the exact size of the smallest box,
 Later Magic

sinking horizontally on pressure, but normally pressed

upwards, flush with the top of the table, by the action
of a candle-spring. The top of the table corresponded
in appearance with that of the box. On this table,
until removed from the wing, rested an extra box, in
appearance somewhat like a Chinese tea-chest, decor-
ated with black and gold. It was of peculiar make;
for the spaces at the back and bottom were left open
until the box had served its purpose, when a movable
back and bottom dropped into position. This dummy
box masked an opening in the side-scene, through
which, at the proper moment, the assistant passed the
small box in which the watch was hidden, and lowered
it down on to the trap (which was already depressed
and secured by a spring catch) , when it became, to all
appearance, part of the table-top.
Hartz's method of working was as follows :
The performer begins by asking the loan of a watch,
but finds the one offered unsuitable for the purpose,
for as soon as he takes it in hand it begins to strike.
(This effect, which always produces considerable
amusement, is produced by a " repeater," hidden in the
sleeve.) 1 This watch is therefore handed back as " no
good." Another is borrowed, and another; but with
the same result. After two or three attempts, a better
behaved timekeeper is found, and the performer pro-
ceeds to wrap it up in a lady's handkerchief, also bor-
rowed but
; presently this watch too is heard to strike
inside the package. Having got so far, however, the
performer decided that he must make it do. For
greater safety, he wraps the watch and handkerchief in
1 For description of the special form of repeater used by Hartz,
see p.12 149.
1 78 Later Magic

a piece of paper, and these again in a second piece.

At this last stage, however, an exchange is made.
What he actually wraps up is not the watch, but a
packet of similar appearance taken from the servante,
and containing a wooden orange, with a watch move-
ment inside it. (It should here be stated, by the way,
that in wrapping the watch in the handkerchief, the
performer takes care to make the resulting package as
spherical as possible.)
The supposed watch, thus wrapped up, is handed to
some lady for safe-keeping. She almost instinctively
puts it to her ear to ascertain by sound if the watch is
really therein. If not, she is invited to do so, and, as
she naturally believes, hears the watch ticking inside.
Meanwhile, the assistant, passing casually behind the
table, secretly picks up the genuine package from the
servante, carries it behind the scenes, and puts it into
the little box, which he locks, and passes, as already
mentioned, through the opening in the side-scene into
the trap of the table.
The " corded box" is not, in Hartz's version, sus-
pended, but nevertheless has remained in full view
throughout the evening. At the commencement of the
trick this is placed on the extreme end of the run-down,
so as to be practically right among the audience. It is
supported on four wooden balls by way of feet, each
having a sharp metal point on its under side. These
points pass through the baize of the run-down, and rest
on parallel strips of brass beneath, thereby establishing
an electrical connection between the box and a battery
behind the scene.
No pistol is used, but the performer, at the proper
moment, takes back the package entrusted to the lady.

I
 Later Magic

He announces that he will pass the watch thence either

into the corded box on the run-down, or into the one
which previously rested on the side-table against the
wing, and which, having served its purpose, is now
brought forward, its back and bottom having now
assumed their proper positions. The box on the run-
down is natuarlly selected, as offering apparently the
greater difficulty ; the choice being really given merely
in order to supply a plausible excuse for the presence of
the black and gold box in the first instance.
The performer now opens the package entrusted to
the lady, and finds the orange, which is taken to be a
genuine one. At the same moment, the supposed watch
is heard to strike within the corded box, proving to the
minds of the audience that the demoralized timepiece
has at that moment arrived therein. As a matter of
fact, the striking is produced by a " repeater" move-
ment in the bottom of the outermost box, set in motion
by an electric current, as above indicated.
The small table which previously stood against the
wing is now brought forward, and the boxes (a box, as
the audience suppose) placed upon it. As each box is
lifted out, the one which contained it is laid aside, and
the' last produced put on the table. From this point
the trick proceeds after the customary fashion, save
that when the box with the folding bottom (which is
of metal, japanned) is reached and placed upon the
table, the performer has only to draw back a bolt in
order to make the final box rise automatically into it.
When this is lifted out, the two millboard flaps of the
penultimate box at once drop into their places, being
pressed downward by thin steel springs soldered to the
back and front of the box.
i8o Later Magic

THE LOCKED AND CORDED BOX (ill.).

Method.) (De Vere's

The following ingenious and somewhat simpler ver-

sion of the trick was communicated to me some years
ago by Professor De Vere. For the sake of distinction
I call it by his name, though I cannot be sure, at this
distance of time, whether he claimed to be himself the
inventor. It was at that time a " latest novelty," but
I believe it is now common property.
The requirements for the trick are as under:

Fig. iio.

1 . A large-sized coloured handkerchief, with a cheap

watch in going order, wrapped in paper, and sewn in a
pocket of the " patch" kind, in one corner.
2. A few pieces of paper about six inches square, of
different colours.
3. Three pieces of ribbon, red, white, and blue, each
about twelve inches long.
 Later Magic 1S1

4. Three wooden boxes, of plain thin deal put to-

gether with French nails, three at each corner, as in Fig.
no. The lids are mere flat pieces of wood. There is
no speciality about either of the two larger boxes, but
the third is a "trick" box, being a sort of rough imita-
tion of the familiar "watch" box. It is four inches in
length, three in width, and two and a half in depth.
One end of it is " faked," after the manner indicated in
Fig. in.
The two upper nails, a a, are mere dummies, being
just long enough to penetrate the sides, but not the end.

Fig. hi. Fig. 112.

The nails c c, are a trifle longer, but fit loosely in their

holes, so that they can be drawn out and pushed in at
pleasure. When pressed home, they make all secure,
but when drawn out, as in the figure, they allow the
end to work backwards and forwards on b 6, which are
nails of full length, and act as pivots. This box is
partially filled with cotton-wool, and is tied round
with tape and sealed, but it will be observed (Fig. 112)
that the tape is passed round it after a special fashion,
so as not to interfere with the opening of the end.
Thus arranged, this box is placed in the second,
182 Later Magic

which is a good deal larger, the intervening space being

loosely filled with paper shavings. This second box is
tied up in the same way and placed in the third box,
which again is a good bit larger, the intervening space
being filled as before. The three boxes thus arranged
(which may or may not have locks) are in view the
whole evening.
To show the trick, a watch is borrowed from one of
the spectators ; a second chooses the paper wherein to
wrap it; and a third the ribbon wherewith to tie it up.
The packet is passed round for examination, any one
marking it who cares to do so. The performer then
takes it back and wraps it in the prepared handkerchief,
really wrapping up the watch sewn in the corner in-
stead, and dropping the packet containing the original
into his right profonde. He lets the spectators hear
the (dummy) watch ticking in the handkerchief; then,
ordering it to pass into the box, shakes out the hand-
kerchief, to all appearance, empty.
The performer now brings forward the nest of boxes,
and gets some spectator to cut the tapes. While the
general attention is thus diverted, he gets the packet
containing the watch into his right hand. Taking back
the box, he transfers it to the hand in which the watch
lies (letting it rest on the palm, and thereby covering
the watch). This enables him to allow any one who
desires to do so to hear it ticking in the box (?) .
The box is then placed on the table (the watch
packet being deposited behind it) and opened. The
paper shavings are removed, and the second box pro-
duced. The first box may now be put aside, the paper
shavings masking the packet on the table. The second
box is then opened, and, under cover of the removal
 Later Magic

of the paper shavings from this, the packet is deftly in-

serted through the open end into the innermost box
and the end closed. The loose nails are pressed home,
and the box handed to some spectator to open, those
who had marked the packet being invited to identify
their marks.
THE FLIGHT OF TIME.

By way of conclusion to this chapter, I will describe

a trick, or rather a combination of tricks, to which I
gave the above title, and which I always found to pro-
duce considerable effect.
The requirements for the complete combination are
as under :
1. Watch-box.1
2. Repeater.
3. Pistol (ordinary), lightly charged with powder.

Fig. 113.

4. The wand known as the " swallowing" wand, de-

scribed at p. 132.
5. An ordinary wine-bottle cork, as a (Fig. 113),
and one half of a similar cork, into which is cemented,
with sealing wax or otherwise, a pin bent at right
angle, as b in the same figure.
6. A stout black pin, bent into an S-shaped hook.
1 For description of the watch-box, see Modern Magic, p. 219. It
need not be of the " ticking" variety.
 Later Magic

This, which should have a sharp point, is hooked

into the cloth of the right trouser-leg, just covered by
the coat-tail, and at such a height that when the
arm is dropped to the side the fingers can reach it
comfortably.
The sliding tube for the wand may rest till wanted
in the right pochette, or anywhere else, so long as it is
readily get-at-able. The cork and half-cork should be
in one of the ordinary tail-pockets, and the watch-box
and pistol on the table. The repeater may be placed
where and how the performer finds it most convenient
to work it.1
The patter may run somewhat as follows :
"I am always borrowing, ladies and gentlemen.
This time I want to borrow a lady's watch. Thank
you, madam. I suppose, by the way, this watch is
all right? It 's essential for this experiment to have
a healthy watch." [He bends it backwards and for-
wards.] 2 "It seems a bit soft, somehow. Somebody
has been sitting on it, I fancy. Anyhow, it seems a lit-
tle bit poorly" — (he listens to the ticking) — "and the
tick isn't quite right. It 's a sort of tic doloureux"
[Repeater strikes, and goes on to thirteen, performer
counting the strokes.] " That 's odd ! I should be sorry
to destroy your confidence in your watch, madam, but
I really think, if it always strikes thirteen at a quarter
past eight, it can't be quite well. I dare say, however,
it only wants regulating. I '11 regulate it for you by
my patent process, and it will never go again — go
wrong, I mean, again.

1 I myself always used the Hartz form of repeater, described at

p. 149-
2 Modern Magic, p. 214.
 Later Magic

"The lady seems to be feeling a little bit nervous.

You 're afraid your nice little watch may be hurt,
madam. If you like, I '11 give it gas, like the dentists.
There 's always plenty of gas at a conjuring entertain-
ment. Or, better still, to relieve your mind, we will
put it away in this little box. You shall lock it your-
self, and keep the key. Now your mind will be quite
at rest, won't it? We will leave the box here in full
view, on the table." [In returning to the table he ex-
tracts the watch, but keeps it in his hand, covered by
the box.] " One moment, though ; I think I heard
some one say the watch was no longer in the box. Let
me satisfy you that it is ; can you hear it, madam? and
you? " [He holds the box out to one or two spectators
in succession. Hearing the watch ticking in his hand,
they are satisfied that it is in the box, and testify ac-
cordingly. Transferring the box to the left hand, he
places it on the table, and at the same moment dropping
the right hand to his side, hooks the watch on to the
bent pin.]
"Now I shall want the assistance of some gentleman.
Who will oblige ? Thank you, sir. Face the company,
please, stand upright, square your shoulders, and hold
your hands clasped on your chest, so." [Performer,
standing on left side of assistant, at the words ' square
your shoulders,' presses him lightly on the chest with
the left hand, and on the back with the right hand, as
if merely to indicate the proper position. Meanwhile,
however, the right hand dropping to the side has
brought up the watch, still on the bent pin, and as it
touches the back, hooks the point into the cloth of the
coat, between the shoulders.] " Stop one moment.
Show the company, please, that your hands are at
 Later Magic

present empty. Good. Now clasp them in front of

you, as tightly as you can.
"Now, sir, I am going to show you a rather curious
effect. This pistol is loaded with 273 grains of a very
powerful explosive (I have to be very particular about
the quantity), and when I fire, it will blow the watch
clean out of the box into your hands. I hope you are
not nervous. There is really no danger— at least,
none worth mentioning. I have performed this experi-
ment nearly a thousand times, and I have never killed
anybody yet, — unless he happened to move just at the
moment I was firing. So don't move if you can help
it. Now, steady! One, two, three !" [He fires.] "You
don't feel mortally wounded anywhere? No? I con-
gratulate you on your lucky escape. Hand the watch
back to the owner, please. You haven't got it? You
really didn't feel it hit you anywhere? No? Then it
must be still in the box. You have the key, madam.
Will you please unlock the box, and take it out your-
self. What do you say? The watch is gone? Then,
sir, it must be in your possession. Come, now, a joke is
a joke, but it must not be carried too far. Kindly re-
turn the lady her property. You still maintain you
haven't got it? But, my dear sir, I fired it straight
into your hands."
After a little more by-play, the performer places
himself so as to catch sight of the watch, and turns the
victim round that the audience may see it also. He
takes the watch, and in so doing detaches the hook.
" I see how it is. It was my mistake, after all, so I
forgive you. I must have charged the pistol a little
too heavily, — even half a grain makes a difference, —
and it drove the watch clean through you. I am sorry
 Later Magic

to see you look incredulous, ladies and gentlemen. You

don't think I would deceive you about a little thing like
that I But I can easily prove to you that there is no
deception. If the watch did not go through the gentle-
man, how do you account for this hole through hisbody ? "
In the course of his patter, the performer has taken
from the pochette the little tube, and slipped it on the

Fig. 114.

wand, keeping it covered by his hand. Turning the

victim with his right side to the company, the performer
applies one end of the wand to his back, covering the
mount with his left hand, as in Fig. 114, and with the
right hand moves the sliding tube backwards and for-
wards, the arm screening the outer end of the wand.
The effect to the spectators is that the visible part of
i88 Later Magic

the wand shortens and lengthens, as if it was being

actually drawn in and out of the body.
"This is an unfortunate accident, sir. but you know
accidents will happen, even in the best regulated enter-
tainments. You won't feel any ill effect from it, unless
indeed you happen to get in the way of a draught, in
which case you might have perigastric innammatitis of
the paregoric honorarium, which no doubt would be
rather serious. So we must find some means of stop-
ping the hole. Let me see, I generally have a cork
somewhere about me." [Thrusting his hand into his
tail pocket, he brings out the cork and the half-cork, the
former openly, the latter hidden in the palm.] " Yes,
here it is. If this fits, it will be just the thing." [Pre-
tending to insert the cork in the imaginary hole, he in
reality substitutes the half-cork, attaching it to the
coat by means of the bent pin, in the position pre-
viously occupied by the watch.] " Capital! Now, sir,
you have only to wear that cork for a few days, and
you will be all right. What do you say? You would
rather not wear it, even for a few days? Well, per-
haps it does look a little conspicuous. Of course, if you
object, I must take it out again." [He removes the half-
cork, in so doing changing it for the whole cork, which
he exhibits in its place.] " Fortunately, I can always fall
back on the magic wand. It has never failed me yet,
and I have no doubt it will help me on this occasion.
In fact, you shall cure yourself. Take the wand in
your own hand, and say ' Aldiborontiphosphicophor-
mio.' Nice soothing word, isn't it? — but you haven't
got it quite right; try again. That is better; the hole
is closing already. Now please return the watch to the
lady, and you will both live happy ever afterwards."
 CHAPTER VI.

TRICKS WITH RINGS.

TO EXCHANGE THE RING OR RINGS.

AS with watches, so with rings ; the first thing to be

done is usually to get possession of the borrowed
article by substituting another of like appearance in
its place.
For combined neatness and simplicity it would be
hard to beat the plan adopted for this purpose by
Mr. David Devant. Having asked for the loan of a
ring, he receives it on the tip of the outstretched fore-
finger, and so holding it in full view, returns to his
stage, where he drops it (say) into a tumbler on the
table. "All fair so far," is the natural reflection of the
spectator. But the spectator doesn't know that at the
outset, on the top of the second finger, which, with
the third and fourth, is folded out of the way into the
palm, the performer has a substitute ring. At any
convenient moment during his transit, the middle
finger flies up, and the forefinger is folded down in its
place, this trifling movement being completely covered
by the greater movement of the arm and body. It is
therefore the substitute that is dropped into the glass,
the original remaining in the189 performer's own keeping.
Some performers place the substitute ring on the
forefinger, and receive the genuine ring on the second
 Later Magic

finger, but I see no advantage in the change; indeed,

Mr. Devant's plan appears the more natural.
Another method is to receive the borrowed ring on
the end of the wand, and thence to let it slide into
a glass or on to the table. Again nothing could in
appearance be fairer, and yet the ring is changed in
transit.
When the performer advances to take the ring, he has
the substitute threaded on to the lower end of the wand,
masked by the hand (say the right) which holds it.
During the transit, he transfers the wand to the other
hand, which seizes it by its free end. To facilitate this,
that end is depressed, and for a moment is the lower of
the two. During that moment the genuine ring slides
down into the left hand, where it remains hidden,
while the substitute, released from the right hand,
takes its place on the wand. This plan has the ad-
vantage that, by preparing the wand accordingly, two
or more rings can be " changed" at once, as easily as
one only.
Again, a borrowed ring may be received in an ordi-
nary wooden match-box, which is at once closed, and
yet the ring passes instantaneously into the possession
of the performer. I have said an ordinary match-box,
and the description is correct as far as it goes, but the
box must be "faked" a little to adapt it for this special
purpose. The outer case is not interfered with, but on
the inside of one end of the drawer portion (see Fig. 115)
a cut is made with a sharp penknife from a to a, just
deep enough to divide the wood, but not to injure the
blue paper which forms an outside covering to this
portion of the box. Further cuts are made from a to
b at each corner, and another from b to b; all these,
 Later Magic 191

however, dividing both wood and paper. The effect

of this is that the portion so dealt with, abba, becomes
a little flap-door, as indicated by the dotted lines, the
blue paper left unbroken between a a forming the hinge.

Fig. 115.

To prepare it for use, the box is opened by pulling out

the drawer half-way, its "faked" end being thus
brought to the centre of the outer case. The little
trap-door is then pushed open. When receiving the
ring, the performer holds the box with the fingers
underneath and thumb above, under which conditions
the ring naturally passes right through the box and
falls into the palm of the hand. When it has duly
arrived, a pressure of the thumb and fingers on the
opposite ends closes the box, and at the same time
brings back the little flap to its normal condition, the
ring lying perdu beneath the box.
This little apparatus has the advantage of costing
practically nothing. It is equally available for use
with a marked coin or any other very small object.

TO CATCH RINGS ON THE WAND.

Three rings are borrowed, and collected by the per-

former on his wand, as above described. Thence they
(in fact three dummies substituted for them as de-
scribed on p. 190) are dropped into a tumbler upon the
192 Later Magic

table. The performer turns his back on them for a

moment. When he again turns round, " Where are
the rings?" They have left the glass, for he turns it
upside down, and it is seen to be empty. After a little
by-play, he declares that he sees them floating about
the room, and will catch them on his wand. He rubs
the wand a little to intensify its magnetic force, and
then makes a slasn with it in the air, A ring is seen to
have been caught upon it. Another wave of the arm,
and two appear, the third being next caught in like
manner. Without removing the rings from the wand,
he brings them forward, and has them taken off by
their respective owners.
The disappearance of the substitute rings may be
neatly effected by means of a bottomless tumbler (p.
92) and one of the pockets of the special table de-
scribed at p. 86. It is best in this case to have only
half of the bottom of the tumbler removed, that the
rings may, by falling on the remaining half, make the
sound that would be naturally expected from them. In
default of a tumbler arranged as above, a piece of
glass may be placed at the bottom of the pocket, and
the rings allowed to fall through the tumbler directly
on to this.
The pouring into the glass is, of course, but one of
many possible methods of getting rid of the dummy
rings. They may be placed in the brass plug-box, the
Davenport cabinet, the watch-box, or the ring-box,
made on the same principle.1
In this particular, the performer may very well be
left to his own devices, but the "catching" of the
original rings on the wand is a novelty. For this pur-
1 Modern Magic, pp. 192, 195, 219.
 Later Magic

pose, he must be provided with a cap of thin brass (as

a in Fig. 116) exactly fitting the end of the wand, and
in appearance made to exactly resemble one of the
mounts, so that, whether it be on or off the wand, it
shall make no difference in the appear-
ance of the latter. To the inner edge of
this cap is soldered a bit of thin wire,
about three eighths of an inch long,
sloping slightly outwards. When the
cap is on the wand, the appearance of
the two is as b in the diagram.
This cap the performer has under his
vest, or in a pochette on his left-hand
side. When he is about to begin the
ring-catching, he gets this into his left
hand, and slips it secretly on to the free fig. 116.
end of the wand, on the opposite end of
which, covered by the right hand, are the three bor-
rowed rings. One of these he works quietly up be:
tween the forefinger and thumb. He makes a dash
in the air, at the same moment releasing the first
ring, which, under the impulsion of centrifugal force,
flies to the opposite end of the wand, where its far-
ther progress is checked by the little wire. The
second and third rings are "caught" in like manner.
He then says: "Before I remove the rings from the
wand, I should like the owners to testify that they are
really their own property, and that there has been ' no
deception.' " So saying, he advances, holding the
wand horizontally, one end in each hand. In removing
the left hand, he draws off the cap within it, and then
allowsJ3 the owners themselves to remove their rings
from the wand.
i94
Later Magic

A BORROWED RING FOUND IN A POTATO.

This effective little trick, for which the conjuring

fraternity is indebted to the clever American wizard,
Mr. W. E. Robinson (now better known as Chung Ling
Soo), is a more up-to-date version of the "Magic Ball
and Rings," described at p. 231 of Modern Magic. In
effect it is as follows: A plain gold ring is borrowed,
and secretly exchanged, the substitute being entrusted
to the keeping of some juvenile spectator invited on to
the platform. Bringing forward on a plate three or
four raw potatoes, the performer requests the audience
to select one of them. The selection being made, he
returns to his table, transfixes the chosen potato with
a sharp-pointed wire rod about fifteen inches long,1
and gives this to be held by another juvenile. Taking
the (substitute) ring from the holder, he announces
that he is about to pass it into the potato. The manner
of its disappearance may be varied at pleasure. Thus
he may get rid of it by simple palming (the " finger' '
palm being in this case the best) , by means of a pull,
or by placing it in the magic pistol and firing it at the
potato.
Having got so far, he says, "The ring is now in the
potato." Taking the latter from the holder, he cuts it
in half crossways, still leaving the two halves skewered
on the wire. " We don't seem to have come to it yet,"
he remarks. "By the way, which half of the potato
would you like to find it in? Which piece shall it be,
the right or the left?" The choice is made, and on the

1 A large-sized wooden or bone knitting-needle makes a very-

good substitute.
 Later Magic

chosen piece being cut open, the borrowed ring is found

imbedded therein.
The first point to be explained is the preparation of
the potato. Having selected half a dozen potatoes, as
nearly alike in appearance as possible, you cut from one
of them, with an apple-corer or a sharp knife, a tapering
plug, a trifle larger in circumference than a lady's ring.
This plug, which should extend well into the farther
half of the potato, is then shortened by cutting an
eighth of an inch off its smaller end, and the inner
end of the cavity is scraped quite flat. In this con-
dition the potato is placed in readiness behind the
scenes. When the performer retires to fetch the plate
of potatoes, he introduces the ring, which he carries
off with him, into the cavity, replaces the plug, and
tucks the potato, thus loaded, under his vest. In
returning to his table, after an unprepared potato
has been chosen, he deftly exchanges it for the pre-
pared one, and impales this latter on the wire rod,
the point passing through the centre of the plug,
and consequently through the ring. When, having
cut the potato in half, he asks the audience to
choose, "Right, or left?" he stands holding the rod
horizontally before him, the loaded half of the potato
being, say, nearest his left hand. He then avails
himself of the time-honoured equivoque. If the choice
is "right," he says: "Your right? Very good!" If
"left," he alters the phrase to "My left? Very good!"
— the apparent "choice" thus falling in either case as
he desires.
The unused piece, containing the plug, is carelessly
thrown aside, out of the way of inconvenient inspec-
tion.
196 Later Magic

THE RING AND THE CARD.

A card having been drawn from an ordinary pack, the

performer proceeds, by the aid of a stiletto, to make
three holes in it ; each about three eighths of an inch in
diameter, in the positions shown in Fig.
117. Through the two upper holes he
threads a piece of silk cord or narrow
ribbon about four feet in length, and
attaches each end to the back of a
chair, so that the card may hang, with
its face to the company, suspended be-
tween them. Through the third hole
he passes a short piece (say, six inches
long) of similar cord or ribbon, tying the ends together
so as to form a hanging loop.
His next proceeding is to borrow a wedding ring,
which, being a highly valued article, he places in a box
for safe-keeping. He then announces that, by the aid
of the magic wand, he will take the ring invisibly out
of the box, and pass it on to the hanging loop of ribbon.
Touching the box with the wand, he advances to the
card, and gives it a gentle tap therewith, when the ring
is instantly seen hanging from the loop, and is in due
course identified by the owner, the box being found
empty.
It is humiliating to have to confess that, notwith-
standing this apparently irresistible evidence of iden-
tity, the ring which appears on the ribbon is not the one
which was borrowed, but a substitute which has been
well rubbed on one side with soft beeswax or dry soap.
This may rest till wanted on a short nail or needle-
point driven into the back of one of the chairs. In due
 Later Magic

time the performer gets it into his hand and, under

cover of the insertion of the short end of ribbon in the
card, presses the waxed side against the back of the
latter, in such manner that it shall surround the lower
hole, the ribbon passing through it.
A wedding ring is now borrowed and is placed in
some apparatus (such as the ring-box, or Davenport
cabinet) which enables the performer to get secret
possession of it. This done, he threads it privately on
to the end of the wand, where it remains concealed by
the right hand. When he desires to make the ring
appear on the loop, a smart rap with the wand on the
face of the card suffices to overcome the very slight
adhesiveness of the wax, and to cause the dummy ring
to fall into the loop, where it remains suspended.
Under cover of the necessary untying of the knot it is
an easy matter to exchange the ring for the original.
Another alternative is to cut the ribbon, thread the
substitute ring on to the free end of the wand, and offer'
it on the wand to the owner, meanwhile making the
change in manner described at p. 190.
Another and better method of causing the appearance
of the dummy ring is by means of a silk thread passed
through it beforehand and pulled at the right moment
by an assistant behind the scenes. In this case there
is no need for the performer to approach the card at all,
after the preliminary arrangements have been made.
So soon as the ring has appeared, and is in the
hands of the performer, the assistant releases one end
of the thread, and draws it away by pulling on the
other, or it may be cut by the performer in the act of
cutting the loop of ribbon. The ring may in this case
be professedly fired from a pistol, thereby enhancing
198 Later Magic

the effect of the trick, as the backward swing of the

card, caused by the pull of the thread, is regarded by
the audience as produced by the force of the shot.

THE MYSTIC GLOVE AND RINGS.

This is essentially a stage trick, and demands a good

deal of preparation. The principal item of apparatus is
a hollow glass column on a heavy metal foot, and
standing about two and a half feet high. This is sur-
mounted by a cylindrical metal cup, measuring, say,
three inches across by two deep.
Briefly stated, the effect of the trick is as follows:
Four rings are borrowed from different spectators, and
placed in a pistol. A white glove, sometimes bor-
rowed, sometimes the performer's own, is used as a wad.
The column above mentioned is then brought forward
and placed on a table. The performer fires at it. At
the moment of the discharge the glove springs up, as if
distended by the sudden insertion of a spirit hand, and
remains (for a short time) erect on the cup at the top
of the column. On each of the fingers is one of the
borrowed rings, which are then taken off and returned
to the owners.
So much for the effect; now for the explanation.
The rings borrowed are exchanged, by one or other of
the methods already described. The substitutes are
placed in the pistol, and the originals passed off behind
the scenes, where the performer's assistant places them
in the cup at the top of the column. Fixed vertically
within the cup is a short piece of brass tubing, about
two inches in diameter and one and a half inches deep.
A white glove is beforehand drawn over this tube as
 Later Magic

far as the palm, and secured in position by a strong

rubber ring passed over it. The assistant places one
of the borrowed rings on each finger of this glove, and
then folds down the fingers loosely into the cup.
When the column is brought forward, it is placed
over a hole in a table, standing with its back against
the side-scene. This hole forms the outlet of a rubber
tube, which passes through the table to the retreat of
the assistant behind the scenes. At the moment when
the pistol is fired, the assistant blows vigorously
through the tube.1 The rush of air expands the glove,
which springs up like an opening hand, with a ring on
each finger, as already described.
The trick in this shape is a very old one, and was, in
fact, one of the inventions of the arch-conjurer, Robert-
Houdin, who worked it in conjunction with a shooting
automaton. My chief object in here noticing it is
to call attention to the somewhat different working
adopted by Hartz, which is in several particulars an
improvement upon that of Robert-Houdin.
The column, in this case, is of clear glass throughout;
and is not brought on after the borrowing and passing
off of the rings, but has been on the stage, in full view,
from the very commencement of the performance. In
place of the metal cup, it is surmounted by a solid
block of wood, of about the same size, but hexagonal
in form, and connected with the top of the column by
means of a cork plug, also solid, on its under side. In
conjunction with the column is used a small round
table, having a polished blackwood top, and placed at
the outset near the centre of the stage.
1 In more modern times, pressure on an air-ball has been substi-
tuted for this rather elementary proceeding.
200 Later Magic

Three rings only are borrowed. The performer

states that he is about to fire them from a pistol, and
asks the loan of a glove to act as wad, but bethinking
himself that the article may probably be damaged,
ultimately decides to use one of his own. He tells his
assistant to bring him a white glove and a piece of
paper, which are accordingly brought in on a tray.
This is placed on the little table above referred to, the
column as yet standing back on a larger table.
Taking the borrowed rings, the performer places
them on three fingers of the glove, making as he does
so a running commentary on their appearance, that
they may be afterwards the more readily recognized.
Then holding the glove by the finger-tips, he brings it
forward, that the owners may testify that the rings are
really their own. Still holding the glove, fully dis-
played, inhis left hand, he returns to the little table to
get the piece of paper wherein to wrap it up, and during
the transit gets from under his vest into his right hand
a little cylindrical package, about two inches in length
by one in diameter, folded in similar paper. This he
palms. On reaching the table he folds the glove, with
the rings still on it, into a small compass, lays it on the
piece of paper, and wraps this round it, rolling it into
a cylindrical shape on his knee. The ends of the roll
are in the first instance left open. In folding them
down he substitutes the dummy parcel, and lays this
instead on the tray.
He next exhibits a pistol, already loaded with a very
small charge of powder. In this he places the dummy
packet and asks some gentleman to ram it down. Pre-
tending to notice that the gentleman is nervous, he
pours him out a glass of wine from a bottle standing
 Later Magic 20 1

in readiness, and being, in fact, the trick bottle de-

scribed at p. 50. He drops the genuine packet into
the cavity in the bottle (which is forthwith carried off
by his assistant). Laying aside the pistol for a mo-
ment he now brings forward the glass column. Re-
moving the block of wood at top, he hands this first to
be examined, leaving it, as comparatively unimportant,
in the hands of the holder, while he himself passes on
to exhibit the column to other spectators.
Meanwhile the assistant has in readiness behind the
scenes another block, of similar appearance to that
offered for examination, but of much more elaborate
construction, representing, in fact, the "cup" of the
earlier version.
Though solid in appearance, it is in reality hollow,
the top being closed by what in stage parlance is called
a "star" trap, as shown in plan in
Fig. 118. The top is divided into six
triangular segments, meeting in the
centre. Each of these is hinged to
one of the upper edges of the hexa-
gon, so as to work in an upward di
rection with the utmost freedom.
Within the block is a shallow brass
cylinder, to which is secured, by means of a metal
ring fitting closely over it, a white glove. As in
the case of the solid block, there is a cork plug on
the under side, but in this case a piece has been
punched out of its centre, so as to allow the passage of
air. The moment the assistant has carried off the
bottle, he extracts the little packet, takes out the rings,
and places them on three of the fingers of the prepared
glove. Closing the trap, and making all snug again,
202 Later Magic

he returns to the stage and stands in a waiting attitude.

The performer, still occupied in offering the column for
examination, tells him to take the block from the gen-
tleman who is holding it, and put it on the table. This
he does, or apparently does, in reality substituting the
prepared block, which the performer presently places
in position on the top of the column, this latter being
then placed on the little table, and the table on the end
of the "run-down" farthest from the stage.
The table itself now demands a word of explanation.
It stands on a central leg, branching into three carved
feet. The leg is hollow, a plain brass tube extending
from top to bottom, and communicating with a little
hole bored in the centre of the table- top. In the tube
is a piston, working easily, and normally forced up-
wards, nearly to the top, by means of a candle-spring,
but capable of being pressed downwards by means of a
rod inserted from above, and in that position held
down by means of a spring catch ; such catch, however,
being withdrawable by the action of an electric cur-
rent. From the catch, wires pass down two of the feet,
terminating in sharp metal points, projecting from the
under side of each.
Passing along the run-down, underneath the carpet,
are two strips of brass, which are connected with an
electric battery behind the scenes. So long as the two
points above mentioned rest anywhere on the brass
strips, they also are in electric connection with the
battery. When the pistol is fired 1 at the column, the
1 As the pistol contains only a light wad of paper, the discharge, if
directed towards the stage, cannot do any damage. The better
plan, however, would be to use such a pistol as described in More
Magic, p. 442, in which the contents of the principal barrel do not
leave the pistol at all.
 Later Magic

assistant presses a stud which completes the circuit.

The catch is withdrawn and the piston flies upwards.
The column of air above it is forced up the glass pil-
lar. The glove is distended and flies up into view, the
segments of the trap making way for it. Each of these
describes a three-quarter circle and falls right over,
hanging when at rest against its own side of the block,
which is so decorated that the new condition of affairs
shall make no change in its appearance. It should be
mentioned, by the way, that the foot of the column is
flat on its under side, but has a cup-shaped cavity in
the centre, which relieves the performer from the ne-
cessity ofplacing it exactly over the hole in the table.
The performer has only just time to remove the rings
from the glove before it begins to sink down again, in
consequence of leakage of air between the column and
the table. The performer calls attention to this sink-
ing, as proving that the sudden expansion of the glove
was really magical, and not produced by any mechanical
means.

I have described this illusion at exceptional length,

as illustrating (apart from its intrinsic interest) the
extraordinary amount of thought and labour a true
artist will expend on the perfecting of a single trick.
Genius has been described as ' ' an infinite capacity for
taking pains." Whether this definition covers the
whole ground may well be questioned, but it is certain
that taking pains is the only sure ground for success as
a conjurer; and in this unlimited capacity for taking
pains and ceaseless striving for the best effect possible,
Hartz is not outdone even by the Master — Robert-
Houdin.
204
Later Magic

THE WEDDING RING AND FLAG.

A wedding ring is borrowed and handed to some lady

for safe -keeping. An ordinary tumbler, covered over
with a borrowed handkerchief, is then entrusted to the
same lady, with a recommendation to keep it well cov-
ered and to hold the ring tight, as otherwise the latter
will slip away from her hand and fly into the glass.
Pretending to perceive that she is getting anxious, the
performer says he will wrap the ring in paper for her.
He does so, but when about to return it to her, changes
his mind, and says he will pass it into the candle on
the table. On his bringing it close to the flame, the
paper ignites with a flash and nothing is left, the ring
having disappeared altogether.
The operator next exhibits a little silk flag of some
conspicuous pattern, say the tricolour or Union Jack.
He rolls it between his hands, when it changes into a
quantity of flowers of similar colours. He pretends -dis-
tress at the disappearance of the flag, as he says he had
depended upon the flag to get the ring out of the candle.
He asks the owner of the ring whether she will accept
the candle in its place. Naturally she objects, and he
makes believe to be in serious perplexity, when a
happy thought strikes him. He asks the lady holding
the glass to take off the handkerchief. She does so,
and finds in the glass the missing flag, in which is
wrapped the wandering ring.
The reader, being of the inner circle, will doubtless
have made a pretty good guess at the working of the
trick, though it is extremely puzzling to the uninitiated.
The borrowed ring is exchanged at the outset of the
trick, by one or other of the processes already described,
 Later Magic

for a substitute, and it is this latter which is really

handed to the lady for safe-keeping. On a servante
behind the table on which the empty glass stands is a
similar glass, over which is placed a duplicate flag,
having its centre pressed down into the glass, but the
four corners hanging outside. When the performer,
having borrowed a handkerchief, passes behind his
table to pick up the visible glass, he drops the borrowed
ring into the hidden glass, and consequently into the
centre of the flag. While in the act of covering the
visible glass with the handkerchief, he with the other
hand turns in the overhanging corners of the flag, and
exchanges the two glasses. For greater security he
may, if he pleases, pass a rubber ring over the handker-
chief, after which the glass is handed to be held as
already described.
The bit of paper in which the substitute ring is
wrapped is, of course, "flash paper," and the paper is
so folded that as soon as the little packet is placed on
end the ring slides out into the hand. There are
various ways of folding a paper to answer this condi-
tion. Perhaps as good as any is the following : Taking
the paper, which should be a little over three inches
square, in his left hand, with the ring visibly secured
against its centre by the forefinger, the performer folds
down the upper third of the paper over the ring. He
next proceeds to turn down the two sides, and lastly
the lower third ; but instead of folding these forward,
as he did with the upper portion, he folds them back-
ward. If the folding be quickly done, no one will
perceive anything unusual about it, but the effect will
be that the ring is left in an outer fold, formed by the
centre of the paper and the portion first turned down.
206 Later Magic

This fold is open at its lower edge, so that the per-

former can secure the ring at pleasure. Before allow-
ing it to slip out, however, he presses the folded paper
smartly between finger and thumb, the result being
that an impression of the ring, in bold relief, is formed
upon it, proving apparently, up to the very moment
when the paper is flashed off, that the ring is still
therein; though, as a matter of fact, it has some mo-
ments earlier found its way into the profonde, or been
dropped on a servante.
The change of the flag into flowers is effected by the
use of the barrel-shaped colour -changing fake described
in the following chapter. The flowers, which are of
the usual " spring' ' kind, are packed into one end of
the tube, and are forced out by the act of working the
flag into the other, after which the ' 'pull" carries the
fake up the sleeve.
 CHAPTER VII.

TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS.

UNTIL within the last few years, handkerchief tricks

proper, i. e.f tricks in which handkerchiefs play
the principal part, might almost have been counted on
the fingers of one hand. Now, their name is legion.
As an accessory, the handkerchief has always been
popular with conjurers. If anything had to be covered
over, or wrapped up, during some process of transforma-
tion, aborrowed handkerchief was just the thing for the
purpose, and one white handkerchief was so very like
another than an article so enveloped was " changed"
with special facility. But, until Buatier de Kolta
showed the way, no one seems to have appreciated the
intrinsic capabilities of the silk handkerchief as a
magical "property" ; and he indeed took advantage of
them only to a very limited extent. But, the hint
once given, others were not slow to make use of it, and
, handkerchief tricks, in one shape or another, now
form a part of almost every magical programme.
The prime virtue of the silk handkerchief is its com-
pressibility. Toutilize this quality to the utmost, the
handkerchief must be small (about fourteen inches
square is for most purposes the best working size)1 and
the silk must be of a suitable kind. China silk, of a
1 Where production in great numbers 207 is aimed at, smaller hand-
kerchiefs, down to ten inches square, are frequently used.
208 Later Magic

thin make, answers well enough; but the article gen-

erally preferred is a good French sarsenet. It should be
passed once or twice through water, to remove the dress-
ing, wrung out, and laid flat to dry, after which, and
a little use, it will be in good working order. The ex-
tremely small space into which such a handkerchief can
be packed is incredible to any one who has not actually
tried it.
Silk has the further advantage that, owing to its
elasticity, it expands, on being released, to a bulk out of
all imaginable proportion to the space in which it has
previously been confined.
The primary effects to be produced with handker-
chiefs (apart from knot tricks, which come under a
special category, and which I do not now propose to
deal with)1 are four in number, viz., magical produc-
tion, change of colour, magical disappearance, and
magical reproduction.
The power of producing a handkerchief or handker-
chiefs apparently from nowhere has a double value.
In the first place, the production is in itself a feat
of magic ; and in the second, it provides the per-
former with the precise article he requires for his
subsequent manipulations, and excuses his non-adop-
tion of his customary plan of borrowing; which in
the present instance would for many reasons be incon-
venient.
The subject of handkerchief tricks is so large a one
that it will be well to treat it in separate sections, as
above indicated.

1 Readers interested in this branch of the subject. will find much

useful information in a little pamphlet entitled New Handkerchief
Tricks, by Professor Ellis Stanyon.
 Later Magic

Section I.

THE MAGICAL PRODUCTION OF HANDKERCHIEFS.

Methods of handkerchief production are very numer-

ous. Iproceed to describe a few of those found most
generally useful.
THE FALSE FINGER.

One of the most ingenious methods of producing a

handkerchief from the apparently empty hand is by

Fig. 119.

means of a false finger. Of these there are two or three

kinds in use. The first (see Fig. 119) is made in imita-
tion of the extended middle finger. It is of very thin
brass, or better, celluloid, coloured to match the hand,
and inserted when in use between the second and third
fingers of the right or left hand as in the figure. It will
be observed, on inspection of the detail drawing, A, in
the diagram, that the finger is not chopped off square,
as it were, but the metal is cut away on each side, so
2IO Later Magic

that it tapers both at back and front to a rounded point.

The fork thereby formed acts as a sort of clip to hold the
ringer in position; and, strange to say, the hand thus
supplemented may even be shown full front, so long as
it is not absolutely at rest, without any one noticing
that it has an extra finger. With the hand held hori-
zontally, the false finger is absolutely invisible.
For " production " purposes the handkerchief is be-
forehand loaded into the finger, the corner last inserted
being left just within reach, at the bottom of the fork.
The performer usually either comes forward with the
finger already in place on the hand, or carries it in the
trouser-pocket, at the right moment carelessly placing
his hand therein, and bringing it out again with the
finger in position. This, however, involves a certain
amount of fumbling, which is best avoided. A better
plan is to have a special pocket made to receive the
finger at the back of the trouser-leg, level with the
pochettes, and covered by the coat-tail. It should be
of such a size as to accommodate the finger easily, while
still keeping it stiffly upright, and of such a depth as to
cover two thirds of its length. Carefully placed in such
a pocket, the fork of the artificial finger at once meets
the fork formed by the junction of the natural fingers,
and the mere dropping of the hand to the side suffices
to get the appliance into its proper position.
The actual production of the handkerchief is usually
effected by bringing the hands together and working
it out between the finger-tips. Mr. Maurice Garland
was, I believe, the first to produce it by the aid
of the one hand only — a material improvement. His
plan is, under cover of a wave of the arm, to bend the
sham finger over towards the ball of the thumb, when
 21 T
Later Magic

its open end will naturally be between the thumb and

first finger. The remaining fingers grip the "fake,"
while the above-named work the handkerchief out of it.
With a little practice, this useful sleight can be per-
formed as easily with the left hand as with the right.

A later pattern of "finger" permits of the hand being

shown back and front, even at rest, without any visible
addition to the number of the fingers. The extra finger
in this case is constructed as in Fig. 120. It is some-
what shorter than the older form, representing only the
two upper joints of the finger, and is provided with a
spring clip, whereby it is attached, from the back, to

Fig. 120.

the lowest joint of the middle finger. When the palm

of the hand is shown, this finger is kept straight, and
the artificial finger is concealed behind it. When
it is desired to show the back of the hand, the middle
finger is bent forward; the make-believe taking its
place between the first and third fingers.
Yet another form of finger for the same purpose is
illustrated in Fig. 121. It is a triangular tin box,
about three and one half inches in length and three
quarters of an inch in depth.1 The side a is rounded,
and modelled in imitation of the back of a finger. The
remaining two edges are square. At the smaller end is
1 The precise dimensions may be a shade greater or less, to suit
the hand of the performer. The wire may bent into the shape
found most convenient.
212 Later Magic

a spring clip d, whereby the fake, when in use, is

attached from behind to the middle finger of the per-
former, the clip embracing the lower joint of that
finger. The only access to the interior is through the
open space marked c. The whole is coloured so as to
match as closely as possible the hand of the performer.

Fig. 121.

The mode of use is not unlike that of the finger last

described. If the fake be duly clipped on behind the
middle finger (see A in the figure), there is of course noth-
ing visible on the inside of the hand, and this may there-
fore be shown freely. When the performer desires to
show the back of the hand, he, under cover of a wave of
the arm, tilts the middle finger forward. This brings
 Later Magic

the fake into the position shown as B (in the same

figure), its hinder part ranging with the first and third
fingers, and representing, to a casual view, the natural
middle finger.
The handkerchief to be produced is loaded into the
fake, with one corner projecting, which corner, in use,
is clipped between the first and second fingers. To pro-
duce it, the handkerchief, beginning with this corner,
is gradually worked forward with the forefinger till the
whole is developed, and the handkerchief produced
with the one hand only, as in Mr. Maurice Garland's
method. The fake is then removed under cover of
the handkerchief.
The sleight is by no means an easy one, but in good
hands it is wonderfully effective. This mode of pro-
duction isone of the specialities of Mr. Imro Fox, who
works it with remarkable dexterity.

An equally ingenious and less bulky appliance of -

Messrs. Hamley's for the same purpose takes the form
of a shell (of tin or thin copper), fitting on to the back
of the extended middle finger, which it is modelled to
resemble. For the greater part of its length its edges
are only turned down to the extent of one third of an
inch, but at the centre of each side they are made
somewhat broader, so as to clip the middle joint of the
natural finger. The fake is of course coloured to match
the hand. With it is used a very small silk handker-
chief. This at the outset is laid along the shell, and
the latter clipped on to the finger. The hand may
then be shown freely, back and front, with the fingers
slightly apart, thereby proving, to any one who may
know the older method, that no extra finger is used.
 214
Later Magic

This done, tinder cover of a slight movement of the arm,

the performer bends the fingers and gets the fake inside
the hand, when the handkerchief may be gradually
pushed out with the thumb, and thus produced with the
one hand only.
THE FALSE THUMB.

An appliance of Hartz's for handkerchief production

(invented, by the way, long before the false fingers came
into use) was a sort of thimble, made of very thin
copper, and arranged to fit over the end of the thumb,
which it was modelled and coloured to resemble exactly.
In some particulars this appliance is even better than
the false finger. Being shorter and wider than the
latter, the introduction or extraction of the handker-
chief becomes proportionately easier. Further, small
as is the fear of the presence of the extra finger being
noticed, a little extra length of the thumb is still less
likely to attract attention.
History is said to repeat itself, and it often happens
that an ingenious contrivance is independently re-in-
vented at some later period. Messrs. Hamley have a
special "finger," for vanishing a handkerchief, which
exactly follows the principle of the Hartz "thumb";
being intended to fit over the forefinger. It is only an
inch and three quarters in length, being in fact designed
to represent the two upper joints of the finger. It is
made of flesh-coloured celluloid, polished inside, but
rough on the outside.
Its object is to cause the disappearance of a single
handkerchief. The performer appears with the false
finger covering the right forefinger, and the handkerchief
thrown over it. In the course of his remarks as. to the
 Later Magic

volatile nature of this particular kind of handkerchief,

he gets the false finger into the left hand, lying across
the palm, with the opening towards the thumb. Clos-
ing the left hand, he begins openly to poke the handker-
chief with the right forefinger into that hand, as shown
in Fig. 122; in reality into the hollow finger. When it is
fairly " home, " the forefinger is brought away with the
false finger upon it, the left hand being simultaneously
opened and shown empty. If the hand is kept gently
moving, the fake is, under such conditions, absolutely

Fig. 122.

invisible. From considerations of space, the handker-

chief must be small and of specially thin material.
It is a good plan to have the finger, at the outset,
thumb -palmed, after the manner of the thimble in the
Flying Thimble Trick. (See post.) It can then be in-
stantly transferred, when needed, to the finger-tip.
This appliance can, of course, be used for production
as well as for disappearance, but it is scarcely so well
adapted for the former use.

THE FINGER SHELL AND FALSE PALM.

Another appliance for handkerchief production is the

* ' finger shell" (see Fig. 123) , an oval piece of tin or thin
216 Later Magic

brass about two inches long by one and a quarter wide,

painted flesh-colour, and having its longer sides bent
slightly inwards. If the fingers are some-
what flexed, this may be laid against the
lower joints of the middle finger, on the
inside, without attracting any notice. Be-
tween this and the finger lies the handker-
chief, folded accordingly, to be produced
when wanted.
Fig. 123. A couple of very thin wires are some-
times soldered across the concave side of
the fake, about an inch apart, and no doubt help
to keep the handkerchief in position. On the other
hand they prevent the fake going so well "home."
Some performers have the shell adapted to the fork
of the thumb, instead of to the finger.
Yet another method is to have a false palm, also of
metal, and flesh-coloured, with a clip on either side to
hold it to the hand. The handkerchiefs (one or more)
lie between this and the real palm. It is possible that
this plan may have some recommendations, but it
strikes me as one of those "improved" methods which
are best avoided.
THE RUBBER BAND.

The following little known method, the invention of

Mr. Carl Posse, has the merit of special simplicity, and,
neatly worked, is decidedly effective. The only ap-
paratus consists of a thin band of red rubber, passed
over the second and third fingers of the performer. The
handkerchief is folded as small as possible, and placed
in such manner that the portion of the elastic inside the
hand shall lie just within the final fold. The handker-
 Later Magic

chief is then pushed between the fingers to the back of

the hand, naturally drawing a portion of the rubber
ring with it. The inside of the hand may now be shown
empty. In turning the hand over to show the back,
which is done with a quick flourish, the fingers are
spread apart and again closed, but in the momentary
interval the tension of the rubber has brought the
handkerchief back into the hand, to be produced at
pleasure.
A little powdered French chalk, judiciously applied,
will tone the colour of the rubber down to that of the

performer's hand, and make it practically invisible.

PRODUCTION FROM BEND OF ELBOW.

A very simple expedient, adopted with good effect

by Buatier de Kolta, was to place the handkerchief,
neatly folded, within the bend of the left elbow. On
coming forward, he drew up his sleeves and bared his
arms, incidentally showing the hands empty. The
right sleeve was first drawn up, and then the left, the
act of drawing up the latter bringing the handkerchief
quite naturally into the right hand.

PRODUCTION FROM THE TROUSER-LEG.

This mode of production has been already noticed in

connection with the magician's dress (see page 6) , as
also the production of a single handkerchief from the
coat collar. Either of these methods lends itself ex-
tremely well to the ' 1 multiplication" of handkerchiefs,
a second, of the same colour, being drawn out under
cover of the first.
218 Later Magic

THE HAND-BOX.

This appliance, described in its original form in

Modern Magic (page 263), and in an improved shape
in More Magic (p. 213), has undergone yet further
improvements. It is still usually made in the shape
of a miniature boot-heel ; some patterns, however, have
rounded edges, like the case of a watch. The opening

may either be at* the side or in the centre. The wax

used by Buatier de Kolta to make the box adhere to
the back of the hand is now usually dispensed with,
and replaced by a loop of fine wire or gut. The
thumb or forefinger, as the performer may find most
convenient, being passed through this loop, the box
can be brought to the back Or front of the hand at
pleasure.
At the outset, the appliance is at the back of the
hand, so that the palm can be shown empty. In
bringing the hands together, it is swung over to the
front, and, when the handkerchiefs have been pro-
duced, isreturned to its original resting-place.
Another description of hand-box takes the form of a
short tin tube, about two inches long, oval in section,
and having at the centre of each side a couple of pro-
jecting tongues, also of tin, soldered together at the
base, but bent slightly outward at
their free ends, as in Fig. 124.
These are intended to be clipped
between the second and third fin-
gers, and so to maintain the ap-
paratus at the back of the hand.
By means of the second pair of clips, it may be trans-
ferred to the back of the opposite hand, being brought
 Later Magic

into the palm when the performer desires to produce

the handkerchief.

THE CACHE.1

The appliance which usually goes by this name is a

little bag of stout leather, not unlike the familiar
Portsea purse, but open at the top, without naps. It
has a loop of gut or wire, after the fashion of the im-
proved hand-box, on each side, so that by insertion of
the appropriate thumb it may be transferred from hand
to hand. It is sometimes attached to a pull, but its

CL

Fig. 125.

shape is unsuitable for this purpose. In this particular

nothing can be better than the tapering tin or wooden
cup used by Buatier de Kolta and described in More
Magic, pp. 209, 210.
A rubber ball, with a piece cut out of the side, is
sometimes used instead of the purse.2 Some, again,
while adhering to the purse shape, use flesh-coloured
silk, in place of leather, for the material.
A third alternative is to use a flesh-coloured ball of
1 This name is applied by German conjurers to the Buatier
hand-box, secured to the hand by an adhesive.
2 See post, in connection with the description of Mr. Stillwell's
Handkerchief Act.
220 Later Magic

celluloid or thin brass, one and one half or one and

three quarter inches in diameter, with a hole in its side,
and suspended by a loop as already mentioned. Here,
by the way, I must not omit to mention a new and
especially ingenious form of ball for this purpose, the
invention of Mr. John Hamley. (See Fig. 125.) It is
about one and three quarter inches in diameter, with
two holes, a, b, three quarters of an inch in diameter, on
opposite sides of it. The intervening space is divided

Fig. 126.

horizontally by a partition (as shown by the dotted

line) into two compartments of unequal size, the one
being about twice as deep as the other. The ball
is of celluloid, enamelled flesh-colour, smooth within,
but on the outside left rough, that it may be the more
easily palmed, no loop being in this case employed.
This ball may be used either to produce, change, or
vanish a handkerchief. Its special feature is the
hole 6, opening into the larger compartment. The
shallower compartment is intended for the reception
 221
Later Magic

of one or more handkerchiefs. The larger may also

contain a handkerchief, but its primary intention is
that it shall accommodate the tip of the forefinger
or thumb, when, with a little address, the performer
may show both hands, back and front, apparently
empty, though he has the ball literally at the tips of
his ringers, masked by the one or the other hand
in front of it. See, for example, Fig. 126, in which
the ball rests, as shown by the dotted lines, on the tip
of the right thumb. Having thus shown the palms,
the performer has but to cross the hands slightly in the

Fig. 127.

act of turning them down, working the ball round the

left thumb, and he may then show the backs as in Fig.
127, the ball being now hidden behind the left palm.
The above is but one of may " passes" which may be
exhibited with this ingenious ball, which is manipu-
lated by the inventor with special dexterity.1 It goes
without saying that the finger-tip expedient is a power
in reserve, so to speak, the ball being for the most part
palmed in the ordinary way.

1 Mr. Hamley himself prefers to work the ball on the forefinger.

222 Later Magic

At this point I may pause to anticipate a very

natural inquiry of the reader, bewildered by the multi-
plicity ofappliances for the same purpose. " Which of
all these is the best ?" In this connection I may recall
an often quoted couplet of Pope :

" For forms of government let fools contest,

Whate'er is best administered is best. "
In like manner, the method which a conjurer finds he
can work most satisfactorily is, for him, the best, though
there may be half a dozen "novelties " of later date for
the same purpose. In point of effect, by all means seek
after novelty, but in regard to artificial aids, it is by
no means a certainty that the later appliance, however
ingenious, will fulfil its purpose any better than, or
even as well as, the good old fake, whose use custom
has made second nature. Do not therefore jump at
a "latest novelty"; but test it very carefully before
abandoning an old one in its favour.

PRODUCTION FROM THE WAND.

This has been already discussed, in connection with

the description of special wands for various purposes.

PRODUCTION FROM A MATCH-BOX.

For this clever little expedient the conjurer is once

more indebted to the inventive genius of Buatier de
Kolta. The sliding portion of an ordinary match-box is
pushed out to the extent of, say, half an inch, and in the
space thereby left vacant at the opposite end a handker-
chief ispacked. The performer, under pretext of light-
ing a candle, takes a match out of the box, which he
 Later Magic

holds with the open end away from him. Having ob-
tained the match he closes the box ; the act of doing
so squeezing out the handkerchief into his hand, to be
produced according to his fancy.

THE "MONARCH" HANDKERCHIEF PRODUCER.

The appliance to which this name has been given

is depicted at a, in Fig. 128. Two little semicircular
horseshoes of metal are soldered together back to back,
and from the point of juncture projects a straight slip of
metal, at the further end of which is a loop of fine wire.
The whole is enamelled flesh-colour. The ' ' fake ' ' is held

in the hand, as shown in the figure, between the second

and third fingers, the two forks keeping all secure.
Packed tightly within the wire loop is a small silk hand-
kerchief. The handkerchief, thus disposed, may be
passed between the fingers to the back of the hand, and
then to the front again, with great ease.
After proving the hands empty in this way, the
handkerchief is in due course worked out of the loop
and produced. By reversing the process, the fake
may be used for vanishing a handkerchief, at the
pleasure of the performer, but it is not so well adapted
for this purpose.
224
Later Magic

CLIPS FOR HANDKERCHIEFS.

Clips, for the purpose of holding one or more hand-

kerchiefs, are now and then very useful, and may be of
the simplest possible construction. A strip of zinc or
thin copper, three inches long and one wide, bent in
half and having a small hole punched through it near
each edge of the folded portion, will answer the purpose
excellently. Through the holes are passed, from the
outside, the ends of a short piece of thin cord. These
being then knotted together, the cord forms a loop of
convenient size for suspending the clip to a hook sewn
to the waistband of the performer's trousers, in front
under the vest. A handkerchief, folded to a conven-
ient size,1 is placed in the clip, the two sides of which
are then pinched together with finger and thumb till it
is securely held. Thus loaded, the clip is suspended as
above, when the handkerchief will be instantly get-at-
able.

In another variety of clip the loop is replaced by a

ring of fine black wire, unpolished, one and one quarter
inches in circumference ; and the clip and handkerchief
are bestowed either just inside the opening of the vest,
or in a pocket, opening vertically, on the right side of
the vest, about level with the armpit ; the ring remain-
ing outside, and being so turned as to project at some-
1 There is considerable art in folding a handkerchief for magical
production, the desideratum being that it shall pack closely, and yet
unfold spontaneously and rapidly. To ensure this a good plan is to
fold it backwards and forwards in accordion-pleats one and one
half inches in width, and when the whole length is thus taken up, to
fold the strip thus made in like manner. A handkerchief thus
dealt with, on being released, unfolds instantly.
 Later Magic

thing like a right angle. The performer, after baring

his arms and showing his hands empty, as further evi-
dence of "no preparation" draws apart the lapels of
his coat and shows his breast. The position of the
hands in doing this enables him to pass the thumb of
the right hand into the ring, and so to draw the clip
into the palm. After producing the handkerchief the
clip is thrown over to the back of the hand, and both
hands are left apparently empty.
For this mode of production, however, a clip is not
really necessary, and indeed is better dispensed with,
the wire alone being all that is needed. Take a piece
of fine wire eight inches long ; cross the ends so that the
central part shall form a circle about one and one
quarter inch in circumference. Twist the wire twice
where the ends cross. Place the folded handkerchief in
the external angle thus formed, cross the extreme ends of
the wire around it and draw them tight, finishing off by
twisting them two or three times. Cut off any surplus
wire close to the twist and place the handkerchief thus
secured inside the vest as above described, the loop first
made projecting from it. When the handkerchief is
once in the hand, suspended from the thumb, the wire
is broken, and the handkerchief is free.

A NOVEL METHOD OF PRODUCTION.

Last, but not least, I may mention a very ingenious

method of production, for the knowledge of which I am
indebted to Professor De Vere, already mentioned.
By the aid of a needle pass a piece of black thread,
about 15eighteen inches long, with a knot at one end,
through the sleeve of the performer on the inside, just
226 Later Magic

at the bend of the elbow. Removing the needle, attach

the free end of the thread to the head of a pin. Roll a
silk handkerchief into as small a compass as possible,
and fasten off the last corner by thrusting the pin
through it. Then, using the pin as a cleat, wind the
slack of the thread round and round between the pin
and the handkerchief, till just so much of it is left as to
allow you to tuck the little parcel inside the breast of
the waistcoat, on the left side. Properly adjusted, the
thread will not at all interfere with the use of the arms.
When it is desired to produce the handkerchief, the
performer bares his arms, and in the act of showing his
hands empty twists the right thumb under the thread,
and extends the arms. This movement draws the little
packet into the right hand, the thread unrolling as it
goes. The pin is then removed, and the handkerchief
expands to its original dimensions.

Section II.

THE MULTIPLICATION OF HANDKERCHIEFS.

This is, of course, only another form of production,

but there are one or two methods which are better
adapted to cause the appearance of a second or third
handkerchief than for the production of the first one.
These I proceed briefly to notice.

FROM THE SLEEVE.

To one corner of each of two handkerchiefs, of same

colour, attach a loop, six inches long, of flesh-coloured
silk. Pass one of these over the second finger of each
hand, and work the handkerchief down on the inside of
 Later Magic

the arm, within the shirt-sleeve. Having produced,

by one or other of the methods already described, a
handkerchief of similar appearance, take it by one
corner between the forefinger and thumb of the right
hand, and draw it slowly through the left, from below
upwards. Repeat the process, but this time pass the
second finger of the right hand within the loop, when
the concealed handkerchief will be drawn out, side by
side with the other. Shake out, and show as two.
Now draw both handkerchiefs through the opposite
hand, bringing the third with them. Again shake out,
and show that the two have become three.
The silk thread forming the loop should be merely
passed through the corner of the handkerchief, so that
when the silk is broken, it may come away " all clear."

CONRADI'S MULTIPLYING TUBE.

This (see Fig. 129) is a glass tube, of the lamp-

chimney order, divided into two compart-
ments, aand b, longitudinally, by two slips of >-»>L
looking-glass cemented together, back to back. ^w**
Round each end of the tube is a band of brass j |i
or white metal; and between these bands, at j :•
equal distances, are four upright strips of the j I
same material. Two of these coincide in posi- j \
tion with the edges of the mirror partition. j \
The other two occupy positions midway be-
tween these, each exactly facing the medial
line of one of the mirrors, and being reflected
therein. The effect, to the eye of a spectator,
is that he sees right through the tube ; the reflection of
the forward strip being taken for the hinder strip,
228 Later Magic

which is in reality hidden from him by the mirror

between.
To prepare the tube for use, one of the compartments
is packed with silk handkerchiefs (all of one colour) ; of
which half a dozen or more can be inserted without
difficulty. In this condition, with the loaded compart-
ment to the rear, the tube may stand on the performer's
table, or be brought forward held horizontally between
his hands, apparently empty. In the course of his
"patter," he places in the empty compartment a single
handkerchief of the same colour as those to be produced,
spreading it well in the tube, so as to occupy as much
space as possible. The tube may now be shown on
either side, for both look alike. The performer turns
the side with the single handkerchief to the rear, and
produces, first, two or three handkerchiefs in succession
from the front compartment ; then the single one from
the rear compartment, and finally the remainder from
the front.
As the reader will doubtless perceive, the above order
is adopted because, if the production of the single hand-
kerchief were left to the last, it would have to be pro-
duced from an apparently empty tube. The performer
may, however, by way of variety, produce it in this
manner. He should in such cases blow upon the (sup-
posed) empty tube, at the same moment giving it a half-
turn, thereby bringing the single handkerchief to the
front, after which it may be produced in the usual way.

I may here take the opportunity to mention a little

appliance of my own devising, which I have found ex-
tremely convenient for producing two or three hand-
kerchiefs inrapid succession. It consists of a piece of
 Later Magic

tin, two and a quarter inches square, shaped as a, Fig.

130, and bent over vertically until it forms a three-
quarter tube, as b in the same figure. This, enamelled
flesh-colour, and loaded with three or more silk handker-
chiefs, ispalmed in the right hand ; the upper indenta-
tion resting against the top joint of the middle finger,
and the lower on the root of the same finger. The
handkerchiefs are now pushed upwards in succes-
sion with the thumb, and appear at the tips of the
fingers.

VlG. 130.

It should be noted that this, besides being much

larger, reverses the arrangement of the " finger shell";
inasmuch as it is palmed, and used, with the opening
outward.

BLACK, RED, AND WHITE.

The effect of this capital trick, for which I am in-

debted to the magical serial Die Zauberwelt, is as fol-
lows:
The performer shows his hands, back and palm, prov-
ing them entirely empty. Bringing them together,
and making a rubbing movement, he produces from
230 Later Magic

between them a black silk handkerchief. This again

being rubbed between the palms, a red handkerchief
is produced. The two are now rubbed between his
hands, and a white handkerchief is seen to be added
to their number, after which all three are made to dis-
appear one by one in like manner.1
The only apparatus needful consists of the three
handkerchiefs themselves, but these are prepared in a
special manner. The white handkerchief (see Fig. 131)
has in one corner a triangular pocket a, made of the
same material as the handkerchief itself. In point of

Fig. 131.

size this pocket is just large enough to accommodate the

second handkerchief, viz., the red one (which is without
preparation). The black handkerchief has two such
pockets, one placed as a in the figure ; the other, a trifle
larger, at the opposite corner, b.
The handkerchiefs are prepared for use by packing
the red handkerchief into the pocket of the white one.
This is then folded up tightly, and stowed into the
smaller pocket of the black handkerchief. This in turn
is rolled up, beginning with the corner a, and tucked
1 It will be remembered that black, red, and white are the German
national colours.
 Later Magic 231

into its remaining pocket at b. In this condition it

forms a small cone. To the apex of this cone is at-
tached aloop of horsehair, large enough to admit the
passage of the thumb. The cone is stuck on a pin,
inserted point upwards under the right lapel of the
performer's coat, with the hair loop projecting a little
beyond the edge of the lapel.
Thus prepared, the performer advances, wand in
hand. Placing this for a moment under the right arm,
he shows the hands empty. Again he takes the wand
in his hand, and in doing so, deftly slips the thumb of
the right hand within the horsehair loop, and with a
slight upward movement lifts the little parcel off the
pin, when it lies suspended against his palm. Laying
the wand on the table, and standing so that the back
of the right hand shall be towards the spectators, he
rubs the hands together, and, under cover of the rub-
bing movement, gradually works the black handker-
chief out of the pocket and spreads' it out ; holding it
with the pocket side away from the spectators, the
pocket which is still full being masked by the hand
which holds it. Under cover of this handkerchief he
presently produces the white handkerchief, and a mo-
ment later the red handkerchief.
To conclude the trick, the handkerchiefs are in due
order again worked into their respective pockets, and
the finally resulting parcel is vested, or dropped upon
a servante.
A bit of very fine wire may, if preferred, be substi-
tuted for the horsehair. In consequence of its greater
stiffness, it will be found to retain the circular shape
better, and so to render the introduction of the thumb
more easy.
232 Later Magic

HANDKERCHIEF MULTIPLICATION ON A LARGER SCALE.

The ease with which a handkerchief can be produced,

apparently from nowhere, and the really magical effect
of such production, if neatly executed, have induced
some performers to enlarge upon the idea, producing
not one or two handkerchiefs only, but a score, or even
a larger number.
The first handkerchief, produced by one or other of
the methods already described, is drawn through the
left hand, when the one handkerchief becomes two.
The operation being repeated, the two become three;
the three become four; and so on. When the per-
former finds his hands getting fuller than is convenient,
he lays all but one of the handkerchiefs on a table, or
across the back of a chair, and begins again ; continuing
in like manner till all the available chairs and tables are
draped with silk of various colours.
This surprising effect is usually produced by the aid
of one of the hollow balls already referred to. This
may be of celluloid, aluminium, or thin brass, about
one and three quarter inches in diameter ; and should
have a hole in its side of about three quarters of an
inch. A ball of the above dimensions will hold, closely
packed, about half a dozen fine silk handkerchiefs of
the size usually affected by conjurers (twelve to four-
teen inches square), but by the use of a very simple
artifice, it may be made available, so far as the eye of
the spectator is concerned, to produce just double that
number. The plan adopted in this case is to cut each
square in half diagonally from corner to corner, hem-
ming the raw edge. A half -handkerchief of this kind,
held up by either of the two divided corners, and
 Later Magic

allowed to hang straight down, will so drape itself as to

represent, to casual observation, a complete handker-
chief, and count accordingly.
The method adopted for packing the handkerchiefs
into the ball is as follows. The first is pushed in pretty
much anyhow, until it comes to the last corner. This is
folded back three quarters of an inch. The first corner
of the handkerchief next to be inserted is then folded in
like manner, and the one hooked, so to speak, into the
other. The second handkerchief is then worked into
the ball, care being taken not to disturb the above-
mentioned arrangement ; and the last corner of this is
then linked in like manner with the first corner of the
next handkerchief, and so on till the ball is full. The
final corner of the last handkerchief is allowed to pro-
ject about half an inch.
One method of production is as follows : The ball,
loaded as above, is vested. The performer produces a
single handkerchief in any manner he pleases, and while
calling attention to this, held in the right hand, gets'
the loaded ball into the left, where it is palmed, with
the opening outwards. Holding the visible handker-
chief by one corner between the right forefinger and
thumb, he throws it over the back of the left hand,
and draws it downwards through the hand. As the
finger and thumb pass the palm of the left hand, he
catches hold with them of the corner left projecting
from the ball, and so draws out the handkerchief last
inserted therein. This is drawn down with the original
handkerchief through the half -closed left hand, and the
two are then exhibited, professedly as the first trans-
formed into two. The interlacing of the corners, as
above described, has the effect of drawing the first
234
Later Magic

corner of the second handkerchief a little way out of

the ball, in readiness for the next production, and so
the effect is repeated till the ball is empty.1
The more artistic method of working, however, is that
adopted by Mr. Stillwell, whose Handkerchief Act, a
speciality of his own, has met. with great success.2
In this case the operator, after getting the ball into
his hands and showing by the familiar "change over"
pass that both are empty, leaves it finally palmed in the
right hand. With this hand he makes a grab in the
air, and professedly " catches " a handkerchief, which,
however, remains invisible till it is transferred, still
invisibly, to the left hand, when it at once "material-
izes." This effect is produced by the thumb and finger
of the left hand nipping the projecting corner of the
handkerchief as the hands come together, and, as they
separate, drawing it out of the ball. The remaining
handkerchiefs are "caught" one after another in like
manner, not becoming visible till they are placed in the
left hand.

Here, by the way, I must not omit to notice one very

elegant little sleight, on which the effect of the trick

1 Some performers sew the ends of the handkerchiefs lightly to-

gether with very fine silk, which is broken in the act of production.
This is unnecessary. The interlacing of the corners, if carefully
done, is not only less troublesome, but more reliable.
2 Mr. Stillwell has drawn up an elaborate explanation of the
above act, which is well worth the attention of every sleight-of-hand
conjurer. The copyright of the pamphlet, which costs two shillings,
has been acquired by Messrs. Hamley Brothers.
I may here mention that Mr. Stillwell uses rubber balls, instead
of celluloid. The complete act involves the use of five such balls,
of different sizes and descriptions. These also may be obtained of
Messrs. Hamlcy.
 Later Magic

largely depends. Its object is to convince the specta-

tors that the hands, save for the handkerchiefs already
produced, are throughout entirely empty.
The first handkerchief, we will suppose, has been pro-
duced by the aid of the hollow ball as above mentioned.
It is then taken by one corner between the first and
second fingers of the performer's left hand, as shown in
Fig. 132, the palm being towards the spectators. The

Fig. 132. Fig. 133.

right hand is now brought up to the left, and transfers

the ball from the palm of the former to that of the latter.
The moment the ball reaches the left hand, this is
turned over towards the body (as shown by the dotted
arrow) and the right hand strokes down the handker-
chief, the two hands assuming the position shown in
Fig. 133. The ball is at this stage palmed in the left
hand.
The right hand is now left empty, and is carelessly
236 Later Magic

shown to be so. The performer then brings it once

more up to the left hand. So soon as this latter is
masked by the right it is turned over outwards as
shown by the dotted arrow in Fig. 134. The moment
the hands come together, the ball is again palmed in
the right hand. The left hand continues its outward
revolution, the handkerchief passing over the tips of
the fingers, and hanging from the back of the hand,

Fig. 134. Fig. 135.

as in Fig. 135. The right hand strokes down the hand-

kerchief asbefore. Nothing happens this time ; but on a
second stroke-down another handkerchief is drawn out
from the ball with the forefinger and thumb of the left
hand. This is placed side by side with the handker-
chief already produced, and the above manoeuvres
repeated, the impression left on the mind of the specta-
tor being that he has been repeatedly allowed to see
both palms empty simultaneously, though as a matter
 Later Magic

of fact he has never seen more than one at a time, the

ball being concealed in the other.

By having half a dozen balls, duly loaded and dis-

tributed invarious places, the performer may amplify
the trick to any extent he pleases. He may even carry
two or three balls under his vest, but where more than
one are bestowed in this manner, they should be sup-
ported by wire "clips," after the manner of those fa-
miliar in connection with egg tricks, save that in this
case the rings which hold the ball are both of the same
size.1 A truly artistic performer, however, would
scarcely get two balls in immediate succession from the
same quarter; but would vary his procedure as much
as possible. Thus, a second ball may rest on a servante
behind the chair on which he places the handkerchiefs
already produced ; when, in the act of throwing them
over the back, he will have ample opportunity to ex-
change the ball just emptied for a full one. When this
has done its duty, it may be dropped into the profonde,
or laid upon the table simultaneously with a further
pile of handkerchiefs, while another is procured from a
pochette, and so on.

It is a good plan to vary the " production" by now

and then exhibiting with the handkerchief just pro-
duced some little feat or sleight, say the " colour change' '
described at page 258, or the instantaneous knot, of
which an example is given in More Magic (page 203) ;
''the handkerchief that cannot be tied in a knot";
or uthe vanishing knots " (Modern Magic, pages 237-
238), In the case of the latter, the trick being here
1 Clips of the kind above referred to (see p. 81) are largely used
in connection with various ball tricks.
238 Later Magic

introduced as a mere passing nourish, the performer

should himself tie the knot. It is not worth while to
delay the performance by asking a spectator to do so.

Another effect that is frequently introduced is the

simultaneous production of a given number of handker-
chiefs. The spectators are asked to name a number, —
"not too large," — the performer remarks, — "say any-
thing from five to ten. " We will suppose that the num-
ber named is seven (a very frequent choice, by the way).
While the number is being decided upon, the performer
palms, from under the vest or elsewhere, a roll of hand-
kerchiefs of various colours, which he presently de-
velops by rolling between his hands, and, counting
them one by one, shows that there are the precise
number demanded.
To enable the performer to do this, five handkerchiefs,
each cut in half from corner to corner, are required.
The halves are then lightly basted together with silk
thread of the same colour. The thread is not fastened off
at either end, so that the halves may be pulled apart
again without difficulty. If five handkerchiefs are de-
manded, the performer shows each in its joined con-
dition. For each extra handkerchief required, he pulls
one of them in half, and shows each half, hanging down,
as an independent handkerchief. The five thus become
any number up to ten, at pleasure.
To produce a final effect the performer may have
twenty or thirty handkerchiefs, packed close and se-
cured by a silk thread or rubber band, inside the front
of his vest, with a projecting loop for their readier ex-
traction. This packet is drawn into the hands under
cover of rubbing together half a dozen of the handker-
 Later Magic

chiefs already produced, which are forthwith found to

have multiplied five-fold. The quantity may be fur-
ther multiplied by having other packets in convenient
spots, as the arrangements of the stage permit.

The trick may be brought to an effective finish in

another way, as follows. When he has got half-way
through the trick, the performer says: ''I really don't
know what to do with all these handkerchiefs. Will
somebody lend me a hat to put them in?" A hat being
procured, he places it on the table, loading into it, in
transit (say from under the left arm), a special packet
of handkerchiefs, made up as follows : First, a piece of
silk a yard or more square, is rolled up as closely as
possible; round it another piece not quite so large;
round that again another, a little smaller; the last,
or outer handkerchief, being eighteen inches square.
These are kept all snug by a pin. The performer trans-
fers the handkerchiefs already produced to the hat,
and then proceeds to produce others, which he adds to '
their number; finishing up with a score or so at once,
as last described. Gazing seriously into the hat, he
says : "I don't know what you think, ladies and gentle-
men, but it seems to me that this is getting monotonous.
And, unless I am much mistaken, the handkerchiefs are
getting bigger, as well as more numerous. ' ' So saying, he
dips his hand into the hat, withdraws the pin from the
roll, and taking the outer handkerchief by one corner,
draws it slowly up till it comes away from the rest, and
exhibits it. Dropping it back into the hat, he produces
the next in like manner, and so on to the largest,
which he spreads out before him. "Yes, ladies and
gentlemen, I must stop. That 's the worst of magic.
240 Later Magic

When you once set the spirits to work, you never know
quite where they will leave off. I have had this same
sort of thing happen before, and when my wife was
going to send the things to the wash, there was n't a
handkerchief smaller than a table-cloth in the house.
So, with your permission, we will pass to the next
item of the performance."

By way of variation, the following method of pro-

ducing the first handkerchief may be used.
The handkerchief is prepared by first starching one
of its extreme corners, twisting the starched portion
into a "tag" half an inch long, and letting it dry. This
done, the handkerchief is laid flat, and its three other
corners folded to the centre. The sides are next folded
down longitudinally, and this is repeated till the hand-
kerchief becomes a mere strip, an inch and a half wide.
The strip thus made is rolled up tightly, beginning
from the folded end. When the opposite end is
reached, the roll is finished off by gumming a bit of thin
paper, of the same colour as the handkerchief, across
the starched corner just below the little tag, which is
allowed to project about three quarters of an inch be-
yond it.
The roll thus made is palmed in the left hand. The
performer's first step is to show his hands empty by
means of the "change over" palm. To conclude, he
shows first the backs, the hands being held horizontally
in front of him, the left a little in advance of the right.
They are instantly turned outwards and the palms
shown, but during that first moment the handkerchief
has been transferred to the back of the right hand, the
little tag being clipped between the second and third
 Later Magic 241

fingers. If it is properly placed, and the gummed paper

has been correctly adjusted (both of these are points
to be got right by practice), the mere act of bending
the fingers smartly will suffice to tear or detach the
paper, and if a catching movement is made at the same
moment, the handkerchief will at once expand to its
normal dimensions, the effect to the audience being
that it is really "caught" in the hand.
The starching of the corner of the handkerchief, as
the reader will doubtless have surmised, is to make it
more easily got hold of. As an alternative, the corner
may be simply drawn together with a needle and
thread till it assumes the desired shape, but the starch-
ing gives it greater solidity. Gum or paste may be
used in place of starch, if the latter is not obtainable.

Section III.

COLOUR-CHANGING TRICKS.

The reader may be interested to know that this very-

popular form of illusion originated in a chance remark
made some twelve years ago by Mr. G. W. Hunter to
Mr. David Devant, that it would be a pretty effect to
pass a handkerchief in at one end of a paper tube, and
bring it out, of some different colour, at the other. Mr.
Devant was struck with the idea, and within a week
exhibited the trick for the first time, in a comparatively
crude form, at the Royal Music Hall, London, where
he was then performing. He had even then so far
improved upon Mr. Hunter's suggestion as to colour
three handkerchiefs instead of one, but over a year
elapsed
16 before he had worked up the trick, in combina-
tion with other handkerchief effects, to the complete
242 Later Magic

and artistic form in which he now presents it. The

hint once given, however, there were speedily a dozen
Richards in the field, each presenting his own version.
Many of them are extremely ingenious, and leave little
to be desired in point of effect, though personally I
have seen none to equal the absolute perfection of Mr.
Devant's method. Of this the reader will be enabled to
judge for himself, inasmuch as it will be found described
in full in the section devoted to "Miscellaneous Hand-
kerchief Tricks."
Meanwhile I proceed to describe the different com-
peting methods of producing this particular illusion.

VARIOUS METHODS OF COLOUR-CHANGING.

The Conradi multiplying tube, described at page 227,

may equally well be used for changing the colour of
a handkerchief. The one compartment is beforehand
loaded with, say, a red handkerchief, and this side kept
to the rear. The performer, showing a blue one, in-
troduces it into the vacant compartment, and holds
the tube horizontally between his hands, breast high.
"Change," he says, and as he speaks, lowers the hands
sharply about ten inches, immediately bringing them
back to their former position. Under cover of this
movement a half -turn is given to the tube, and the red
handkerchief brought to the front.

The little apparatus described at page 220 of More

Magic in connection with a "multiplication" trick is
likewise available for colour-changing, but the pattern
there indicated may be improved upon by making the
tube somewhat barrel-shaped, as in Fig. 136, this form
 Later Magic

lending itself better to the ultimate retreat of the

apparatus up the sleeve.
The pull may, if preferred, be dispensed with; in
which case the wire fork will likewise be unnecessary.
In its place a loop of flesh-coloured silk or fine gut will be
attached to the little barrel, and passed over the fore-
finger so that it may be brought to the front or the back
of the hand at pleasure. The apparatus may at the
outset be loaded with three handkerchiefs of different
colours. A fourth handkerchief, first spread out, and

Fig. 136.

then crumpled together, is pushed in at one end of the

fake; pushing out the one at the opposite end, and this
may be repeated till three " changes" have been
effected. This done, the handkerchief last produced
is thrown over the tube, which may then be got rid of
without difficulty.

Closely akin to the above is a little piece of apparatus,

the invention, I believe, of Professor Ellis Stanyon. It
consists of a tube of thin brass, two inches long and one
inch in diameter, along the side of which is soldered a
piece of wire with its ends turned up at right angles, as
244
Later Magic

Fig. 137. The space between the projecting portions is

one and one half inches, and their length half an inch.
Crossing the centre of the tube, on
the inside, is fixed a piece of tape
two and three quarter inches in
length. The slack, or central por-
tion, of this may be pushed to either
end of the tube at pleasure, form-
ing a sort of makeshift bottom, or stop, to prevent
the contents escaping at that end.1
The projecting points, being clipped between the
fingers, enable the performer to transfer the fake to the
back of the hand, and so to show the palms empty.

roterberg's colour-change.

The following ingenious mode of colour-changing

is the invention of Professor Roterberg, of Chicago, a
gentleman to whom the conjuring world is indebted
for many clever novelties.2
To one corner of, say, a blue silk handkerchief is
sewn, by its longer sides only, a strip of the same ma-
terial, two and one half inches long by one and one half
wide, forming, when thus attached, a little pocket open
at each end, as shown in Fig. 138. Midway down this
pocket is sewn a little silk bag of the same material, as

1 This feature is not new, being common to many handkerchief

tubes. A still better arrangement is to have a little circular silk
bag, of the same diameter as the circumference of the tube, and
half its depth, secured by its upper edges midway in the tube.
The bottom of this bag can, like the tape, be brought to either end
of the tube at pleasure.
2 Messrs. G. Ornum & Co., 4 Duke Street, Charing Cross, are
Professor Roterberg's London representatives.
 Later Magic

indicated by the dotted lines. In the hem of each of

the openings, a, b, is sewn a ring of fine, soft wire.
The handkerchief is prepared for use by packing it,
through the opening b, into the little silk bag. At the
proper time the little bundle thus formed is palmed, a
red silk handkerchief being openly shown in the same
hand. The hands are now brought together, and
waved up and down ; the red handkerchief being under
cover of the movement gradually worked into the open-
ing a,thereby forcing the blue handkerchief out through
b. When it is all out, the performer gently presses the

Fig. 138.

two wire rings, thereby closing the little pocket, and

shakes out the blue handkerchief, the slight bulge
made by the pocket being masked by the fingers of the
right hand.
By substituting an appropriate flag for the blue
handkerchief, and somewhat enlarging the pocket,
three handkerchiefs, — red, white, and blue, — may be
rubbed together (really worked into the little pocket)
and reproduced as the Union Jack or tricolour.

The "cache" described at page 219 may by a little

modification be adapted for colour-changing. For a
246 Later Magic

double change, say, white to red and red to blue, it

should be made with three compartments, tying one
upon the other. Two of these are loaded with red and
blue handkerchiefs respectively, while the third is
empty. The handkerchief to be changed is worked
into the empty division, at the same time the one to be
produced is worked out of one of the others.

marcellin's colour-change.

This change, the invention of a German conjurer, is

worked on a totally different principle. A blue hand-
kerchief, say, is rolled round the centre of the perform-
er's wand. The operator rubs it between his hands,
and it forthwith changes to a red one.
Such is the effect of the trick. To work it, the per-
former must be provided with a wand of polished black
wood, and a couple of tubes, two inches in length,
fitting easily over it. These may either be of thin
brass, or of rolled paper of sufficient stiffness, in either
case japanned black, so as to correspond in appearance
with the wand, under which conditions their presence
upon it is, at a few feet distance, not noticeable.
Round one of these tubes a red silk handkerchief is
tightly rolled. Over this a little piece of blue silk (the
same material as the second handkerchief used in the
trick) is placed, and secured by tucking in its edges be-
tween the handkerchief and the tube. In this condi-
tion it is vested, or placed in a pochette. The second
tube must be also placed so as to be easily get-at-able.
Having shown, in a casual way, that the wand is
without preparation, the performer gets the empty
tube into his hand, and secretly passes it over as far as
 Later Magic 247

the centre. Showing the blue handkerchief, he winds

it, apparently, round the middle of the wand, but really
on the little tube, and makes all secure by tucking in
the final end. Showing the wand, in a careless way, in
the one hand, he gets the prepared tube into the other,
and, under cover of a half -turn to right or left, passes this
over the wand with the one hand and slides the first
tube off with the other. This he gets rid of by bringing
forward a chair (professedly to lay the wand upon) , and
in the act of doing so drops the tube into a bag servante
behind it. Placing the wand (which, to the eye of the
spectator, still has the blue handkerchief round it) on
the seat of the chair, he explains that these blue silk
handkerchiefs are very bashful, and that if you look at
them much they will blush, just like a young girl. In
fact, he declares that the handkerchief is turning red
already. The spectators naturally fail to perceive any
alteration, so after a little more "patter" he takes the
wand in his hands to hasten the process. Rubbing the
handkerchief between his hands, he removes the blue
silk covering, which he rolls up small and tucks between
the second and third fingers. He then unrolls the hand-
kerchief, which has now turned to red, and in the act
of laying it over the back of the chair gets rid of the
tube and the little bit of blue silk, into the servante.

COLOUR-CHANGING BY THE AID OF A PAPER TUBE.

The great majority of colour-changing tricks, how-

ever, follow the line originated by Mr. David Devant,
viz., to show a piece of thin cardboard or stiff cartridge-
paper; and after forming this, in view of the audience,
into a hollow cylinder, to pass a handkerchief in at one
248 Later Magic

end of the tube, and, pushing it through, to produce it

at the other end a different colour. Of this main idea,
there are many variations in detail, both as to working
and as to precise effect. I will commence with the
simplest method, designed to change a single hand-
kerchief.
The requirements are two silk handkerchiefs, one red
and one white, a small piece, say five inches by eight,
of stout drawing-paper, gummed along one of its
shorter edges, and a little tube of sheet brass, one and
one half inch long and one inch in diameter,1 with
the edges turned in very slightly all round. This is
loaded with, say, the red handkerchief, and laid on
the performer's table; the white handkerchief lying, as
if thrown carelessly down, in a heap over it. If the
performer uses a chair servante, the tube may be laid
on this, and the handkerchief thrown over the back of
the chair.
With regard to the introduction of the tube within
the paper cylinder, there are two alternatives. One
method is to make the cylinder first, and afterwards
introduce the tube ; the other to pick up tube and paper
together and form the cylinder round the tube.
If the first plan is adopted, it is important that the
cylinder should be exactly the right size. This is
secured by rolling the paper experimentally beforehand,
and making a pencil-mark showing exactly where the
outer edge of the roll should come. In exhibiting the
1 The size of the tube will vary a little, according as one or more
handkerchiefs are intended to be produced ; and with it the size of
the paper to form the cylinder, which should, generally speaking,
be about three times the length of the brass tube. The larger the
cylinder, the stiffer must be the paper, or cardboard, of which it is
formed.
 V

Later Magic 249

trick, the paper is rolled to the same point, and then

secured by moistening the gummed edge with the
tongue and pressing it down. This, however, with an
empty cylinder is rather a troublesome process, besides
being somewhat lacking in refinement. A better plan
is to keep the paper tube in shape by passing over it a
couple of rubber bands, one at each end. The cylinder
thus formed may be handed for examination, or the
performer may prove its emptiness by holding it aloft
on his wand.

1 a

1 -— I
Fig. 139.

The alternative plan, of forming the cylinder round

the wand, is decidedly preferable, and in connection
with this plan I may here digress for a moment to de-
scribe a pretty little sleight which the performer will
find very useful, after he has picked up the paper with
the tube behind it, to convince the spectators that he
has nothing in his hands save the piece of paper only.
The paper is held by its upper right-hand corner be-
tween the first and second fingers of the right hand, the
tube being supported in a horizontal position behind
its upper edge by the forefinger and thumb, as shown
in Fig. 139. Remarking, " I have here a piece of plain
250 Later Magic

paper," the performer takes the left-hand bottom cor-

ner between the first and second fingers of the left
hand and turns the lower edge of the paper upwards
towards the spectators. When it has reached the posi-
tion shown in Fig. 140, the left thumb and forefinger
seize the tube. The right hand moves away, and the
original upper edge of the paper, now become the
lower, is released. Both sides of the paper have thus
been shown, and the paper and tube remain in the left

Fig. 140.

hand, the transfer from hand to hand being a sort of

tacit guarantee of "no deception."
We will assume, however, for the moment that the
first plan has been adopted, and that the paper cylin-
der has been formed apart from the tube.
The operator picks up the white handkerchief, and
with it, secretly, the loaded tube. Holding the paper
cylinder vertically in one hand, he throws the white
handkerchief over its upper end, its corners hanging
down around, and begins with his wand to press down
its centre into the cylinder, meanwhile introducing the
loaded tube from below. This, once inserted, is pushed
up towards the centre of the cylinder, and there held
fast by pressure of the hand on the outside. Mean-
 Later Magic 251

while, the white handkerchief, being packed in from

above, and pressed down, forces out the red handker-
chief below, the white having apparently changed to
red. As a matter of fact, the white handkerchief has
taken the place of the red in the little tube, which a
little later is allowed to slide out of the cylinder into
the hand, and is got rid of as may be found most con-
venient.
The above is, however, a very crude form of the
trick. A great improvement is to have the brass tube
fitted midway with a little silk bag of half its length,
the bottom of which can be brought to either end of the
tube at pleasure, and so made to close that end.1 This,
loaded with, the red handkerchief, is introduced into
the cylinder with the open end downwards. When, a
little later, the white handkerchief is put in at the top
of the cylinder and rammed down with the wand, it
squeezes out the red handkerchief, and takes its place
in the tube, but cannot go too far, being stopped by the
silken bag. Under these conditions the packing of the
white handkerchief fairly within the tube is a matter of
much greater certainty, and the tube is more easily got
rid of afterwards.
A further improvement is to load the little tube with
two handkerchiefs, first a red and then a white one.
The visible white handkerchief being then put in at the
top of the cylinder, and pushed down, a white one
makes its appearance at the bottom ; being to the eye
of the spectator the same handkerchief, merely pushed
through. The natural inference is that the cylinder is
empty. The handkerchief thus produced is then put
in at the top, pushed down, and forthwith reappears,
1 See note on p. 244.
252 Later Magic

as a red one, at the bottom, the two white handker-

chiefs remaining in the tube.

Starting with the same root-idea, Herr Willmann

has evolved a very highly finished and artistic version
of the trick. I cannot do better than borrow his own
description 1 in a slightly altered form.

willmann's colour-change.

The requirements for the trick are as under:

1. Four white handkerchiefs.
2. One blue handkerchief.

3. One yellow "

4. One red "
5. A servante consisting of two cup-hooks (as de-
scribed at page 23), attached to the back of a chair.
6. A piece of very thin cardboard or stout cartridge-
paper, measuring 7 by 8 inches, gummed along one of its
shorter edges.
The red handkerchief (see Fig. 141) is in reality two
handkerchiefs sewn together at the edges. Between
them, midway in one of the sides, a tube, a, of thin brass,
is stitched by means of three or four minute holes in its
upper end, in such manner that that end shah come
just level with the edge of the double handkerchief, and
so shall, when the handkerchief is spread out, be in-
visible. The presence of the tube naturally creates a
hiatus between the two handkerchiefs at the centre.
This is filled up by a gusset, b dc,oi the same material.
In the centre of this is a hole, d, encircled by a rubber
band, which allows of its being expanded to nearly the
1 Die Zauberwelt. Vol. vi., pp. 43, 56.
 Later Magic

circumference of the tube, but normally contracts it

to a very small size, so as to be scarcely noticeable.
Round the other three sides of the square b e f c,
the two handkerchiefs are sewn together, the interven-
ing space forming an internal pocket, only accessible
through the tube a, which is open at the bottom.
To prepare the handkerchief for use it is folded first
vertically in half, at the point where the tube is fixed.
Beginning from the folded edge, the handkerchief is

a
-e

Fig. 141.

then rolled up, with the tube in the centre. Grasping

the tube end with the right hand, the operator tucks
the lower portion of the handkerchief into the tube
from the bottom, pushing it in as far as it will go. This
leaves a portion of the tube still unoccupied, and into
this vacant space he packs, first the yellow, then the
blue, and lastly one of the white handkerchiefs. In
packing in the handkerchiefs it will be found de-
sirable to start with one corner, so that the opposite
corner shall be the last portion to be inserted, and
254
Later Magic

consequently the first to be squeezed out at a later

stage of the trick. Each should be got well home
before another is introduced.
The double handkerchief thus prepared, and forming
now a compact roll only a trifle larger than the tube
itself, is made to rest on the two hooks behind the chair.
The above arrangements duly made beforehand, the
conjurer advances to the company, bringing forward
the piece of cardboard and the three remaining white
handkerchiefs. Placing the latter upon the seat of the
chair, he calls attention to the piece of cardboard, and
beginning from one of its shorter sides, rolls it into a
cylinder, then allowing it to expand again. The card-
board naturally retains a certain amount of curve, and
taking advantage of this, he places it over the back of
the chair, where it rests comfortably, half in front, the
other half behind, just over the prepared handkerchief.
Showing his hands empty, he again picks up, with
the right hand, the bent cardboard, and with it the con-
cealed roll. Again he rolls the cardboard into a cylin-
der, gradually making it smaller and smaller till it fits
tightly over the roll, this latter resting with its upper
end (the one with the hole d) within half an inch of one
end of the cylinder. When matters have reached this
point, he moistens the gummed edge of the cardboard
with his tongue, and holds it down till there is no fear
of its again unrolling.
Then, grasping the cylinder with the left hand (the
end with the tube uppermost) , he takes one of the white
handkerchiefs, and pushes it down, first with, the
fingers and then with the wand, apparently into the
empty cylinder, but in reality through the hole d, and
into the tube. As the tube is already full, something
 Later Magic

must give way to make room for it, and this something
is naturally the white handkerchief which was the last
to be packed into the opposite end of the tube, and
which now begins to appear at the lower end of the
cylinder. To the eyes of the spectators this handker-
chief isthe same they have just seen introduced at the
top, and they are thereby convinced (if indeed they
entertained any doubt on the subject) that the cylinder
is empty. The operator must of course take care that
the handkerchief shall not fall out at the bottom before
the one at the top has completely disappeared, or the
inference would be in the contrary direction.
Taking the white handkerchief just produced, he now
passes this in through the hole d, remarking that he is
going to change its colour and turn it blue. Accord-
ingly the blue handkerchief, which comes next in order
in the tube, appears at the bottom of the cylinder.
Laying this on the seat of the chair, he takes another
of the white handkerchiefs, presses it in at the top, and
produces it (apparently) at the bottom, yellow. Throw-
ing the yellow handkerchief on the chair -seat, he takes
the remaining white handkerchief, and pushes this like-
wise through d. This forces out that portion of the
red handkerchief which was packed into the tube, and
which now appears at the bottom of the cylinder.
This is a critical part of the trick, for the white
handkerchief is naturally introduced at the top in an
4 'anyhow" fashion, whereas the red one would, if per-
mitted, come out at the bottom rolled up, which fact, if
observed, would tend to create a doubt as to their being,
as the conjurer professes, the same. To avoid this, as
soon as the white handkerchief is fairly within d, and
the red handkerchief pushed down to within half an
256 Later Magic

inch or so of the bottom of the cylinder, the performer

changes his procedure. Inserting a ringer at the top
of the cylinder, he gets hold of one of the upper corners
of the handkerchief and holds it securely against the
inner surface of the cylinder. Inserting the forefinger
of the other hand, he now tears the cylinder open, and
as it falls, getting hold of the opposite top corner of the
handkerchief (the two lie, as will be remembered, one
upon the other) he draws them apart; spreads the
handkerchief ; shakes it out, and then catches it by the
centre, taking care that the hidden tube shall hang on
the side remote from the spectators. Picking up the
blue and yellow handkerchiefs, he transfers them to
the same hand, then laying all three on the table, and
proceeding to some other trick.
The trick is not an easy one, and demands a very
considerable amount of study and practice before it
can safely be exhibited. There are many little details,
such as the exact degree of compression with which
the handkerchiefs should be packed, which can only be
ascertained by repeated experiment. But in skilful
hands the trick produces a complete illusion, and it is
well worth the amount of trouble necessary to bring it
to perfection.

A SIX-FOLD COLOUR-CHANGE.

The requirements for this form of the trick (which

also is Herr Willmann's) 1 consist of a couple of metal
bands, say seven inches in length by one in width, each
slightly curved longitudinally and having at equal dis-
tances on its convex side three spring clips, and on the
1 Die Zauberwelt. Vol. vi., p. 170.
 Later Magic

concave side a couple of little hooks, sharp enough to

penetrate clothing. In each of the clips is placed a
handkerchief (all of the same size but of different
colours) folded as small as possible. By means of the
little hooks these two bands are attached to the upper
part of the performer's trousers, one on each side, just
underneath the vest, in such manner that the handker-
chiefs shall be out of sight, but instantly get-at-able.1
The colours should be of the most every-day kind, and
arranged in the clips in a regular order, always adhered
to, say (beginning from the left): 1, black; 2, red; 3,
green; 4, blue; 5, yellow; 6, brown.
The performer advances, holding a white handker-
chief in his hand, and asks some one to name a colour.
"Red," we will suppose, is the reply. Now red, as the
performer knows, is No. 2, on his left side. While
calling attention to the white handkerchief in his right
hand, he makes a half-turn to the left, and while that
side of his body is thus turned away from the audience
he gets the red handkerchief into his left hand. Under'
pretence of rubbing the hands together he gradually
folds up the white handkerchief ; and when this is done
shakes out the red one, getting rid of the white one, as
may be most convenient, into the profonde or other-
wise.
If one of the colours on the right side is called for, he
takes the visible handkerchief in the left hand, and
makes the half -turn to the right, so that that side of his
body may be screened from view. The performer may

1 The clips might equally well be fixed on a belt of leather or

webbing (due provision being made that it shall not shift from its
position)17 and this would seem in some respects to be the preferable
arrangement.
258 Later Magic

bring the trick to a neat finish by " vanishing," in any

way he pleases, the handkerchief last shown.
Herr Willmann's description seems to contemplate
that all six colours shall be produced in succession, but
to do this would be to sin against one of the cardinal
precepts of conjuring, i. e.f to avoid repeating the
same trick in the same way. The performer would
be better advised, in my own opinion, to retain the six-
fold provision of handkerchiefs, but to produce not
more than two of them. Having in these instances
shown his ability to produce the colours the spectators
ask for, it is reasonable to suppose that he could have
produced any others, and the trick gains nothing by
repetition. Further, there is scarcely enough in it to
make it worth presenting alone, but introduced as an
addendum to some more important handkerchief trick,
it would form a really good item, both gaining by the
combination.

TO CHANGE THE COLOUR OF A HANDKERCHIEF BY

MERELY DRAWING IT THROUGH THE HAND.

Several attempts have been made at obtaining this

very pretty effect, but with comparatively small suc-
cess, until the production by Messrs. Hamley of the
little piece of apparatus I am about to describe, a
marked improvement on all previous attempts in the
same direction. It consists of a cup-shaped metal shell,
as shown in Fig. 142, enamelled flesh-colour; open at
top to its full extent, but having a somewhat narrower
opening (a a) at bottom. Two thirds of the way down,
it is divided in two by a horizontal partition b b. A
little above this it is traversed by a spindle c c, on one
 Later Magic

end of which, outside the cup, is fixed a little pulley-

wheel, d. On this wheel is coiled a piece of black
thread, a trifle longer than the diagonal length of the
handkerchief to be used. Below the wheel is a little
bracket e, and the thread passes downwards through a
hole, /, in this bracket, the pressure of a tiny spring
preventing its unwinding spontaneously or too freely.
On the free end of the thread is a knot, g, and in the
centre of the spindle is fixed a little hook, h, consisting
of the point of a needle slightly curved. A portion of
the metal cup is cut away on one side, as shown in the

Fig. 142.

diagram, to enable the performer, when occasion re-

quires, to get at this little point without difficulty.
Assuming that a red handkerchief is to be changed to
a blue one, the latter is loaded into the fake through
the opening a a, a bit of one corner being left projecting.
The thread is wound up on the wheel until only half an
inch or so hangs down below the bottom of the fake.
When the performer desires to show the trick, he palms
this in the left hand, with the opening a a downwards,
and the little wheel on the side next the fingers. Ex-
hibiting the red handkerchief, he hitches one corner of
260 Later Magic

it on to the little hook, allowing the remainder to hang

down over the back of his hand, which is towards the
spectators. To all appearances, he has merely tucked
the corner of the handkerchief in between the fore-
finger and thumb. With the forefinger and thumb of
the right hand he nips the projecting corner of the blue
handkerchief, and at the same time the knot on the
thread, and draws both slowly down together. As the
blue handkerchief is drawn out of a a the red handker-
chief is wound up on the little spindle, apparently
changing into a blue one.
When the performer has once made a fair start, he
should make a partial half -turn to the left, so as to
bring both handkerchiefs into view, otherwise the blue
handkerchief does not become visible until the first
half of the red one has been wound up, and the trick
loses a considerable portion of its effect.

THE BRASS TUBE, WITH SLIDING CUP, FOR COLOUR-

CHANGING TRICKS.

This (see Fig. 143) is a tube of thin brass, a 6, about

two and one half inches in length by one and a quarter
in diameter, open at each end, but with the edges
turned in to the extent of one sixteenth of an inch.
Within this is a smaller tube, not quite an inch deep,
open at top, but closed at bottom, and so forming a
cylindrical cup. This fits the outer tube accurately,
sliding up and down it, and so can be shifted to either
end at pleasure, but cannot be removed from it, by
reason of the turned-in edges of the tube.
This little appliance may be utilized for various
colour-changing tricks. To take the simplest possible
 Later Magic 261

example: the lower end b of the tube is beforehand

loaded with, say, a red handkerchief. In packing it in,
the operator commences with the centre, and then tucks
in the corners, one after another. This not only pre-
cludes the possibility of a stray corner getting between
the inner and outer tubes, and so causing a "jam," but
also ensures a more rapid and complete
unfolding of the handkerchief when it is
produced in the course of the trick. The
handkerchief, thus compressed into as
small a space as possible, should lie just
above the bottom of the tube, with the
cup c pressed gently down upon it.
The tube, thus prepared, is palmed by
the performer. Calling attention to a
piece of thin white cardboard about five
inches by seven, gummed along one of its
shorter sides, and showing that it is otherwise free
from preparation, he forms it into a tube, which he
finishes off by moistening the gummed edge. In so
doing, however, he secretly rolls up the brass tube
within it. He makes the paper cylinder of such a
size that by pressing on it he can retain the tube at
any given point, though it will slide out as soon as the
pressure is relaxed.
Holding the cylinder so that the end a of the tube
shall be uppermost, he takes a handkerchief of some
other colour, say blue, and introduces this at the upper
end (packing it in after the fashion already described) ,
and pushes it down with his wand. When it is fairly
packed into c, he presses it down still farther. This
forces c to the bottom of the tube, and in so doing
drives out the red handkerchief at the bottom of the
262 Later Magic

cylinder. To the eye of the spectator the blue hand-

kerchief has changed into a red one.
By reversing the cylinder, and pushing in the red
handkerchief at what then becomes the upper end, it
may be made apparently to change once more to blue.
This done, the performer lets the tube slide quietly out
of the paper cylinder on to the servante, or elsewhere
out of sight, after which the cylinder may be freely left
in the way of inspection, without any fear of its telling
tales.

The above is, however, but a crude and amateurish

mode of using the apparatus. By way of further illus-
tration Icannot do better than quote the description
of a trick arranged by Herr Willmann, in which it
is employed much more effectively. The " patter" af-
fords an amusing illustration of "ourselves as others
see us," and in particular of the light in which our
German friends regard our salubrious Metropolitan
Railway.1
The requirements for the trick are as under :
1. The tube, with sliding-cup, as above described.
2. Nine silk handkerchiefs. Two white, four grey
(or black), one light red, and two dark red.
3. A piece of soft cardboard, seven by five and one
half inches, gummed along one of its shorter edges.
4. A glass tumbler, preferably with a foot.
5. The magic wand.
The tube is prepared as follows : The cup is pushed,
mouth foremost, as far as it will go, towards one end
of it. The space underneath the cup is loaded with,
first the dark red handkerchief, next a grey one, and
1 Die Zauberwelt. Vol. iii., p. 118.
 Later Magic

then another grey one. The cup is then pushed back

again till the lowermost handkerchief comes flush with
the end of the tube. The cup itself is left empty.
The second dark red handkerchief and the two other
grey ones are tied together, corner to corner, the red
one being in the middle. The tying is done with the
reef knot, which, as every conjurer knows, is convertible
in a moment into a slip-knot, by the simple expedient
of pulling one of the two joined ends into a straight
line with the handkerchief of which it forms a portion.
The three handkerchiefs thus connected are laid one
upon another, and the corners turned in and in till a
compact little parcel is the result. This, secured by a
rubber band, is tucked under the left side of the per-
former's vest. The loaded tube is concealed under his
left arm, outside the coat.
The remaining articles, viz., two white and one light
red handkerchief, the piece of cardboard, the tumbler,
and the wand, are placed on the performer's table, be-
hind which he takes up his position, and, carelessly
showing his hands empty, begins his oration as follows :
"When I last visited London I was staying with a
friend in the suburbs, and to get into the City of a morn-
ing Ihad to travel for over half an hour. My friend,
who used to start for his business at an earlier hour
than I did, looked at me when I came into his counting-
house somewhat later, wondering what had happened
to me. He told me that I really must not sit down to
dinner until I had put on cleaner linen. I was a little
offended, for I always put on a clean shirt every day,
but on examining my garments more closely I came
to the conclusion that my friend was quite right. At
first, I laid the blame on the continued London fog
264
Later Magic

and the soot which is always falling there in such large

quantities, but the next morning the matter was fully
explained. I travelled, on that day, with another
friend who was also paying a visit to my host, by the
Underground Railway from High Barnet to the City,
and was struck with admiration at the whiteness of his
linen, which really almost dazzled me. But when we
got out at Moorgate Street Station, and looked at each
other, we at once decided that the underground journey
was responsible for our altered appearance, and that
it was the pervading smokiness that had robbed our
linen of its whiteness. From that day forward we
never travelled that way without turning up our coat
collars.
" 'There is a chance for you,' remarked my friend,
for whose amusement I had the evening before been
showing a few feats of magic in the family circle. ' That
would be a really good trick, to conjure your linen white
again!' My powers did not go quite so far as that,
but I thought the matter over, and prepared for our
next social evening a little experiment, wherein I illus-
trated the effects of a journey through a tunnel. With
your permission, I will repeat the experiment in your
presence, that you may see for yourselves the very
serious consequences of such a journey.
"As unfortunately I cannot have the pleasure of
making the journey with you personally, I will en-
deavour to represent it, as closely as I can. I have here,
as you see, a simple piece of cardboard, quite unpre-
pared, save that it has a streak of gum along one of its

Here the performer takes the piece of cardboard in

edges."
his left hand. With the right hand he picks up the
 Later Magic

wand from the table, and draws it with an air of mys-

tery across each side of the cardboard, then tucks it
under his left arm, under cover of these manipulations
getting into the right hand, and palming, the loaded
tube. In the act of forming the cardboard into a
cylinder he rolls up the tube inside it, not so tightly,
however, as to prevent the tube moving freely from
end to end therein. He then moistens with his tongue
the gummed edge of the cardboard, and presses it down
afterwards, holding the cylinder supported between his
fingers at each end.
"Before your own eyes I have made this piece of
cardboard into a tube, which is intended to represent
the tunnel. We have n't a railway train handy, so we
must make the journey in another way, and as the
tunnel I have made is too small to admit my friends
and myself in bodily shape, you will not mind if I
send our pocket-handkerchiefs through instead to
represent us. With your permission, I will be the first
to enter the tunnel."
During this harangue he makes sure that that end
of the metal tube into which the handkerchiefs were
loaded is pointing downwards, and is flush with the
lower end of the paper cylinder. Holding them to-
gether with a steady grip, he takes one of the white
handkerchiefs, and with the aid of his wand introduces
it into the upper end of the cylinder, pushing it down
so far that it is worked completely into the cup c.
Under the continued pressure the cup is forced farther
and farther down the tube, and in due time the first of
the two grey handkerchiefs appears at the lower end
of the paper cylinder, and is drawn out altogether by
the performer.
266 Later Magic

"The journey has been but a short one, and soon

over, but even so short a journey has sufficed, you see,
to spoil the pure whiteness of the handkerchief. Now,
my friend, who always wears a white shirt, sets out on
his journey" (here he pushes the second white handker-
chief in at the top of the cylinder, and produces the
second grey one from the bottom), "and reappears at
the other end of the tunnel, of quite a different colour.
And here comes my other friend, who being our host,
and a very polite man, has allowed us to precede him.
He is very bashful, you must know ; my few words of
compliment have brought blushes into his cheeks; in
fact he has turned quite red. But he starts on his
journey" (he loads in the light red handkerchief at
top and draws out the dark red at bottom), "and as you
see, his naturally rosy complexion is sadly darkened
when he has completed it."
The performer hereupon hands the handkerchief last
produced to one of the spectators, after which he allows
the metal tube (in which are now the two white and
the light red handkerchiefs) to slide out of the cylinder
into his right hand, and thence drops it, as opportunity
serves, into a profonde or upon a servante. The paper
cylinder he lays upon the table, in such manner that
the spectators can see through it. He then spreads
the two grey handkerchiefs one upon the other, and
taking back the red handkerchief from the holder, _lays
it upon these, and folds all three together into a little
roll, round which he places an india-rubber ring.
While exhibiting this in the right hand, he gets from
under the vest into the left hand the corresponding
little packet. It is an easy matter to substitute the
one for the other, after which he gets rid of the roll
 Later Magic

last made (the three separate handkerchiefs) into a

pocket or into the opening of his vest, dropping the
other openly into the glass on the table.1 This he then
hands to one of the spectators, and continues :
"After each of us had transacted his business in the
City, we usually started together towards evening on
the return journey, and to enable you to judge how
very close was the bond of friendship between us, I
have placed the handkerchiefs which represent us in this
glass, which we will imagine to be a saloon carriage on
the Underground Railway. By this time their journey
is over, The train has reached High Barnet Station,
and I will ask you, sir" (the holder of the glass), " to
lend them a helping hand in getting out of the carriage.
Will you have the kindness to take the handkerchiefs
out of the glass, to take off the rubber band, and
spread them out?"
He takes back the glass, and afterwards the three
joined handkerchiefs, shows them at full length, and
proceeds: "You seldom find so firm a friendship as
this, a friendship which no earthly power can destroy.
I alone, as one of the brotherhood, have the power to
dissolve the bond that unites us, without, however, dis-
turbing our friendship. A word from me will suffice to
convince the friends that to flaunt their attachment in
this way before so many spectators is scarcely becom-
ing, and you will see, ladies and gentlemen, that
they have a due regard for propriety. We will put the
1 The following will be found an easy way of making the change.
Transfer the roll held in the right hand to the left, and thence drop
it (in reality the duplicates) into the glass. Pick up the glass with
the left hand, and transfer it to the right, after which, all eyes being
drawn to this, you will have ample opportunity to get rid of the
concealed roll into the profonde.
268 Later Magic

handkerchiefs into the glass once more, and, when we

now take them out again, you will find that they are

separate!"
allWhich is on examination found to be the case. As
the reader has doubtless anticipated, the performer has
in the course of his patter, and while handling the
handkerchiefs, in nautical phrase, "unshipped" the
knots, in other words, he has pulled one end of each
knot into a straight line with the handkerchief to which
it belongs. The knot now becomes a slip-knot, and
may be pushed off with finger and thumb in the act of
putting the handkerchief into the glass.

Section IV.

METHODS OF "VANISHING" A HANDKERCHIEF.

Many of the appliances already described for the pro-

duction of a handkerchief are equally available, as will
readily be seen, for "vanishing" also. But there are
other methods and appliances specially adapted for the
latter purpose, and a few of these I proceed to describe.

THE RUBBER RING.

This is an extremely pretty and ingenious method of

vanishing a handkerchief, and, seen for the first time,
will puzzle even an expert.
The performer folds the handkerchief into the small-
est possible dimensions. To keep it from unfolding, he
encircles it with an ordinary red rubber ring, which he
takes from his vest pocket. Baring his arms to the
elbow, he takes the little packet between his hands.
"Presto!" It is gone. Again he brings the hands
 Later Magic

together, and the little parcel reappears. It is at once

handed to one of the spectators, but the closest ex-
amination does not reveal anything to account for its
faculty of dematerialization.
The secret lies in the fact that through the rubber
ring a bit of flesh-coloured silk thread, about three
inches in length, has been passed, and the ends joined.
It is an easy matter, under cover of settling the
handkerchief comfortably within the ring, to pass the
fore-finger of one or the other hand through the loop
thus formed. The sleeves are then pulled up and the
hands brought together. A slight upward movement
tilts the little parcel to the back of the hand. When
the performer desires it to reappear, he has only to
tilt it to the front of the hand again. He then passes
the thumb inside the loop, breaks the thread, and lets
it fall to the ground, after which the parcel will, of
course, stand any amount of examination.
If the performer possesses a reasonable amount of
address, he will be able to show both back and front of
the hands " all clear" two or three times before the re-
appearance ofthe handkerchief, the little parcel being
each time transferred to the side remote from the
audience.

A NEW HANDKERCHIEF VANISHER.

This is another of the improvements on the old

" hand-box," described in Modern Magic (page 263).
Like its prototype, it is of tin, but much smaller and
lighter. In shape (see Fig. 144) it is a hollow cylinder,
one and three quarter inches in diameter by three
quarters in depth, with a segment removed from one of

i
1
270 Later Magic

its sides, leaving an opening a. The ' 'clip" which formed

part of the original hand-box is wanting, but on each
face, at the side farthest from the opening, is soldered a
portion of a needle bent into a little hook, b. The
handkerchief to be got rid of is worked into the van-
isher in the same manner as was done with the hand-
box.
The special merit of this form of the appliance lies
in the little hooks, by means of which the vanisher may
not only be attached to the hand, but may also be
hitched on to the back of a chair, a hanging table-
cover, or any portion of the performer's garments.

Fig. 144. Fig. 145-

The object of having a hook on each side is to avoid

the necessity of turning it round before fixing it in
any new position.
The ingenious American, Mr. Roterberg, has im-
proved upon the pattern above described in one or
two particulars. In the case of his " vanisher," the
flat sides project a sixteenth of an inch or so beyond the
curved portion, the resulting edge all round giving a
capital grip for palming, and the metal on each side of
the mouth is continued in an outward curve for three
eighths of an inch, as in Fig. 145, forming a sort of lip,
for a purpose which will presently appear.
 Later Magic 271

The following is an effective series of " passes." The

fake at starting is hooked on the hinder part of the
performer's left trouser-leg. A handkerchief is taken,
rolled between the hands, vanished (actually palmed
in the right), and reproduced from behind the right
knee.1 Meanwhile the left arm is dropped to the side
and secures the fake. The hands are now brought to-
gether and the handkerchief worked into the box. A
feint is made of transferring the handkerchief to the
left hand, which is closed, as though containing it.
The right hand then draws up the left sleeve, and in so
doing hooks the box thereto, just inside the bend of
the elbow.
The handkerchief supposed to be in the left hand is
next rubbed away, and both hands are shown empty.
The movement of drawing back the sleeves is now
repeated, and the fake again palmed in the right hand,
with the mouth directed towards the root of the fore-
finger. The performer now makes a grab at the air,
and with the thumb and forefinger works a small por-
tion of the handkerchief into view; then, with a con-
tinuous up-and-down movement of the hand, works out
the remainder. Just as the whole comes into view,
and the hand has reached the lowest point of its move-
ment, the fake is left hooked behind the right trouser-
leg, and the handkerchief is brought up alone. After
showing that the hands are otherwise empty, the
operator begins to roll it between them again, palms it,
and produces it from behind the right knee, in so doing
regaining possession of the fake.
1 The sewing of a small block of rubber into one corner of the
handkerchief, as described, at p. 278, post, will be found of material
assistance in the performance of this part of the trick.
272 Later Magic

Once more he works the handkerchief into this, and

places it ostensibly in the left hand, really palming it
in the right. While apparently rubbing it away to
nothing in the left hand, he thrusts the second and
third fingers of the right hand into the mouth of the
box (the outward curve on each side facilitating this) ,
brings the hands together, and shows the palms of both
apparently empty, the fake being supported on the tips
of the above-mentioned fingers behind the left hand, as
shown in Fig. 146. The fake being again palmed, the
backs of the hands can then be shown. Bringing them

Fig. 146.

together, the handkerchief is again produced, after

which it may be thrown over the fake in the hand, and
both laid on the table together ; or the performer may,
if preferred, hook the vanisher under cover of his final
manipulations to some part of his clothing, to be got
rid of at leisure.

It will be observed that in both forms of the hand -box

as above described (see Figs. 144 and 145), the little
hook is soldered to the face on the side remote from
the opening, and points towards it. I am inclined to
 Later Magic

think, after some amount of experiment, that its posi-

tion would be better reversed; i.e., that it should be
placed close to the mouth of the box, but pointing
away from it. This is, however, a matter to be decided
by the individual performer ; as many other passes may
be devised, and for some the one, and for some the
other, arrangement may be preferable.

ANOTHER METHOD OF USING THE VANISHER.

The following very ingenious mode of vanishing a

handkerchief is kindly communicated to me by a gentle-
man Ihave more than once had occasion to mention,
Mr. C. O. Williams, of Cardiff.
Two pieces of apparatus are used. The one is a hand-
box of tin, japanned black, and of the shape already
described, but furnished with three hooks, on one side
only. These are arranged in a triangle, two near the
mouth, the third as in Fig. 144, the points being all
turned towards the mouth. The other is a metal
thimble, enamelled flesh-colour, one and one quarter
inches in length, and of such a size as to fit comfortably
over the first joint of the middle finger. In conjunction
with this is used a miniature silk handkerchief, three
inches square, corresponding in colour and texture with
the larger handkerchief used in the trick.
The performer comes forward, showing the handker-
chief in his left hand. Behind it are concealed the
thimble and the miniature handkerchief.
In the right hand is palmed, hooks outward, the
hand-box. Bringing the hands together, the per-
former works the visible handkerchief into this, at the
18
same time bringing into view, cornerwise between the
 Later Magic

forefinger and thumb of the left hand, one half of the

miniature handkerchief, which the spectators naturally
believe to form a part of the one they have just seen.
At this point the performer bethinks himself that he
ought to have pulled up his sleeves. He does so, and
in the act of pulling up the left sleeve, hooks the hand-
box into the under part of the sleeve, where, as soon as
the arm drops, it is concealed. He then gradually
works the 'miniature handkerchief out of sight, and into
the thimble, which he then places on the middle finger
of the right hand, and gently waving the hands about,
shows them empty.
The use of the hand-box is of course optional, as the
handkerchief may equally well be vanished by some
other method. The speciality of the trick is the use
of the little bit of silk to induce the belief that the
handkerchief is still in the hand, and of the "thimble"
to get rid of this. With regard to the latter appliance,
I was shown, some years ago, a fake for the same pur-
pose but of a somewhat different pattern, the joint in-
vention, ifI remember rightly, of two gentlemen, Messrs.
Weston and Carl Posse. The "thimble" in this case
likewise fitted the middle finger, and was about one and
one half inches long, but it had a slice taken off one side
of it; being in fact a mere trough, with one end
closed and duly rounded so as to fit the end of the
finger, meeting the edge of the nail. From the back of
the hand, therefore, the appliance, when in position,
was invisible. Attached to the inside of it was a little
bit of silk, corresponding to the handkerchief to be
vanished. This was normally forced out by the action
of a spring, but was concealed when the fake was on
the finger.
 Later Magic

The method of working was as follows: A handker-

chief isshown, rolled up, palmed, and pocketed. Mean-
while, the fake is taken off the finger of the opposite
hand, and the little bit of silk shown between the finger
and thumb, proving apparently that the handkerchief
is still in the hand. The bit of silk is then worked back
into the thimble, the thimble placed upon the finger,
and both hands shown — empty.

THE "EAU DE COLOGNE BOTTLE " VANISHER.

An ingenious and little-known appliance for getting

rid of a handkerchief is a "faked" eau de Cologne
bottle, of the familiar Jean Maria de Farina pattern.
It will be remembered that the white label on such a
bottle completely covers its front and two of its sides.
To adapt it for the trick, an oblong piece about two and
a half inches by one inch is cut out of the back, the
upper end of the opening being about half an inch be-
low the shoulder. A false bottom, which may be of
glass, tin, or celluloid, is cemented in just above this
point, so that the upper portion of the bottle will still
hold a tablespoonful or so of liquid. This is filled with
eau de Cologne, and the bottle thus prepared is placed
on the performer's table, with the opening turned away
from the spectators.
Having produced a handkerchief by some magical
means, the performer explains, as he waves it in the air,
that this is not a real handkerchief. It is merely
materialized for the time being from the silk microbes
of which there are always a few millions floating in the
air, and unless it is very delicately handled, it will
again revert to the original condition. In fact, so
 Later Magic

sensitive is it, that a few drops of eau de Cologne will

suffice to dematerialize it. "No deception, ladies.
This is just ordinary eau de Cologne. If any lady
would like a few drops on her handkerchief she is very
welcome." Leaving the silk handkerchief on the table
he comes forward, bottle in hand, and pours a few
drops on any handkerchief that is offered; or, if no
one offers, he pours a little on his open left hand; the
only object of this being to convince the spectators that
the bottle is an ordinary bottle of perfume.
This done, he replaces the cork, and taking up his
position at the right side of his table (as viewed by the
spectators), puts the bottle on the table and picks up
the handkerchief. "Sometimes," he remarks, "I can
dematerialize the handkerchief by mere pressure. We
will try." So saying, he folds up the handkerchief
into as small a compass as possible, finally leaving it in
the left hand and appearing to compress it with all his
force, but on opening the hand, the handkerchief is
seen to be still there. "No," he says, "the influence
is n't strong enough. I shall have to use the eau de
Cologne." He picks up the bottle with the right hand,
thence transferring it for a moment to the left hand (in
which the handkerchief still is), so that he may have
the right hand free to pull out the cork. This he places
on the table, and taking the bottle in the right hand,
pours (or makes believe to pour) a few drops of the
spirit upon the handkerchief.
He then returns the bottle to the left hand, while
the right picks up and replaces the cork. This is the
critical part of the trick. In placing the bottle in the
hand he gives it a half -turn, thereby bringing the open-
ing towards the fingers, against which the rolled -up
 Later Magic

handkerchief is lying, and this movement brings the

latter into the cavity. In replacing the cork another
half -turn of the bottle is made, again bringing the open-
ing to the rear, and in this condition the bottle is re-
placed upon the table.
The left hand is kept closed, as though still con-
taining the handkerchief. With his own eyes fixed on
the hand, the performer begins to move the fingers, as
though rubbing it away. "It is going," he remarks,
"going, going, gone!" and opening the hand, shows it
empty.1
A HANDKERCHIEF CHANGED TO A BILLIARD-BALL.

This is both a vanish and a change, for the handker-

chief disappears and a billiard-ball takes its place.
The ball may be either of wood, celluloid, or enamelled
metal. It is hollow, with a hole one and one quarter
inches in diameter on one side. This being palmed, the
handkerchief is taken into the hand and worked into
the cavity of the ball, after the fashion of the familiar
" egg." As to the manner of its introduction, however,
I may pause to give the reader a " wrinkle" which is by
no means universally known, even among professional
conjurers.
Most performers take the handkerchief between the
hands and work it into the egg (or ball, as the case
may be) with the tips of the fingers or thumbs. A far
more artistic method is as follows. Holding the egg
in the left hand, with the opening outwards, lay the
1 Readers of More Magic may remember that a bottle similarly-
prepared is used in the trick entitled " Multiplication of Handker-
chiefs (p.218). In that case, however, the bottle is used for the
purpose of production, for which it is equally available.
278 Later Magic

handkerchief over it, the centre coming just over the

hole, then, with the fleshy part of the palm of the right
hand, and using a fair amount of pressure, rub the
centre of the handkerchief against this opening with a
circular movement. This portion of the handkerchief,
and ultimately the four corners, will be gradually
' ' screwed" into the opening. The egg is then turned
over on to the palm of the right hand, and the trick is
done.
The possession of a warm, moist palm greatly facili-
tates the operation. If the palm is naturally hard and
dry, it should be moistened before attempting the ex-
periment.

As closely akin to the method above described I may

here mention another ingenious dodge (for the know-
ledge of which I am indebted to Mr. John Hamley) for
facilitating the palming and vanishing of a small silk
handkerchief.
In one corner of the handkerchief is sewn a little
piece of rubber, cut out of a flat piece about three
eighths of an inch thick, and roughly trimmed into a
hexagon or octagon, half an inch in diameter. When
it is desired to vanish the handkerchief, this corner is
placed in the centre of the left palm, and the operator
rubs this palm with the other, using the circular move-
ment above described. The effect is to roll up the
handkerchief into a solid ball, of which the little piece
of rubber forms a sort of core. The ball thus formed
is much more easy to palm than one consisting of a
handkerchief only. When the ball is formed the per-
former should keep one of the outer corners snugly
tucked in between the first and second fingers. On
 Later Magic

reproducing the handkerchief, say from below the knee,

he retains hold of this corner and lets the handkerchief
unroll itself; which the weight of the rubber causes it
to do with special rapidity.
Cork may be substituted for rubber, and will serve
the purpose equally well as far as the palming is con-
cerned, but from its greater lightness it does not cause
the handkerchief to unroll so quickly.
In default of a prepared handkerchief, the same effect
may be produced, to a certain extent, by throwing an
ordinary silk handkerchief over the left hand, with one
corner hanging down towards the palm. The right
hand rapidly rolls this corner into a little ball, and
with this as a nucleus, proceeds as above described.

Reverting to the subject of the change of the hand-

kerchief into a billiard-ball, I may further note an
ingenious device by which any one of half a dozen
differently coloured handkerchiefs may be transformed
into a ball of corresponding colour. The secret in this
case lies in the use of a clear glass ball, in place of one of
opaque material. The selected handkerchief is worked
into the ball, which, viewed from a little distance, then
assumes the appearance of a ball of that particular
colour.

THE NICKEL TUBE FOR VANISHING A HANDKERCHIEF.

The "tube" in this case, unlike those described in con-

nection with the colour-changing tricks, is openly used.
It consists of four parts, the tube proper, a (see Fig.
147), which is three and one quarter inches in length
by one and three eighths inches in diameter ; two caps,
or covers, b and c, three quarters of an inch deep, one
28o Later Magic

fitting over each end, and a cup, one and one half
inches deep, fitting easily inside a, but having a turned-
over edge, which prevents it passing alto-
gether into the tube, and at the same time
facilitates its removal, when desired. This
last item is not shown to the audience. All
four portions are of brass, nickelled and
polished. The outside of the little cup is,
however, sometimes left dull, and sometimes
japanned flesh-colour or a dull black. This
part of the apparatus is vested on the per-
former's right side.
Taking the tube, its two covers, and the
handkerchief, the performer hands them for
examination to four different persons, seated
Fig. 147 at some distance apart.
While the above items are being inspected,
he gets the cup from the vest into the right hand, hold-
ing it, bottom upwards, by a slight contraction of the
fingers. He now takes back the tube, receiving it in the
left hand, but forthwith transferring it to the right, and
in so doing bringing it over the inverted cup. Asking
now for one of the covers, he plaGes it over the upper
end, at the same moment pushing the cup home at the
opposite end. Turning the tube the other way up, he
takes back the handkerchief, and openly presses this
down into the tube (really into the cup) . Encircling the
upper end of the tube for a moment with his right hand,
he grips the lower part with the left, and moves the
hands apart, the tube remaining in the left hand. To
all appearances he has merely transferred the tube
from the one hand to the other, but in reality he has
left the cup in the right hand, grasped as before by an
 « 281
Later Magic

encircling finger, save that it is now mouth uppermost.

Asking for the second cover, he receives it with the
right hand and places it on the open end of the tube.
The presence of the cup, palmed in the right hand, will
be found no impediment after a little practice.
A spectator is now invited to hold the tube, pro-
fessedly containing the handkerchief, and the operator
is free to drop the cup, which actually contains it, into a
profonde or on to a servante. The handkerchief (really
a duplicate) is reproduced in any way the performer
pleases, and the tube, on being opened, is found empty.

THE NICKEL TUBE FOR VANISHING A HANDKERCHIEF —

IMPROVED FORM.

The special advantage of this form of the apparatus

is that the handkerchief may be seen in the tube up to
the very moment that it is placed in
the hands of the spectator. ^\ =jp
The apparatus in this case (see sec-
tional view in Fig. 148) consists of five
separate portions, viz. : two metal tubes ;
of the same length (about two and a half j
inches), the one, a, fitting within the ^\ i
other, b, but so loosely that it will drop j j
out by its own weight, and two lids, j ;
c and d, each fitting the tube b. These
are not 1 ' caps, " as in the case of the tube I
last described, but are of the "plug" or c| 1 — l,
"stopper"
into the tube. kind, fitting not over, but FlG i4§
The lid c is solid, and has no speciality; but d is
hollow, having room on its under side for a shallow
282 Later Magic

cup ey within which is glued a small piece of crumpled

silk, the same material as the handkerchief used in
the trick. This little cup fits closely within d, and if
pressed fully home, cannot be again removed without
the aid of a knife and the expenditure of some time
and trouble. When it is in place the appearance of d is
exactly similar to that of c, and has nothing whatever
of a suspicious character.
To prepare for the trick, the conjurer places the
handkerchief he proposes to use, in a carelessly rumpled
condition, on his table, preferably raised on a book or
cigar-box; and concealed behind it, the inner tube a.
The outer tube, b, as also the two lids c and d, are like-
wise on the table. The cup. e> with its fragment of
handkerchief, is inserted into d, but only just so far
as to hold them together. In this condition they are
readily separable, though to the casual observer they
appear as one.
The first step of the performer is to exhibit the tube
bf which he then replaces on the table (in so doing sliding
it gently down over a) and picks up in its place the
handkerchief. Putting this aside, he exhibits c and df
which he explains to be the two "ends" of the tube.
Into this latter he now packs the handkerchief, and
then inserts d in the upper end of the tube, taking care,
however, not to press it home. While doing this, he
holds the tube over the servante, or over a pocket in the
table (see page 89), and allows the inner tube a, con-
taining the handkerchief, to slip away out of sight.
Closing the lower end of the tube with c, he steps for-
ward to hand the tube to some gentleman for safe-
keeping, but, as if bethinking himself, first shows the
company once more that the handkerchief is still in
 Later Magic

the tube. This is done by taking off d without e. The

spectators, seeing the small bit of silk, never doubt but
that it is the genuine handkerchief. In again closing
the tube, the performer presses d fully home, so that
when it is again opened, d and e come away together,
and the tube is found empty.

THE NICKEL TUBE, WITH PULL.

This is a plain nickel tube, a (see Fig. 149), about four

inches long by one and one quarter in diameter, with
two caps, b b, one for each end. To a casual
view both ends of the tube are alike, but a
minute inspection would show that the edge
of one end, which we will call the top, is
turned over inwards all round. The edge of
a 5
the opposite end is left plain.
The above is the whole of the visible ap-
paratus, but there is another item, of which
the spectators know nothing. This is a cup,
c, of such a size at its upper and open end
as to pass easily within a. Its opposite ex-
tremity tapers to a point, to which is attached
the end of a pull, so arranged that the cup
shall lie till needed just within the left
sleeve.
The tube and caps having been handed
for examination, separately, to three different
persons, the performer takes back the tube,
Fig. 149-
and in turning to his table to get the hand-
kerchief, inserts the cup into its lower end, •
and pushes it home. The turned-in upper edge pre-
vents it going too far. He then loads one or more
284
Later Magic

handkerchiefs, according to the intended denouement of

the trick, into the tube, pressing them in reality into the
cup. Taking back one of the caps, he closes the upper
end of the tube, and the moment he has done so turns
it so as to lie in a straight line with his arm, and works
the pull. The cup and handkerchiefs fly up the sleeve.
Now taking back the second cap, he closes the other
end of the tube, and hands it to some one for safe-keep-
ing, ultimately showing that the handkerchiefs have
disappeared, and reproducing thern (actually dupli-
cates) elsewhere.
Closely akin to method of "vanishing" above de-
scribed is

THE VANISH FROM A PAPER CYLINDER.

This, in good hands, is a very pretty and effective

vanish. The performer is furnished with an ordinary
sleeve-vanisher, as described in More Magic, pp. 209,
210. Getting this down into the left hand, and having
in the other a small piece of fairly stiff cartridge-paper,
he forms this into a cylinder round the vanisher ; and
then, with the aid of the wand, packs into it a handker-
chief (which of course passes into the latter) . The mo-
ment he relaxes the pressure of the hand on the paper
cylinder, the vanisher flies up the sleeve. He blows
through the cylinder towards the quarter where the
handkerchief is intended to reappear, after which he
unrolls the paper and shows it empty.

THE " LAMP-CHIMNEY" VANISH.

This is a more up-to-date version of the 1 1 Two Decan-

ters and Flying Handkerchief" trick, described in More
 Later Magic

Magic (page 216). The main difference is the substi-

tution of a glass lamp-chimney for the decanter, and a
simple loop at the end of the pull and passed round the
handkerchief for the "hook" there mentioned. The
lamp-chimney, with the handkerchief thus attached
within it, is held horizontally between the hands of the
performer. As both hands are thus fully occupied, the
pull must be of the self-acting kind, i. e., with the cord
attached to the opposite wrist, and operating by the
mere extension of the arms, or by pressure at the arm-
pit, as in the case of the pull described at page 37.
Some performers use for this feat the double-action
pull, described in More Magic in connection with the
trick of the "Vanishing Lady," 1 but for a handker-
chief of small size this is not necessary.

A very pretty and effective mode of presenting the

trick is to make the handkerchief "vanished" from
one glass cylinder reappear between two other hand-
kerchiefs, tied together in a second cylinder.
The requirements for the feat, in addition to the two
lamp-chimneys and the pull, are four handkerchiefs of
one colour and two of another ; say, red and blue re-
spectively. Of these, two red and one blue are tied
together by their corners, the blue one between the
other two. They are then laid one upon another, and
folded into a compact parcel, which may be kept from
unfolding by means of a rubber band. This the per-
former tucks under his vest, towards the centre. The
remaining three handkerchiefs are thrown over the
back of a chair, in full view. The two lamp-chimneys
are placed on a table in the rear. On his own person,
lMore Magic, p. 453.
286 Later Magic

the performer must be provided with a pull, as before

mentioned.
To show the trick, the operator picks up the two
visible red handkerchiefs, and ties them together, corner
to corner. Spreading them one upon the other on the
seat of the chair, he makes them into a parcel as much
like the pre-arranged one as possible, folding them,
however, less tightly, so that the two packets may be
apparently alike in bulk. This parcel he in like manner
secures with a rubber band.
Holding this in the right hand, he goes to his table
to fetch one of the lamp-glasses; and under cover of
the necessary turn gets the parcel of three into the left
hand. Making believe to transfer the "two ' ' parcel to
this hand, he palms it in the right hand, and shows the
"three" instead; then picking up the lamp -glass with
the right hand, inserts from the top the parcel thus
shown.1 Again turning to his table for his wand to
push it down, he vests the palmed handkerchiefs. The
three (supposed by the spectators to be the two) are
pushed with the wand to the centre of the lamp-
chimney, which is handed to a spectator, with a re-
quest that he will hold it horizontally before him.
During the few moments occupied in rinding a volun-
teer assistant and giving him the needful instructions,
the conjurer gets the loop of the pull in readiness to
receive the blue handkerchief, which, after being shown
four-square, is drawn ropewise through the hands,
passed within the loop, and then, crumpled up into a
ball, is loaded into the second lamp-chimney, which the
performer holds in like manner horizontally before him.
1 The precise method of working the change is of course optional,
most performers having their own special fancies in this particular,
 Later Magic

Explaining that he proposes to make the handkerchief

he holds vanish from the glass and rejoin the two held
by the other gentleman, he takes up his position facing
the latter, one on each side of the stage, requesting
the assistant, at the word " three," to elevate his arms
quickly to the level of his face.
The signal is given, "One, two three!" At the last
word both raise their arms. The handkerchief held by
the performer vanishes, drawn up his sleeve, and on ex-
amination of the other two, is found, apparently, to
have established itself firmly between them.
A more elaborate version of this capital trick, as
worked by Mr. David Devant, will be found in the sec-
tion devoted to "Miscellaneous Handkerchief Tricks."

TO VANISH FOUR HANDKERCHIEFS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

For the purpose of this trick, in addition to the four

handkerchiefs openly used, which should be of dis-
tinctive colours, say, red, white, orange, and blue, the
performer must be provided with four pieces of similar
material and colour, hemmed at the edges, and joined
together in the form of a star, as shown in Fig. 150.
At the point of intersection should be sewn a ring, about
one inch in diameter, of fine gut. The performer must
further be provided with a handkerchief vanisher of the
kind referred to in More Magic, p. 212, disappearing
between coat and vest under the compulsion of a piece
of elastic.
The four handkerchiefs are at the outset laid on a
table, or thrown over the back of a chair. The per-
former advances, picks up one of them, and shows it
four-square. The spectators have no reason to suppose
288 Later Magic

that his hands are otherwise than empty, but as a

matter of fact, the gut ring is passed over the
thumb of his right hand, and the ''star" handkerchief,
neatly rolled together, is concealed in the palm of the
hand. This, however, is only a temporary state of
affairs, for the moment he extends the first handker-
chief (which, so far as the right hand is concerned, he
holds between the first and second fingers), the thumb

Fig. 150.

is out of sight, and the four rays of the star may be

allowed to drop to their full length.
A second handkerchief is taken in the hand and
spread out, the first being now allowed to hang by one
corner from the right hand, due care being taken that
it shall conceal the "star." The third and fourth are
shown in like manner, and all four are then allowed
to hang down together.
The performer now announces that he will make these
four handkerchiefs visibly smaller, and he proceeds
 Later Magic

accordingly to roll them up gradually till he gets them

into a compact ball, which he then conceals in the
palm of the left hand, though to the eye of the spec-
tator the handkerchiefs are still visible in the right
hand, being represented by the four hanging ends of the
star. (If the hands are kept gently moving up and
down during the above process, the sharpest eye will
not detect the substitution.)
The right hand closes on these hanging ends, and the
performer remarks that the handkerchiefs are already
much reduced in size, but they will be smaller yet be-
fore he has done with them. While all eyes are thus
drawn to the right hand, the left drops to the side, de-
posits the genuine handkerchiefs in the profonde, and
gets hold of the vanisher. When the hands are again
brought together, the performer, under pretence of rub-
bing the handkerchiefs still smaller, works the "star"
into this, and after a proper interval, shows that they
have disappeared altogether. The trick may either
end here or be amplified by the reproduction of the
four handkerchiefs in some unexpected quarter, say,
from an extemporized cylinder of paper, into which, un-
known to the spectators, a tube, loaded with four dupli-
cate handkerchiefs, has been inserted in the process of
manufacture.
The trick of which the above is a variation is, I be-
lieve, the invention of a clever German conjurer, Herr
Conradi, of Dresden. In place of the "star" handker-
chief, he uses a square handkerchief made up of four
smaller squares, and without the gut ring. In these
two particulars I think the version above described is
19
the better. Again, he uses, instead of the "vanisher"
for the final disappearance, a hollow finger of celluloid,
290 Later Magic

of such a size that it can be worn till needed on the

little finger of the left hand. This idea has much to
recommend it, and in many cases I should imagine it
would be found extremely useful.
Section V.

METHODS OF REPRODUCING A VANISHED HAND-

KERCHIEF.

After one fashion or another, we will suppose a hand-

kerchief has disappeared. The next point is to repro-
duce it in some quarter where it clearly was not a
moment or two previously. I shall, however, in the
present section, only describe one or two methods of
doing this, leaving others to be dealt with in connec-
tion with the complete tricks to which they form a
denouement.
REPRODUCTION BENEATH A SOUP-PLATE.
This particular form of reproduction was referred to
in More Magic in connection with a trick of Buatier de
Kolta, but the precise mode of introducing the hand-
kerchief under the plate was to some extent left to the
imagination of the reader.1 The method I am about to
describe is in one or two particulars an artistic advance
upon that then employed by Buatier.
Two plates are in this case used. The handkerchief,
duly rolled into a small compass, may either be vested
or stuck on a projecting pin-point at the back of a
chair. We will suppose that the latter arrangement is
adopted ; and that the two plates are laid, one upon the
other, on the seat of the same chair. The performer,
standing on the right side of the chair (as viewed by the
1 "The Dissolving Handkerchief," More Magic, p. 214.
 Later Magic 291

spectators) picks up with the left hand the upper plate,

and transfers it, right side uppermost, to the right. As
he stoops to pick up the plate, however, he rests the
right hand for a moment, in a perfectly natural way, on
the back of the chair ; thumb in front, fingers behind ;
and as he receives the plate, draws the handkerchief
off the pin. The effect is that the handkerchief is
clipped between the fingers and the under side of the
plate.
He now picks up the second plate, but this he grasps
in the reverse way, viz., fingers inside, thumb outside.

Fig. 151.

He holds up both plates, showing the inside of the one

in the right hand, which we will call No. 1, and the out-
side of the one in the left hand, which we will call
No. 2. (See Fig. 151.) He gives each a half -turn,
showing the opposite side, and then brings them
into a horizontal position, No. 2 (inverted) upper-
most, and lowers the one on to the other. Then,
making believe to notice some indications of suspicion
on the part of the audience, he says, "Oh, no!" or
merely smiles and shakes his head, and takes them
apart again. This, however, he does by drawing
off the uppermost plate (No. 2) with the thumb of the
292 Later Magic

right hand, and grasping No. 1 with the left (see Fig.
152). This has the effect of leaving the handker-
chief between the fingers and the inside of plate No. 2,
and in again bringing the two plates together, it is an
easy matter to deposit the handkerchief between them.
The above description may sound a little compli-
cated but
; if followed with the plates in hand it will
be found perfectly simple, and the sleight is one well
worth acquiring, being the most artistic and effective
method with which I am acquainted for attaining its
special object. No conjurer who has once mastered it
will ever again use a faked plate or other mechanical
contrivance for the same purpose.

Fig. 152.

Instead of being placed on a pin behind the chair in

the first instance, the handkerchief to be produced may
be folded small, and kept in that condition by a little
band of tissue paper of the same colour, which band is
attached, by means of a pellet of adhesive wax, to the
edge of the undermost plate. In this case the left hand
elevates the first plate and the right hand the second.
REPRODUCTION FROM A SEALED ENVELOPE.

The handkerchief to be produced is rolled up into a

small compass, and kept from unfolding by a flat rubber
band, not too narrow, on one point of which is fixed a
 Later Magic

little dab of adhesive wax. This is vested or placed in

a pochette.
An envelope, freely chosen from a packet, is either
sealed, or closed by wetting the adhesive flap, as the
case may be, and marked in any manner the company
may desire. It is then placed in some conspicuous
position on the performer's table, say in a notch cut in
the top of the cork of a bottle, or resting against a
candle in a candlestick. During the journey to the
table, however, the performer, by means of the dab of

Fig. 153.

wax, has secretly attached the prepared handkerchief

to the hinder side of the envelope.
The performer, taking a similar handkerchief, "van-
ishes" itby one or other of the methods already referred
to, and shows his hands unmistakably empty. Then,
advancing to the table, he picks up the envelope, and
tears off one end of it. Plunging his fingers into the
open end, he brings them out again, and with them
the handkerchief, apparently out of the envelope, but
really drawn up by the thumb from behind it.
Another method is to pack the handkerchief into a
little circular box, of tin, celluloid, or cardboard, with
 294
Later Magic

a lug on either side, as illustrated in Fig. 153 (the

dotted lines representing the envelope) . The opening,
as will be seen, is at the top. In this case, no adhesive
is needed, the performer showing all fair, apparently,
by passing the envelope from hand to hand, the fore-
finger and thumb of the hand in use holding the appro-
priate lug fast against the envelope, and so keeping the
little box in position.

TWO VANISHED HANDKERCHIEFS REPRODUCED FROM A

NEST OF THREE ENVELOPES.

This is a somewhat more elaborate form of the same

trick. A couple of envelopes are handed for inspection.
Each is found to contain a smaller envelope, and this
another, smaller still. The spectators to whom they
are handed are invited to moisten the adhesive flaps,
close them, and replace each smaller one in the next
larger; so that the two sets constitute two " nests" of
envelopes, all closed. In order to preclude any possi-
bility of substitution, the holders are invited, before
parting with them, to mark the outer envelopes in some
conspicuous way, the one with a blue pencil, the other
with a red one.
This done, the performer places them, with the marks
in full view, side by side on a miniature easel, standing
on his table. On this is placed beforehand a square
of blackened cardboard, its ostensible object being to
make the envelopes more conspicuous and prevent their
falling through the easel.1
1 Two easels are sometimes used, placed on separate tables.
Where circumstances permit, this is the more effective arrange-
ment. The working of the trick is the same in either case.
 Later Magic

The performer then produces, by any means he

pleases, two handkerchiefs, a red and a blue one. He
announces that he will pass these separately into the
two envelopes, the red handkerchief into the red-
marked envelope, and the blue handkerchief into the
blue-marked envelope.
The first step is to cause the handkerchiefs to disap-
pear, which again may be done after any fashion the
performer pleases. He then takes, say, the envelope
with the red mark. He opens it by tearing off one end,
and from it produces the second envelope, throwing the
first aside. Tearing open the second in like manner, he
produces the third, and from this the red handkerchief.
He deals in like manner with the second nest of en-
velopes, and from the innermost produces the blue
handkerchief, the handkerchief coming in each case
veritably from inside the envelope.
The acute reader will hardly need to be told that the
handkerchiefs thus produced are duplicates, but how
they came within the envelopes is not quite so obvious.
The secret lies in the fact that the envelopes, with
the exception of the two outer ones, are duplicates
also.
The performer prepares for the trick by placing a red
handkerchief in an envelope of the smallest size and
enclosing this in one of the next size, which, by the way,
should be a full half -inch less in length than the largest
envelope.
This is placed just behind the cardboard on one side
of the easel, at the back of which there is a little shelf
with a deep groove in it to receive it. The blue hand-
kerchief isdealt with in like manner, and the two en-
velopes containing it are placed behind the easel at the
296 Later Magic

opposite side. In placing the marked envelopes on the

easel, as above described, the performer takes care to
place the one with the red mark in front of the pan-
loaded with the red handkerchief ; and the one with the
blue mark in front of the pair which contain the blue
handkerchief.
In subsequently taking the red-marked nest of en-
velopes from the easel, he does so with fingers in
front and thumb behind, and draws it off sideways, at
the same time drawing off behind it the loaded en-
velope. Holding the marked envelope upright, with
the mark towards the spectators to show 4 'no decep-
tion," he tears off the upper end, dips his ringers in and
draws up, not as the spectators imagine, the envelope
enclosed in it, but the loaded one from behind, The
keenest eye cannot detect the substitution. The large
envelope is now thrown carelessly aside, ostensibly
empty, while the performer, stepping forward, opens
the remaining two envelopes and produces the hand-
kerchief. The blue handkerchief is then produced in
like manner.
Some performers vary the trick by vesting the two
loaded envelopes and placing them behind the marked
ones during the transit to the easel, which in this case
may be used without the black cardboard. This plan
has the advantage that the spectators may be invited
to choose whether the two handkerchiefs shall appear
in the envelopes respectively marked with their own
colours, or the reverse. This undoubtedly adds to the
effect of the trick.1
1 For a very good description of the trick performed in this
manner, see the recent work of Mr. H. R. Evans, Magic and Its
Professors, p. 197.
 Later Magic

THE DRUM-HEAD TUBE.

This, one of the most up-to-date and most ingenious

appliances for the reproduction of a handkerchief, is of
American invention. It consists, ostensibly, merely of
a brass tube, polished or nickel-plated, five inches in
length by one and a half in diameter (see a, Fig. 154),
and a couple of flat metal rings, b, c, fitting easily over

Fig. 154.

it. A book of cigarette-papers, about two inches in

width, completes the visible apparatus.
These various items having been submitted, in
a casual way, for inspection, the performer hands
the empty tube to one of the spectators, who is
invited to place one of the cigarette-papers over
either end, and to secure it by forcing one of the rings
over it. It is then passed to some one else, and the
298 Later Magic

opposite end is treated in like manner, the tube thus

forming a sort of miniature drum, with tissue-paper
ends.
The little drum being returned to the performer,
he places it in the hands of a third spectator for safe-
keeping. Taking a small silk handkerchief, he an-
nounces that he is about to pass it into the empty
tube. He " vanishes" it by any method that he
pleases ; then, taking back the little drum, he breaks
the paper at one end, and the handkerchief is found
inside.
The secret lies in the use, unknown to the spectators,
of the little appliance marked d in the diagram. This
is a metal tube, one end of which is normally open.
The opposite end is closed, tapering down to a fairly
sharp-pointed cone. This is prepared by packing a
duplicate handkerchief into it, after which the open
end is closed with another cigarette-paper, which is
kept in position by a third ring, e, passed over it. The
upper edge of e curls over slightly to the outside, the
appearance of the two in combination being as /, and
the two together being of such a diameter as to just fit
within a.
When the newly made 4 'drum" is handed to the per-
former he has this palmed in his left hand, point out-
wards. He takes back the drum with the right, and
holds it horizontally between the hands while he asks
who will volunteer to take charge of it. In that mo-
ment he presses the fake into the end of the drum ; the
conical point forcing its way through the original paper.
When it is fully home it leaves the appearance of the
drum exactly as before, though it is now loaded with the
duplicate handkerchief.
 Later Magic

REPRODUCTION FROM A CANDLE.

This is a very pretty form of reproduction, and be-

comes all the more effective if the performer has pro-
fes edly " passed" the handkerchief, by means of one
or other of the vanishing processes, into the candle in
the first instance.
The old-fashioned method of producing this effect
was to insert the handkerchief to be produced in a paper
tube with* a candle-end at top, representing, when
placed in a candlestick and lighted, a genuine candle.
This was wrapped in paper, and the paper and its con-
tents then torn in half, the handkerchief being ex-
tracted from the ruins, and a substitute candle being
produced from the tail pocket of the operator.
This sort of thing the high-class performer will let
severely alone. A rather better plan, if the wizard has
no confidence in the magic of his own fingers, is to have
the handkerchief neatly packed into a longitudinal
groove in one side of the candle, which is then papered
over. A minimum of dexterity will then suffice to
draw the handkerchief apparently out of the flame, but
there is always the risk that some spectator of an in-
quiring turn of mind may ask for a nearer view of the
mysterious bougie, when the wizard will be brought to
shame and confusion.
Buatier de Kolta's method of passing a handkerchief
into a candle, and reproducing it from thence, is as
follows :
On the performer's table is a candle, in a candlestick,
but unlighted. Beside it is an ordinary match-box, a
little way open. Into the cavity thus left at one end
a handkerchief is neatly packed. In the right sleeve
 Later Magic

300
of the performer rests a "vanisher" attached to a
pull, led to the opposite wrist, as described in More

Thus 1 provided, the performer shows a duplicate

Magic.
handkerchief, rolls it up in the right hand, and transfers
it, with a make-believe appearance of awkwardness, to
the left. He then places the right hand behind him,
and (by flexing the right arm a little) allows the van-
isher to sink down into it. The spectators naturally
believe that the handkerchief is still in the right hand.
Appearing suddenly to realize this, the performer
slowly opens the left hand, and shows that they are mis-
taken, for the handkerchief is there. He then transfers
it to the right hand, and holding this over the candle,
with its back to the spectators, works the handkerchief
into the vanisher, which he then draws up the sleeve,
the hand being left empty and the handkerchief having
ostensibly passed into the candle. The performer ex-
plains that it is much more difficult to get it out again,
but he will endeavour to do so. First, however, he must
light the candle. This he does, and closes the match-
box, the act of doing so pushing the concealed hand-
kerchief into his left hand. He nips the flame with the
thumb and second finger of the opposite hand, as if
pulling something out of it, then rubs the hands to-
gether, and the handkerchief is seen to have returned.
The latter part of the trick may of course be performed
with bare arms.
A somewhat more elaborate method is as follows:
The vanisher is dispensed with, and one handkerchief
only is used. The candle and match-box are disposed
as in Buatier's version, save that the latter, though
1 Pp. 209-210.
 Later Magic 301

pushed slightly open, contains no handkerchief. The

only new item of apparatus is a ring of very thin wire,
about an inch and three quarters in circumference.
This at the outset, pulled into an oval shape, is con-
cealed between the fingers of the performer's right
hand. Showing the handkerchief in the same hand, he
proceeds to fold it as small as possible, secretly intro-
ducing itinto one end of the wire loop. He then gives
this a double twist at the centre, transforming it into a
figure of 8, the handkerchief being held fast in one of
the two loops thus formed. The unoccupied loop he
slips over the thumb of the right hand. He now makes
believe to transfer the little parcel to the left hand,
really throwing it over the back of the right hand. He
then makes a rubbing movement over the candle with
the left hand, and shows both hands empty, the hand-
kerchief having ostensibly passed into the candle. This
he now proceeds to light, taking a match from the
box for that purpose. Meanwhile he has got the
little parcel over to the front of the right hand, and
pushes it into the hollow end of the match-box, the
loop projecting. He is now able, in a casual way,
to show the hands both back and front, unmistakably
empty.
His first attempt at lighting the candle is a failure,
for he accidentally (?) drops the match. This necessi-
tates his picking up the box again to take another. In
so doing he slips the thumb through the wire loop, and
regains possession of the handkerchief. After lighting
the candle, he passes the hand over the flame, and a
moment later shows the recovered handkerchief, first
breaking the wire, and so enabling it to expand to its
normal dimensions.
302 Later Magic

THE GLASS BOX, FOR REPRODUCING A HANDKERCHIEF.

This is a box, cubical in shape, and measuring about

four and a half inches each way. The sides are of
clear glass, set in a metal framework, which may be
either enamelled black or nickel-plated i the latter of
course being the more elegant in appearance. The box
is supported on four metal feet.
In principle it is the same as the familiar card-box.
To the hinder edge of the bottom of the box, inside, is
hinged a glass flap, which normally lies against the back
of the box, being kept in that position by the pressure
of a spring. It may, however, be folded down upon
the bottom, and kept in that position by means of
a spring catch. This catch can be withdrawn at the
pleasure of the performer, either by giving a half -turn
to one of the feet or by pushing aside a little projecting
tongue, according to the construction of the particular
box.
The box is prepared for use by placing one or more
handkerchiefs in it, not folded, but put in anyhow.
The movable flap is then folded down over them and
secured by the spring catch. In this condition the box
may be freely shown, if only the performer takes care
to hold it horizontally, and does not allow the specta-
tors to get a view of the bottom, either from within or
without. A good plan is to hold it flat on the hand in
front of a lighted candle, when the fact of the flame
being visible through the transparent sides seems to
afford conclusive proof that it is really empty.
Duplicates of the concealed handkerchiefs are then
"vanished" by any of the means already described.
Taking the box in one hand and a lady's fan in the
 Later Magic 303

other, the performer fans the box, and under cover of so

doing releases the catch.
The flap flies up, and the handkerchiefs instantly
expand, nearly or quite filling the box. These are re-
moved and the box again held in front of the candle,
the light being shown through both sides and bottom,
and proving conclusively (?) that there is "no decep-
tion" about it.
Section VI.

MISCELLANEOUS HANDKERCHIEF TRICKS.

The reader who has fully mastered the instructions

given in the earlier sections of this chapter should have
little to learn as to the manipulation of handkerchiefs.
There is, however, still unlimited scope for inventive
genius as to the most telling use of the forces at his
command and the introduction of such incidents as
may enhance their effect. One or two examples of such
combination may therefore be acceptable, and I cannot
better begin than with an illusion which, in the hands
of the inventor, has delighted many thousands of spec-
tators, and which has formed the basis of a score of
more or less perfect imitations, some of which have
been already discussed in the course of this chapter.

devant's handkerchief trick.1

This is a trick of three distinct stages ; consisting of,
first, the production of three white handkerchiefs in
1 See remarks on p. 241. The present is the first occasion on
which a really correct explanation of this trick appears in print.
The description has been revised by Mr. David Devant himself,
and is published by his express permission.
304 Later Magic

succession; next, changing their colour to red, green,

and yellow respectively, and lastly, after knotting two
of them together and placing them in a glass lamp-
chimney, causing the third to vanish from a second
lamp-chimney and be found securely tied between the
two others.

The requirements for the first two stages of the trick

are as under:
1. Three white handkerchiefs of finest French sars-
net, each fifteen inches square. Of these, one is packed
into a false finger, which is placed, opening upwards,
just within the opening of the performer's vest on the
left side. The second is packed into the end of a half-
open match-box, on his table, and the third, folded
small, is bestowed inside the bend of his left elbow.
2. A brass tube, four inches in length by one and
one half in diameter, slightly flattened, that it may
not roll off when laid upon the table. This tube is
loaded with three handkerchiefs, of the same size as the
white ones. Each has a violet border about an inch
wide, but the colours of the centre portions vary ; the
one first inserted being red, the second yellow, and the
third green.
3. A piece of stiff drawing-paper, ten and one half
inches by eight, prepared as follows : One end is folded
down to a depth of two and one half inches. The hand-
kerchief tube is then laid on the folded portion, and the
paper rolled tightly round it, so that when the tube
is removed, it shall still retain a certain amount of
curvature.
In arranging for the performance of the trick, the
paper is laid on the table as shown in Fig. 155, the
 Later Magic 305

folded end (now opened out again) being farthest away

from the spectators, and concealing the loaded tube,
which lies just behind it. The end of the tube with the
red handkerchief lies towards the performer, as he
stands to work the trick, which he does throughout with
the table on his left hand.
4. Vest servante, in position ready for use.1
The performer begins by announcing that he wants a
white silk handkerchief. In order to produce one, he
must warm his hands. He accordingly takes a match
from the box, strikes it, lays the box down again, and
with the lighted match makes believe to warm first

Fig. 155.

the one palm, and then the other, thereby calling at-
tention, indirectly, to the fact that his hands are empty.
He then draws back, first the right sleeve, then the left,
and in so doing gets the handkerchief from the bend of
the arm into the right hand. He brings the palms
of the hands together, and produces the handkerchief
from between them, the silk expanding spontaneously
as the pressure is removed.
Exhibiting it, and laying it down on the table, he re-
marks, cheerfully: " I always make my white handker-
chiefs like this. First I show you that my hands are
empty. I bring them together." (He does so, palm
to palm.) "Nothing could be more simple. Watch!
1 See p. 26.
20
 Later Magic

3o6
I will do it again. It 's a very simple trick. All you
want is a couple of hands and a match, and then you
have a strike."
He strikes a match, and in closing the box squeezes
out the concealed handkerchief into his right hand.
He makes believe to warm the hands, as before, then
brings them together. "You have heard of hands
working together better after a strike, haven't you?
You just warm them up, and almost immediately
you produce the manufactured article.' ' He rubs the
hands together, and produces the second handkerchief.
"I would like some one to see that these are really
handkerchiefs. Will some of those ladies be good
enough to examine this? It 's a nice piece of silk,
is n't it ? A rich sort of silk, the sort you get for four
three a yard, you know. In case any one did not see
how that was done, I will do it again, very slowly. I
bring my empty hands slowly together, and almost
immediately I get what I want." (Produces third
handkerchief.) "I think this plan is rather' better
than buying these little things. It comes cheaper."
A word of explanation will here be desirable. So
soon as the second handkerchief is produced the per-
former nips both by one corner between the first and
second fingers of the left hand. One of these he then
hands for examination as above. When it is returned,
he replaces it hanging down from the left hand as be-
fore, and under cover of the two handkerchiefs reaches
into the vest and gets possession of the false finger.
This is inserted between the second and third fingers of
the right hand and the hands brought palm to palm,
under which conditions the presence of the finger can-
not possibly be detected. A moment later this is bent
 Later Magic 307
down between the palms and the third handkerchief
produced. Under cover of its production, the then
empty finger is dropped into the vest servante.
After a little "patter " as to the colour of the three
handkerchiefs, which, he says, may be variously re-
garded as "art white," "subdued white," or "dirty
white," according to the taste of the beholder, the per-
former, holding all three still in his left hand, with the
right picks up the piece of paper, ostensibly to make
room for them on the table, whereon he lays them ac-
cordingly.1 Intaking up the sheet of paper, he picks
up with it the loaded tube, which adapts itself to the

Fig. 156.

concave side of the folded-down portion. The paper

and tube are held vertically between the forefinger and
thumb. He bends the free portion of the paper back-
wards and forwards, showing that there is nothing con-
cealed behind it, and then rolls it into a cylinder, the
portion previously folded naturally folding itself down
as before against the tube. (Fig. 156 gives a sectional
end view of the paper and tube, save that the paper
would in reality be wound a good deal closer.) The
1 It should be mentioned that the table used by Mr. Devant in
this trick is a small portable affair, the top, which is oblong, measur-
ing about sixteen inches by ten only. This limitation of space
facilitates the working of the trick, the picking up of one article to
make room for another affording just the opportunity needed for
some of the essential movements.
 Later Magic

3o8 and tube, still held upright, are now transferred

paper
to the left hand ; the little finger lying across the lower
end.
With the right hand the performer picks up one of the
handkerchiefs, and again inserts its uppermost corner
between the first and second fingers of the left hand.
A second is dealt with in the same way. Thus held, the
two handkerchiefs screen the lower end of the paper
cylinder, and the brass tube is now allowed, resting on
the little finger, to drop a couple of inches below the
bottom of the cylinder. The patter meanwhile has
been continued as follows :
"With this paper I make a tube. There is nothing
inside. It is simply a piece of paper rolled up. Every
item I use is quite unprepared. Nothing in the tube,
and nothing concealed in either of these three white
handkerchiefs. Oh, yes!" (as he picks up the third
handkerchief), "I see, there is a tiny little hole con-
cealed in this one — but I expect that was born there."
With the right hand he throws the third handker-
chief up in the air, a few inches only, and catches it
again, crumpled together. He then brings it close to
the lower ends of the other two handkerchiefs, and
raises all three together till they meet the bottom of
the tube. This latter is then allowed to drop into the
right hand, which, however, is instantly turned over,
the handkerchiefs likewise falling over, and so masking
the tube. The paper cylinder is, of course, now empty,
and the spectators are allowed to see clearly that it is
so. He continues : " I got the idea of this trick through
travelling on the Metropolitan Railway. I always
travel on that line when I can, because I am fond of
scenery. Now I am simply going to pass these white
 309
Later Magic

handkerchiefs slowly through this cardboard tube."

He inserts them at the bottom, in so doing again in-
serting the brass tube and gradually pushing the white
handkerchiefs into this, thereby forcing out the others.
" It seems a curious thing, but for a long time past I
have been living by conjuring, and now I am going to
dye by it. Simply passing the handkerchiefs through
this tube will have the effect of changing them into the
very latest shades. ' ' (He begins to draw out the coloured
handkerchiefs at top.) "You can see here three art
shades — Regent Street art. Here is a nice quiet colour
called 'autumn green.' This again is rather a sweet
tint, 'faded ginger/ This last is exquisite; it is the
prettiest pink known — to drapers; and is called 'the
maiden's blush.' Here are the three handkerchiefs,
and here is the little piece of cartridge paper."
During the production of the handkerchiefs the paper
cylinder is held upright in the left hand. As each
handkerchief is extracted by the right hand at the top,
it is returned to the left hand and allowed to hang down
by one corner from between the fingers. The handker-
chiefs thus hanging mask the bottom of the paper
cylinder, and just as the third handkerchief is exhibited
the left hand is drawn back as far as the opening of the
vest, and lets the brass tube (which now contains the
three white handkerchiefs) slip down into the servante.1
The performer drops the three handkerchiefs from
the height of a foot or so down on his table, thereby
proving indirectly that there is no tube concealed in
them. The red one is left uppermost, in readiness
for the next phase of the trick. The performer then
1 The reader may be interested to know that the vest servante
was devised by Mr. Devant for the purpose of this particular trick.
 Later Magic

retires for a moment or two behind the scenes, remark-

ing ": I make a practice of retiring for a little while after
each trick, to give people an opportunity of telling
each other how it 's done. It makes the trick more
interesting."
For the concluding stage of the trick a little further
preparation is necessary. Three handkerchiefs, cor-
responding inappearance with the three last produced,
are tied corner to corner, the red one being in the
middle. This latter is folded in half diagonally on the
yellow one, which is rolled round it. The two, twisted
ropewise, are then wound tightly round the forefinger,
and the green handkerchief round these, the final end
being tucked into a fold. In this condition they form
a compact little ball, which lies till needed behind the
scenes.

On the performer's person is a "pull," after the kind

originated by Robert-Houdin (who, however, did not
fully realize its possibilities), and used at a later
date with such good effect by Buatier de Kolta. Mr.
David Devant, however, has "gone better" than his
predecessors, the very slight movement of the arms re-
quired to actuate his pull having fairly puzzled his
brother wizards, and having set them to devising elabo-
rate mechanical contrivances to get the same effect,
which, however, he obtains in a ridiculously simple
way. His improvement practically consists in shorten-
ing the pull, and attaching the fixed end of the cord to
the upper arm, instead of to the wrist.
The exact specification of Mr. Devant's appliance
is as follows: A leather strap, of the garter kind, is
buckled round the left arm, just above the elbow. On
 Later Magic

this runs a brass ring, to which is attached a piece of

stout whipcord, two feet six inches long. At the free
end of this is a loop of much finer cord, six inches in
length. These are " whipped" the one to the other, so
that there may be no knots to impede the perfect work-
ing of the pull.
The cord travels from the left arm across the back
(outside the vest) , and down the right sleeve. In order
to keep the loop instantly available till wanted, and at
the same time to leave his arms perfectly free, Mr.
Devant uses another ingenious little device, to the best
of my belief peculiar to himself, viz., he simply passes
a spare handkerchief midway through the loop and
allows it to be drawn up the sleeve. The military plan
of carrying the handkerchief in this way has now be-
come so common, even among civilians, that it excites
no remark, and the performer has only to draw the
handkerchief out of his sleeve (simultaneously passing
the loop over the thumb), wipe his face with it, and
place it in his pocket, to have the pull ready for action.

To show the trick, the performer comes forward with

the loop over his right thumb. Palmed in the same
hand, he has the little bundle of three handkerchiefs,
arranged as above. In the left hand he brings in the
two lamp-chimneys.
After exhibiting the two last-named articles, he
makes room for them on the table by picking up, with
the right hand, the three handkerchiefs already used,
thereby masking the little package concealed in the
hand. He then transfers the yellow and green hand-
kerchiefs tothe left hand, and lays the red one down
again, with the little bundle behind it. He next ties
 Later Magic

the312yellow and green handkerchiefs together, corner to

corner, twists them ropewise, and rolls them into a ball,
the green one outermost.
The patter up to this point is to the following effect :
"For my next experiment I use these same handker-
chiefs and these two glass tubes. You can see through
them. I hope you won't be able to see through me. I
take two of these handkerchiefs and tie them together.
I tie them by the corners, so. I think that you will be
inclined to admit that these are fairly tied. I do not
like to trouble you to examine these things because
there is no entertainment in examining them — espe-
cially when there 's nothing to find out. I am going to
roll up these handkerchiefs in a small bundle. I will
do it slowly. I do everything slowly ; I do hate to de-
ceive people. Observe, my whole apparatus consists
of this little bundle " (he shows it between finger and
thumb of left hand), " this red handkerchief , and these
two glass tubes."
With the right hand he picks up the red handker-
chief, with the bundle of three behind it, and then (on
the tacit pretext of needing the left hand to handle
the lamp-chimneys) transfers the bundle of two to the
same hand, just below the bundle of three. The hand
is now tilted over slightly, so that this latter bundle
(ostensibly the same) comes into view. With the left
hand he moves the glass tubes a little farther from one
another, and while the general attention is thus at-
tracted in that direction, drops the bundle of two
handkerchiefs from the right hand into the vest ser-
vante. ' ' I put these two handkerchiefs ' ' (the bundle of
three) "into one of the glass tubes, so that they are iso-
lated from everything. Perhaps some gentleman will
 Later Magic 3i3

hold the tube between his hands, so that I can't possibly

get at them. High up, sir, above your head.
"Now for the swindle — problem, I mean. The red
handkerchief I propose to put in this other tube. See
that I do it fairly. I want you to see that I really put
it into the glass. You see I put it as nearly as possible
in the centre of the tube, so that it is out of reach of
my fingers. But I am not going even to put my
fingers near it. I am going to hold it between the
palms of my hands, so." (He holds the glass horizon-
tally between the palms.) "In this position, you see,
the only way the handkerchief can be got at is by break-
ing the glass. And yet, when I say, ' Go,' it will vanish
from the cylinder. Look! Isn't it exciting? Watch
carefully, it is just off . Going! Going! Go!"

It is hardly necessary to inform the reader that be-

fore pushing the handkerchief into the glass cylinder it
was first passed through the loop of the pull. When
the performer says ' ' Going ! Going ! Go !" he at each
word raises the cylinder shoulder high and lowers it
again.
Up to the critical moment the elbows are kept close
to the sides, but at the word " Go !" they are lifted out-
wards for a moment. The movement is so slight as to
be practically imperceptible, but the handkerchief dis-
appears like a flash.
" It is very simple. All you want is a tube made of
precipitated glass. I often hear people say ' It disap-
pears up his sleeve.' I hope that you won't believe
that it disappears up my sleeve. I will show you my
sleeve."
He unfastens the cuff, and draws up the sleeve, showing
 Later Magic

the bare arm. " There 's no arm — harm, I mean — in

showing you there is nothing up my sleeve, except
this. This is solid — I know it 's solid — I have had it a
long time. I have another in the other sleeve, I have
had just as long. In fact, they were a sort of birthday
present. I always carry them with me; I have got
used to them.
"Now I will show you that the handkerchief has
really arrived at the other tube, and that forms the
answer to the problem. If I have succeeded, we shall
find that it has not only gone to the other tube, but has
tied itself between the two others." Which is, on ex-
amination, found to be the case.

I have dealt with this trick at somewhat dispropor-

tionate length, in order to give, to the best of my
ability, an exact idea of its actual working. As will be
seen, the "patter" is of the simplest kind; but this,
slight though it is, is arranged with excellent judgment
to make the needful opportunities for the various move-
ments of the trick. I can imagine few better lessons,
even for an advanced student of conjuring, than, after
having mastered this description and got a clear idea
of the successive processes, to go and see the trick
worked by Mr. Devant, and notice how skilfully a series
of perfectly natural movements are made to cover the
necessary manipulations of the conjurer. The most
striking testimony to the excellence of the trick is this,
that the illusion is still complete, even though the
spectator may know, theoretically, how it is effected.

The "lamp-chimney" vanish, in one form or another,

has practically superseded Buatier de Kolta's trick of
 Later Magic 3i5

passing a handkerchief from one decanter into another.

The fact that the second decanter was covered was
a weak point, which is avoided in the more modern
version.

THE HAT AND HANDKERCHIEF.

This neat little trick is the invention of a wizard

hight Francis King, a German, I believe, though per-
forming under an English name.
The requirements are as follows :
1. A couple of small cylindrical tumblers (such as

Fig. 157.

are used to cover bedroom water carafes) . (See a, Fig.

I57-)
2. Four small handkerchiefs, two red and two blue,
and two miniature handkerchiefs, say three inches
square, one of each colour. These should be sewn to-
gether, corner to corner, for greater convenience in
handling.
3. A chair with a small bag servante behind it.
4. A piece of white paper, eight inches by seven;
not too stiff, but strengthened on one side by the addi-
tion of two strips of stouter paper. These are pasted
across the width of the larger paper, at equal distances
 Later Magic

316 its two ends, and just so far apart that the dis-
from
tance between their outer edges shall correspond with
the height of the glass tumblers. One of these two
strips is pasted down throughout its length ; the other
only at the ends, the space between forming a band
under which are tucked the two miniature handker-
chiefs, as shown in the diagram. The paper, thus
prepared, is rolled up, with the strips inside, and
kept in that condition till it acquires a slight inward
curve, enabling the performer to lay it, without fear
of its falling, over the back of the chair behind which
is the servante. Two of the larger handkerchiefs, one
of each colour, are tucked loosely into one of the glasses
and placed on the seat of the same chair. The second
glass, containing the other two, is vested, lying hori-
zontally with its opening to the right hand.
To show the trick, the performer borrows a soft felt
hat, and in turning to the chair, introduces the vested
glass into the hat, 1 which he places thereon, at the same
time picking up the visible glass and handkerchiefs.
Taking out and showing the handkerchiefs, he again
packs them into the glass. Next, with the same hand
with which he holds the glass, he picks up the sheet of

1 This may be conveniently managed as follows : In receiving the

hat (with the right hand) from the lender, grasp it by the brim with
ringers inside, thumb outside. In moving towards the chair, hold
it in front of you, crown downwards; thrust the thumb into mouth
of glass, and draw this down till it rests on the outside of the hat,
kept in position by the thumb. The hat may now be transferred
to the opposite hand (the glass being secured by the left thumb, in
this case outside the glass). Both hands having been thus proved
apparently empty, the hat is returned to the right hand, and the
thumb takes up its original position inside the glass. In the act
of turning the hat over the thumb loads the glass into it, the keenest
eye being unable to detect the movement.
 Later Magic 3*7

paper and makes believe to wrap the glass in it. In

reality, however, he lets the glass drop into the bag of
the servante, and the paper when rolled up is empty,
though, if it is carefully handled, the strips of paper on
its inner side make it appear exactly as if it really con-
tained the glass.
The next step is to close one end of the cylinder thus
made, the paper being turned down just at the edge of
the stiffening strip. The other end of the cylinder is
then closed, but the performer, as if bethinking himself,
first draws out and exhibits a portion of the two minia-
ture handkerchiefs, proving apparently that the hand-
kerchiefs (and inferentially the glass) are still within
the cylinder. This is then pushed back by the aid of
the wand and the end closed. After a little appro-
priate patter, the performer crushes the paper into a
shapeless mass, throws it aside, and produces the miss-
ing tumbler and handkerchiefs from the hat upon the
chair.

THE CLOSED GLASS TUBE (U ETUI EN CRISTAL) .

This very neat illusion (which I believe originated

with Professor De Vere, before mentioned) resembles
that last described, in so far that in each a hat and
a handkerchief play prominent parts, but they have
nothing else in common.
The effect of the trick is that a handkerchief, bor-
rowed or otherwise, is placed in a short glass tube,
closed at one end after the manner of a test tube. (See
a in Fig. 158). The opposite end is closed by a metal
cap, b. The handkerchief thus safeguarded is placed in
a borrowed hat.
 Later Magic

i8
3After a due amount of "patter," the tube on being
taken out of the hat is found to be empty, and the
missing handkerchief is presently reproduced in some
other quarter.
As a matter of fact there are two tubes, exactly alike ;
each with its own cover. In the left sleeve of the per-
former isa pull, terminating in a metal cup, c, of such a
shape and size as to just fit over the
rounded end of the tube. The pull is of
the elastic kind, and so arranged in point
of length that the cup shall lie, when the
arm is extended, just above the shirt-
cuff. By bending the arm, it may be
brought into the hand.
To prepare for the trick, one of the
tubes, with the cover on, but empty, is
placed under the right side of the per-
former's vest. His first step is to borrow
a hat, which he receives in the left hand.
As he bends forward to take it, he gets
the tube from under the vest into the
right hand, to which the hat is then im-
mediately transferred. The tube is held
under the brim, outside, while the hat
Fig. 158. is carelessly held up and shown empty;
after which it is an easy matter to trans-
fer it to the inside. The hat, now containing the empty
tube, is placed upon the table.
The next step is to exhibit the second tube and the
handkerchief, which some one is invited to place in the
tube. It is taken back by the performer with the right
hand, but is forthwith transferred to the left, into which
the performer has meanwhile got down the cup. This
 Later Magic 319

is slipped over the end of the tube, which the performer

then makes believe to place in the hat. In the act of
doing so he releases the pull, and the tube is drawn up
the sleeve ; though to the eye of the spectator, who has
seen the hand go into the hat holding the tube, and re-
appear empty, it appears an absolute certainty that
the tube has been left in the hat. In due course the
empty tube is exhibited and the handkerchief repro-
duced as may be desired.

THE HANDKERCHIEF CUT AND RESTORED (MODERN

METHOD).

This, so far as the above description goes, is one of

the oldest of conjuring tricks ; every schoolboy knows
that the handkerchief is not cut at all, and that if the
performer were to spread it out, it would be seen to be
uninjured.
Such was the case, no doubt, but as our French
friends say, "Nous avons change tout cela." The con-
jurer of to-day does spread out the handkerchief.
It is not changed, but is the genuine borrowed article.
In the middle of it is a huge hole, through which
may be seen the coat sleeve, or the trouser-leg, over
which it is outspread. And yet, "Presto!" the dam-
age is repaired and the handkerchief is whole as at
first.
The secret lies in the use of a very simple little appli-
ance. Two small pieces of cambric, about five inches
square, are lightly tacked together at the edges, forming
a sort of little bag. Between them lies a piece of thin
black cloth, a shade smaller. This is vested, and at
the proper moment got into the right hand, on the palm
 Later Magic

of32which
0 it lies flat, with the centre of the borrowed
handkerchief laid over it. The hand closes on them
and turns them over, then transfers them to the left
hand. The little cambric bag is now uppermost.
The performer draws up a portion of the centre of
this, and offers it to the scissors. He then throws the
handkerchief loosely over the left coat sleeve, the
little bag lying upon it, with the cut side uppermost.
The black cloth, visible through the hole just made,
appears to be the coat sleeve, seen through the hand-
kerchief. A little gentle friction applied to the hole
enables the performer to palm off the little bag and
to restore the handkerchief, uninjured, to its anxious
owner.

THE " MARVELLOUS METAMORPHOSIS " SILVER CYLINDER.

The object of the ingenious piece of apparatus to

which Messrs. Hamley give the above name is the
transformation of a silk handkerchief, or handker-
chiefs, into a flag.
The visible apparatus for the trick consists (in ad-
dition to a miniature Union Jack of silk) of a nickelled
tube (see Fig. 159) four and one half inches in length by
one and three eighths in diameter, closed by a cap,
three quarters of an inch deep, at each end.
With the principal tube is used, unknown to the
spectators, an inner tube, a, two inches in length, just
fitting within it. The end which in use is the upper
one has the edge turned over slightly. This serves the
double purpose of preventing the tube going too far in
and of enabling the performer to palm it out again with
ease, when desired. Both ends of the tube are open,
 Later Magic

but midway between them is fixed a little bag of black

silk, as indicated by the dotted lines.
The bottom of this bag may of course be pushed to321
either end at pleasure.1
The tube a is prepared for use by loading it, from the
lower end, with the flag, which is pressed in as far as the
little bag will permit. Thus loaded, it is
vested, or otherwise so placed as to be in- P Jn
stantly get-at-able.
Thus provided, the performer offers the
principal tube for inspection, and when this
is given back, the two caps, inviting the
holder to make quite sure that there are no
false bottoms or other species of deception
about them. While attention, is thus called
to the two caps, he takes the opportunity
to slip a into one end of the principal tube.
He next borrows a lady's handkerchief, which
he proceeds to place openly therein. First,
however, in order, as he says, to prevent
its coming out at the bottom, he places one
Fig. 159.
of the caps on the lower end. The hand-
kerchief, being now inserted at the top and
pushed down with the wand, squeezes out the flag
into the larger tube, itself remaining tightly packed
in the little bag.
The next step is to palm out the inner fake and to
close the visible tube with the second cap. The tube is
now placed on the table, or handed to a spectator, and

1 This arrangement has already been referred to. (See note on

page 244.) The method of" fixing the bag is in the present case
extremely ingenious. The tube is made in two portions, screwed
together, the edges of the bag being nipped between them.
 Later Magic

322 in due course opened, the lady's handkerchief is

being
found apparently transformed to a pretty flag; the
actual handkerchief remaining in the performer's pos-
session, to be afterwards reproduced in any way he
pleases.
A HANDKERCHIEF CHANGED TO PAPER RIBBONS.

This makes a very pretty finish to a handkerchief

trick. The handkerchief used is rubbed between the
hands, from which a stream of paper ribbons, yard
upon yard, forthwith begins to flow. When the supply
comes to an end the hands are shown empty, the hand-
kerchief having entirely disappeared.
This trick depends on the use of a special piece of
apparatus, the different parts of which are depicted in
Fig. 1 60. Here a is a handkerchief van-
f^SL^\d isher, of special form and construction. It
is of thin brass, and in the shape of half
an egg, closed at top, but having an open-
ing, b,at the side, giving access to the in-
terior. Round the upper edge is a metal
band c, half an inch deep, designed for
the reception of a coil of paper ribbon.
Fitting tightly over this is a lid, d, to keep
the coil in its place, with an opening in the
centre through which the coil can be drawn out at
pleasure. The inner end of the coil is inserted in the
notch of a little peg, f (which is slit through two thirds
of its length like a miniature clothes-peg), and there
secured by passing a rubber ring over it. The peg,
thus attached, is worked into the centre of the coil,
and when the latter is in position, the lower end of
the peg projects slightly, through the hole e, into the
 Later Magic 323

interior of a. This latter is attached by its tapering

end to a rubber pull, the exact arrangement of which
may be left to the performer's fancy.1
The working of the trick will need but little explana-
tion. At the appropriate moment the performer gets
the vanisher into his hands and works the handker-
chief into it. The act of doing this forces out the peg,
which falls out, drawing the end of the paper ribbon
after it. By keeping the hands in motion, the coil is
gradually paid out. When it is exhausted, the per-
former extends the arms, and lets go the vanisher,
leaving the hands empty.
It is hardly necessary to remark that the paper rib-
bon should be of the same colour as the handkerchief.
The trick may likewise be performed with silk ribbon,
with very pretty effect, but the coiling of the silk is a
troublesome matter, whereas the paper coils may be
purchased by the dozen, at an almost nominal price.
A HANDKERCHIEF TRANSFORMED INTO PAPER
SHAVINGS.

This pretty little trick, which has one or two ele-

ments of novelty, is the invention of a German wizard,
Herr Camill Bihler. The following account of it is bor-
rowed from the magical serial, Die Zauberwelt.
The effect of the trick is as follows : After exhibiting
1 For a pull of this kind, a very good plan is to have the rubber
led through a metal or ivory ring (the latter for choice, as minimizing
friction) sewn to the left side of the vest, at the waist, just where
back and front meet. The free end of the elastic passes round the
back, and is thence brought round the front and is fastened to one
of the brace-buttons on the right side. The vanisher thus arranged
is easily got at, and the pull works with just the right amount of
freedom.
 Later Magic
324

a cartridge-paper cylinder, and showing that it is empty,

the performer inserts a silk handkerchief into it and
places it upright on a chair. He next fills a glass with
paper cuttings, covers it with a handkerchief, and
causes it to disappear. On lifting the paper cylinder,
the handkerchief is no longer beneath it, the glass of
paper shavings having taken its place.
This, however, is but the first stage of the trick.
Throwing aside the paper cylinder, the performer takes
a piece of ordinary newspaper and fashions it into a
cone, with which he covers the glass. When the cover-
ing is again removed, the glass is still there, but the
paper shavings have vanished, the handkerchief being
found in their stead.

The requirements for the trick are as under:

1. An ordinary cigar-box (or other box of suitable
size) filled with paper shavings.
2 . Two glass tumblers of cylindrical shape, alike in
general appearance. One of them is, however,' an
ordinary tumbler, the other bottomless, as described
at page 92. To this latter is adapted a pasteboard
shape, closed at top, but open at bottom, after the man-
er of the familiar "bran glass," but covered with paper
shavings instead of bran. The upper part of this shape
has a projecting edge, to facilitate lifting it out of the
glass. The two glasses must be of such a height that
when either of them is placed behind the cigar-box it
shall be hidden from view.
3. The paper cylinder. This must be from six to
seven inches high, and of such a diameter as to fit
easily over either of the two glasses. This stands at
the outset on the top of the cigar-box, behind which is
 Later Magic 325

the bottomless glass containing the cardboard shape.

The second glass stands in view beside the box.
4. A small silk handkerchief.
5. A larger handkerchief, double, with a disc of
cardboard in the centre, corresponding in size with the
top of the glass.1
The performer first calls attention to the paper cylin-
der. Having shown unmistakably that it is empty,
he places it upright on the table just behind the cigar-
box; and in so doing, unknown to the spectators,
passes it over the hidden glass. As the right hand does
this, the left hand seizes the box, and a moment later
brings it forward for inspection, together with the un-
prepared glass. Leaving these in the hands of the
spectators, he takes the handkerchief, rolls it into a
ball, and picking up the paper cylinder with gentle
pressure, so as to keep the concealed glass from slipping
out, introduces the handkerchief openly beneath it
(really into the pasteboard shell within the glass) and
places the whole on a chair.
Taking back, the box and the visible glass from the
spectators, he fills the glass with paper shavings ; covers
it with the double handkerchief, and places it on his
table, which is provided with a servante. He makes
believe to pick up and bring forward the glass thus
covered, but in reality lowers the glass on to the ser-
vante, and picks up the handkerchief only, kept ex-
tended by the disc in its centre. Pronouncing the
mystic " Pass, ' ' he gives the handkerchief a shake. The
glass has vanished. He lifts up the paper cylinder,
and exhibits, in place of the silk handkerchief which
1 There are various ways of arranging such a handkerchief. For
one of the best, see Modern Magic, p. 370.
 Later Magic

326 placed under it, the bottomless glass, apparently

was
filled with paper shavings, and being ostensibly the
same which has just disappeared from the larger hand-
kerchief. The cylinder is shown to be empty and is
thrown aside.
The next step is to form the newspaper cone, which
must be of such a size that when placed over the glass
it shall just touch the upper edge of the latter. After
forming the cone its lower edge should be cut straight
with a pair of scissors. In order to achieve this satis-
factorily, guide-marks in pencil should be made on the
paper beforehand, this precaution greatly facilitating
the formation of a cone of the right shape and size.
The cone thus formed is placed over the glass. In lift-
ing it off again the performer grasps it at such a height
as to just clip the projecting edge of the paper shell,
which is lifted with it, leaving the handkerchief visible
in the glass in place of the supposed paper shavings.
While all eyes are drawn to this new state of things,
the shell is allowed to slip out on to the servante,' and
the paper cone is thrown carelessly down, with its
mouth towards the spectators.
To preclude the possibility of the handkerchief, from
its lightness, being lifted out with the shell, the per-
former isrecommended, in rolling it up, secretly to roll
up in it a five-shilling piece, or a disc of lead of corre-
sponding size. With the handkerchief thus weighted,
there is no fear of a contretemps in this particular.

THE EGG AND HANDKERCHIEF TRICK (MODERN

METHODS).

Every reader is doubtless acquainted with the old

" egg and handkerchief" trick associated with the name
 Later Magic 327

of Colonel Stodare,1 and consisting of an egg and a silk

handkerchief (the former placed in a glass tumbler on
the table, and the latter held in the hands of the per-
former) being made to change places. Even in its
original form, it is a clever trick, but the ingenuity of
later inventors has greatly added to its effectiveness,
one material improvement being the performance of
the trick with real eggs, in place of the blown egg and
metal shell which were used by Stodare.
Apropos of artificial eggs, however, I may here pause
to note two little improvements in this particular. The
first is the use of ivorine (a form of celluloid) as the
material for the egg. Eggs made of this substance are
lighter, more easily palmed, and more natural in ap-
pearance than the metal eggs. Further, having no
enamel to wear off, they last longer. The other im-
provement has relation to the hollow egg used for
' ' disappearing ' ' a handkerchief, and consists in making
the opening at the smaller end of the egg, instead of at
the side. An egg thus made may be held between the '
second finger and thumb, and shown freely on all sides,
the ball of the thumb concealing the opening.
The following version of the trick affords a good ex-
ample of one use of the egg thus constructed.

d'alvini's egg and handkerchief trick.

In effect, this trick is as follows: The performer, ^

having borrowed a lady's handkerchief and laid it on a
plate, professes to be about to pass it into an egg (a
real one). In the course of his introductory remarks,
however, he has the misfortune, while holding it over
1 Modern Magic, p. 260,
 Later Magic

the328plate, to drop the egg, which is naturally broken,

the unfortunate handkerchief receiving the contents.
After the usual apologies, and the assurance that
he never (or hardly ever) had such an accident before,
the performer consoles himself with the reflection that
he has only reversed the intended effect. Instead of
passing the handkerchief into the egg, he has passed
the egg into the handkerchief, in which he gathers up
the remains accordingly. He offers the handkerchief
(with its contents) to the owner, but she naturally de-
clines to receive it in such a condition. A happy
thought strikes him. He is bound to produce a magical
effect of some sort. He will place the handkerchief and
smashed egg together in his pistol, and endeavour to
catch them when it is fired. He accordingly fetches i
pistol from the wing, loads it with the egg and handker
chief, and gets some one (either his stage assistant or £
volunteer from the audience) to fire it at him from the
opposite side of the stage, he meanwhile holding his
closed hands aloft, as if to catch the articles in 'theii
flight. The pistol is fired. He opens his hands, look-
ing first at one, then at the other, but both are empty.
For a moment he looks dumfounded; then his face
lights up again with renewed cheerfulness. From his
mouth, screwed up as for whistling, he draws out the
borrowed handkerchief, dry and clean, followed a mo-
ment later by the egg, whole as at first.
The secret lies primarily in the substitution of a
dummy handkerchief for the borrowed one. This
latter is vested, while the substitute is laid on the plate
and receives the broken egg. When the performer re-
tires to fetch his pistol he is only absent for a moment,
but during that moment he slips the borrowed hand-
 Later Magic 335

of the tail of the snake. Still keeping with the left

hand a firm grip of the ring, he draws the hands smartly
apart. The effect is that the snake-skin is drawn out
to its full length, the backbone and the two suspended
handkerchiefs being simultaneously drawn inside it.
It may now be grasped by the middle, and if well made,
more particularly in regard to the steel backbone, may be
made to move head and tail in very fair imitation of life.

The method which was used by Hartz for producing a

similar effect is different, but not less ingenious. The
performer in this case comes forward with two small
silk handkerchiefs, green and yellow, one in each hand,
^ach held by one corner. After a little patter, he takes
lold of the free end of each with the opposite hand and
jWists the two into a coil. There is a quick movement
>£ the arms. The handkerchiefs have disappeared;
and in place of them is a snake, though of an equally
harmless character.
The secret here lies in the fact that the handkerchief
shown in the left hand is attached to the tail of the
snake, which is hidden in the left sleeve. The hand-
kerchief shown in the right hand is attached to a pull,
on the Buatier principle, in the right sleeve. The use
of the pull causes the twisted handkerchiefs to pass up
the right sleeve ; and they in turn draw the snake out
of the opposite sleeve.

t THE DANCING HANDKERCHIEF.

fa There are two forms of this trick, one of the " parlour-
objgic ' ' order, the other suitable for stage presentation,
dra- first is merely a new version of the old trick of the
naancing sailor." The performer attaches a piece of
 Later Magic

fine black silk thread, about sixteen inches in length,

from leg to leg of his trousers, just below the knee.
The only additional piece of apparatus necessary is a
sharp black pin bent into the shape of an S hook. This
may be hooked till needed into any convenient part of
the performer's clothing.
Borrowing a handkerchief, he ties a loose knot in one
corner, and in so doing manages to hook the pin into it,
point upwards, the necessary consequence being that
the opposite bend has its extremity pointing downwards.
The handkerchief thus treated represents an elementary
sort of doll, the knot forming the head. Taking a seat
facing the company, with his legs apart, he announces
that the doll is about to dance. He accordingly places
it in position two or three times, but each time, as
might be expected, it falls to the ground. After a
moment or two of pretended embarrassment, he dis-
covers the reason. The doll will not dance without
music, and some one is accordingly requested to play
some lively measure on the piano. Again he places the
doll in position, but this time with the hook over the
thread, and now, when the music commences, it no
longer falls, but begins to wriggle about after a weird
and uncanny fashion, the necessary movement of the
knees being covered by the performer's beating time
upon them with his hands. When the performance
has lasted long enough, he picks up the handkerchief
by the corner projecting above the knot, and in handing
it back to the owner removes the bent pin, after which
the secret is safe from detection.

In the stage form of the trick a black silk thread

is also used, but the arrangements are a little more
 Later Magic 337

elaborate. The thread crosses the stage from side to

side, lying till needed upon the floor. During the per-
formance ofthe trick each end is held by an assistant.
At starting, the handkerchief, which may or may not
be a borrowed one, but should be fairly large, is laid
upon the performer's table, behind which he passes
while the thread is still on the ground. The moment
he has done so, the thread is raised horizontally to the
height of a foot or so above the table. Standing behind
it, he begins to prepare the handkerchief, the first step
being to tie a small knot in each of two diagonally oppo-
site corners. He then ties a loose double knot in one of
the other corners (the object of tying twice over being
to take up a larger portion of the handkerchief) . This
knot is tied round the horizontal thread. Finally, he
tucks the fourth corner into the knot last made, the
result being a grotesque sort of puppet, with head and
arms complete.1
During the above process, the assistants at the wings,
the moment the principal knot is tied, slacken the.
thread, and then move forward as far as circumstances
permit, so that the thread, when taut, shall clear the
table. When the figure is complete, the performer be-
gins to make mesmeric passes over it, announcing that
he intends to make it dance. At this stage, a simul-
taneous pull, followed by an immediate slackening of
the thread, jerks the handkerchief off the table on to
the floor. " Oh! you want to escape, do you? but you
won't do it. If you won't dance on the table, you shall
do so on the floor," says the performer. As he says
1 Some performers tie the large knot (representing the head)
only, letting the remainder of the handkerchief hang loose. This
is a matter
22 which may be left to individual taste.
 Later Magic

338 he moves forward and steps over the thread, so as

this,
to get in front of it. He waves his wand horizontally
over the handkerchief, and after a few moments it
is seen to be slightly agitated. Presently it begins
to stand erect, and finally, after a fashion, to dance,
actuated by the thread in the hands of the assistants,
who should have duly practised their task, considerable
skill being required to perform it properly.
An additional effect may be got by placing a chair
over the handkerchief while still dancing. This, of
course, makes not the least difference to its performance ;
while it effectually negatives the idea which naturally
occurs to the minds of most spectators, that the dancing
figure is actuated by a thread from above. The possi-
bility of using a horizontal thread is much less likely to
suggest itself.
When the dance has lasted long enough, the per-
former picks up the handkerchief and brings it forward,
still knotted, and, if borrowed, returns it to the owner.
First, however, one of the assistants releases his end of
the thread, which is then rapidly drawn away through the
knot by the other, leaving no trace of the modus operandi.
It is a commonplace among conjurers that a trick is
what the performer makes it. The present is a good
example. Clumsily and badly performed, its effect
will be nil. Artistically led up to (say, by the trick of
the rapping wand, described at page 113, or some other
trick of a quasi-spiritualistic kind) and worked with ad-
dress, itbecomes a first-class illusion.
RIGHT AND LEFT.
To get the maximum of effect out of this very pretty
trick, which is a slightly altered version of a German
 339
Later Magic

original, it should follow some other in which two silk

handkerchiefs of different colours, say red and blue,
have been produced. A couple of glass test tubes (such
as are used by chemists), about six inches in length, are
lying on the performer's table. Taking one in each
hand, he shows that there is "no deception" about
them, and invites the audience to decide which of the
two handkerchiefs he shall put into each tube. There
is no equivoque as to "right" or "left," but free choice
is really given. In accordance with the decision, he
stuffs the red handkerchief into the one tube and the
blue one into the other. Taking a tube in each hand,
he waves them in the air, pronouncing the mystic
" Pass." The two handkerchiefs visibly change places.
They are actually seen to cross in the air, each passing
into the opposite tube.
Well executed, the trick appears like a genuine mira-
cle, but, as is frequently the case with the best illu-
sions, the explanation is extremely simple, — when you
know it. In the centre of the closed end of each tube a
minute hole has been blown, special care being taken
to leave a perfectly rounded edge. Through each of
these two holes is threaded one end of a piece of fine
but strong black thread, about a yard and a quarter in
length,1 with a loop at each end. The two tubes are
laid on the table with their mouths towards the spec-
tators, and with the thread arranged as shown in Fig.
161, wherein a and b represent the two tubes, and a b
the two loops respectively appertaining to them. It
will be observed that the two threads are crossed, so

1 The precise length must be determined by actual experiment, as

it will vary a little, according to the length of arm and breadth of
chest of the performer.
 Later Magic

340 the loop a is brought opposite the mouth of the

that
tube b, and vice versa. In exhibiting the tubes, the
performer takes care so to handle them as not to disturb
the arrangement of the thread.
We will suppose that the audience decide that the red
handkerchief is to be placed in tube b. Standing be-
hind the point c, and laying the handkerchief squarely
in front of him, the performer folds it longitudinally

c
Fig. 161.
two or three times, and doubling the roll thus made in
half, finally pushes it ends downwards into the tube. In
the course of the folding, however, he has secretly passed
the roll as far as its centre through the loop a. He now
folds the blue handkerchief after the same fashion,
passing it through b, and packs it into the other tube.
This done, he takes b in the right hand and A in the
left, and moves away from the table. Holding his
arms straight out before him, with the mouths of the
tubes pointing to the spectators, he makes an upward
 Later Magic

and downward movement with the arms, at the same

time moving them somewhat apart. This causes a pull
upon the thread. Loop a, with the red handkerchief, is
4i
drawn swiftly out of b, and flies to its proper home in3
a ; loop b and the blue handkerchief passing with simi-
lar lightning speed out of a and into b.
The handkerchiefs should be at once pulled out of the
tubes and drawn out of the loops, when they can of
course tell no tales. The holes in the tubes should be
just large enough to allow the thread to be drawn clear
through them in spite of the loops, when the tubes may
likewise be handed for examination. If any one re-
marks upon the holes, the performer compliments him
on his acuteness; telling him "that is where the hand-
kerchiefs really get out, but it is only very clever people
who discover it."

In the original form of the trick the handkerchiefs

were from the outset spread upon the table in front of
the tubes, each with one of the loops (which in this case
are slip-knots made very long) already round it. This,
however, has sundry disadvantages, as such a formal
disposition suggests prearrangement. The handker-
chiefs cannot be shown apart from the tubes, neither
can a choice be given as to which handkerchief shall
be placed in a given tube. The method above described
is a little more difficult to work, but makes, I venture
to think, a more finished illusion.

THE FLYING HANDKERCHIEFS.

As a pendant to the last trick I cannot do better than

describe one of equal ingenuity and having a good deal
 Later Magic

2
of34family likeness to it. It is contributed by Mr. J.
Nelson Downs (the well-known "King of Koins") to a
recent American work on magic,1 but from the terms
in which he introduces it I am not quite clear whether
or not it is of his own invention.
On the magician's table are two clear glass bottles.
He produces, by magical or other means, a silk hand-
kerchief, and invites the spectators to decide in which
of the two glass bottles he shall place it. The choice
having been made, he pushes the handkerchief fairly
down into the selected bottle, where it is clearly visible.
The other bottle is as clearly empty.
Taking a bottle by the neck in each hand, he advances
to the front of the stage. He waves the bottle gently
up and down, saying " One, two, three." At the word
"three" the handkerchief vanishes with a flash from
the bottle in which it was placed, and appears in the
other. A startling effect! but here, again, the explana-
tion is simple — when you know it.
Of the two bottles one is quite unprepared. The
other has a minute hole drilled through the centre of
the bottom. A piece of stout black thread, two feet
long, is firmly fixed (presumably by means of cement)
to the bottom of the unprepared bottle. The opposite
end is then passed, from below, through the hole in the
bottom of the other bottle, and brought up through the
neck. To the free end a swivel (such as is used for
watch-chains) is attached, and this is stuck into a small
hole, made for the purpose, at the back of the table.
The performer has on his person a pull, attached to
the left wrist, and thence passing up the sleeve, behind
1 Magic and its Professors. By Henry Ridgely Evans. Geo.
Routledge & Sons, Ltd.
 Later Magic 343

the back, and down the right sleeve, where it terminates

in a loop, of convenient size for vanishing a handker-
chief. Inside the left sleeve is bestowed a silk hand-
kerchief, to the centre of which is attached a thread
loop three inches long, which is allowed to hang out an
inch or so beyond the shirt-cuff.
The trick begins with the production (by any of the
means already described) of a duplicate handkerchief
of similar appearance. The performer, standing be-
hind the table, asks in which of the bottles (right or
left) he shall place it; and by means of the usual
equivoque (<:my right" or 1 1 your right," etc., as suits
him best) arranges that the choice shall fall upon the
unprepared bottle. Into this he thrusts the handker-
chief, first, however, getting round it the loop of the pull.
This is done with the right hand (the bottles being
placed accordingly). Meanwhile the left hand intro-
duces the loop of the handkerchief in the sleeve into the
swivel, which he forthwith draws from the hole in which
it was stuck and leaves upon the table.
The next step is to take the bottles by the necks as
already described, the arms being flexed at the elbow,
so that the pull shall be slack. At the word "three "
the arms are straightened, and at the same time ex-
tended laterally.
The pull is thereby drawn taut, the handkerchief in
the one bottle is drawn up the right sleeve by the pull,
and at the same moment the pull upon the thread
draws the handkerchief from the left sleeve into the
second bottle.
Having done its work, the thread may be broken and
the bottles separated. This done, even if they be ex-
amined, no one is likely to find any clue to the mystery.
344 Later Magic

THE SHOWER OF SWEETS (IMPROVED METHOD).

This forms an effective little addendum to a handker-

chief trick. Although of venerable antiquity, its popu-
larity among the juveniles never wanes. As most
readers will be aware, it consists, in effect, of picking up
a handkerchief by its centre and holding it over a
plate, when at command a shower of bonbons of vari-
ous kinds falls from it.

c
Fig. 162.

Two methods of producing this result were discussed in

Modem Magic (page 251), and I should not have again
alluded to it but for the fact that I am enabled to in-
form the reader of another, and in some respects better
method, being that used by Hartz, who, even in the
working of an old trick, generally manages to intro-
duce some element of novelty. The apparatus used is
in appearance merely the familiar conical bag, closed at
the mouth by two straight pieces of clock-spring, and
opening by pressure on their ends. Hartz's bag, how-
ever (see Fig. 162), has in addition a stiff wire bent to an
acute angle at the point a and stitched into each of the
 Later Magic 345

seams a b and a c. To this wire, at the angle, is soldered

the necessary hook for suspending the bag behind the
table.
The advantage of this arrangement is that the bag
can be opened by pressure on these wires, however high
up, and that direct pressure on the ends of the mouth
is no longer needed. By holding the apex of the bag
within the handkerchief between the first and second
fingers, and pressing the wire arms together with the
third finger and thumb, the performer can produce the
desired result with one hand only.
There is a further speciality in the arrangement of the
bonbons. In filling the bag half a dozen of large size,
such as sugared almonds or chocolate creams, are first
inserted, then a dozen rather smaller, and on these a
dozen smaller still, the space finally left vacant being
filled with very small sweets, say of the caraway com-
fit order. A gentle pressure on the upper part of the
bag opens the mouth wide enough to let these last
escape. A second pressure, opening it a little wider,
gives passage to the next larger kind, and so on, the
gradual increase in size adding considerably to the
effect of the trick.
A POSTSCRIPT.
I cannot better conclude this lengthy chapter than
by briefly noticing one or two little "wrinkles" kindly
communicated to me by one of the most promising
wizards of the younger generation, Mr. Maurice Gar-
land. Mr. Garland is essentially a sleight-of-hand con-
jurer, and prides himself on giving his show with the
irreducible minimum of apparatus. All he needs for
his performance can usually be carried in his pockets.
 Later Magic

4^
To3 that end, he has devoted much thought and in-
genuity to the invention of small and portable appli-
ances, and to the effective use of such contrivances.
One of these is an ordinary "ping-pong" ball, in
which has been cut, with a sharp knife, a circular hole
an inch in diameter. This forms a capital handkerchief
fake, being at once light, compact, and easily palmed.
One of Mr. Garland's special uses for it is to change a
handkerchief to an egg. His method is as follows:
The ball is held in the closed left hand, with the opening
towards the thumb, after the manner of the "ringer"
in the trick described at page 213. The handkerchief is
thrown over the same hand, and is then worked into the
ball by means of successive "pokes" with the fore-
finger of the right hand, in which is concealed the egg ;
the use of the forefinger as above allowing the other
fingers to curl round the silk in a perfectly natural way
without suggesting that there is anything concealed in
the hand. When the egg is fairly packed into the ball,
the performer observes (as if he had overheard some
remark to that effect) : " You think the handkerchief is
not in my hand? You are mistaken, for here it is."
So saying, he turns the hand thumb upwards, in so
doing turning round the ball in the hand so as to bring
the opening downwards, and draws the handkerchief
out of the hand from the under side. Once more
throwing the handkerchief over the left hand, he works
the ball round again within the hand and pokes the
handkerchief into it as before. When it is fully worked
in, he brings the hands together, passes the egg over the
ball, and exhibits it in the right hand at the tips of the
fingers, the ball taking its place in the palm.
It is quite possible that some one, possessing that
 Later Magic 347

"little knowledge" which is proverbially dangerous, may

ask to examine the egg ; expecting to find that it is one
of the hollow variety familiar to conjurers, and that the
performer will be made more or less uncomfortable by
the request. To his surprise, the egg is handed to him
with a genial smile, and his amiable design of putting
the performer " in a hole ' ' merely affords fresh evidence
of the genuineness of the transformation.
By the addition of a loop, two and a half inches long,
of silk or fine gut, attached to the ball on the side
remote from the opening, both the palms and the backs
of the hands can be shown, though the fake is in posi-
tion for use. For this purpose the loop is passed over
the left thumb. The palms are first shown, the ball in
this case lying behind the hand, close to the wrist. The
hands are then turned over and the backs shown, the
ball now hanging down on the inside of the right hand.
The hands being now brought together, the fake is
available for the production or disappearance of a
handkerchief, as the case may require.

Another specialty of Mr. Maurice Garland is as fol-

lows: A silk handkerchief and an egg are shown to-
gether in the right hand. The egg is tossed in the air,
and caught again, but the handkerchief has vanished.
This pretty vanish is worked by means of a thread pull,
drawn by the left hand at the same moment when the
egg is thrown in the air. As will be seen, the method
is old, but the effect produced is none the less a genuine
novelty.
Another instantaneous ''vanish" for a handkerchief
is independent of any pull or other mechanical contriv-
ance. The performer takes the handkerchief by one
 Later Magic

348 in the right hand, and standing with the same

corner
side towards the spectators, makes a feint of throwing it
into the air, somewhat towards the left side. This
movement is thrice repeated, with the words, "One,
two, three." At the word "three," the handkerchief
disappears, and the hand is seen empty. As a matter
of fact the missing mouchoir is deposited, at the com-
mencement ofthe last upward throw, between the coat
and vest on the left side, the left hand grasping the
lapel of the coat and opening it slightly in order to
facilitate the introduction.
Baldly described in print, it would seem as if even a
child could not be taken in by so simple a device, but
in the hands of Mr. Garland it produces a complete
illusion.
 CHAPTER VIII.

FLAG TRICKS.

CLOSELY akin to the subject of handkerchief tricks

is that of "flag" tricks; indeed, of late, such a
trick, in some form or other, seems to be regarded as
the natural finish of a handkerchief trick, the hand-
kerchiefs produced, or some of them, being made by
way of climax to blend their colours in the form of a
flag. In many instances, however, flag production is
exhibited as an independent trick.
The oldest form of the feat is that described in
Modern Magic (page 432), wherein from a couple of
small silken flags are produced an immense number of.
paper flags of like dimensions. One of the first im-
provements made in the trick was the substitution of
small pieces of tissue paper — red, white, andblue — for the
two silk flags. This is a more logical commencement,
the production of paper from paper being more natural
than that of paper from silk.
The next point to which the ingenuity of conjurers
was directed was the disposal of the flags in readiness
for production. The genial wizard, Charles Bertram,
who was one of the first to make the trick his own, and
who presents it with unsurpassable ease and finish, has
disclosed in his book, Isn't It Wonderful ! the details of
his working. His flags, which are about three inches
349
 Later Magic

35o by two in width, are rolled into packets of a gross

long
each, wrapped in black tissue paper; and one such
packet is bestowed behind the lapel of the coat on
each side, hitched on to the end of an upturned pin.
As the material for the intended flag-factory, three
pieces of tissue paper, of different colours, and about
twelve inches square, are exhibited. These are handed
for examination, and taken back one by one. When
two have been returned, they are held, one upon an-
other, in the right hand, with the second finger in front,
the other fingers being concealed behind, next the
body. As the performer leans forward to take (with the
left hand) the third paper from the person who has been
examining it, the right hand rests for a moment on the
lapel of the coat, and the little packet on that side
is lifted off the pin between the thumb and the first
and second fingers. The hands being brought to-
gether, the little packet is opened behind the three
papers, and, under cover of the gradual appearance of
the flags, the papers, including the black wrapper, are
rolled up tightly and palmed in the right hand.
Bertram's next step is to reproduce the three coloured
pieces of paper, the black piece, compressed as small as
possible, being allowed to fall to the ground among the
flags.1 The performer then gets possession, in the same
way as before, of the second packet, and develops it in
like manner. The trick is brought to a conclusion by
the production of a large silk flag, which, folded so as to
1 With all due respect to such a master of the art as Bertram, I
venture to think that the reproduction of the three papers is a mis-
take, the more plausible theory of the trick being that they have
formed the material of the flags produced. The second packet of
flags can be got into the left hand with equal ease under cover of
the production of the last dozen or so of the first packet.
 Later Magic

open out instantly and freely, is deposited either in a

loading pocket under the breast of the coat, or inside
the opening of the vest, at the pleasure of the performer.
35i
This is got into the hands while they are still full of the
small flags, and while the large flag is spread in front of
the body, the performer has ample opportunity to slip
the pieces of tissue paper and the second wrapper into
one of his pockets.

FLAGS AND PAPER SHAVINGS.

In another version of the trick last described, the per-

former, when he first exhibits the three pieces of tissue
paper, has a ball of tightly compressed paper shavings
of corresponding colours, held together by strips of
similarly coloured paper, already palmed in one hand.
Rolling the three papers first shown into a ball, he
palms this, exhibiting in place of it the ball of paper
shavings. Showing this ball in the left hand, he with
the right hand takes a fan from an inner breast pocket
on the left side, and in so doing leaves the crumpled
papers in the pocket.1 He then begins to fan the ball,
and under cover of gently moving it about, breaks the
encircling strips, and allows the paper shavings to ex-
pand, which they do very freely. The fan may now
be laid aside and the shavings developed between the
hands. Under cover of their rapid increase it is an
easy matter to get a bundle of small paper flags from
under the vest. Presently flags are seen to appear
instead of paper shavings. Those first produced are
allowed to fall, like the paper shavings, on the floor, but

1 Some performers pick up the fan from the table, and in so doing
drop the papers on the servante.
 Later Magic
352
the performer bethinks himself that this will create
trouble in collecting them afterwards. Holding the
flags in one hand, he picks up with the other a tray
which is placed in readiness somewhere close at hand,
and in so doing gets into the hand a second packet of
flags, which is attached, by wax or otherwise, just
under the hinder edge of the tray. He places the tray
on a chair and proceeds to develop these flags, letting
them fall on the tray. A few, however, find their way
to the ground. He stoops to pick them up, and as he
drops them on the tray rests his disengaged hand, with
a perfectly natural movement, on the back of the chair.
In the moment during which the hand so rests another
bundle of flags is palmed from behind the chair.
The performer may further elaborate the trick, if he
so desires, by having additional supplies concealed upon
his own person, but save in the case of producing
larger and larger flags, to which I shall presently
advert, three bundles should be amply sufficient.
Another expedient, where the performer employs an
assistant, is to make him bring forward the tray, having
attached to his back by a bent pin another packet of
flags, which the performer, in the act of dropping the
last of the visible flags on the tray, can secure without
difficulty.
FLAGS CONVERTED INTO SILKEN STREAMERS.

A pretty finish to a flag trick is to throw, apparently,

the last of the flags towards the audience ; but instead
of flags, three long streamers, of corresponding colours,
shoot out towards them. To produce this effect, three
pieces of differently coloured silk ribbon, three yards
long by half an inch wide, are sewn by one end to a two-
 353
Later Magic

inch square of any stiff material, say a piece of sole

leather. To the free end of each is attached a little
piece of sheet lead half an inch square. Each piece of
ribbon is then rolled up (weighted end first, so that the
lead is in the middle of the coil) and the whole kept in
position by a strip of paper, which is torn off at the
right moment. The square of leather is gripped by the
palm, and if a throwing movement in the direction of
the spectators be then made, the little weight in the
centre will cause each coil to unroll itself and the
ribbons to shoot out over their heads. The performer
gathers them in ; coiling them in long loops over his left
hand, and under cover of so doing gets into his hand,
for subsequent production, a packet of considerably
larger flags then any previously produced. These last
may be six inches by four, or even larger, and mounted
fan-fashion, that is to say, the sticks are all fastened
together ; closely at bottom (either by means of a rivet
or of a piece of tape to which they are sewn) ; less
closely a little higher up, by means of thread, so that
they cannot diverge beyond a certain uniform distance.
The fan is kept closed till needed by means of a strip of
paper pasted round it.
Some performers further elaborate the trick by pro-
ducing three or four or even more such "fans" in suc-
cessioneach
; consisting of flags a little larger than the
one that preceded it. A series of these held in front of
the performer — the small flags to the front and the
larger ones behind — produces a very pretty effect.
THE PRODUCTION OF FLAGS ON STAVES COMPLETE.

The 23 small flags, produced as above described, all

have staves of proportional size. The large silk flags,
354 Later Magic

where used, were until recently produced with- i:

out staves. Up-to-date performers are, however,
not content with this, but produce each
flag on a rigid staff, in some instances
six feet long, or even more. The reader I
will naturally wonder how a staff of such
a length (or indeed a couple, for these
large flags are usually produced in pairs)
can be concealed about the person of II
the performer. The secret lies in the
fact that the staves are made on the
telescopic principle, so that when closed
they occupy a comparatively small space.
Though, however, the principle is the
same, the staves made vary a good deal I
in detail, and consequently in trust-
worthines . Icannot do better than
describe those of the pattern supplied
by Messrs. Hamley, which, for finish and
general effectiveness, are the best I have <»
yet seen.
The staff for a flag three feet square
is, when extended, a little over four feet
long. The ' ' telescope ' ' consists of five .
brass tubes, sliding one over the other.1 m j
Fig i6* Four of these are each. ten inches in _Fig.
length; the fifth and innermost being ^4.
thirteen inches, and being surmounted at the
top by a brass knob. This inner tube (see Fig. 163)
terminates at its opposite end in a little conical stud

1 The staff from which the diagrams are taken was designed to
carry a somewhat larger flag, and, as will be observed, has six tubes
instead of five. There is no other difference of construction.
 Later Magic 355

which, when the " telescope" is closed, engages itself

in a wire loop at the bottom, but is again freed when
desired by pressure on the thumb-piece shown at the
side. The object of this arrangement is to prevent
the telescopic tube opening out prematurely. To make
it extend itself, the performer grasps the outer tube
at bottom, presses the thumb-piece, and gives the tube
a semicircular swing with the arm, when centrifugal
force causes each of the inner tubes to fly out to
its full extent, and the staff assumes the appearance
depicted in Fig. 164.
It should be mentioned that each of the tubes is made
very slightly smaller at its upper end and larger at its
lower end. The difference is so minute as not to be
perceptible to the eye, but the arrangement serves the
double purpose of preventing the sections coming
apart and of keeping the staff extended after it has
been once developed; the base of each tube wedging
itself into the upper end of the next. The staff above
described, unlike most others for the same purpose,
may after production be left standing upright without
any fear of its collapsing.
At the upper end of the smallest tube there is a
minute hole, and at the upper end of each of the next
four tubes a little eyelet. To these one edge of the
flag is secured, the final result being, when the flag is
unfurled, as depicted in Fig. 165.
To prepare the flag thus mounted for use in the trick,
the telescope arrangement is closed, and the flag is
folded in accordion pleats, first lengthwise, then cross-
wise, till it forms a small and compact package.
Thus arranged, flag and staff are placed in an ap-
propriately shaped breast-pocket inside the coat.
 Later Magic
356
Reaching into this with the opposite hand, under cover
of the flags already produced, and taking a firm hold of

Fig. 165.

what may be called the handle end of the staff, the per-
former brings it out with a semicircular outward swing,
when flag and staff at once expand to their full dimen-
 Later Magic 357

sions. Where two flags are to be produced both breast

pockets are loaded accordingly, the right hand pro-
ducing the left-hand flag, and vice versa.
The above is, I believe, the most general arrange-
ment, but there is considerable difference among per-
formers as to the mode of concealment about the person.
Stillwell, the well-known American performer, who
makes the production of two large flags the climax of
his " Handkerchief Act," bestows them in pockets in-
side the front of his vest, the upper ends of the staves
pointing downwards.1
THE FLAG AND WORSTED BALL.

This is an improved and more up-to-date version of

an ingenious but somewhat crude trick described in one
of the early numbers of the magical serial, Mahatma.
The performer having produced and used in the
course of his performance a small silk flag, bethinks
himself what further use he can make of it. Intro-
ducing, magically or otherwise, a worsted ball about

1 My ingenious correspondent, Mr. C. O. Williams, places the

butt of each flag-staff in one of the ordinary vest pockets, the flag
itself, duly folded, lying under the coat, against the front of the
shoulder. The advantages of this simple arrangement are so
obvious that it seems extraordinary no one should have hit on it
before, but I am not aware that any one has done so.
With the flags disposed in this manner the "locking" arrange-
ment at the foot of the butt becomes unnecessary.
Mr. David Devant, who produces the biggest flags I have yet
seen (measuring in fact 6 ft. 4 in. by 6 ft. 2 in., with staves 6 ft. 6
in. long), gets them, under cover of three small flags only 24 inches
by 18, from a central well in a table of the kind described in Chap-
ter III. The effect can only be described by the German word,
Kolossal! Our own nearest equivalent, " immense," is quite in-
adequate to express it.
 Later Magic
358
two inches in diameter, he places this in a covered glass
vase, which is left in full view. He then exhibits an
ordinary tumbler. Over this he drops a cardboard
cylinder, eight inches high, and of such diameter as to
go easily over the glass. Into the glass, thus screened,
he drops the silk handkerchief.
Nothing could be fairer in appearance ; and yet at
his command the two articles change places. On the
paper cylinder being removed, the worsted ball is found
in the tumbler, while the handkerchief has
taken its place in the covered vase.
To prepare for the trick, a duplicate silk
handkerchief is packed into as small a com-
pass as possible, and round it is rolled worsted
till it forms a ball of the desired dimensions.
To the outer end of the worsted is attached
the tongue portion of a little cylindrical clasp,
or "snap," such as is used to connect the
ends of a necklace. (See Fig. 166.) The
barrel portion of such snap is attached to the
end of a thin silk line, which is led away through
eyelets in one of the hinder legs of the performer's
table (or through the leg) to the hand of an assistant
behind the scenes. The barrel itself is stuck, mouth
upwards, in a little hole made for the purpose in the
surface of the table. The vase used (see Fig. 167) may
be purchased at any glass warehouse. It is of the
kind used for holding preserves at the breakfast table,
and having a horseshoe-shaped opening at the edge
of the lid for the accommodation of the spoon.
When the ball has been produced, in one or other of
the score of ways known to every conjurer, it is dropped
into the vase. In placing the lid on, the performer
 Later Magic 359

brings the loose end of the wool out through the open-
ing in the lid, and while moving the vase a little for-
ward with the one hand, with the other inserts the
little "tongue" into the mouth of the snap, which he
then lifts out of its hole. The moment the connection
is thus made, the assistant begins to "wind up" at his
end. The result is that the ball is gradually unwound,
and the worsted drawn clean away, while the handker-
chief, released from confinement, spreads itself in the
glass vase.

Fig. 167.

The latter should be of a cut or moulded pattern, in

pretty strong relief, in which case the movement of the
ball will not be visible through it.
The ball which subsequently appears in the tumbler
is of the "spring" or "multiplying" kind, with the
necessary amount of worsted wound over it, and kept in
place by a few stitches. The last yard and a half, or so,
for greater naturalness should be simply wound. Such
a ball can of course be pressed quite flat, and in this
condition it is secured to the inside of the cardboard
cylinder. For this purpose a piece of stifhsh brass wire
six or seven inches in length is first bent into the shape
 Later Magic
360
of a lady's hair pin, and then doubled on itself, as a in
Fig. 1 68. This is slipped over the edge of the cylinder,
with the longer ends inside, and under
these longer ends the ball is packed,
in a flattened condition, as shown in
the diagram (representing a sectional
view of the cylinder, with the ball in
position). In picking up the cylin-
der, the performer does so with the
fingers inside, covering the flattened
Fig. i 68. ball, and the thumb outside, conceal-
ing the clip. Thus held, the cylinder
can be shown inside and out, being apparently quite
empty.
In placing the cylinder over the glass, the performer
pushes down the ball far enough to free it from the clip,
when it naturally drops into the glass and assumes its
normal shape. The clip, which is left in the hand, is
got rid of in the act of picking up the handkerchief in
order to place it (apparently) in the glass. Various
ways of doing this might be suggested, but nothing is
much better than to fold it small, and, in apparently
taking it in one hand, leave it clipped between the first
and second fingers of the other. The closed thumb
and fingers of the hand which ostensibly holds it are
then lowered for a moment into the top of the cylinder,
moved apart, and brought up empty.
The trick is now done. The performer takes off the
cylinder and rolls the ball out upon the table. He
then uncovers the glass vase and shows that the hand-
kerchief has passed therein. If he is using such a
table as described in Chapter III., he may utilize it
to substitute a solid ball for the trick ball, after which
 Later Magic

the whole of the articles employed can be offered for

examination.

361
DEVANT'S " TRANSVAAL FLAG " TRICK.1

I have seen two or three explanations of this very

popular trick, but they have without exception been
incorrect in many particulars. The true explana-
tion, for which I am indebted to the inventor him-
self, isboth simpler and neater than any of the fancy
versions.
The trick is introduced as an exhibition of swords-
manship, the performer professing to be about to sever
with one cut the handkerchief, merely laid on the blade
of the sword; a feat which the great Saladin himself
(see Ivanhoe) regarded as a notable achievement. In
order to hurt nobody's feelings (or nobody's near
enough to be worth considering) he selects the Boer flag
for the experiment. The Boer flag, I may mention, con-
sists (or I should rather say, did consist) of horizontal
stripes of red, white, and blue, with a vertical strip of
green on the side next the flagstaff.
The flag used is of silk, and in size about eighteen
inches by twelve. The sword is of the ' ' dress ' ' variety,
the lack of a cutting edge being, for the purpose of the
trick, immaterial. After a little fancy sword exercise,
the performer announces that he is going to try whether
he can cut the Boer flag in half. He lays the flag across

1 When this trick was first produced, the Boers were "the enemy,"
and their flag was fair game for an entertainer to poke fun at.
Since that time circumstances have altered, and it is probable that
Mr. Devant may in future performances think it well to substitute
some other flag, but I describe the trick under the name and with
the mise en scene with which it has become identified.
 Later Magic
362
the blade, close to the hilt, one half hanging down on
either side, as is done in the case of the genuine cutting
feat. The left hand rests upon the hip, a recognized
broadsword position. Drawing back the sword for a
moment, as if to get greater swing, he makes a horiz-
ontal outward slash with it. The spectators naturally
expect to see the flag fall to the ground in two portions,
but it has disappeared altogether. Where has it gone?
The performer himself professes ignorance, but a mo-
ment later, on turning his back, it is seen hanging down
in three pieces from under his coat-collar. Removing
these, he rolls them up and hands them to a lady to
hold. On her again unfolding them the colours have re-
combined, but in a new form, the flag being now the
Union Jack. The performer hears, or pretends to hear,
a remark that it is rather small. He retorts that the
feat is all the greater, it being no easy matter to make
the British flag look small ; but in any case the defect
can be easily remedied. He rolls the small flag be-
tween his hands. When it is again spread out, it is still
the Union Jack, but now of imposing dimensions,
measuring twenty-six inches by thirty.
The sword is unprepared, save that a little notch is
filed in the guard in such a position as to be easily
covered with the thumb. The object of this will
presently appear. The disappearance of the handker-
chief is effected by means of a pull, but arranged after
a special fashion. It consists of a black silk cord,
passing up the right sleeve, and terminating, at the
wrist end, in a swivel like that of a watch-chain. To
keep this in position till wanted, a loop of fine string is
engaged in the swivel and passed over the wrist-stud.
Before the performer brings forward the sword, this
 Later Magic 363

loop is removed and the swivel is slipped into the little

notch in the guard, before mentioned, where it is se-
cured by the pressure of the thumb.
From the armpit the cord passes behind the back and
through a metal ring, one and one half inches in diame-
ter, attached to the central point of the performer's sus-
penders, and thence down the back, terminating in a
small cylindrical weight, which rests at the outset in a
hip pocket, opening vertically in the trousers on the
left side.
Midway in one of the longer sides of the flag a, little
ring is sewn, and when the handkerchief is laid on the
sword-blade this is slipped into the swivel-hook, thereby
making the necessary connection.
When the performer places his hand on the hip he
gets hold of the weight, takes it out of the pocket, and
lets it temporarily hang loose, in which condition it
works freely up and down, allowing the performer per-
fect liberty of action and enabling him to draw the
flag, even after it has been attached to the pull, along
the blade as far as the centre, proving, apparently, that
it is not attached in any way. When he desires to
" vanish" the flag, he gets hold of the weight again
(hand still on hip) and as he makes his slash with the
sword, gives the cord a smart pull, when the flag flies
up the sleeve, resting in the centre of the back. The
weight is then dropped into the pochette on the same
side.
The three strips of silk which are to appear on the
performer's back are laid one upon another. The
corners of one end of the combined strip are turned
down so as to diminish its width, and in that condition
the end, to the extent of an inch, is tucked under a
364 Later Magic

three-inch length of black elastic, sewn horizontally

under the coat -collar. The remaining portion of the
silk is then rolled up and made to rest under the collar.
When the performer, having "vanished" the flag, hands
the sword for examination, he grasps the lapels of his
coat with both hands, as if merely resettling it, thereby
lifting the collar and allowing the loose ends to stream
down his back, whence, with a jerk, he afterwards dis-
lodges them.
The rest of the trick is on comparatively familiar lines,
though there are one or two little points of detail which
are worthy of attention. The small Union Jack is
twisted loosely ropewise, and then coiled tightly round
the finger, the outer end being tucked into the centre.
(Arranged after this fashion, the mere act of rolling it
between the hands causes it to unfold instantly.) Thus
prepared, the flag is placed inside the vest, on the left
side. The large Union Jack is made into a sort of
"bun" by rolling the corners towards the centre, and is
also placed inside the vest, but in the middle.
When the performer gets down the strips from his
back he holds them before him, breast-high, and under
cover of these has no difficulty in getting the small flag
from the vest into the right hand. Folding up the
strips into as small a compass as possible, he shows both
packets as one, in the same hand, the flag being the
nearer to the finger-tips. This he hands to the lady,
requesting her to rub it lightly. By way of illustrating
his meaning, he makes the movement of rubbing the
fingers of the right hand on the left, this movement
masking the presence of the strips, still in his hand.
In returning to the stage, these are dropped into a
hip pocket.

v
 Later Magic 365

The large flag is got into the hands under cover of

exhibiting the small flag held in front of the body. The
two are then rolled together, the small one being packed
into a small compass and palmed off, while the large
one is exhibited in its place.
 CHAPTER IX.

TRICKS WITH GLOVES.

"vanishing" the gloves.

THE glove is hardly so good a friend to the conjurer

as the handkerchief, but it nevertheless lends it-
self to two or three very pretty illusions. The " van-
ishing" ofthe performer's own gloves, in a casual way,
before commencing his entertainment proper, is a very
old trick, but is still popular, as forming an easy and
natural introductory item.
One method of working the trick is described in
Modern Magic (page 325). The first glove was in that
case got rid of by an elastic pull, attached to it before-
hand; and the second by palming. This second
glove may be neatly got rid of by professedly melt-
ing it into the flame of a candle. The secret here lies in
the construction of the candlestick, the stem of which,
for about five inches of its own height, is a straight hol-
low tube. In one side of this, near the bottom, is an
oval opening about two and a half inches high, which,
however, may be closed at pleasure by means of an
outer tube, which slides up and down over the inner one.
This at the outset is raised, leaving the hole, which is
turned away from the spectator, open. When the per-
former has taken off the glove, he rolls it up small into

366
 Later Magic 367

a cylindrical shape, and in making believe to transfer

it from the right hand to the left, palms it in the former
•hand by clipping it against the lower joints of the
fingers.
Advancing to the candlestick, he picks this up with
the same hand, in so doing introducing the glove into
the opening. Then, holding the left hand over the
flame, he makes a rubbing motion therewith, presently
showing the hand empty, the glove having ostensibly
passed down the flame into the candle. In the act of
replacing the candlestick on the table, the right hand
presses down the sliding tube ; after which the candle-
stick (which is not thereby perceptibly altered in ap-
pearance) can be shown on all sides without disclosing
its secret.
Again, for the first glove ; in place of the self-acting
rubber pull a cord pull may be used. . The advantage
of this arrangement is that the glove need not be at-
tached to the pull beforehand, and so can be passed
from hand to hand at pleasure, before it is ultimately
vanished. The pull, which terminates at its outer end
in a long loop of fine but strong silk, passed over the
second or third finger of the left hand, travels up the
sleeve, across the back, and is formed at the opposite
end into a somewhat smaller loop, which is hitched over
one of the front brace-buttons on the right side. At
the proper moment the performer passes the glove mid-
way through the left-hand loop, and doubles it in half.
While by means of his patter he calls attention to the
glove, he slips the thumb of the right hand into the
opposite loop, and disengages it from the button. A
moment later, while kneading the glove with the fingers
of the left hand, he draws it up the sleeve.
 Later Magic
368
THE GLOVE PASSED INTO THE WAND.

This is a novel and effective method of vanishing a

glove, but a certain amount of address is needed to per-
form it neatly.
The left-hand glove is attached to a rubber pull pass-
ing through a hem round the wrist as described in
Modern Magic, so as to draw it, when removed from the
hand, into as small a compass as possible. The per-
former, having taken off the glove, hesitates for a mo-
ment as to what he shall do with it. He finally decides
to pass it into his wand, and asks whether he shall do
so visibly or invisibly. Spectators invariably make the
same reply to this question. The answer is always
"visibly"; but if by any chance it should be "invisi-
bly" the procedure would be just the same. The dis-
appearance of anything is always invisible when it
comes to the point.
The performer, holding the glove, by the wrist por-
tion, in the left hand, transfers the wand to the same
hand, grasping it by about the middle, and with the
right hand twists the glove loosely around it. The
fingers of the left hand are then advanced a little far-
ther up the wand, so that the forefinger and thumb
shall be a little beyond the glove, though the latter is
still visible. The right hand now advances, and seizing
the upper end of the wand, draws it through the glove,
not too rapidly, at the same time turning it slightly
from right to left. This movement tends to throw the
glove back into a straight line, and the pressure of the
left hand being at the same time relaxed, the glove flies
up the sleeve.
In this, as indeed in all tricks of the kind, the per-
 Later Magic 369

former must take special care that his wristbands are

not of a size or shape to impede the passage of the glove.
It will be found a good plan to dust this latter before-
hand lightly with French chalk. A glove so treated
flies up the sleeve with the minimum of friction.

The following very effective glove trick, which I

borrow from a German source, is the invention of a
wizard whom I have already had occasion to mention,
the Chevalier Francis King.

A WHITE GLOVE CHANGED TO A BLACK ONE.

The effect of the trick is as follows :

The performer advances wearing a white glove on his
left hand and carrying a second in his right. While
making his opening remarks, he lays this latter upon the
table and proceeds to remove the other from the hand.
This he vanishes, either by sleight-of-hand or by means
of a pull. He then turns his attention to the glove on
the table. What shall he do with it? He decides to
turn it into a black one. Picking it up, he rubs it be-
tween his hands, and it turns black accordingly. He
holds up the glove, expectant of applause, but discovers
from the laughter of the audience that something has
gone wrong. Glancing at the glove, he perceives that
one finger has somehow escaped the colouring process
and remains white. He pretends confusion, and stam-
mers out some feeble sort of apology — he did n't count
that finger, or something of that sort. In an absent-
minded sort of way he folds up the glove, as if ashamed
of his 24 mistake and desirous of hiding the faulty finger,
but suddenly bethinks himself that after all there is no
 Later Magic
37o
harm done. A touch of the magic wand will set matters
right. He touches the glove with the wand accord-
ingly, and on again unfolding the glove, the odd finger
is found to be black, like the rest.
Another "cure," which may be substituted for the
use of the wand, is to rub the folded glove against his
own or somebody else's black coat sleeve.
The secret lies in the fact that the glove used is in
reality two gloves, a white and a black one, sewn wrist
to wrist. Over one of the fingers of the latter, a finger,
cut from a third white glove, is passed, and in this con-
dition the black glove is tucked into the white one. In
laying this on the table, the performer takes care to
place it with the finger ends towards the spectators.
The reader, being let into the secret of this prelimi-
nary preparation, will need little further explanation
as to the working of the trick. When the performer
desires to turn the white glove into a black one, he
simply reverses them, bringing the black glove outside
and working the white one into it. In folding up the
black glove, after the supposed mistake, it is an easy
matter to draw off the white finger, which also is pre-
sently tucked inside the black glove, and the thing is
done.

In another version of the trick (also Francis King's)

the black glove used has really one white finger, but
this is covered at the outset by a spare black one.
Having transformed the white finger into a black one,
the performer bethinks himself that a black glove is use-
less to him, as he never wears black gloves. What is to
be done ? The best plan will be to turn it white again ;
and this time he will do it a little bit at a time, so that
 Later Magic

the spectators may see clearly "how it 's done." To

begin with, he accordingly turns one finger white (by
withdrawing the black over-finger) , and then proceeds37i
to turn the whole glove white, by working the black
glove back into the white one as already mentioned.
The illusion next described is of the same class, but
rather more elaborate. This also is derived from a
Teutonic source, being the invention of Herr Hans
Meckel. His description of the trick, as given in the
German magical serial, Die Zauberwelt,1 is so lucid and
complete that I cannot do better than quote it at
length, reserving the liberty of somewhat free transla-
tion. He entitles it Die Hands chuhfarberei, which we
may amplify in English into

GLOVE-DYEING BY MAGIC.

The requirements for the performance of this trick

(apart from the gloves to be " dyed ") are as under:
1 . A table, with net servante behind it.
2. The magic wand.
3. An empty tumbler.
4. A tall hat.
5. A double handkerchief, with circular disc for
vanishing the tumbler.
6. A glove, the fingers of which are white, while the
remainder is black.
7. A glove, the fingers of which are black, while
the remainder is white.
8. A cigar-box, from which one side has been re-
moved.
9. A piece of cartridge paper about eight inches by
five.
1 Vol. v., p. 42.
 Later Magic
37 2
10. A changing tube (as described at page 260,
supra) .
11. A black glove.
The table stands from the outset of the performance
in readiness upon the stage, and the various articles
above specified are placed upon it. The cigar-box is
turned with its open side away from the spectators, and
behind it lies the changing tube, loaded with the black
glove. The piece of cartridge paper is laid upon the
cigar-box, in such manner that one of its ends may pro-
ject over the back, and so mask the presence of the
changing tube. The net servante is attached behind
the right-hand side of the table (as viewed by the spec-
tators) and on the table, just above it, lies the magic
wand. The glass stands at the opposite end of the
table ; and close to it lies the prepared handkerchief.
In the hat, which may either be already standing on
the table or be brought in by the performer, are the two
parti-coloured gloves. Or a borrowed hat may be used,
these being loaded into it during the return to the table.
The performer comes forward, wearing white gloves,
and offers a few introductory remarks, making a special
point of the fact that the tricks he is about to exhibit
will be executed entirely without the aid of apparatus.
" The feats I am about to show you, ladies and gentle-
men, depend more or less upon sleight-of-hand, as to
which you will shortly be able to judge the measure of
my skill. Naturally, to keep my gloves on would
handicap me considerably, so with your permission I
will take them off. In every-day life, when a man takes
his gloves off he just lays them on one side or puts
them in his pocket, but a conjurer does better; he
throws them up in the air and dematerializes them."
 Later Magic 373

At this point, having taken off the right-hand glove,

he places it apparently in the left hand (really palming
it in the right) . Making believe to throw it up to the
ceiling, he opens the left hand and shows it empty, im-
mediately afterwards producing the glove with the
right from under the left arm, or elsewhere, as it takes
his fancy. He then drops it into the hat, but changes
his mind, and with the remark/' But perhaps you would
like to keep it in view," or some words to the same
effect, with the right hand takes it out and lays it,
ringers outwards, hanging over the brim. As a mat-
ter of fact, the glove he thus displays is not the one
he dropped in, but the black glove with the white
fingers; which, from the position of the glove, are
alone visible to the spectators.
"White gloves are suitable for festive seasons, but
there are occasions in life when even a conjurer must
wear black ones. Fortunately, any respectable wizard
has a short and easy way of supplying himself with the
needful. He just takes his white gloves and dyes them
black. How does he manage it, you ask? It is quite
simple, ladies and gentlemen." (He has by this time
taken off the remaining glove.) "He just takes a plain
piece of paper, like this, forms it into a tube, and passes
the glove through it."
As he speaks, he picks up the piece of paper with the
changing tube behind it, forms it into a cylinder with
the tube inside, and with the aid of his wand pushes
down into it the white glove he has just taken off,
thereby forcing out the black glove at the opposite end.
He pulls this completely out, lays it on the table, opens
out the paper cylinder, meanwhile taking the tube in
the right hand, smoothes out the paper, and lays it
374 Later Magic

down as at first on the cigar-box, in so doing, passing

the tube through the open back into the padded in-
terior of the box.
" We have now one white and one black glove." He
drops the black glove just produced into the hat, but
again bethinking himself, says, "No, that won't do,"
and dipping his hand into the hat, as if to take it out
again, takes hold instead of the white glove with the
black fingers, and lays this beside the other across the
brim of the hat, in such manner that the black portion
only is seen by the spectators.
"All we have to do now is to dye the second
glove black like the other, and to prove to you that I
do so without any external aid, I will hold the two
gloves apart from each other, one in each hand."
He takes the two parti-coloured gloves accordingly,
but takes care so to hold them that the black portion
of the white-fingered glove (held in the left hand) and
the white portion of the black-fingered glove (held in
the right hand) shall be completely covered. To all
appearance, therefore, he is exhibiting a black and a
white glove, or strictly speaking, one half of each; he
then rolls them together between the hands; at the
same time gravely pronouncing some mystic formula,
which occasions a laugh among the spectators. "If
you interrupt me, ladies and gentlemen, you can't ex-
pect me to produce satisfactory results. If yon laugh,
you make me laugh ; and then my work is likely to be
only half done. As I feared; that is just what has
happened." (He spreads out the gloves.) " You see,
half black, half white. I might wear them at the next
carnival, certainly, but they are of no use for anything
else. If I kept on in the same way, I might perhaps
 375
Later Magic

turn them into a shepherd's plaid pattern. Stop a bit,

though, I think I see a way out of the difficulty. I will
wash them, and then it is to be hoped they may return
to their original colour. Unfortunately I have no con-
veniences for washing, no water, in fact no anything.
Never mind, for lack of water I will try air."
Here he places both gloves in the tumbler, throwing
the faked handkerchief over it ; picks up the glass in-
side the handkerchief, and lets it fall with its contents
into the net, the handkerchief remaining distended be-
tween his fingers by reason of the disc in its centre.
The spectators naturally believe that he is still holding
the glass within the handkerchief. ' ' How I am to set
the air to work for my washing operation is not quite
clear to me. I will try the experiment of blowing
against the glass. Probably the supply of air will be
insufficient for my purpose, but I can try." (He
expands his cheeks and blows against the handker-
chief.) "Hallo! How is this?"
He picks up, with the left hand, one corner of the
handkerchief, peeps underneath it, and shakes it out,
when it is seen to be empty. ' ' I suppose I must have
blown too hard. The gloves could not bear even so
mild a draught of air as that. This will be a lesson to
me never to exhibit novelties in public again without
having tested their effect beforehand. So far as I can
see, the glass and its contents have melted into thin air.
I advise all mothers of families to take warning from my
fate; to eschew the air-cleansing process and to stick
to the old way of washing. If I had done so, I should
■ still be in possession of my gloves ; but as they have so
completely disappeared, I must make up my mind to
the loss. My hands, at any rate, are all the freer with-
 Later Magic
3/6
out them, and I will avail myself of this greater freedom
to give you a few more specimens of my dexterity."

THE DAMAGED GLOVE AND LADY'S STOCKING.

This is another variation of the glove trick. The

performer appears with one glove on, the other in his
right hand. With the latter he makes a movement
towards the ceiling, and the glove vanishes, being drawn
up the sleeve by a rubber pull. He then proceeds to
take off the other glove, but it appears to be a very
tight fit. When he has got it nearly off he gives a
vigorous pull, but his success is now too complete. The
glove has come off, but the thumb and a portion of the
adjoining material remain on the hand. He looks rue-
fully at the damage, makes some remark about never
being able to get a glove to fit him, and so on, and then
vanishes the damaged article (this time by using the
sleight-of-hand method). The severed "thumb" still
remains on his hand. He turns it this way and that,
eyeing it with a disgusted expression, and finally says :
" Well, it 's no good as it is, I must see what I can make
of it. Perhaps there may be kid enough for a smaller

No sooner said than done. He rolls the scrap of kid

glove."
between his hands, and a moment later shows it trans-
formed into a complete though miniature glove, his
hands being otherwise empty. ' ' That is a little better, ' '
he remarks, turning it about to show it, "but it is too
small for anybody but a baby to wear. I must see if I
can't stretch it a bit, and make it large enough for a
lady." He begins to pull, and the glove to lengthen in
his hands. Still longer and longer he stretches it. The
 Later Magic 377

spectators begin to realize that the fabric as well as the

shape has somehow altered; and presently it reveals
itself at full length as a lady's stocking, the glove having
entirely disappeared. The stocking is now either got
rid of by one or other of the methods given for vanishing
a handkerchief, or is retained for use in some other
trick.1
The reader will doubtless have guessed the greater
part of the secret. The glove used has the thumb por-
tion cut out, along the usual line of stitching. Round
the edges of the portion thus cut out is sewn a strip,
half an inch wide, of similar kid, forming a sort of mar-
gin. (A simpler plan, where cost is not a material con-
sideration, ito
s cut a second thumb, with the necessary
margin complete, out of another glove.) If now the
thumb be first put on, and the mutilated glove over it,
there will be nothing to call attention to the fact that
they are already separate; and when the performer
takes the glove off the spectators naturally take for
granted that he has torn it in doing so. The 1'baby"
glove is packed inside the thumb; just at the fork,
where it will not occasion any noticeable bulge.
When the thumb is taken off, this latter is folded up
small and tucked inside the baby glove, which is ex-
hibited in its place. While this is held up, in the one
hand, the other gets possession of the previously vested
silk stocking. This has a little pocket, of the same
colour and material, just inside the opening at top, and
when the stocking is exhibited, the miniature glove
and its contents are slipped into this pocket; where
the}^ may remain, unless the performer proposes, as

1 E. g., for the watch trick described at p. 195 of More Magic.

 Later Magic
378
above suggested, to utilize the stocking for the purpose
of some other trick, in which case he must get them out
again as best he can. With a little ingenuity he will
easily find an opportunity for doing so.

A GLOVE CONJURED INTO A NUT, THE NUT INTO AN EGG,

THE EGG INTO A LEMON, AND THE
LEMON INTO AN ORANGE.

This is a very old trick, but has recently been rein-

troduced, ina slightly altered form, as a novelty. As
illustrating the wide divergence between old methods
and new, it may be interesting, before proceeding to
describe the modern method, to give a translation of
the instructions given by Ponsin, writing in 1858, for
the original version. It will be observed that the
draped table with an assistant under it, the boite a
compere condemned by Robert-Houdin, was then still
in use, and played an important part in the illusion.
Ponsin, by the way, adds a ring to the articles used in
the trick.
" Effect. A ring and a glove are borrowed, and
placed in a little box. An orange, a lemon, an egg,
and a nut are offered for examination. The glove and
ring vanish invisibly from the box. The lemon, the
egg, and the nut, which had been placed under a cover 1
on the table, disappear, and the whole are found in the
orange, which the performer is holding in his hand.
' ' Explanation. The little box in which the glove and
ring are deposited is placed on a trap in the table-top
and covered over. An assistant, concealed within the

1 A metal cover, in the shape of a truncated cone, is here referred

to.
 379
Later Magic

table, takes it, removes the glove and the ring, and re-
places itas before. He quickly places the ring in a nut
previously prepared for that purpose, inserts the nut in
one of the fingers of the glove, and the glove in an egg,
which is itself enclosed in a lemon, and the lemon in an
orange, after a fashion which will be explained later.
11 In order to allow the assistant time for these opera-
tions, an orange, a lemon, an egg, and a nut are mean-
while offered for inspection. This done, stepping up
to the table, you uncover and lay aside the little box
(professedly still containing the glove and ring) , putting
in its place and covering over the lemon, egg, and nut,
but retaining the orange. While you are employed in
placing these three articles on the trap, the assistant
exchanges, for the orange you hold, the prepared one
containing the enclosures above referred to.
" When the exchange has been effected, the assistant
opens the trap and lets the unprepared lemon, egg, and
nut drop out of sight. The performer meanwhile takes
the little box, announcing that he will show a pretty
trick with the glove and ring which it contains, but on
opening the box he finds, to his pretended surprise, that
it is empty. He lifts the cover over the trap, and
makes believe to be still more astonished at finding
nothing there. He seeks for the missing articles, re-
marking at last, ' Let us see, perhaps some rival wizard
has played me a trick, and passed them into the
orange.' He cuts this open, and shows the lemon,
which he takes out of the orange; he then cuts open
the lemon, and exposes the egg. He breaks this, pulls
out the glove, and lastly finds the nut in the glove. He
breaks the nut, and produces the ring, which is identi-
fied by the person who lent it."

v
 Later Magic

The preliminary preparations are described by Pon-

sin as follows:
' 1 You take an orange, and cut out of it about a fifth
part, and through the opening thus made, clear out the
pulp by the aid of a teaspoon. A lemon is emptied in
the same way, and inserted inside the orange. Inside
the lemon is an egg, inserted while full to avoid break-
age, but emptied afterwards. The assistant has the
orange, thus prepared, in readiness. When he gets
possession of the box containing the glove and the ring,
he inserts the latter into an empty walnut- shell, joining
the shell together again by means of wTax smeared over
the edges. He pokes the nut, thus treated, into one
of the fingers of the glove, and the glove into the egg.
He must use due care, in exchanging the oranges, to
offer the prepared one in such manner that the open
side shall rest against the palm of the conjurer ; so that,
the opening being unseen, the orange may appear to
the spectators to be unprepared."
This is a fair example of what in its day was regarded
as a first-class trick. To the modern conjurer it would
seem a painfully clumsy affair, though it is possible that,
in good hands, the address of the performer may have
made it effective. We now proceed to the more up-to-
date method.
In the modern version the orange, etc., are somewhat
differently prepared. A segment is not cut out of the
orange, as described by Ponsin, but two cuts are made
in the rind at right angles to each other, and the peel
turned back at the point of intersection. The length
of the cuts is regulated by the size of the lemon to be
introduced, and the pulp is removed through the open-
ing thus made. The lemon is prepared in the same
 Later Magic

way. The egg, introduced into the latter endwise, and

while still full, after Ponsin's method, may then be
emptied through an opening made for that purpose in
the exposed end, and an unprepared walnut inserted
therein. The cut portion of the lemon rind is then
folded down to its original condition, and secured by
one or two stitches with lemon-coloured cotton. This is
then loaded into the orange, which is restored to its
original appearance in the same way. The orange thus
prepared should be placed on a servante behind a small
round table. This is covered with black velvet, and
is provided with a pocket of the same material, as de-
scribed at page 89.
The performer must also provide himself with an un-
prepared orange, lemon, egg, and nut of similar ap-
pearance. These are exhibited openly on a tray upon
his table. He should also have a little packet of flash
paper, enclosing a very small quantity of gun-cotton,
rolled up and vested. This should correspond in size
and appearance with the parcel a lady's glove would
make, if rolled as small as possible and wrapped up in
the same way.
The egg, it should be mentioned, is shown in a nickel-
plated egg-cup. This, though in appearance innocence
itself, is in fact the mechanical egg-cup with reversible
half -shell, familiar to most conjurers.1 The latter item
(the half -shell) is vested on the opposite side to that
on which the flash-paper packet is placed.
A lady's white kid glove having been borrowed, it is
rolled up and wrapped in a piece of paper in such man-
ner that the packet shall correspond in appearance
with the flash-paper roll. It is then deftly " changed
1 See post, in the chapter dealing with Egg Tricks.
 Later Magic

2
for38 the latter, which is given to one of the spectators
to hold, while the packet really containing the glove
is passed off to the assistant by one or other of the
methods already described, or in any other way that the
performer may find convenient. For instance, he may
rebuke his assistant for having left the candle on the
table unlighted, and call for a match in order to remedy
the omission. A box of matches being brought to him,
he takes out a match and lights the candle. The box
is handed back, still open, to the assistant, the little
packet having been meanwhile pushed into the open
end. The assistant closes the box; thereby pushing
the little packet out into his hand, and carries both off
together. Behind the scenes he inserts the glove, with-
out the paper, into an empty walnut-shell, the edges
of which have been slightly smeared with shoemaker's
wax, so that the half-shells adhere by mere pressure.
A further problem now presents itself, viz., how to
pass this shell into the hands of the performer. Vari-
ous ways of doing this might be suggested. For instance,
the performer may accidentally (?) drop the egg he has
just been showing on the tray, and smash it ; or it may
suddenly strike him, up@n sniffing critically at the egg,
that it is not quite fresh, whereas, for the purpose of
his experiment, an absolutely new-laid egg is necessary.
In either case he has a sufficient pretext for calling for
another egg. This is brought by the assistant on a
plate or small tray, held in the left hand. When he
nears the performer, he picks up the egg with the right
hand, in which he has the nut palmed, and offers them
both together. 1 The egg alone is shown, the nut being
1 This passing of two articles while professedly handing one only
is a very useful expedient, but needs some amount of preliminary
practice in order to execute it with perfect success.
 Later Magic 383

vested, or temporarily dropped into a pochette. The

egg is exhibited on all sides, and then ostensibly placed
in the egg-cup. In doing this, however, the performer
deftly substitutes the half -shell, and drops the complete
egg, which should be either hard-boiled or of celluloid,
into his profonde.
Where a pistol is used in the final stage of the trick
(which is one of the easiest methods of working it), the
nut may be brought in by the assistant with the weapon,
and lie behind it on the table till wanted.
Having thus got matters in train, the performer ex-
plains that he is about to attempt a very difficult feat.
He proposes to pass the glove into the nut, the nut into
the egg, the egg into the lemon, and so on. As a first
step, he invites the person having charge of the little
packet, professedly containing the glove, to warm it
a little by holding it over the candle. As soon as it
touches the flame it flashes off, and disappears. The
performer explains that he had not intended it to be
held quite so near ; but there is no great harm done ; the '
glove has merely passed into the candle. This however
will necessitate a little alteration in his intentions. He
will now be compelled to pass the nut too into the
candle, to look for the glove. He accordingly does so,
ostensibly placing the (unprepared) nut in the left
hand and rubbing it away over the candle flame, while
the right hand drops it into the profonde. The egg he
may as well serve the same way. Accordingly he picks
up the egg-cup in the left hand, and, holding it in a
slanting position over the candle-flame, rubs the egg
gently with the fingers of the right hand. Under cover
of the rubbing the half -shell is reversed, and hands and
egg-cup are alike shown empty.
 Later Magic
3^4

The orange and lemon are now alone left. The per-
former considers the possibility of passing the latter
also into the candle, but decides that it is rather too
large, and that he had better pass it into the orange.
Picking up the lemon and the orange together in the
right hand, he advances to the small velvet-covered
table, but before placing them on it, moves this a foot
or two nearer the centre of the stage. This he does
by gripping the table-top with the left hand in front,
and the right hand behind, under which conditions it is
a very easy matter to exchange the unprepared orange
for the one on the servante. This and the lemon are
then placed on the table, one on each side of the pocket
therein. The performer, standing behind the table, and
drawing back his sleeves to show all fair, picks them up
between his hands and rubs them together, or rather,
that is what he appears to do. As a matter of fact,
when the hands are brought together on the table, the
hand with the lemon travels a little faster than the
opposite hand, and the lemon, instead of being picked
up with the orange, actually goes "down trap." The
orange is rolled between the hands for a moment or two,
the performer meanwhile moving away from the table,
and it is then shown that the lemon has disappeared,
having apparently passed into the orange.
The final stage is to pass the glove, nut, and egg,
professedly now all in the candle, into the combined
fruit. If the pistol be not used, this may ostensibly
be done by merely revolving the orange a few times
over the candle-flame, but this is scarcely an artistic
method. The use of the pistol adds greatly to the effect
of the trick, the performer standing at one side of the
stage, with the orange on a table at the other, and the
 Later Magic 385

candle in a straight line between. In either case, as

soon as the articles are supposed to have " passed,"
the performer picks up the orange, and with a sharp
knife cuts enough of the rind to expose the lemon.
This he next cuts in like manner, and produces the egg.
He takes out this in such manner as not to show the
open end, and at once breaks the shell, when its prepara-
tion can no longer be detected.1 Thence he produces
the nut therein contained, for which the prepared one
is then deftly substituted ; and this being broken, the
trick is done. The performer may score an additional
point by gravely bringing forward the candle, that
any one who wishes may satisfy himself that it no
longer contains either glove, nut, or egg.
I have described this illusion at somewhat dispropor-
tionate length, but it is one which is susceptible of
many variations (e. g., a borrowed ring or bank-note
may be substituted for the glove), and it has the
further merit of practically illustrating sundry pro-
cesses and expedients whose usefulness is by no means
limited to the particular trick under consideration.

dr. avon's glove trick.2

This is a very elaborate trick, but will be found
effective by those who do not mind the trouble of the
necessary preparation.
1 A more realistic method is to use a raw egg, unbroken. At the
close of the trick, this is broken into a tumbler, and the prepared
walnut, held in the same hand, is allowed to drop therein. If the
performer breaks the egg on the edge of the tumbler remote from
himself, this becomes an easy matter, as the hand is in that case
brought over the tumbler. The necessary wiping of the nut before
it can be25 further dealt with only adds to the effect of the trick.
2 Die Zauberwelt, Vol. iii., p. 166.
 Later Magic

86
3The following are the requirements for the feat:
1. A pair of ordinary white kid gloves.
2. A single glove (a) specially prepared.
3. A single glove (b) also specially prepared.
4. A white kid glove, child's size.
5. A sand -frame. This is the familiar frame used
for producing or vanishing a playing card.
(See More Magic, page 102.)
6. A lighted candle.
7. A glass tumbler.
8. The "smoke" apparatus, described at page 56.
9. Pull in left sleeve, with loop at end.

The preparation of the two gloves is somewhat ex-

ceptional, and will require some care, a is a glove
from which two fingers have been torn off, and which is
damaged in other particulars. In each of the two re-
maining fingers is concealed a short piece of rubber
tube, secured at each end, and filled with milk. The
rubber has been punctured in one or two places, near
the finger-tip end, with a sharp penknife, and the
glove fingers have likewise been cut at the tips to cor-
respond. Ifthe holes have been properly made in the
rubber, no liquid will escape, save under pressure. The
glove thus prepared is rolled up in a small compass, and
placed on the servante.
The second glove, b, is in still worse condition, noth-
ing being left of it save one finger and a strip of the
back or palm. In the finger is a rubber tube filled with
milk, and otherwise prepared as above mentioned.
This hangs, by a thread that can be easily broken, in-
side the front of the performer's coat on the left side.
The child's glove is placed inside the sand -frame, which
 387
Later Magic

is so turned that the sand shall run down between the

glasses and the frame appear empty. The smoke ap-
paratus isduly arranged on the person of the performer,
the outlet tube lying just inside his right sleeve.
The performer comes forward wearing the unpre-
pared gloves, and introduces the trick as follows :
"It is almost a matter of course for a conjurer, in
good society, to begin by 'vanishing' his gloves. I
propose to follow the fashion, but after a manner of my
own. I shall rely, not on rapidity of movement, but
on one of the forces of nature, namely, Heat. As you
are aware, ladies and gentlemen, there are three states
or conditions of matter: the solid, the fluid, and the
gaseous, according to the temperature to which it is
exposed. We have a familiar example in water, which
appears in a solid form as ice, or in vapour as steam.
Now, I have discovered that the same thing applies to
many other substances, far more so indeed than any-
body has hitherto suspected. I will illustrate the prin-
ciple with these gloves of mine. I leave you to choose
which of them I shall use for my experiment."
The performer takes off both gloves, and hands them
for examination, letting it be clearly seen that they are
quite unprepared. When one has been chosen, he takes
it with his right hand, and places it in his left, really
inserting it within the loop of the pull and getting rid of
it by that means up the sleeve, though the hand closes
as if still containing it. He then, with the right hand,
picks up his wand, and with it the prepared glove a,
which has been so placed as to enable him to do this.
He then makes believe to return the glove first shown,
and believed to be in the left hand, to the right, which
he moves about over the lighted candle, professedly to
 Later Magic
388
"melt" the glove. After a sufficient interval he picks
up the tumbler, and, holding his hand over it, squeezes
the glove (a). The rubber tubes yield up their con-
tents, which drip into the glass. When squeezed dry,
he exhibits the mutilated glove, remarking that some
part at any rate of it is completely melted, as may be
seen by the portions missing.
Using both hands, he rolls A into a smaller compass,
then making a quarter turn to the left, he gets b se-
cretly into his left hand. He makes believe to pass A
into the left hand, but really palms it in the right, and
in the act of picking up the candlestick with the right
hand, gets rid of it on the servante. He now holds the
left hand over the lighted candle, and, after having
warmed it sufficiently, takes up the tumbler, and
squeezes the contents of b into it. This done, he opens
the hand, and shows that the unfortunate glove has lost
a further portion of its substance. In pulling it apart
it should be an easy matter to extract the piece of
rubber tube from the finger, after which the remains
may be handed for closer inspection.
While general attention is thus attracted to the dam-
aged glove, the performer gets down the end of the
smoke tube into his right hand. Taking back the
glove with the left hand, he apparently transfers it to
his right, getting rid of it a moment later, in the act of
picking up the wand or candlestick.
Again he holds the right hand over the candle, re-
marking that as so much of the glove has already
reached the fluid state, the remainder cannot be very
far from the gaseous condition; and the spectators
are invited to watch narrowly for this transformation.
While they are thus watching the right hand, the left
 Later Magic 389

sinks to the side and presses the air-ball of the smoke

apparatus, when dense white fumes stream from the
fingers of the right hand, representing the last atoms of
the glove in a state of combustion. The straightening
of the arm draws the tube back into the sleeve, when
the right hand may be shown empty.
In the trick as described by Dr. Avon, the miniature
glove (professedly the original restored, but diminished
in size by evaporation) is caused to appear in the sand-
frame, previously seen empty ; but this is of course only
one of many possible conclusions.
 CHAPTER X.

TRICKS WITH EGGS.

'HE most practical advance in this direction lies in

1 the introduction of the celluloid egg. There are
many tricks in which the use of the natural egg is
undesirable. For palming purposes its weight is an
objection, and, unless hard-boiled, its fragility lays the
performer always more or less open to a possible catas-
trophe. The blown egg is still more fragile, though this
difficulty may be to some extent got over by coating
the interior with a plaster cement. Imitation eggs of
wood, metal, and rubber have been tried, but none of
them looked quite like the real thing, and they had the
further drawback of soiling very quickly.
At last, however, some one hit on the happy thought
of employing celluloid,1 and the problem was solved.
Eggs made of this material are undistinguishable by
sight from the real article. They are much stronger
than the natural egg, while their lightness enables even
a novice to palm them with perfect ease. They are
manufactured with an unbroken surface, in imitation
of the natural egg, and also hollow, with an opening
at the side or end, for use in handkerchief tricks. The
last mentioned pattern (see Fig. 169) is a comparative
1 Messrs. Hamlcy use both for eggs and billiard-balls a special
form
results.of celluloid, called "ivorine," which gives exceptionally good
 Later Magic

novelty. Each has its recommendations, according to

the purpose for which it is employed. The reader will
39i

Fig. 169.

find indicated in the following pages frequent opportu-

nities for the use of each kind. First, however, I will
describe two methods of " faking" a natural egg, for
the purpose of a very effective little trick.

THE SELF-BALANCING EGG.

Into a blown egg insert a small teaspoonful of shot,

with a like quantity of melted paraffin wax. Stop
the two holes with a mixture of coaguline and levi-
gated lime, and place the egg, while the paraffin cools,
point upwards, so that the contents may settle down
and solidify at its broader end. When it is cold, the
stoppings of the two holes may be smoothed over with
a small file, and if neatly finished off will be practically
invisible. An egg thus prepared will stand upright on
its broader end, and even if laid down, will immedi-
ately resume its former position. It may even be
balanced upright on the end of the magician's wand,
with very curious effect.
Another, and in some respects better, plan is to fill
the egg, to the extent of one third of its capacity, with
fine sand, in place of the shot and paraffin, closing
the ends as above described. The egg in this case is
 Later Magic
392
not limited to the perpendicular, but remains pretty
nearly in any position in which it may be placed, the
loose sand naturally settling down into the portion
which may be lowest for the time being.
It is hardly necessary to remark that the egg should
not be introduced point-blank as having this peculiar
property, but should be deftly substituted for another
which in the course of some previous trick has been
casually submitted to examination, or as to which the
audience have in some other way been satisfied that it
has "no preparation."
THE EGG-CUP, FOR VANISHING AN EGG.1

This little piece of apparatus is of considerable an-

tiquity, and no expert at the present day would think

Fig. 170.

of exhibiting it as an independent trick. In com-

bination with other elements, however, it may still be
1 One mode of using this egg-cup has been already indicated in
connection with the glove trick described at page 378, but it merits a
special mention in connection with egg tricks generally.
 Later Magic 393

made very useful. For the benefit of readers who may

not have made its acquaintance, I will briefly describe
it.
In appearance it is simply a handsome nickel-
plated egg-cup, such as would do credit to anybody's
breakfast table. (See Fig. 170.) Close examination,
however, reveals a little peculiarity, in the shape of a
rebate all round the inner edge of the cup. Into this
fits the rim of a half- shell, a, also of metal, but en-
amelled on the outside in exact imitation of an egg.
The two parts of the apparatus are so adjusted in point
of size that this half- shell exactly fits the cup either
way up. If inserted with the convex side upwards,
the effect to the spectator is that there is an egg in the
cup. If turned the other way up, the convex side of
the shell adapts itself to the concavity of the egg-cup,
and the latter appears empty. Indeed, in such con-
dition itis available for the reception of an actual egg.
The interior of the half-shell, like that of the cup itself,
is of polished metal.
When the sham egg is in position, an expert per-
former can, by merely passing his hand over it, re-
verse it in the cup, leaving the latter apparently
empty. To do this, the first step is to show a com-
plete egg (real or imitation), and to place it appar-
ently in the cup, actually substituting the half-shell.
Taking the cup by its foot in the left hand, the
performer encircles the supposed egg with the fingers
of the right, as if to lift it out of the cup, but, as a
matter of fact, under cover of the fingers, turns the
shell over with the thumb. The right hand moves
away as if containing the egg, and is in due course
shown empty.
394 Later Magic

AN IMPROVED EGG-HOLDER.

This is another of the ingenious aids to deception

for which magic is indebted to Herr Willmann.
Its object is to transform a silk handkerchief into
an egg, which in this case may be not merely a con-
jurer's make-believe, but the genuine production of the
hen. In shape the fake follows the lines of the egg-cup
of ordinary life, but with the foot cut off half an inch

Fig. 171.

below the bowl. In appearance it is as represented in

Fig. 171. Round the mouth of the cup a a are three
small holes, as b b, through which pass from the outside
three studs or pegs, attached to steel springs which
normally press them inward. An egg being intro-
duced, smaller end foremost, into the holder, the pres-
sure of these three studs holds it safely in the cup,
even when the latter is held mouth downwards. In
the lower half of the holder is an oval opening, c, about
an inch in longest diameter. At its extreme lower end
 Later Magic 395

is a cup-shaped boss, hollowed out to receive the knot

of a piece of rubber cord, d. The opposite end of this
cord, which is about half a yard in length, is passed
inside the vest through the left arm-hole, and secured
to one of the brace-buttons on the opposite side, in
such manner that the holder shall hang, covered by
the coat, about level with the vest pocket on the left
side.
The manner of its use is, broadly speaking, as fol-
lows: The performer, exhibiting a silk handkerchief

Fig. 172.

in his right hand, makes a half -turn to the left, as if

to give a better view to the spectators on that side.
While his left side is thus screened, he gets the fake
into the left hand, and then, bringing the hands to-
gether, works the handkerchief into the opening c,
thereby forcing out the egg into the hands, the hand-
kerchief taking its place at the bottom of the cup,
which is then allowed to fly back to its original posi-
tion.
The egg-holder above described is a very ingenious
 Later Magic
396 finished contrivance, but it seems to me that the
and
same object might be effected equally well, and more
simply, by suppressing the three studs and the springs
to which they are attached, and fixing across the
mouth of the cup a flat rubber band half an inch wide,
secured by a screw and washer on each side, as shown
in Fig. 172. The band could be drawn aside to allow
of the introduction of the egg and again to admit of its
withdrawal, resting in the meantime across the broad
end of the egg and holding it safely in position. India-
rubber has the defect of being perishable, but the band
could be renewed so easily that this is practically no
objection.

THE MAGICAL PRODUCTION OF EGGS.

Where the performer merely desires to produce one

or two eggs for the purpose of some trick to follow, he
cannot do better than obtain them from beneath the
lower edge of the waistcoat.
In some instances the article is simply 1 ' vested"
after the ordinary fashion, and in the case of a. cellu-
loid or blown egg this is safe enough. But with the
natural egg, in its raw state, this is rather a hazardous
method, the combined weight and smoothness of the
egg tending to create some risk of its escaping pre-
maturely from its hiding-place, and producing an un-
rehearsed and by no means desirable effect upon the
floor. To avoid this risk, it is well in such case to use
the egg-clip. This is a simple piece of hard brass wire,
twisted into the form shown in Fig. 173. Each of the
ends is fashioned into a ring, the one rather larger than
the other, the egg resting horizontally between them,
 Later Magic 397

while the centre portion forms a loop, by means of

which the holder is attached to a hook or button, sewn
in an appropriate position to the trousers, just under-
neath the vest. Where several are used, a cord may
be passed through the various loops, and then tied
round the waist. Thus secured, there is no fear what-
ever of the egg falling, while yet it is so lightly held
that the slightest pull brings it into the hand.
I have recently seen at Messrs. Hamleys' an egg-clip
of a new and improved pattern. So far as the arrange-
ment for supporting the egg is concerned, it is iden-
tical with that just described, but it differs from it in

Fig. 173.

the fact that instead of the loop at top, the centre or

stem portion is turned over and forms a sharp hook,
by means of which the holder can be attached in an
instant to any part of the clothing, and as quickly de-
tached when no longer needed.
It will be seen that this contrivance is, with the
slight variation in form necessitated by the greater
length and different shape of an egg, practically the
same as the "ball clip," described at p. 81.
Where, however, the mere production of some con-
siderable number of eggs is the effect aimed at, this
398 Later Magic

can be better achieved by the use of another expedient.

In this particular instance, the time-honoured popular
idea of magical production— the "up his sleeve,"
which, to the public mind, has satisfactorily accounted
for so many mysteries, — is actually realized, the eggs
being in fact produced from the sleeve of the performer.
The method of doing this is extremely ingenious.
The eggs are not the "real thing," but dummies of
celluloid. Through each end of each egg a
small hole is pierced. Three or four of such
eggs are threaded on a fine silk cord, as
shown in Fig. 174. One end of this ter-
minates in a good-sized dress-hook ; and the
other in a little soft worsted tassel, of such
a size that the eggs can be drawn over it. but
will not pass it by their own weight. The
hook is slipped over the edge of the arm-
hole of the vest. The cord, with the eggs
upon it, is passed down the sleeve at the
same side, and its length is so adjusted that,
when the arm is fully extended, the lower-
most egg lies just inside the coat cuff; but
when the arm is flexed, comes into the hand.
When this egg is drawn off, the rest slip
down till checked by the tassel, another egg
being thus made ready for production.
Each arm may be thus furnished ; and, with a little
practice, the production of the eggs becomes a very
easy matter. At the same moment when an egg,
extracted, say, from the breast pocket or from inside
the open vest of a spectator, is exhibited in the one
hand, the opposite arm is bent, and an egg got into
the other hand, ready for a fresh production.
 Later Magic 399

Theoretically, a dozen eggs may be produced in

this way, six from each sleeve, and I have seen the
trick so described. It would, however, be extremely
unwise to produce anything like such a number, the
repetition of the same effect in the same way several
times over being a breach of one of the soundest of
conjuring maxims. Five or six should be regarded
as an outside limit, and the use of the sleeve should be
alternated with some other form of production, say
from the vest. This plan has the further advantage
that, as the eggs in the latter case may be real ones,
one of them may be accidentally (?) dropped on a
plate or otherwise, and so prove, by conjurers' logic,
the genuineness of the rest.

PRODUCTION OF EGGS FROM THE MOUTH.

Instructions for producing this effect were given in

Modern Magic and More Magic.1 The trick is not
one suited for indiscriminate performance, but it is
one highly appreciated by juvenile or bucolic spec-
tators; and it may be worth while therefore to note
one or two improvements, which have been made in
the method of production.
One of these consists in the substitution, for the un-
prepared egg placed in the mouth of the assistant, of a
hard-boiled egg, with the shell removed.
In using the older method there was a certain amount
of danger. If the assistant, while the egg was in his
mouth, happened to be seized with a sudden fit of
coughing or of laughter, he ran considerable risk of
being choked. This, the use of the shell-less egg
1 Modern Magic, p. 329; More Magic, p. 342.
 Later Magic
4oo
avoided. This last is, however, in turn now super-
seded by a more artistic contrivance, in the shape of a
half -shell of metal or celluloid, white outside, but in-
ternally coloured red, of a tint corresponding to that of
the inside of the mouth.
The fake may be used by the performer himself, but
is best adapted for that form of the trick in which the
eggs are produced from the mouth of his assistant.
The latter prepares for the feat by slipping the little
fake into his mouth, and turning it so that its concave
side shall come over the tip of the tongue. When it
is desired that he shall produce an egg, he opens the
mouth and pushes this slightly forward, representing
to the eyes of the spectators a complete egg. The
performer, bringing his hand up to take it from the
mouth, shows in its place an actual egg, previously
palmed, while the fake is drawn back again into the
mouth, reappearing as often as may be desired. By
turning the fake with the concave side outwards, or
letting it rest inside the cheek, the mouth may be
shown apparently empty.
At the close of the trick, the performer pushes the
egg to be last produced partially into the mouth of the
assistant, who with his tongue turns the fake in his
mouth so that it shall be brought over the end of the
egg, when both can be removed together.
When the performer produces the eggs from his own
mouth, the fake may be introduced, a few moments
beforehand, under cover of a simulated cough. When
coughing it is natural to place the hand before the
mouth, and the act of so doing brings the palmed fake
just into the position needful for its insertion. If the
performer has coughed once or twice before, in the
 Later Magic

course of some other trick, the feint will appear all

the more natural.
The egg-clip, described at page 397, will be found401
very useful in the performance of this trick, the vesting
of raw eggs in the ordinary way being a trifle hazard-
ous, and productive of considerable anxiety to a ner-
vous performer.

Before quitting the subject of this particular illu-

sion, it may be interesting to describe the trick as
performed, some thirty years ago, by the German
Court conjurer, Bellachini, whose working has one or
two amusing features. I borrow my description from
an article by Herr Willmann in Die Zauberwelt.1

The assistant took up his position in the back-

ground, towards one side of the stage, standing with
his hands behind him, as if merely waiting till his
services should be required. In each of his hands
were three raw eggs. In this position he remained
while Bellachini performed some trick with an egg.
The egg used was finally "vanished," but imme-
diately reappeared between the lips of the assistant
(this was a shell-less egg, as above described). The
conjurer, catching sight of it, stepped up to him in
order to take it back.
Standing at the left side of the assistant, he placed
the left hand on his chest and the right hand on his
back, making believe to press his body between them,
and under cover of this manoeuvre got into the right
hand, and palmed, an egg from the concealed store in
the rear. Meanwhile, as a supposed effect of the
1 Vol. ii., p. 73.
26
 Later Magic
402
pressure, the shell-less egg was allowed to project a
little farther from the mouth.
The performer, now changing his position so as to
be on the opposite side, brought up his right hand to
the mouth, and apparently took the egg therefrom,
though, as a matter of fact, he pushed the egg just
palmed partly into the mouth, and thence produced it,
while the one shown was allowed to slip back, and the
mouth to close.
The egg produced was laid upon a plate and the
operation was repeated until the supply was ex-
hausted.
To negative any suspicion of a concealed store of
eggs behind the assistant, the performer now and
then turned him round with his back to the audience.
The remaining eggs were in such case temporarily de-
posited in the assistant's coat-tail pockets, and again
taken out when he re-assumed his former position.
Meanwhile Bellachini's second assistant, a negro,
had come on to the stage from the opposite side,' bear-
ing a small tray, professedly for the reception of the
eggs produced. Bellachini took it from him, looked
hard at him for a moment, as if noticing something
peculiar about him, and then suddenly patted him on
the head, when an egg was seen to appear in his mouth ;
but, with due regard for local colour, it was a black
one, having been dyed accordingly. Thenceforth Bella-
chini produced from his two human hens a white and
a black egg alternately, to the no small amusement of
the spectators.

A further incident is mentioned by Herr Willmann

as being sometimes introduced in this trick (though
 Later Magic 403

not by Bellachini) with good effect. The performer,

in the act of putting the supposed pressure on the
stomach of the assistant, bends down a little. The
assistant takes the opportunity to give him a gentle
pat on the top of the head, when an egg (secretly in-
troduced amoment previously) is seen to appear in
his mouth, and is produced therefrom. As may be
imagined, this turning of the tables on the professor
never fails to produce a shout of laughter from the
audience.

A SMASHED EGG VANISHED FROM A HANDKERCHIEF.

This is scarcely a trick in itself, but may now and
then be introduced, with good effect in the course of
some illusion in which an egg has been used. The
egg, which is to all appearance, and indeed may be
in fact, the genuine unprepared article, is ostensibly
wrapped in a borrowed handkerchief, which some one
is then invited to hold, grasping it so that the form of
the egg shall be plainly visible. After a brief interval,
duly occupied with "patter," the performer takes it
back again, and crushes the egg, still wrapped in the
handkerchief, between his hands. The owner of the
handkerchief trembles for his nice clean mouchoir, but
his anxiety proves to be groundless. The performer
shakes out the handkerchief. The egg and its con-
tents have vanished into the Ewigkeit, and the hand-
kerchief isreturned, not a whit the worse for having
assisted in its annihilation.
The secret lies in the fact that the performer is pro-
vided with a blown egg, encased in a little bag of soft
silk. To this is attached a short length of silk thread,
at the opposite end of which is a bent pin. By means
404 Later Magic

of this the silk bag is secretly attached to the hinder

side of the handkerchief, so as to hang, when the
latter is spread out, as nearly as possible behind its
centre. When the performer professedly wraps the
real egg in the handkerchief he palms it, substitut-
ing for it the covered egg-shell. After crushing this
within the handkerchief, he spreads out the latter, of
course with the little bag to the rear. At the first
convenient opportunity he palms this off, when the
handkerchief is again in a condition to be returned to
the owner.

In another method of egg-vanishing the secret lies

in the handkerchief itself, which is of silk, and has a
slit, just large enough to allow the passage of the egg,
in its centre. The performer spreads this over the
palm of either hand, taking care that the slit- shall not
be noticed, and lays the egg upon it. He then pro-
ceeds to wrap it up in the handkerchief, during which
process it is allowed to slip through the handkerchief
into the hand, where it is palmed. With the opposite
hand he picks up the little bundle, and with the hand
which holds the egg picks up from his table a small
tray, in so doing allowing the egg to fall into a bag
servante. The folded handkerchief is laid on the tray
and offered to some lady, who is requested to hold the
handkerchief tightly, that the egg may not escape. As
soon as she takes it in hand she naturally makes the
remark that the egg is no longer there. Professing
surprise, the performer takes back the handkerchief,
and opens it to verify her assertion. This he does by
again spreading it over the hand, picking it up by the
centre so as to conceal the slit and shaking it out.
 Later Magic 405

The egg is then reproduced elsewhere, as may suit the

intended denouement of the trick.

THE DIMINISHING EGG.

This again is scarcely to be regarded as a trick in
itself, but may very well be introduced as a sort of
after-thought, forming a neat magical finish to some
trick in which an egg has already figured.
The egg previously used, which we may suppose to
have been submitted to some amount of examination,
is secretly exchanged for a " nest" of three eggs, prefer-
ably of celluloid or ivorine. Of these the two larger
are hollow, lined with some soft material. Each has
in one side of it an oval opening large enough to allow
the passage of the next in size. The smallest of the
three is solid.
The three eggs (one within the other, and therefore
in appearance one only) are exhibited, with the open-
ings downward, on the open left hand of the per-
former. Bringing the hands together, he palms off
the largest egg, and while the general attention is
drawn to the diminished size of the one remaining in
the left hand, drops this into the profonde. The
second hollow egg is then palmed off in like manner,
and got rid of while handing the solid egg for examina-
tion. When this latter is returned, it is ostensibly
handed to some other person for inspection, and got rid
of in transit by the ' ' tourniquet. ' ' This final 1 1 vanish ' '
brings the feat to a fitting magical conclusion.
TO VANISH AN EGG FROM THE HAND.

To palm an egg comfortably, it should lie length-

ways across the second and third fingers, and at the
 Later Magic
406
same time be clipped between the tips of the first and
fourth. Held in this position, it can be palmed with
great facility. This method is also the best for palm-
ing acork. The shape of the egg, however, favours the
use of another sleight, which may be employed as an

Fig. 176.

alternative. The egg is held in, or rather on, say, the

right hand, as shown in Fig. 175. The left hand ap-
proaches, and apparently grasps it, raising it some-
what aloft, followed by the eyes of the performer. As
a matter of fact, however, it is allowed to slip down
into the right hand, where it is palmed by a slight
 Later Magic ,407

contraction of the last three fingers, the forefinger

meanwhile being extended and pointing to the left
hand. Fig. 176 gives a view of the right hand on the
side not seen by the spectators. After the lapse of a
moment or two the left hand rubs the egg away, and
is shown empty, the right hand immediately afterwards
producing it from under the knee, or from the pocket
of a spectator.
If found more convenient by the performer, the
functions of the two hands may be reversed, the egg
being exhibited in the left hand and professedly re-
moved by the right.

One method of vanishing an egg by means of a pull

has been already described. In another the egg is arti-
ficial, and the free end of the pull terminates in a
small narrow cork, such as is used to cork a medicine
bottle. The cord is passed through this (from the
larger end) and secured by a knot on the opposite end.
In the larger end of the egg is a cavity, tapering to
correspond with the shape of the cork, but so as to be
rather a tight fit. By the aid of this arrangement the
egg can be attached to the pull with great ease and
with perfect security.

A SPECIAL EGG VANISHER.

I am indebted to Messrs. Hamley Brothers for the

knowledge of another ingenious form of egg vanisher.
This consists of a flat semicircular pocket of black
glazed calico, as illustrated in Fig. 177. In length it
is 5|- inches, and in depth a little over 3 inches. The
mouth is normally kept closed by the action of two
 Later Magic
4o 8
straight pieces of clock-spring, each enclosed in a hem
at the mouth ; but may be opened by pressure on the
ends of these, after the same manner as the well-known
bag used for producing sweets from a handkerchief.
The pocket is kept in shape by means of a stiff wire
passing round the semicircle on the inside.
At the point b is an eyelet, to which is attached a
piece of cord elastic, with a loop on its free end. This
loop is secured to one of the brace-buttons of the per-
former on the right side. The vanisher is then passed
inside the braces at the back of the left side, where it
is secured, .by means of the wire loop a, to a dress-hook

Fig. 177.

sewn to the lower edge of the performer's vest, and just

covered by the coat.
When the performer desires to vanish an egg, he
shows it in the right hand, standing so that his left
side is turned away from the spectators. Under cover
of his own body he gets the vanisher into the left hand,
slipping the second finger into a, and holding the little
bag lengthwise between this finger and the thumb,
which grips it just under b. He then turns so that his
left side shall be brought forward, brings the hands
together, opens the bag by pressure on the ends as
already explained, and drops the egg therein; then
simultaneously extends the arms and releases the fake,
which forthwith flies back under the coat. The effect
 Later Magic

is enhanced if the performer bares his arms before

showing the trick.
Readers of More Magic will recognize that the prin-
ciple is the same as that there described (p. 212) for
the vanishing of a handkerchief. The appliance now
under consideration would, of course, be equally avail-
able for this purpose, and can likewise be used for
vanishing a small ball, or any other article of appro-
priate size.

THE WANDERING EGGS.

First Method.

The effect of this trick, which is of German origin,

is as follows :
Three eggs are brought in and placed on the per-
former's table. These may either stand upright in a
plate of salt or sand, or be placed in three egg-cups,
resting on a single stand, after the manner in which
eggs are frequently served at the breakfast table. A
couple of tall hats being procured from spectators,
the performer places them on two chairs, one on each,
about six feet apart. Taking the eggs one by one, he
places them unmistakably in one of the hats, after
which, for some reason suggested by his patter, he
transfers them again one by one (first baring his arm
to the elbow to show that there is "no deception") to
the other. To all appearance, therefore, the eggs are
now in the second hat, which we will call b, and the
first, which we will call a, is empty. He gives further
proof of this by turning a upside down. Restoring it
to its natural position, he places b, mouth upwards, on
the top of it. He touches the hats with his wand, and
 Later Magic
4io
pronounces the mystic " Pass." Hat b is now shown to
be empty, and the three eggs are reproduced from a.
The secret lies mainly in the eggs, which are one and
all faked articles. Two of them are blown eggs. To
the larger end of each is attached a little loop of
horsehair,1 after the fashion shown in Fig. 178. The
third is differently prepared. It is emptied through
a hole in its side, after which the opening is trimmed
into a neat oval, about two thirds the length of the
egg. The shell is then strengthened by lining it with

Fig. 179.
Fig. 178.

three la}^ers of lint, well saturated with paste or glue.

This lining should project a little over the edges of
the opening, forming a margin to which is afterwards
glued a flat piece of pasteboard of corresponding size, so
that the egg when complete is as depicted in Fig. 179,
1 To attach a loop to a blown egg may at first sight appear a rather
difficult matter, but it is not so in reality. After forming the loop,
the free ends are tied tightly round the centre of a little piece of
lucifer match (what are known as " White Pine Vestas" are just the
thing) , three eighths of an inch long. This is passed through the
hole, and when fairly inside the egg, will naturally lie across it. The
egg is now suspended by the loop, and the bit of wood secured in
position by inserting a drop of coaguline or liquid glue into the hole.
This, when it dries, makes the wood adhere to the interior of the
shell, and prevents its shifting.
 Later Magic

like an ordinary egg flattened on one side. The flat sur-

face is smeared with wax, of good adhesive character.
This side, when the eggs are brought on, is, of course,411
turned away from the spectators, and the remaining
two eggs are so placed that the hair loops are under-
most, and so out of sight. The only other item of
apparatus is a sharp black pin bent into a hook, after
the fashion of a in Fig. 179. This, till required for
use, may be hooked into the lower edge of the per-
former's vest, just covered by the coat. When the
two hats are borrowed there is naturally a momentary
interval between the handing up of the first and of the
second, and this the performer utilizes to hook the
bent pin into the lining of the first hat, about half-way
down. The hat in question will be the one we have
referred to as a, and the other B.
In placing the eggs in a, the performer begins with
the two which have the hair loop, and by means of
such loop hitches them on to the little hook. Being,
for all the spectators know, genuine eggs, it is natural
that he should handle them carefully, and he can,
without exciting suspicion, take full time to arrange
them properly. When it comes to the turn of the third
egg, he has only to take care, in placing it in the hat,
that the flattened side is not exposed to the audience.
In the next stage of the trick, viz., transferring the
eggs to hat b, he begins with the flattened egg. Plac-
ing this in b, he lays it on the crown, flat side upper-
most, and instantly presses the back of the hand upon
it. The wax causes it to adhere to the hand, which is
brought up again apparently empty ; the egg being in
reality concealed behind it. In placing the hand in a,
to take out another egg, he brushes off the adhering
 Later Magic
412
egg against the side of the hat, brings it up again vis-
ibly, places it in b, and takes it out invisibly, as be-
fore. The egg is once more placed in the hat, but on
this third occasion it is not placed directly therein by
the right hand, but is apparently transferred in the
first instance to the left, really remaining palmed in
the right. The left hand is in due course brought up
empty, and the spectators cannot doubt but that all
three eggs are now in b. As a further proof, however,
that such is really the case, the performer with his
right hand grasps a, and turns it over; in so doing
pressing the adhesive side of the palmed egg against
the brim, outside, on the side remote from the spec-
tators. The two blown eggs hang quietly suspended
from the hook, and as the third egg adheres to the
brim, the performer is enabled to pass the hat from
hand to hand, showing, apparently, that the hands and
hat are all absolutely empty.
The hat a is now replaced, and b placed upon it as
already described. The eggs are commanded to pass
from the one to the other. The left hand lifts b and
shows that there is nothing therein. Meanwhile the
right hand again seizes and palms the flattened egg.
This is first produced, and then the other two, each
being replaced in the plate or egg-holder, as at first.
The little hook is brought away with the third egg,
and remains attached to it.

THE WANDERING EGGS.

Another Method.

This trick resembles that last described in point of

effect, inasmuch as four eggs, placed in one hat, pass
 Later Magic 4i3

magically into another, but there is no further point

of similarity between the two, the methods of working
being radically different. The illusion I am about to
describe is in fact two distinct tricks combined, the
mode in which the eggs are made to disappear from
the first hat being the invention of Professor Bellonie,
while the manner of their reproduction is, I believe, a
device of the ingenious Herr Willmann. Either pro-
cess may, if preferred, be used alone, or in combination
with some other of the tricks described in this chapter.
First, as to the disappearance. Four eggs, after being
shown on a plate, are placed one by one in a borrowed
hat. A handkerchief, likewise borrowed, is passed
over it for a moment, and shaken out in the direction
of another borrowed hat, which rests, mouth down-
wards, on a table at some distance. The first hat is
then shown empty.
This done, the performer, baring his arms to the
elbow, takes the second hat by the brim, still mouth
downwards, in the left hand. Reaching up into it
with the right hand, he brings down an egg, and lays
it on the plate, then another, and so on, until all four
have been reproduced. Taking one of the eggs in his
left hand, he picks up the plate with the other, and
brings all forward for inspection. He offers the eggs
on the plate first. When these have been handed to
different spectators, he says: "And now, perhaps, you
would like to look at this one" (the one in the left
hand). He offers it accordingly, but the hand is
empty, this particular egg having once more van-
ished.
Now as to the modus operandi. The disappearance
of the three eggs from hat No. 1 is accomplished by the
 4*4 Later Magic

aid of a little network bag, just large enough to con-

tain four eggs comfortably, and kept distended at the
mouth by a piece of wire, bent into a triangle; one
side being slightly curved so as to accommodate itself
the better to the shape of the hat. To the centre of
this curved side is soldered a little sharp-pointed hook,
directed downwards ; and this, during his journey back
to the table after borrowing the hat, the performer
hooks into the leather lining. The eggs, when placed
in the hat, are in reality deposited in this bag. In the
act of depositing the last he detaches the bag and lets
it lie loose in the crown of the hat. When he takes
the handkerchief to spread it over the opening, his
wand is in his right hand. He does not lay it down,
'but holds it, pointing downwards, behind the hand-
kerchief. Near the lower end of the wand is a little
hook, or a mere needle-point, sloping upwards. In
the act of covering the hat he lowers the Wand into it,
and engaging this hook into that of the little bag, lifts
out the latter behind the handkerchief, and lets it
drop into a bag servante fixed in readiness behind the
table, the hat being thereby left empty.

Such is Professor Bellonie's method of working the

disappearance. It is decidedly ingenious, but I should
imagine would, as to the last part, be very difficult
to work satisfactorily; apart from the fact that the
holding of the wand behind the handkerchief seems
awkward and unnatural. I venture to suggest as an
improvement that the performer should use, in place
of the wand, a piece of stiffish wire, about six inches
in length, fashioned at the lower end into a hook, and
at the upper into a loop, just fitting over the thumb.
 4i5
Later Magic

This could be easily manipulated behind the hand-

kerchief, and, when it had served its purpose of picking
up the little bag, might be dropped with it into the
servante.

For the reproduction of the eggs from the second

hat another appliance is used. This consists of a little
conical bag, of network or soft silk, closed at the mouth
by a rubber ring, and having at its opposite end a
little hook, for attaching it to the lining of the hat.
In this are placed four eggs, three of them genuine, the
other a hollow egg of celluloid, with an oval opening
in one side. This is placed in the bag first, so that it
shall be the last to be produced. The bag, thus loaded,
is hooked to the vest of the performer at the left side,
about the height of the armpit, and covered by the
coat. When borrowing the hat, he receives it in the
left hand, holding it mouth downwards, and during
his return to the stage, hooks the little bag into the
lining, as near the crown as possible. The hat being
placed on the table, still mouth downwards, no one is
at all likely to suspect that it contains anything.
After the eggs have been vanished from hat No. 1
and wafted by the handkerchief in the direction of
No. 2, the performer bares his arms and produces the
four eggs, squeezing them out of the little bag one
after another as already described. Before producing
the last (which it will be remembered is the hollow
egg), he unhooks the little bag, and deftly packs it
inside the egg, which he then lays, opening down-
wards, with the others on the plate.
Having returned the two hats, it occurs to him that
the audience may like to examine the eggs. Picking
 Later Magic
416
up the hollow egg in the right hand, he makes believe
to place it in the left, really palming it in the right.
He makes a step towards the audience with the left
hand extended (half closed as if holding the egg), but
bethinking himself that the company may like to ex-
amine the other eggs also, he steps back, and with the
right hand picks up the plate containing them, in so
doing letting the palmed egg fall on the servante.
The eggs on the plate are examined, and found void of
preparation. That professedly in the left hand is like-
wise offered for inspection; but is found to have
somehow dematerialized itself in transit, for the hand
is empty.

As regards this portion of the trick also, I venture to

offer one or two suggestions. First, that it would add
to the effect of the trick if the performer, before pro-
ducing the first egg, were to turn down the leather
lining of the hat ; otherwise it might possibly be im-
agined that the eggs rested on the lining and were
produced from thence. As the reader is aware, the
suspicion would be unfounded, but the mere possi-
bility of such an explanation tends to discount in
some degree the effect of the trick.
Secondly, as to the final vanishing of the hollow
egg. It seems to me that a better plan would be to
bring forward all four eggs on the plate, and after
handing the three unprepared ones to different spec-
tators, to pick up the hollow egg with the left hand
and with the right to offer the plate to a fourth spec-
tator, with the remark : ' ' Perhaps you, sir, will ex-
amine the plate." Then, apparently transferring the
egg from the left hand to the right by means of the
 Later Magic 417

" tourniquet, " say, looking about from one to another,

"And who will examine this last egg?" While the
right hand apparently offers it to the spectator, the
left drops it into the profonde.
It is obvious that the two stages of the trick may
be reversed, if preferred; the eggs being first pro-
duced from the one hat, and then made to disappear
from the other. This, in fact, is the order of proced-
ure indicated by Herr Willmann. The reader can suit
his own taste in this particular.

NEW EGG AND TUMBLER TRICK.

This neat little trick, for which magicians are in-

debted to another German wizard, Herr Hans Meckel,
illustrates a further use of the bottomless tumbler,
described at page 92.
In effect it is as follows : A tumbler, previously ex-
amined, isplaced upside down on a tray on the table,
and a borrowed handkerchief is thrown over it. When
this is removed, an egg is seen beneath the glass.
Again the handkerchief is thrown over the glass, and
removed ; when the egg is found to have disappeared.
The effect produced is too quickly over to be worth
making an independent item of a programme, but will
serve well enough as 4 'padding" for some other trick
which may need amplification. As I have hinted, a
large part of the secret lies in the use of the bottomless
tumbler. If possible, it should be contrived that a
glass of similar appearance, but unprepared, is used in
some previous trick, in which case it should be an easy
matter 27 to substitute the one for the other. If this is
not possible, the faked glass must be exchanged for
 Later Magic
4 i 8
the other (just examined) during the return journey
of the performer to his table, and the latter dropped
into the profonde. The bottomless glass is then left
inverted, on the tray at one end of the table, while the
performer borrows a handkerchief. In a bag servante
behind the table, at the opposite end to that at which
the tray is placed, is a celluloid egg, to one end of which
is attached a black silk thread about nine inches in
length. This is laid along the edge of the table. At
its free end is a loop of fine wire, an inch and a half in
length, and large enough to admit the thumb.
The operator, having obtained the loan of a hand-
kerchief, spreads it out on the table, just in front of
the servante above mentioned. When about to throw
it over the glass, he picks it up by clipping the two
nearest corners between the first and second fingers of
each hand, and at the same moment inserts the right
thumb into the wire loop,1 thereby lifting the egg,
which is then, under cover of the handkerchief, gently
lowered into the glass and in due course exhibited.
When the handkerchief is thrown over the glass for
the second time, the thumb is again inserted into the
ring (which is naturally left hanging just outside the
glass) ; the egg is lifted out of the glass, and allowed
to drop back into the net.

AN ILLUSTRATION OF FREE TRADE PRINCIPLES.

A trick with the above title, derived from a French

source, was described in Drawing-room Conjuring (p.
1 The insertion of the thumb may be facilitated by bending the
outer end of the wire loop, so that it may curve slightly upwards as
it lies on the table.
 Later Magic 419

125).1 The present is a German and more elaborate

version of the same trick.
The requirements for the trick are as follows :
1. A candlestick with candle, unlighted.
2. A match-box, placed beside it, with the drawer
portion pushed partly open, and a small silk handker-
chief packed into the space thereby left vacant.
3. A bottomless tumbler.
4. A rummer or round-bellied wine-glass.
5. A carafe of water.
6. A mechanical egg-cup, as described at page
392.
7. The half -shell belonging to the egg-cup, loaded
with a second silk handkerchief, corresponding with
that in the match-box.
8. A second half -shell, of clear glass.
The above articles should be placed together on a
small table; Nos. 1-6 in full view, Nos. 7 and 8 hidden
behind some other article.
In addition to the above items, the performer carries
on his own person :
9. In pochette on right side, a hollow finger, as
described at page 209.
10. In the left coat-tail pocket, an egg wrapped
tightly in a third silk handkerchief, of same appearance
as the first two.
11. Just inside the opening of the vest, on the left
side, a hollow egg of celluloid or metal, with opening
at its smaller end. The egg should be placed with this
open end outermost, i. e., nearest to the opening of the
vest.
12. Hanging by a piece of cord elastic under the
1 George Routledge & Sons.
 Later Magic
420
coat, on the left side, an egg-holder, as described at
page 394.
13. Vested in the ordinary way, a genuine egg.

Thus provided, the performer is ready to show the

trick. The patter suggested by the German adapter 1
is very well conceived, and I cannot do better, in the
interest of the reader, than give a free translation of it.
" Ladies and gentlemen, it is a frequent boast of
conjurers that they work without apparatus, and
make use only of every-day objects. I go still further ;
I begin my experiments with nothing at all. I stand
before you absolutely empty-handed. No magic wand;
no anything! What I may need for my performance
I shall borrow from yourselves, or create from nothing
on the spot. Could you, sir, oblige me with an egg ?
You have n't one? Surely you are joking, sir. I
have private information to the contrary. You cer-
tainly have one, and here it is."
In the course of his patter, the performer has got
down the vested hen's egg, and produces it from the
beard or from inside the vest of the gentleman ad-
dressed. "Now I shall want a small silk handker-
chief. What! you can't oblige me with that either?
Never mind, we will soon get one." So saying, he
draws up his sleeves a little and shows the hands
empty. Picking up the match-box from the table,
he takes out a match, strikes it, and lights the candle.
This done, he closes the box, thereby pushing out the
handkerchief into the left hand. Running the hand
smartly up the candle, he produces the handkerchief
as if from the name, and after exhibiting it tucks it
1 Die Zauberwelt, Vol. ii., page 22,
 Later Magic

into the front of his vest, just over the concealed hollow
egg.
" Good. We now have all we need. I shall now have421
the honour to deliver for your benefit a short address
of a scientific nature. You need not be afraid; it
won't last more than an hour, at most. The subject
will be that much disputed question, ' Protection versus
Free Trade.' Perhaps one of you gentlemen would
kindly assist me in the practical illustration of my
address. Thank you! Stand here, sir, if you please.
"Now we will consider that you represent agricul-
tural France, while I stand for England, the great
manufacturing country. This little handkerchief" (he
indicates the one he has just tucked into the front of
his vest) "is an English product, and this egg is a
product of France."
He picks up the egg-cup, and apparently places the
egg therein, but in reality deftly substitutes the half
egg, which, when in position, has the appearance of
the real one. He obtains from some gentleman the
loan of a handkerchief, with which he covers both.
"Eggs must be carefully packed," he remarks, and
during the moment in which, with one hand, still
covered by the handkerchief, he hands the egg-cup to
his volunteer assistant to hold, he turns over the half
egg in the cup, thereby uncovering the little silk hand-
kerchief with which the half egg was loaded. The
gentleman is requested to hold the handkerchief high
above his head, so that neither he nor the spectators
are able to perceive that the supposed egg is no longer
under the handkerchief.

"On the one side, therefore, we have a superfluity

of eggs, and on the other an overplus of manufactured
 Later Magic
42 2
articles. Now, if no protective duties stopped the
way, to exchange them would be an extremely simple

matter."
Here he takes the silk handkerchief from the open-
ing of the vest, and with it, unknown to the spectators,
the hollow egg. Moving the hands up and down, he
gradually works the handkerchief into the egg, which
he then exhibits, keeping the opening out of sight.
" You see that the egg has come to England, and we
shall find that the handkerchief has passed to France,
neither of them paying any duty. That is the prin-
ciple of free trade."
He uncovers the egg-cup and shows that the egg
which was placed therein has left it, the silk handker-
chief having taken its place. Taking this, and tucking
it into the front of his vest as before, he places the
hollow egg, opening downwards, in the egg-cup, pre-
viously, however, dropping in the glass half -shell, so
that the egg rests inside this. These he places,, for
the moment, on one side, and continues his oration as
follows :

" We have railways, telegraphs, telephones, and wire-

less telegraphy, but one thing is still wanting : an aerial
parcel post, to flash goods quick as thought from point
to point through space, wherever we may wish to send
them. It would be a capital idea, it seems to me, to
get up a company for that purpose. Let us suppose,
for instance, that this glass" (the bottomless tumbler)
"was the distant point to which the egg and this little
handkerchief had to be transported. Might I ask you,
sir, to cover the glass with your own handkerchief, or
let me do so, and put this rubber ring round it to keep

it in place? "
 Later Magic 423

This is done accordingly, with due precaution that

the lender of the handkerchief shall not discover the
bottomless condition of the tumbler. Meanwhile the
performer has got the wrapped-up egg from his coat-
pocket, and in taking back the covered glass intro-
duces this into it from below. Keeping the egg
from falling out with his finger, he places the glass on
the table, or still better on a tray, the wrapping of
the egg in the handkerchief preventing any rattling
against the sides of the glass. This done, he takes the
hollow egg out of the egg-cup and the handkerchief
from the front of his vest. He places himself at some
little distance from the table ; meanwhile, under cover
of these various movements, getting the egg-holder
(No. 12) into his left hand. Inserting the egg, open
end outwards, into the holder, he proceeds to work the
handkerchief into the egg (this already holds one
handkerchief, but has ample space for two) and then
vanishes the whole under the coat.
"The egg and handkerchief are gone, you see" (he
shows his hands empty). "Doubtless by this time
they have both reached their destination." He un-
covers the glass, unrolls the silk handkerchief from the
egg which is therein, and reveals the egg. He places
the latter in the egg-cup, which, it will be remembered,
still contains the glass shell. While doing this with the
left hand, the right hand goes in search of the hollow
finger, which is slipped over the ring finger ; all being
made safe by his immediately afterwards throwing the
silk handkerchief over this hand.
"I began with nothing, and with nothing I propose
to conclude."
Bringing the hands together, he draws off, under
424 Later Magic

cover of the handkerchief, the hollow finger; works

the handkerchief into it, and then places it between the
second and third fingers of the left hand, and shows
the hands, moving them gently about, apparently
empty.
Moving to the table, he gets rid of the false fin-
ger, and, taking the round-bellied glass, fills it with
water. He then takes the egg-cup and inverts it.
The egg drops into his hand, the glass half -shell cover-
ing its upper end. Over this he immediately throws a
borrowed handkerchief; then, grasping the half -shell
round its lower edge through the handkerchief, he with
the other hand palms and removes the egg, which he
forthwith drops into a pocket. He invites any one to
feel (from above) that the egg is still in the handker-
chief;then handing the glass of water to some spec-
tator to hold, he drapes the handkerchief over it, and
asks the same or another person to take hold of the egg,
but the moment the hand is advanced to do so, he
himself lets go. The handkerchief is drawn off, and
the egg has disappeared, the shell from its trans-
parency being invisible in the water.
The shell should be allowed to fall somewhat askew
in the water. If it falls too squarely, the air within it
might not immediately escape, and instead of sinking
at once, it might float for a moment or two, with
fatal effect so far as this part of the illusion is con-
cerned.
"Everything has now disappeared, and we are now
just as we began. So, not to weary you, ladies and
gentlemen, I will myself disappear." Which he does
accordingly, temporarily or permanently, as the case
may be.
 Later Magic 425

EGGS FROM NOWHERE, AND BACK AGAIN.

A pretty sequel to the magical production of eggs,

after one or other of the methods described at pp. 396-
399, is as follows : The eggs, when produced, are placed
one by one in a hat. When all are deposited, the per-
former undertakes to dematerialize them. The hat
is covered with a handkerchief, under pretence that
warmth is necessary for the process. A moment later,
the handkerchief is removed and shaken out, both sides
being shown. The hat is turned over, and is found
empty, the eggs having completely disappeared.
The secret here lies in the use of a bag-shaped, wide-
mouthed net of fine silk, round the edge of which is
threaded a cord, after the usual fashion of such bags ;
so that by pulling the cord the mouth is closed. The
cord is longer by some inches than is needful to go
round the circumference of the bag, and to its free end
is attached a ring of thin wire, the size of a shilling.
This net, with its mouth open, is vested, or otherwise
concealed about the performer's person, and intro-
duced into the borrowed hat during the transit to the
table. The performer then commences the production
of eggs. As they are produced, he lays them one by
one in the hat, taking care to lay them well inside the
mouth of the net. As eggs are naturally handled with
a certain amount of caution, he has ample oppor-
tunity to arrange the net to suit his convenience, and
in so doing he picks up the surplus cord, and places it
so that the wire ring shall hang just over the brim of
the hat, on the hinder side. The intended number of
eggs, say four or five, being complete, he covers the
hat with the handkerchief. He picks it up again by
 Later Magic
426
clipping its two nearest corners between the first and
second fingers of each hand. The thumb, thus left
free, is inserted in the wire ring. The act of lifting the
handkerchief pulls the cord and closes the net, which,
with its contents, is lifted up behind the handkerchief
and dropped into a bag servante. Both hat and hand-
kerchief may, of course, now be submitted to the
closest inspection, as there is nothing about either to
reveal the secret.
If the performer cares still further to elaborate the
trick, he may bring it to a very effective conclusion by
offering to show the audience "how it is done." The
eggs, he explains, are really still in the handkerchief,
but for the time being in a dematerialized condition.
They will, however, again materialize at his command.
In proof of his assertion, he proceeds to pour the eggs
one by one from the handkerchief into the hat, after the
manner described in More Magic, pp. 330-332. As,
according to the usual termination of the trick, the
eggs will again have vanished, the audience can hardly
dispute his assurance that " that is just the way they
went" on the former occasion.

AN EGG-LAYING HAT.

There are one or two different versions of this trick.

That which I am about to describe, and which is one
of the most ingenious, is the invention of a conjurer
named Marcellin.
The effect of the trick is as follows : The performer
brings forward a small circular Japanese tray, filled
with bran. This, after having been duly inspected, is
placed upon a small table. Upon another table, at a
 Later Magic 427

little distance, is a tall hat, the performer's own prop-

erty, standing mouth upwards.
After showing his hands empty, he grasps the hat by
the brim, and turns it upside down. Then, placing the
finger-tips on each side of the crown, he lifts it up, and
lowers it carefully over the tray of bran. He explains
to the audience that the hat is the abode of an invisible
hen. At first, he says, she laid invisible eggs, which
was the reason for keeping her in the hat, so as to know
where to find them, and to prevent people stepping on
them unawares. Now, however, she has come to see
the error of her ways, and lays them in visible shape.
If the performer is ventriloquist enough to introduce at
this point a slight " clucking " under the hat, so much
the better. In any case, when he lifts the hat (which
is again done by the crown, in order to prove ''no
deception"), an egg is seen resting in the nest formed
by the bran on the tray. The effect may be repeated,
if desired, until three or four eggs have been produced
in similar fashion.
The secret lies in a special preparation of the hat.
The eggs are of celluloid, and each has a minute hole
drilled through it from end to end. Through this is
passed a needle, carrying a piece of black silk thread
doubled in half. The diameter of the hole in the egg
is so small as only just to allow the passage of the
doubled thread. The egg, therefore, can be drawn
off the thread at pleasure, but will not fall off by its
own weight. The needle, having about six inches of
the double thread between it and the egg, is now
passed from within through the crown of the hat.
The egg is drawn up close to the crown, and the needle
stuck into the hat on the side which is intended to be
 Later Magic
428
kept away from the spectators. Any surplus thread
projecting from the lower end of the egg is cut off,
leaving only half an inch or so remaining, the general
result being as shown in Fig. 180.
The hat, thus prepared, is placed on the table in the
first instance mouth upwards, but shortly afterwards
turned over, as already described. When the per-
former lifts the hat by the crown, apparently to show
that he introduces nothing beneath, he has ample op-
portunity to get a finger under the thread. By pulling
on this a little the thread is drawn through the egg,
which is thereby freed, and falls on to the bran.

Fig. 180.

Where it is desired to produce a second or third egg

the performer is instructed by the inventor of the trick
to attach them to the hat in the same manner as
described for the first. He even suggests that a
circle of eggs may be formed all round the hat, with
one in the centre. This, it appears to me, would be
scarcely a desirable arrangement. On the other hand,
it would seem feasible to suspend two, or even three,
eggs on one thread, and produce them one at a time.
If it were found that the additional weight made the
eggs come off too freely, this might be neutralized by
slightly waxing the ends of the thread before cutting
them short, and thereby, in some small degree, increas-
ing the amount of friction.
 Later Magic

A NOVEL EGG-BAG TRICK.

The egg-bag, in its ancient form, has been done to

death, and at the present day is relegated to the wizards
of the schoolroom. But, in the improved version of
the trick which I am about to describe, a similar effect
is produced by wholly different means, and the clever
gentleman who always knows ''how it 's done" will in
this case find himself baffled, for he may turn the bag
inside out in search of the suspected inner pocket, but
will find nothing whatever to explain the mysterious
appearances and disappearances of the egg.
For the purpose of the trick, two celluloid eggs are
used, with a half-shell, fitting indifferently over one
end of either of them. The " bag," made of tammy or
some similar material, is of the usual small size, viz.,
about six inches by eight, and has no lining or other
speciality.
The performer begins by borrowing a hat and in-
viting some one to come upon the stage and assist him.
The bag is handed to the volunteer assistant, who is
requested, after examining it as minutely as he pleases
and making sure that there is nothing in it, to hold it
with both hands, keeping the mouth open by inserting
a forefinger at each end. Meanwhile, the performer
exhibits the two eggs, over one of which is the half-
shell, its presence being concealed by the forefinger,
encircling the egg. The hands are moved about in
such a way as to show that, save for the two eggs, they
are empty. The spectators having had sufficient op-
portunity to convince themselves on this point, the
performer lays both eggs on the left hand, the half-
shell being palmed off and retained in the right. His
 Later Magic
430
next step is to place both eggs unmistakably in the
hat, but, having done so, he changes his mind, re-
marking that it will be better to put one egg only in
the hat and one in the bag. He accordingly dips the
right hand into the hat, and takes out, apparently,
both eggs, but in reality one egg only and the half-
shell, held as in Fig. 181. Remarking that he will
leave one egg in the bag, he dips his hand in and
brings it 1 out again with one egg only, having ap-
parently left the other in the hat. As a matter of
fact, what he really brings out is the solid egg with

Fig. 181.
the half-shell over it, so that the bag remains empty.
The egg remaining in the hand, with the half-shell over
it, he places in the hat. Professedly there is now one
egg in the bag and one in the hat.
Ordering the (imaginary) egg in the bag to pass into
the hat, he dips his hand into the latter and produces
thence two eggs, with the shell over one of them,
again appearing just as shown in Fig. 181, but with
this difference, that the second solid egg now rests
under the shell. The bag is examined, and found
empty.
The volunteer assistant is requested to hold the bag
as before, but in handing it to him, the performer
 Later Magic

deftly drops into it the egg concealed under the shell.

The appearance of the hand is unaltered, the spec-
tators still seeing, as they believe, two eggs. After43i
placing these in the hat the performer orders one of
them to pass back to the bag, where it is in due course
found.
The egg really placed in the hat is reproduced with
the shell over it, as one only, and the hat shown empty.
The shell is palmed off, and the two eggs and bag are
once more offered for examination.

An ingenious performer, once acquainted with the

principle, will find numerous ways of varying the trick.
For instance, after showing the trick as above, the per-
former might explain that the egg really passes through
the crown of the hat. Nobody believes him; so he
proceeds to prove his assertion. Holding the egg en-
circled by the finger and thumb of right hand, with
the half -shell on its upper end, and taking the hat in
the same hand, he shows the latter on all sides. All
can see that it is empty, and that there is but one egg
in the hand. He then transfers the hat to the left
hand, and in so doing drops the egg into that hand,
which forthwith grasps the brim of the hat, the egg
being held against the inside, like the coins in the
"money-catching" trick. Showing the half-shell, con-
vex end outwards, still between the finger and thumb,
he rubs it against the crown of the hat, the effect to
the spectators being that the egg has passed half-way
through. A moment later he palms the shell, and
at the same moment the complete egg is allowed to
fall audibly into the hat, whence it is forthwith pro-
duced.
 Later Magic
432
THE RIBBON-PRODUCING EGG.

The reader has already had several examples of good

things for which he is indebted to the inventive genius
of Hartz. This clever little trick is another instance
of his ingenuity.
The effect of the trick is indicated by the title. A
plate of raw eggs is offered for examination. The
keenest eye cannot detect any sign of preparation
about them, for as a matter of fact there is none.1
The spectators select one at their pleasure. The
performer, taking that egg and no other, chips the shell
with a sharp-pointed hammer. Just within the open-
ing a little knot is seen. The performer, pulling at
this, finds it to be the end of a piece of narrow rib-
bon. Still he continues to pull, until a dozen yards
or so have been produced, after which he breaks the
egg, and shows it to be a perfectly natural one.
The apparatus used is in two parts. The first is a
spool or reel mounted upon a plate, in such manner that
it shall revolve freely. This is attached, by means of
a strap, to the left forearm, just below the elbow.
On this is coiled some ten or twelve yards of ribbon,
about one half or three quarters of an inch wide. The
second item is a brass tube about T5^ of an inch thick,
and the length of an average hen's egg, soldered into a
shallow cup. This cup has a perforation at the bottom,
corresponding with the bore of the tube. The cup is of
such a size as just to accommodate the larger end of an
1 There is a well-known trick in which a coil of paper is produced
from the interior of an egg {More Magic, p. 339), but in that case
the egg is a "faked" article, and will not bear minute inspection.
The great advantage of being enabled to produce the same effect
with an unprepared egg will be readily appreciated.
 Later Magic 433

egg. (See Fig. 1 82). The free end of the ribbon on the
spool is passed through the cup and tube from the
under side, and secured from slipping back by a knot.
The eggs used for the trick are not prepared in any
way, but they must be exactly the right size. To en-
sure this, they are carefully selected beforehand with
the aid of a gauge, any which are found to be ever so
little too short or too long being rejected.
An egg having been selected by the spectators, the
performer takes it between the thumb and fingers of

Fig. 182.

the left hand, wherein the fake is palmed. Taking a

sharp-pointed hammer, he taps and cracks the broad
end of the shell. At this point, however, he professes
to discover that he has begun at the wrong end of
the egg. He therefore turns it the other way up,
in so doing forcing the chipped portion over the tube
and down into the cup. He then taps and breaks the
small end of the shell. As soon as he has made an
opening, the knot becomes visible. Seizing this, he
draws out the ribbon yard by yard, of course quite
dry, and when the whole has come through, withdraws
the fake.
28 He moves back to his table to get a glass
434 Later Magic

wherein to break the egg, and takes that opportunity

to drop the fake on the servante or elsewhere out of
sight.
The final breaking of the egg, while adding mat-
erially to the effect of the trick, at the same time (by
destroying the shell) removes all traces of the method
of working.
There is a curious parallelism in this trick with one
of my own, invented, by the way, long before I had
any knowledge of Hartz's trick. The effect produced
in this case was the production of several yards of
ribbon from a chosen orange. Though, strictly speak-
ing, out of place in this chapter, inasmuch as it has no
concern with eggs, it may be interesting, on account of
the similarity of principle, to introduce it, as a sort of
parenthesis, at this point.

THE BEWITCHED ORANGE.

For this feat the only visible apparatus consists of

a knife and a couple of small oranges. The latter, if
the performer is an expert in palming, he may produce
from the beard or from under the coat-collar of a
spectator. If he is not conjurer enough for this, he
must be content to bring them in in more prosaic
fashion, on a plate. He hands both to the spectators,
and invites them to decide which he shall use.
The selection having been made, he takes the chosen
orange in his left hand, remarking that in the Mahatma
country — where he comes from — the ladies use this
kind of orange to tie up their hair. "You don't see
how they manage it? I '11 show you." So saying,
he gently rubs the orange with the fingers of the right
 435
Later Magic

hand. A moment later he withdraws them with a

jerk, and an end of narrow silk ribbon is seen hanging
out of the orange at the point just rubbed by the
fingers. "Here are the first ten inches or so." He
pulls it, and continues to draw till some six or eight
yards have been produced. When the supply comes
to an end, he cuts open the orange, which is found in
a perfectly natural condition, with nothing whatever
to account for its eccentric behaviour.
The secret lies in the dexterous use of the little ap-
pliance illustrated in Fig. 183. It consists of a flat

Fig. 183.

tin box, with a hole in the centre of its lid. Fixed to

the bottom portion, inside, is a miniature reel, round
which is coiled the ribbon, d. The lid portion has a
circular opening in the centre. A steel bodkin a lies
across this opening, the "eye" end being inserted
under a little cross-piece b, while the middle is held
fast by a spring clip c. A notch filed in the bodkin
at this point prevents its shifting, the whole having
the appearance of a clumsy sort of brooch. To pre-
pare the apparatus for use, the inner end of the coil of
ribbon is drawn out through the hole in the lid, and
passed, to the length of about i£ inches, through the
 Later Magic
43^
eye of the bodkin, the loose end being then tucked
back into the hole, and the bodkin disposed as already
mentioned.
The apparatus thus prepared is held in the palm of
the left hand, the bodkin being upwards, with its point
guarded by the forefinger. In the act of transferring
the orange to this hand the performer impales it on
the point of the bodkin, which he at the same time
raises out of the clip and thrusts home. The fingers
of the right hand, which are rubbing the opposite side
of the orange, feel the point as it comes through.
They instantly seize it and pull it through with a jerk.
About a foot of the ribbon comes with it, but the jerk
detaches the bodkin from the ribbon, the loose end
of which is left hanging down. Seizing this with
the right hand (the bodkin remaining concealed in
the same hand) , the performer begins to draw out the
ribbon. The "fake" in the left hand lying close up to
the orange, it is impossible that it should be seen
during the production of the ribbon; and afterwards
the picking up of the knife to cut the orange affords
ample opportunity to get rid of it.
The fake is very neatly manufactured, in brass, by
Messrs. Hamley, to whom I presented the idea. The
trick will be found listed in their catalogue under the
title of "The Chosen Orange and Mystic Ribbon.' '
N. B. — For sundry other tricks in which eggs are
used, see the chapter treating of " Handkerchief
Tricks."
 CHAPTER XL

TRICKS WITH HATS.

THE tall hat has always been a special favourite of

the conjurer; indeed, the average wizard would
find it nearly as hard to keep a hat out of his enter-
tainment as Mr. Dick did to keep a certain royal head
out of his Memorial. In preceding chapters the hat
has played a considerable, though to some extent a
secondary, part. The present chapter will be devoted
to tricks in which the hat itself forms the most import-
ant "property."
Prominent (and, sad to say, universally popular)
among hat tricks are those in which the article comes
in for some form of maltreatment at the hands of the
performer, and in which the unhappy lender suffers
more or less acute anxiety as to his cherished " topper."
The more uncomfortable he looks, the greater is the
delight of the spectators. As Mr. Gilbert, in one of
his Bab Ballads, says, —

"It 's human nature, p'raps ; if so,

Oh, is n't human nature low ! "

The conjurer's mission, however, is not to improve

the morals of his audience, but merely to amuse them,
and I do not know that I can better commence this
chapter than by instructing the reader how
437
 Later Magic
43 8
TO CUT A PIECE OUT OF A BORROWED HAT, AND RESTORE
IT.

Having borrowed a tall hat, the performer announces

his intention of passing something or other, say, an egg,
as elsewhere described, through the crown. Professing
to find a difficulty in the matter, he asks whether he
may cut a hole in the hat. The owner, naturally be-
lieving that the request is a mere joke, gives a more
or less willing assent to the operation, whereupon the
performer takes his penknife and cuts a round hole,
some two and a half inches in diameter, in the silken
covering of the crown. There does not appear to be
room for any make-believe, for the hat is clearly the
same that was lent, and the cut piece hangs loose, ex-
posing acircular patch of the white interior lining. The
operator begins to cut through this also, but bethinks
himself (though somewhat late in the day) that if he
cuts a hole, as proposed, there will not be much magic
in passing the egg through it. He therefore decides to
dispense with the aperture, and, as a necessary pre-
liminary, magically restores the hat to its former con-
dition, after which he proceeds with the trick he had
announced, or some other, near enough to it in effect
to be accepted as a substitute.
The secret here depends on the use of a little fake,
which the reader can without difficulty manufacture
for himself. The first step is to cut from the centre of
the crown of an old silk hat a circular piece two and a
half inches in diameter. The piece cut out will consist
of two parts: the silk covering and the stiff brown
material of which the body of the hat is formed. The
former should be glued to the latter and pressed flat;
 439
Later Magic

after which, with a sharp penknife, an inner circle

with the same centre, but half an inch less in diameter,
is cut in the disc thus formed. The cut is made com-
pletely through, save as to one inch of the circum-
ference. Here the millboard alone is cut through, the
silken fabric being left to serve as a hinge. Under
these circumstances the central piece forms a movable
flap, which may be made to close the central opening,
or allowed to hang away from it, at pleasure.
A second circular disc, of the same size, is cut out of
cardboard and covered (by means of paste) with some

Fig. 184.

white material such as may fairly represent the inside

lining of a hat. A circle, corresponding with the flap
of the first disc, is drawn on this, and through the
marginal space, from the lining side, are driven three
sharp -pointed drawing-pins. Glue is smeared on the
space between the inner and outer circumference, and
the two discs are thereby joined together, pressure
being used to make them adhere. As there is no glue
on the centre portion, the circular flap still hangs free
on its hinge. The edges are blackened throughout.
In Fig. 184, a depicts the fake with the flap closed, b
the same with the flap open, and c its reverse side, with
the three pins projecting through it.
440 Later Magic

When he desires to show the trick, the performer

palms this appliance, points outwards, and at a con-
venient moment presses it against the centre of the
crown of the borrowed hat, to which the pins make it
adhere.
He then places the hat temporarily on the table,
the crown towards the company. In so doing, he is
careful to keep the hinged side of the flap uppermost,
when it will naturally remain closed. Being black
upon black, and of the same material as the hat, it
is invisible at a very short distance.
On receiving permission to cut a hole in the crown,
he makes believe to do so, and then, turning the hat
so that the hinge shall be undermost and the flap fall
open, shows (apparently) that the deed is really done,
the white lining being visible through the hole.
Then, alleging some more or less satisfactory reason
for going no further, he closes the flap, and a moment
or two later palming off the fake, he is in a position to
"restore" the hat in any way he pleases.

A GLASS OF WINE IN A HAT.

This is a trick of the farcical order. It is hardly

adapted for a West End drawing-room, but will be
found very useful by the conjurer who goes in for
comic business and who employs an assistant of the
"funny man" type; the zany who misinterprets every
order given to him, and whose pretended mistakes are
the delight of a rustic or schoolboy audience.
The performer, having borrowed and used a hat for
the purpose of some trick, passes on to another, leaving
the borrowed head-gear meanwhile standing on the
 Later Magic

table. The later trick is one involving the production

or use of a glass of red wine, say port or claret. He
hands the glass to the assistant to be placed upon the
41
table, but the latter, mistaking his wishes, pours the4
wine into the upturned hat. The wizard, exasperated
by his stupidity, threatens him with chastisement, and
finally tells him to take the hat away and try to get
it clean again. He does so, holding it with both hands
before him, but just as he passes out at the wing,
raises it to his mouth, as if to drink the wine. The
performer calls him back, and he accordingly returns,
holding the hat before him in its former position, but
showing streaks of red at each corner of his mouth
and red splashes upon his shirt front where the wine
has run down upon it. Taking the hat from him, and
dismissing him with a make-believe kick, or other
gesture of disgust, the performer returns with it to his
table.
Just as he reaches it, he turns the inside of the hat
to the spectators. The white lining of the crown, to
the depth of about half an inch, is stained red. He
places the hat on the table, and gazing into it with an
expression of mingled annoyance and perplexity, takes
out his handkerchief and begins to wipe the interior.
When he returns the handkerchief to his pocket, this,
too, bears the crimson stains, but the hat apparently
is not much the better, for he still sadly gazes into it,
as if completely at a loss to remedy the damage.
"No! it is hopeless," he exclaims; "a stain like that
will never come out by natural means. Natural — did
I say? But what about unnatural means! Aha! I
am saved. The magic wand! What ho! my attend-
ant sprites. Abracadabra!"
 Later Magic
44 2
As he speaks, he describes with his wand a triangle
(or anything else) upon the crown of the hat, rattles
the wand within, and forthwith hands it back to the
owner, free from mark or stain.
Now for the explanation. At the close of the trick
for which the hat was originally borrowed, the per-
former hands it to the assistant, telling him to brush
it. He goes with it for that purpose behind the
scenes, but instantly reappears* brush in hand, and
after finishing the brushing operation, places the hat,
crown downwards, on the table. During his moment-
ary absence, however, he has in reality exchanged the

Fig. 185.

borrowed hat for another, the property of the per-

former.
This contains a cylindrical tin receptacle, like a large-
sized jam pot, as shown (in section) in Fig. 185. It
will be observed that it is very much smaller internally
than it is externally, the interior being cup-shaped, so
that between the inner and outer walls there is a con-
siderable space. At the points a and b, there are holes,
each about an eighth of an inch in diameter > and at c a
third, of about the same size; but this last when the
vessel is in use is plugged with wax. The other two
holes are left open. The apparatus is so arranged in
 Later Magic 443

point of size as to fit the hat pretty closely, the leather

band lapping just over its upper edges, and helping to
keep it in position.
When the glass of wine is poured into the hat, it
really falls into the tin receptacle. The wine passes
through the hole a, and runs into the outer chamber,
where it settles down at the bottom, as shown in the
diagram. If the hat be now turned over, the wine
does not escape, but runs down into the angles at the
sides; the airhole b being so placed that in either
position of the hat it shall always be above the level
of the liquid. When, therefore, the assistant pretends
to drink from the hat, his shirt-front does not in
reality suffer, but during his momentary absence, he
makes, with a pencil of red grease-paint, one or two
marks thereon, and one at each corner of his mouth.
He also during the same moment changes the hat, the
one he now brings back being the one originally bor-
rowed. This, however, has been in the interval pre-
pared by inserting an oval-shaped piece of thin paper,
stained on one side with red, into the crown. The
paper should be of such a size that when fitted into the
crown, as above, about half an inch should remain
turned up all round.
The handkerchief which the performer uses to wipe
the hat is beforehand partially stained red, but when
first exhibited it is so folded that the stained portion
shall be inside, and therefore not visible. The pre-
tended wiping of the inside of the hat gives him an
opportunity to crush up and palm the stained paper,
and further to shake out the handkerchief, and, in
taking it out again, to exhibit the reddened portion.
The trick is now done, and it only needs a little
444 Later Magic

dramatic ability in the performer to bring it to an

effective termination.
When the performance is over and it becomes neces-
sary to get the wine out of the tin receptacle, this is
done by unstopping the hole c, and pouring out the
wine through this opening, neither of the other two
holes being available for that purpose.

THE MESMERIZED HAT.

There are two or three effects which come under

this heading. The first is the simple lifting of the hat
by supposed magnetic attraction. The hat is turned
mouth downwards, and the hand laid, with due
solemnity, flat upon its crown. When the hand is
again lifted, the hat adheres to it, and may be waved
about in any direction.
One method of producing this effect was given in
More Magic (page 315). The plan I am about to de-
scribe issimpler, and in some respects, I think, better.
The active agent is a piece of black thread twenty-
seven or twenty-eight inches in length, joined to-
gether at the ends. This is laid on the performer's
table in the shape of an equilateral triangle, one of
the sides of such triangle being parallel with the front
of the table. A borrowed tall hat is placed on this, in
such manner that its mouth shall lie right across that
side of the triangle.
The performer, standing behind the opposite angle
of the triangle, makes a few remarks about phrenology.
He professes to have improved upon that science, in-
asmuch as he is able to read a person's character from
the mere shape of his hat, without touching his head.
 Later Magic 445

He accordingly proceeds to enumerate, according to

his fancy, a few of the characteristics of the owner of
this particular hat.
While doing so, it is natural that he should finger the
hat a little, as the phrenologist does the bumps of his
subject, and under cover of this process it becomes an
easy matter to raise the hinder portion of the thread
till it comes across the top of the hat, which is thus
encircled vertically by an endless band.
The hat is now ready for lifting. Having brought
his phrenological lecture to a conclusion, the per-
former remarks upon the large amount of animal mag-
netism which some gentlemen leave in their hats.
Whether such is the case in the present instance he
cannot say, but he proposes to put the matter to the
test. Laying his hand flat on the crown of the hat, he
lifts it up again. At first the hat remains undis-
turbed, but at a third or fourth attempt it adheres to
the hand and rises with it ; the fact being that at such
third or fourth attempt the performer slips his fingers
(not the thumb) under the thread. By elevating the
knuckles, as in the act of forming the ' ' bridge" at
billiards, the thread is drawn taut (see Fig. 186), and
the hat may be moved in any direction.1
If the little finger be first introduced under the thread
at the point where it makes an angle with the
side of the hat, and thence brought to the top, the
thread will be lifted and the other fingers may be
passed under it without difficulty. When the trick
has lasted long enough, the performer breaks the

1 For all tricks of this sort, the thread used must be thin and yet
strong. Kerr's Lustre Twist, No. 36, combines these two qualities
in an exceptional degree. It may be procured of any haberdasher.
 Later Magic
446
thread and lets it fall on the ground, after which the
hat may be freely offered for examination.

There is another version of this trick, in which the

black thread (which in this case is considerably longer)
is passed over the performer's head like a necklace,
hanging down in front of him. While handling the
hat, mouth downwards, he passes the lower portion
of the loop underneath it. This done, by pressing the
fingers on the crown of the hat he forces the latter away

Fig. 186.

from him, supported by the thread. The effect is

that the hat appears to adhere to the finger-tips.
This, however, is a very inferior method.

When the conjurer performs on a regular stage, and

can command the services of two assistants, the trick
may be brought to a startling conclusion as follows:
Two black threads of the same length are before-
hand laid on the floor, right across the stage from
wing to wing. Each pair of ends is attached to
a little wooden rod, in such manner that the two
threads shall lie parallel, and be about five inches
 447
Later Magic

apart. At the proper moment, each rod is taken

charge of by an assistant at the wing, and the threads
thereby lifted and brought forward till they lie across
the table. Each of the holders then draws the threads
he holds somewhat apart, and the performer, in re-
placing the hat, just examined, on the table (in this
case crown downwards) does so in such manner that it
shall rest (standing sideways to the audience) between
the threads. These are now lifted till they rest just
under the brim, and then drawn taut. By appropriate
manipulation of the threads by the two assistants, the
hat may be made to fall over with its mouth towards
the spectators, to resume its former position, then to
fall over backwards, and finally to rise a foot or so in
the air, in obedience to the commands of the performer,
who contents himself with making mesmeric passes at
it from a distance, and obviously takes no personal part
in producing its mysterious evolutions.
When the trick is at an end, the performer simply
picks up the hat, and restores it to its owner. The
double thread is moved as far back as the arrangement
of the wings will permit, and is then laid on the floor,
as at first. Or, if preferred, one of the assistants may
cut or break the two threads at his end, when it can be
drawn clean away by the other.

A BILLIARD CUE PRODUCED FROM A HAT.

The production of a barber's pole from a hat could

hardly be described as a novelty, being, in fact, one of
the oldest tricks in the repertoire of the conjurer, and
having from time immemorial formed part of the
regular business of the jack-pudding at a country fair-
 Later Magic
4 4 8
But the same idea is still utilized in more up-to-date
forms. The roll of paper, which, when pulled out
from its centre, represented the historic "pole," now,
a little smaller and differently coloured, does duty as a
billiard cue, two or three of which may be drawn from
a hat in succession. The collapsible walking-stick, a
spiral strip of lacquered steel, working on the same
principle, though originally introduced as a mere
curiosity, has been pressed into the service of the
conjurer, who "produces" it from his own mouth or
from a borrowed hat with equal facility. One of the
latest and best productions in this particular line,
however, is that of an umbrella. This is a speciality of
the French conjurer, Clement de Lion. The umbrella
employed would not be of much use in a shower, for
it has no ribs, though their presence is suggested by
neat "tips" in the usual position. The secret lies in
the fact that the stick is telescopic, and when this is
closed the whole packs into a very small compass,
and may be loaded into the hat without difficulty.
Naturally, such an umbrella cannot be "put up."
METHODS OF LOADING A HAT.

At this point I may pause to mention one or two

expedients, more or less novel, for "loading" a hat.
For the knowledge of the following useful little artifice
to cover a "load," I am indebted to Mr. John Hamley.
The intended "load" rests on a servante, behind a
chair. The performer, unknown to the audience, has
a billiard ball palmed, while another is in view upon
the table. After showing the hat empty, he turns it
mouth downwards upon the chair, at the same time
 449
Later Magic

introducing tinder it the palmed ball. Then, taking

the visible ball, and performing one or two "passes"
with it, he finally decides to pass it under the hat.
Vanishing it by any one of the many methods at his
disposal, he lifts the hat with the right hand, and rests
it for a brief moment on the back of the chair. All
eyes naturally go to the ball on the chair, to verify
the fact of its arrival, and meanwhile the operator has
ample time to introduce the load.
Where the nature of the load permits, the servante
may be dispensed with, and the parcel suspended, by
means of a loop of string or wire, from a hook, or, better
still, from a straight pin pointing obliquely upwards,
behind the chair. (See page 23.) A mere upward
sweep of the hat will then suffice to make the load
fall into it.

Another method of hat- loading, suitable for com-

paratively small objects, may here be mentioned. The
article to be loaded is placed under the vest. The per-
former, holding the hat by the brim with both hands in
front of him, makes believe to stretch it, under pre-
tence that it needs to be made a little larger for the
purpose of the trick. While thus holding it to him,
and apparently pulling at the sides, he draws in his
stomach, and the vested article, thereby released, slips
into the hat.

Yet another neat hat load may be effected as follows :

The load is suspended, we will say, by means of a wire
ring from a sloping point at the back of a chair, as
29
above described. Taking the half-sheet of a newspaper,
the •erformer shows it carelessly on both sides, and
 Later Magic
45 o
lays it over the back of the chair. He next borrows
a hat, which he shows to be empty. He then picks
up the piece of paper, grasping it by the edge which
projects behind the back of the chair, and lays it over
the mouth of the hat. As the reader will have sur-
mised, in picking up the paper he has likewise picked
up the load, and by the time the paper has settled
down on the mouth of the hat the load is safely within
it.
But there are two ways of effecting this object.
The paper may be picked up with the thumb above
and the fingers underneath, in which case the middle
finger finds its way into the ring and lifts the load off
its peg. The other, and more natural-looking way, is
to pick up the paper with the fingers uppermost. In
this case it must be clipped between the first and
third fingers above (brought close together) and the
middle finger below, while the thumb lifts the load off
the ring. After the load has been secured, the more
deliberate the performer is in bringing the paper over
the hat, and dropping the load into it, the better.

HALF A DOZEN BABIES FROM A HAT.

The production of a doll from a hat is very old

"business," but the production of half a dozen babies,
in long clothes, not far short of natural size, is a com-
parative novelty. The construction of the babies is
as simple as it is ingenious. The head of the child is
of cotton cloth, normally kept distended by a double
spiral spring, exactly resembling, save in point of
size, the springs whereon the familiar "multiplying
balls" are constructed. The features of a face are
 Later Magic

painted on the globe thus formed, and a muslin frill

sewn round it to represent a cap. Below this head is
attached the needful amount of thin muslin to repre-45i
sent anightgown.
To prepare it for use, the head of the unfortunate
infant is crushed flat, and the drapery folded, zigzag-
fashion, upon it. Half a dozen such dolls, thus
folded, and tied together, may be introduced into the
hat at one load.
This production hardly belongs to the "high art"
of conjuring, but always goes down well with a juvenile
audience; and, as illustrating how the less may, on
occasion, contain the greater, will be found rather sur-
prising, even by children of older growth.

CLOCKS PRODUCED FROM A HAT.

Among the various articles which have been ar-

ranged for production from a hat, few are more effective
than American clocks, of the " nutmeg" variety, with
' ' alarm ' ' complete, as illustrated in Fig. 187. Of these,
five, or even six, can be introduced at one load. They
have necessarily to be graded down in point of size,
which in a general way discounts the effect of such
a trick a good deal, as suggesting that the smaller
samples are packed (as is the fact) within the larger.
But in the present case the projection, from each
clock, of two legs, and a gong at top, seems to exclude
this idea.
As a matter of fact, the clocks are packed one within
the other. The innermost and smallest clock is the
only genuine one. The others are mere shells with
slots in their sides, to allow passage for the feet and
 Later Magic
452
the stems of the gongs of those within them. The set
of clocks, when ''nested," appear as depicted in Fig.
1 88. The outermost clock is usually first produced,
and immediately proves its genuineness by starting a
vigorous alarm. This effect is produced by having, at
the back of the performer's table, the essential parts
of a genuine alarm clock, the train being set in motion
by electricity or otherwise.
Some performers have even gone so far as to have
five alarms behind or inside the table, a fresh one being

Fig. 187. Fig. 188.

set in motion as each clock is produced. When all are

sounding at once, the effect can be better imagined
than described. This, however, is carrying realism
to a needless extent.
The last clock, being a going concern, has its own
alarm, which can be started by a touch from the per-
former. This, being brought forward to the company,
at once proves its good faith by sounding a tocsin in
their midst.
The production of the larger clocks first is the usual
order of things, but it seems to me open to objection.
A conjurer should always proceed de plus fort en plus
 453
Later Magic

fort; and the production of a diminishing series of

anything goes against this principle. The smallest
clock should be first produced, and brought forward
to prove its genuineness. This being placed on the
table, the others, gradually larger and larger in size,
should be produced, and as the first certainly has, and
each of these apparently has, its own alarm, any doubt
as to their being real clocks is much less likely to sug-
gest itself.

FLOWER-BALLS FROM A HAT.

This is a more up-to-date development of the now

well-known flower trick of Buatier de Kolta.1
A number of balls of tissue paper, six and a half
inches in diameter, and combining in each all the
colours of the rainbow, are produced from a borrowed
hat. As many as a couple of dozen may be introduced
at a single load, and when produced and hung about
the stage produce an effect of extraordinary bril-
liancy. The general effect of each ball is that of a
truss of rhododendron ; but no rhododendron, outside
of fairyland, ever wore the brilliantly assorted colours
which these balls exhibit.
To describe the exact principle of their construction
is impossible in writing. Their component elements
are circular pieces of tissue paper with scalloped
edges, as Fig. 189. Of these about a dozen are used
for a single ball, but the ingenious way in which they
are folded and attached, the one to the other, can
only be gathered from minute inspection of the article
itself. The finished ball, in a folded condition, is as
1 More Magic, p. 390.
454 Later Magic

shown in Fig. 190. The loop shown in the diagram is

attached to the centre leaflet, while to each of the two
outer leaflets is pasted a little flat piece of lead. If

Fig. 189. Fig. 190. Fig. 191.

the closed ball is picked up by the loop, each of its

sides falls outwards, and the whole assumes the appear-
ance shown in Fig. 191, and retains that form as long
as it remains suspended by the loop.

BOUQUETS FROM A HAT.

This is another phase of the same idea, scarcely so

good, but useful as a change. When closed, the ap-
pearance of the bouquet is as a in Fig. 192. The
"stem," which is of cardboard, is double, and when

Fig. 192.

opened out and folded back so that the sides originally

outermost shall be in contact, the bouquet assumes
the form shown as b in the same figure.
 Later Magic 455

It is hardly necessary to remark that the flower-ball,

or bouquet, as the case may be, is fully developed
before it is lifted out of the hat.
Closely allied to the above is

THE GARLAND OF OAK-LEAVES, FOR PRODUCTION FROM

A HAT.

The oak-leaves are stamped out of dark green paper,

and fastened together in sets of four, with a small hole
in the centre, as shown in Fig. 193. A still smaller hole
is made with a bodkin in a disc of black or green card-
board, the size of a shilling. Through this is passed

Fig. 193.

one end of a piece of thin black silk cord, about a

yard and a half long, and secured by a knot, forming
a loop, on the opposite side. Over the free end of the
cord are threaded a number of the oak-leaves, each
group connected with the next by means of a strip of
thin, tough paper of the same colour, so that they can be
separated to the extent of an inch or so, but not fur-
ther. The connecting strips do not follow exactly one
above the other, but on opposite sides of the cord.
When a sufficient number of the oak-leaves have been
threaded on the cord, its free end is passed through a
hole made transversely through the centre of a little
 Later Magic
45^
wooden reel, about an inch and a half in length by
three eighths of an inch in diameter, where it is se-
cured by another knot and loop. The cord is now
tightly rolled up on this reel, the oak-leaves being
thereby pressed into a compact packet. The reel may
either be kept in position by a strip of green paper
pasted across it, or by merely turning the oak-leaves
down over it, and securing the roll thus made with a
rubber ring, or a bit of thread.
When the packet has been got safely into the hat,
the performer must in the one case break the strip of
paper, or in the other remove the encircling thread.
Then, taking hold of the card disc, he slowly raises it
from the hat, at the same time shaking the packet.
The little reel unrolls and the leaves fall apart into a
pretty garland.
Three or four of these may easily be introduced at
one load, and, if festooned about the stage by means
of the loop at each end, make a very pretty appear-
ance.
The centre hole in each group of leaves must be
large enough to let the cord pass through freely. The
weighting with lead foil of the final leaf, i. e., the one
which comes nearest the roller end of the cord, will
make the garland develop itself with greater ease and
certainty.

A CAKE BAKED IN A HAT. (IMPROVED METHOD.)

The cooking of a cake or pudding in a hat is one of

the oldest of conjuring tricks. The old-fashioned way
of doing this was described in Modern Magic,1 but
1 Page 312.
 Later Magic 457

the method in question has long since been aban-

doned, mainly by reason that the japanned receptacle
used for the mixing of the ingredients was like no other
earthly vessel, and was therefore violently suggestive
of that "preparation" which every respectable wizard
so sedulously disclaims. The trick is, however, for
the sake of its result, one keenly appreciated by the
juveniles, and it is still now and then exhibited, though
in more artistic fashion.
In one of the amended versions of the trick, an
ordinary white earthenware jar is substituted for the
abnormal piece of tinware in which the ingredients
were formerly mixed. The inner receptacle in this

Fig. 194.

case remains as before, save that it is adapted in point

of shape and size to the jar, and that it has, riveted on
each side, a short piece of clock-spring to make it bind
within the latter.
A more up-to-date piece of apparatus for working
the trick is a nickel-plated salver, about six inches in
diameter and one inch deep, as shown in section in Fig.
194. As will be gathered from the diagram, the appara-
tus in reality consists of two salvers, though when the
upper, a, is fitted into the lower, b, the two appear as
one. The former is half an inch shallower internally
than it is externally, so that there is a space between
 Later Magic
458
the inner and outer walls, to which space a circular
opening, c, gives access.
To show the trick, a cake of suitable size and shape,
and slightly warmed, is laid in a, and the two are
simultaneously loaded into a borrowed hat. They
should be so introduced that the opening, c, of the
salver is brought uppermost. The outer salver, b,
is exhibited openly on the performer's table. Into
this an egg is broken. The other needful ingredients
(in very small quantity) are added, and the resulting
mixture is poured into the hat (actually into c). Just
as the last drops trickle down, b is lowered, upside
down, on to a, and the two brought up as one, and put
aside ; after which the cake is in due course produced
and consumed.

Where the performer has command of a stage of his

own, an episode of a very comical character may
easily be introduced. Having duly "loaded" the hat,
the performer places it on a cane-bottomed chair,
where it rests while he pours the cake mixture into it.
No sooner, however, has he done so, than, to the
amusement of all present (except the owner of the
hat), a stream of liquid paste is seen to trickle down
from the hat through the seat of the chair, and settle
on the floor. That there has been an accident is only
too painfully obvious. The performer simulates the
natural amount of distress, keeping up the agony as
long as his dramatic talent will admit, but of course
all comes right in the end.
This startling effect is produced by the aid of the
little appliance depicted in Fig. 195. It is of blackened
tin, and is in the shape of a shallow funnel, closed
 459
Later Magic

at top, and about three inches in outside diameter.

A couple of hooks, a a, serve to attach it to the
seat of the chair. The mouth, which is fairly wide,
is closed by a cork, b, to which is attached one end of
a thread, cy the opposite end of which is led away,
through a screw-eye fixed in the floor, to the hand of
an assistant behind the scenes. The funnel is filled
with a mixture of flour and water, of the consistency

Fig. 195.

of cream. A pull upon the thread draws out the cork,

with the result already described.
If the performer works single-handed, it is a very
simple matter so to arrange the thread that he himself
can draw the cork at the proper moment.

THE WANDERING ORANGES.

The effect of this trick, which is the invention of a

German wizard named Curiel, is as follows : A couple
of hats are borrowed, and each placed on a separate
table, some little distance apart. Both have been
 Later Magic
460
shown empty, but at the conjurer's command hat No.
1 becomes filled with oranges. These he transfers,
one by one, to hat No. 2, and again shows No. 1 empty.
When, however, he takes up No. 2, that too is found
to be empty, the oranges having, somehow or other,
found their way back to No. 1.
The marvel must be discounted a little by the ad-
mission that the oranges are not of the eatable kind,
but are in fact (with one exception, to be hereafter
referred to) the familiar spring-balls, covered in imita-
tion of the golden fruit. Of these the performer has a
dozen, duly compressed and tied, vested on each side.
A genuine orange reposes in the right pochette. Of
the two hats used, that which we have called No. 1 is
the ordinary " chimney-pot, " handed up by a bond-
fide lender. No. 2 is a faked article, so arranged that
one half of the crown can be folded inwards on the
other half, leaving a semicircular opening. This is
entrusted to a confederate among the audience, -who
hands it up at the proper moment.1
One of the two tables, — the one standing, we will
say, on the right hand as viewed by the audience, —
has no preparation. The other is a " trap "-table,
with a "pull" arrangement whereby an assistant be-
hind the scenes (or the performer himself if he works
single-handed) can open the trap at pleasure.
Having borrowed the two hats, the performer in
returning to the stage loads into No. 1 (the unpre-
pared hat) one of his packets of sham oranges. This is
placed on the right-hand table. He then proceeds to
place hat No. 2 on the left-hand table, in so doing
1 This is a weak point in an otherwise clever trick. A conjurer
should be independent of all outside assistance.
 Later Magic

turning back the flap portion of the crown, and so

placing it that the opening shall be directly over the
trap.
461
After a little appropriate patter, he returns to hat
No. 1. To his pretended surprise, he finds that there
is something in it. Loosening the string, he produces
an orange, and another, and another. Picking up hat
No. 1 he walks across to hat No. 2, and places the
oranges one by one therein, the natural result being
that they pass down the trap and into the body of the
table. When the supply is exhausted, he shows hat
No. 1 empty, and while doing so palms the genuine
orange from the pochette. Transferring the hat from
the one hand to the other, he introduces the orange,
and a moment later, turning the hat accordingly,
allows it to fall out (which it does with an audible thud)
and to roll along the floor towards the spectators.
"Dear me!" he says, gazing into the empty crown,
"now I wonder where that could have come from! It
must have been between the hat and the lining. Or
perhaps it is a later sort of orange, and took a little
longer to materialize. Anyhow, we will put it with
the rest." So saying, he drops it into hat No. 2, and
replaces No. 1 in its original position, having, however,
in the meantime loaded into it the second packet of
sham oranges, for doing which the little interlude with
the real one has given him ample opportunity, be-
sides proving, by conjurer's logic, that all are the
genuine article.
The next stage of the trick is the return of the
oranges to hat No. 1. The performer must, of course,
suggest by his patter some reason to account for this,
and here he has a good opportunity to exhibit any
 Later Magic
462
dramatic talent he may possess. His harangue may
run somewhat as follows :
"This curious effect, ladies and gentlemen, is pro-
duced by magnetic attraction. No, sir" (to an im-
aginary interrupter), "I did not say hattraction. I
notice, by the way, that I always succeed best with
the hat of a rather hot-headed gentleman. You see,
oranges come from warm climates, and they won't
germinate in a cold one. I tried this experiment once
with a gentleman's hat, and instead of oranges I got
oysters. I found out afterwards that the owner of
the hat had water on the brain. Of course that ac-
counted for it. To-night, happily, all has gone well.
The orange crop is a success. Did any one notice, by
the way, how many we got? I quite forgot to count
them, but we will do so now."
He moves towards hat No. 2, and dips his hand in,
as if to take out an orange, and in so doing closes the
flap. Finding nothing, he puts on a look of surprise,
and gazes into the hat.
" Hallo!" he says, holding it up and showing it
empty, "how is this? Surely I put the oranges into
this hat. Now where are they gone?" As if struck
by a sudden thought, he crosses over, and looks into
hat No. 1. "I see how it is, the owner of this hat
is the hotter-headed gentleman of the two; and so
the oranges have all come back again." Loosening
the string which confines the oranges, he shows the
hat again full. "Well, all's well that ends well.
Here, John" (to assistant), "we won't take any chan-
ces this time. Just take these oranges, and cut them
up on a plate, for the refreshment of these ladies and

gentlemen,"
 Later Magic 463

The hat is after a brief interval brought back empty,

and with it a plateful of genuine oranges, cut in quar-
ters, which are offered to the company, again proving,
after the usual fashion, that there is "no deception."
A GLASS OF WINE PASSED VISIBLY THROUGH THE CROWN
OF A HAT.

This very ingenious trick is the invention of Herr

Conradi, of Dresden. It would be difficult to surpass
it in point of magical effect. Its only drawback is that

d ..- d

Fig. 196.

a special table, of rather intricate construction (see

sectional view, Fig. 196), is needed for its exhibition.
The table top, a a, is of glass, about twelve inches in
diameter, and a third of an inch thick. It is supported
by an elegant brass column, bb, terminating at bottom
in a tripod base, cc. The lower part, dd, of the column,
464 Later Magic

to a height of about six inches, is double the diameter

of the upper portion, and is, in fact, a hollow cylinder,
filled with water. The upper part of the column is
likewise hollow, and through it passes a slender brass
rod, ee, to the upper part of which is fixed a glass
disc, corresponding in diameter with that of the mouth
of the glass used in the trick. The lower end of this
rod terminates in a wooden plug, loosely fitting the
cylinder, dd. There is a slot, exactly corresponding in
length with the height of the glass, in one side of the
tube, bb. A pin, screwed at right angles into the
upright rod, projects through this to the extent of an
inch or so, terminating in a little brass knob, /. Be-
tween the knob and the side of the tube is a spring, g,
which, when the screw is turned, increases or dimin-
ishes the pressure of the rod against the sides of the
tube, and consequently the facility with which it can
be moved therein.
When the table is first seen on the stage, the rod e e
is pressed down to the utmost, the disc resting flat
on the table top, and so being invisible. The friction
of the rod is so regulated that by placing a finger under
the set screw, /, the disc can be readily moved up-
wards, but will not sink down again by its own weight,
though a very slight additional pressure will make it
do so.
In conjunction with the table is used a clear glass
tumbler with its upper edges ground flat, and having
a flat lid or cover, likewise of clear glass. This is
shouldered, so that when dropped upon the top of
the glass it cannot shift laterally (see Fig. 197). As
the reader is, no doubt, aware, a glass filled with water,
and so covered, may be turned upside down, or moved
 Later Magic 465

in any direction, without fear of spilling the liquid, the

pressure of the air keeping the cover in position, how-
ever loosely it may fit. The cover in question is in
the first instance laid on the top of a wide-mouthed
decanter, containing wine or other red liquid.
Thus provided, the performer is ready to show the
trick, in describing which I cannot do better than
follow, at a respectful distance, the lines of the patter
used by the inventor himself. I say " at a distance,"
because, like Mr. Silas Wegg, Herr Conradi now and
then "drops into poetry," a region into which I will
not venture to follow him.

Fig. 197.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is the custom nowadays

for a conjurer to offer everything for examination. I
will ask you, therefore, to examine this glass. I wish
you to be quite satisfied, first, that it doesn't fold up
in any way; and, secondly, that this particular glass,
and no other, is used throughout the trick. I shall
therefore be much obliged if you will mark it in some
way, the only restriction being that you return it to
me whole. Here are some sealing-wax and a lighted
taper. I dare say some one will oblige me with the
loan of a signet ring, when it can be marked to your
complete satisfaction."
 Later Magic
466
The glass being duly marked and returned, he con-
tinues as follows:
"In order still further to exclude any possible
chance of my exchanging or spiriting it away, I will
fill it to the brim with this fine old Burgundy."
In picking up the decanter he rests the right hand for
a moment over its mouth, and palms off the glass
cover, which was deposited thereon. After he has
filled the glass, he puts down the decanter, and pres-
ently transfers the glass from the left hand to the
right. In so doing he brings the right hand over the
top, and lowers the cover into position upon it; being
transparent, it remains invisible.
"I have filled the glass almost too full. Now, with
due precaution not to spill any of the precious fluid, I
will place it on this little table, while I endeavour to
obtain the loan of a tall hat and a lady's pocket-hand-
kerchief.thank
I you. With the handkerchief I cover
the glass, so — What! you think I have taken away
the glass! No, here it is." (He shows it, and again
covers it.) "I fear, by the way, that some of you
ladies and gentlemen at the side cannot see very well.
I will move the table a little farther forward. Now

you will have a better view."

This is a critical stage of the trick. On depositing
the glass of wine on the table, he places it a little in
front of the glass disc, which therefore has room to rise
behind it. In lifting the table, he grasps the central
column, holding it very lightly, immediately beneath
the check-screw, /. The first effect of lifting the
hand, therefore, is to force / upwards, thereby ele-
vating the disc to a level with the top- of the glass (at
which point it for the time being remains) . So soon,
 Later Magic 467

however, as / reaches its uttermost point, the upward

pressure of the hand operates upon the table itself,
which the performer proceeds to move forward a foot
or two.
"Ah!" he says, after having done this, "I can see
that some of you again imagine that I have taken
away the glass. Let me show you once more that you
are mistaken."
So saying, with the left hand he raises the handker-
chief at the back, the front edge still resting on the
table, and with the right hand holds up and exhibits
the glass. He then replaces it, apparently in the same
position, but in reality now places it behind the glass
disc, and drops the handkerchief loosely over the
latter. The spectators naturally believe that the
handkerchief still covers the glass, though the glass is
in reality behind and outside it. Next, taking the hat,
and carelessly showing it, he continues :
"Now I am going to make this glass disappear.
There are two ways of doing it, and I will adopt which-
ever you like. One is to do it invisibly, in which case
I shall cover it with the hat, so" Here, suiting the
action to the word, he places the hat, mouth down-
wards, over the handkerchief, but immediately lifts it,
and loads into it the covered glass from behind the
handkerchief.

"Or I can do it visibly, in which case I turn the

hat so, and leave the glass in full view. Which shall
it be?"
At this point he places the hat, crown downwards,
on the top of the supposed glass, but does not let go
of it until the decision of the audience is announced.
There is, however, only one possible answer in such
 Later Magic
468
a case as above suggested. Spectators always want
to see all they can, and will never consent to have
a given effect produced under cover if they have the
alternative of seeing it done, as they imagine, openly.
The answer is always, therefore, "Visibly." On re-
ceiving the popular mandate the performer removes
his hand from the hat. "Now, ladies and gentlemen,
watch carefully, and you will see the glass of wine
gradually pass through the crown of the hat. How it
is done, I don't profess to tell you, but you will see
that that is what happens. See, the glass is begin-
ning to melt away already."
The trick is now done. The extra weight on the
glass disc forces it slowly downward, the water in the
cylinder, d d, acting as a check, and preventing its sink-
ing too rapidly. When the glass disc has quite reached
the level of the table, the performer picks up the hat,
and dipping his hand into it, removes and palms the
glass top, and produces the glass of wine, which is
identified by the seal upon it.
The illusion is one demanding a considerable amount
of address, but is not really so difficult as many which
do not possess a tenth part of its effectiveness.

THE VANISHED CANNON-BALL.

It is easy enough, as every conjurer knows, to pro-

duce acannon-ball from a hat, but if the wizard were
asked to make it disappear again he would usually be
compelled to admit that there are things which even a
magician cannot do. A little device of Herr Willmann's,
however, makes such an achievement not only
possible, but easy.
 Later Magic 469

The ball used is of solid wood, with a hole bored in

it. It is introduced into the hat from the servante
after the usual fashion, and allowed to drop on the
floor, to prove by the resulting "thud" that it is the
real thing, and not some hollow imitation. The only
point in which it differs from the old-fashioned ball
used for the same purpose is that the bore is not
cylindrical, but slightly tapering. In conjunction
with it is used a wooden plug, exactly corresponding to
the hole, and, if pressed into it, fitting tightly.1 This
plug is of such a size that it only penetrates into the
ball to the extent of two thirds of its length, and the
remaining portion is fashioned into a round knob, for
use in pulling it out again when the trick is over.
Through the length of the plug a small hole is bored,
and through this is threaded a piece of thin but strong
black cord, about two feet long, secured by a knot at
the smaller end of the plug.
The free end of the cord is led through a hole, made
for the purpose, on the inside of the left vest pocket of
the performer, and secured to the nearest of his brace
buttons. The plug is deposited in the same pocket,
in such manner as to be easily withdrawn, and a small
portion of the cord is allowed to form a loop outside.
Thus provided, the performer produces the ball from
a hat, as above mentioned. This done, he looks about
for something to wrap it up in. A good-sized cloth, say
a table-cover or small shawl, happens (!) to be thrown
over a chair or the like, ready to his hand. He wraps the
ball in this ; then, holding it with both hands, makes

1 It will be found a decided advantage to have either the hole

lined or the plug covered with cork, in which case a very moderate
degree of pressure will make the two fit tightly together.
 Later Magic
47 o
the motion of throwing it into the air, and instantly
shakes out the cloth. The ball has vanished. He
shows the cloth on both sides, draws it through his
hands, and finally throwing it over his shoulder, makes
his bow, and retires.
As the reader will doubtless have guessed, the per-
former, while turning his back to get the cloth, gets
the plug from his pocket and drives it home in the
ball. When wrapping the ball in the cloth, he takes
care that the side towards his own body shall be un-
covered. The upward throwing movement is not a
mere make-believe, but a reality, for the ball passes
over his left shoulder, where it hangs suspended by the
cord. The subsequent throwing of the cloth over the
same shoulder conceals it, and enables him to make a
dignified and graceful exit.

1
 CHAPTER XII.

MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS.

THE present section will be devoted to a few tricks

of some special interest, which, according to the
classification I have adopted, could not properly be in-
cluded in either of the preceding chapters.
First and foremost we will take the pretty little
drawing-room trick, entitled —

THE AFGHAN BANDS.

The requirements for this trick consist of a pair of

sharp -pointed scissors and three or four strips of white
paper, each five or six feet long and one inch (or
thereabouts) in width, pasted together at the ends
so as to form endless bands. The familiar telegraph
paper answers the purpose very well. The performer
comes forward with these bands strung on his left arm.
Taking them one by one in the right hand and showing
that they are all separate, he lays them on a table or
chair, or, if he prefers it, hangs them round his neck.
Then, taking one of them, he makes a hole with the
scissors in the centre of its width, and, handing the
paper and scissors to some spectator, asks him to con-
tinue from the hole thus made, and divide the strip
throughout its whole length. This done, the paper

471
 Later Magic
472
naturally takes the form of two endless bands, the
same length as the original, but only half the width,
as a a in Fig. 198.
The performer takes one in each hand and looks at
them sadly. "This is all wrong. I didn't want the
two rings separated. I wanted them linked one within
the other. You couldn't do that? Ah! you are evi-
dently not a conjurer. If you had been a conjurer
you would have just whispered softly to yourself

a- 4~ O cL;

Fig. 198.

' Aldiboronticophosphikoformio ! ' and the result would

have been quite different. See !" With these words he
takes the second band, perforates it with the scissors,
and divides it lengthways like the other. Two bands
are again formed, but the one is linked within the
other, as b in the figure.
"You look incredulous, ladies and gentlemen. You
don't believe my magic formula had anything to do
 Later Magic 473

with it? Really, you are very sceptical. I cut the

paper fairly, did I not? However, I can easily con-
vince you. We will try the experiment over again,
and this time I will use a still stronger form of incanta-
tion, when we shall naturally get an even more re-
markable result. Cryptoconchoidosyphonostomata !
You had better make a note of that word. You'll
find it very useful in cases of this kind. Now I will
divide this third band in the same way as the others.
But the effect will now be quite different. This time,
you see, we have one long continuous band." (See c
in Fig. 198).
The secret lies in the making up of the paper bands.
The first is a perfectly ordinary band, one end being
brought fairly round and pasted on to the other. In
the second case the strip of paper is twisted, half round,
before the ends are pasted together. In the third case
it is twisted fully round before the ends are joined. If
yet another twist be given to it before joining, the
band when cut will appear as d in the figure.
The chief point the novice has to bear in mind in
preparing the bands is to have them long enough.
The longer they are, the less likely is the twisting
of the band in the last three cases to attract at-
tention.

THE CHINESE PAPER-TEARING TRICK.

This trick was introduced to the public by Ching

Ling Foo, a Mongolian conjurer, who a year or two
back made a great hit in America; so much so, indeed,
as to induce more than one of his Western confreres
to drop their own nationality, and, with pigtail and
474 Later Magic

flowery robe complete, to present their illusions in the

character of the " Heathen Chinee."1
The trick in question is of the simplest kind, both
in effect and in execution, consisting merely in tearing
a strip of paper into small pieces, rolling them between
the fingers, and reproducing in a single strip as at first.
But its very simplicity constitutes its charm, and it
has achieved extraordinary popularity, both with the
public and among performers.
By way of introduction it may not be out of place
to describe a little drawing-room trick (I believe, of
Japanese origin), of which the paper-tearing appears to
be merely a later development. In general effect it is
precisely the same, save that a needleful of red cotton
takes the place of the strip of paper. The performer
takes this by one end, between the forefinger and the
thumb of the right hand. With the other hand he
picks up the opposite end, and brings the two together
so as to form a hanging loop. Some one is invited to
snip this loop at its lowest point with a pair of scissors.
The two hanging ends are picked up as before, now
forming a double loop, and the thread is again cut, the
cutting being repeated as long as the length of the
fragments permits of their being doubled at all.
When this point is reached, the performer rolls the

1 Foremost among these is the genial American wizard, W. E.

Robinson (" Chung Ling Soo"), whose truly Chinese smile, "child-
like and bland," and the perfection of whose make-up have de-
ceived thousands into the belief that he is a genuine Mongolian.
The majority of the so-called Chinese tricks are very poor, judged
by a Western standard, but in "Chung Ling Soo's" hands they
never fail to please even the most critical audience ; a fresh illustra-
tion of the never-to-be-forgotten truth, that a conjuring trick is
just what the performer makes it.
 Later Magic 485

I propose here to describe the same trick, but with one

or two little additions of my own which I have found
to enhance its interest.
The only requirements are a candlestick and lighted
candle, and a piece of tin-foil, rolled into a fairly
solid ball, about five eighths of an inch in diameter.
This is suspended just under the vest, a little to the
left of the buttons, by means of a black pin thrust
downward through the cloth from the outside, and
then into the foil. Thus suspended, the ball hangs
quite securely, though a mere touch suffices to draw it
off the pin, and into the hand.
The patter which I myself was accustomed to use
for this trick ran somewhat as follows :
"Ladies and gentlemen, the little experiment I am
about to show you is one for which we are indebted to
the ancient alchemists. People look down upon the
alchemists nowadays, because they didn't know any-
thing about bicycles, or the income tax, or the New
Woman, or our other modern improvements. They
had the pull of us, however, in the knowledge of many
useful little scientific dodges, particularly in dealing
with metals. It is one of these processes which I
propose to show you.
"I shall begin by borrowing half a crown. I don't
know whether the ancient alchemists began like this,
but I dare say they did, for philosophers have been an
impecunious lot in all ages. Mark the coin, please,
so that you may know it again. You have marked it?
Next, please, mark — what I do.
" Silver, as you are no doubt aware, is one of the
hardest of the metals, and in a general way requires a
very high temperature to melt it, but by the aid of a
 Later Magic
486
few mesmeric passes, properly applied, I can so soften
it that it will melt even in the flame of this candle.
Without the aid of magic, you might hold half-
crowns over candles till doomsday without any result
(except burning your fingers)., but the alchemist's little
dodge makes all the difference. Observe, I merely
take the coin, and submit it to a little mesmeric fric-
tion. As Shakespeare says (referring, no doubt, to
this experiment), " There 's the rub." It is a very
little one, as you observe, and yet the effect of even
such a little rub as that is that the half-crown at once
begins to get softer. See, I can bend it. Another

Fig. 200.

little rub, and now, you see, it bends nearly in half.

Yet another little rub, and it is softer still, and when I
hold it over the candle it melts away, right into the
flame, and disappears."
At this stage a little explanation may be desirable.
The performer first shows the coin in the right hand.
He then transfers it to the left hand, letting it lie flat
on the middle joints of the second and third fingers,
and rubs it with the fingers of the right. He then
takes it back into the right hand, professedly to try
whether it is getting soft. After the second or third
rubbing (warming the coin over the candle flame after
each) he takes the coin between the two hands as
shown in Fig. 200, and by bending the knuckles over
 Later Magic 487

towards each other, and back again, appears to bend

the coin, after the fashion in which a borrowed watch
is often dealt with by conjurers.1 The illusion is not
quite so perfect with a coin, but it is good enough for
all practical purposes.
After showing the coin in this apparently softened
condition, the performer once more makes the move-
ment of transferring the coin from the right hand to
the left, but this time with a difference. He retains
it by the "finger palm," as shown in Fig. 201, between
the first and second fingers, but, still with the tips of

Fig. 201.

these same fingers, rubs the fingers of the left hand as

if the coin were lying upon them. At this stage of the
proceedings, he should be so standing as to have the
candlestick on his left. Making a half -turn, he picks
this up with the right hand, between the thumb and
first and second fingers, and, holding the left hand over
it, makes a rubbing motion with the fingers, as if
reducing the coin to powder in the flame. He then
faces round and shows both hands empty, for if he has
closely followed the above directions the coin in the
finger palm, lying horizontally, is completely masked
by the thumb holding the candlestick (see Fig. 202),
1 Modern Magic, p. 214.
 Later Magic
48 8
and no one, unless looking directly down upon the hand
could possibly detect its presence.1
" Now I dare say you are thinking to yourselves that
this is a rather expensive experiment. I know the gen-
tleman who lent me the half-crown is thinking so.
And so it would be, if the coin was altogether lost.
Fortunately, however, there is a way of getting all the
silver back again. Of course, it won't be quite in its
original shape, but that 's a secondary consideration.
Let me call your attention to a little red point at the

Fig. 202.

top of the wick. That is the coin, in a state of fusion.

I take it out, so" [he nips the top of the flame with
finger and thumb]. "Here it is, you see! What! you
don't see? Perhaps not, just at first, but you will as
the metal begins to cool. It soon solidifies. Here is
your half-crown, sir, with many thanks."
What is actually offered is the tin-foil ball. When
the performer calls attention to the imaginary red
1 The candlestick used should be one with a somewhat slender
stem. It should in any case be grasped by its narrowest portion,
as the nearer the thumb approaches the fingers, the more perfect
is the cover for the coin.
 489
Later Magic

spot in the candle flame, he moves the candlestick

with a semicircular sweep towards the left, as if to
allow the spectators on that side a better view of it.
Under cover of this movement, and while all eyes are
directed to the supposed red spot in the flame, he gets
the foil ball from under the vest into the left hand,
and rolls it with the thumb between the second and
third fingers. He then makes believe, with this same
hand, to nip the flame as above described. When he
first professes to show the metal, he keeps the ball
concealed by the thumb, but by virtue of a rubbing
movement gradually works it to the tips of the fingers.
He then, for the first time, puts down the candlestick,
and offers the ball to the lender of the half-crown, who
naturally declines to receive his money back in such a
condition.
"What do you say, sir? You don't care for it in
this shape ? I assure you it is much more valuable in
this condition. Anybody can own a common half-
crown, but very few people possess a quaint little
silver ornament like this. Just the thing to hang on
your watch-chain! No? You would rather have it
in its original condition ? Well, there 's no accounting
for tastes. I '11 do my best. I dare say I can flatten
it out a bit for you." Here he brings the hands to-
gether, and in so doing lodges the ball between the
second and third fingers of the right hand. He then
begins to flatten out, professedly the ball, but really
the actual coin, working it round and round between
the fingers, and gradually allowing the edges to be
seen. "We 're getting on, it 's nearly flat now. If I
can put a bit of a pattern on it, it will be all right."
He manipulates it a little longer, and then shows it
 Later Magic
490
on the palm of the right hand, or, strictly speaking,
partly on the palm and partly on the fingers, in such
manner that it lies just over the foil ball, and so conceals
it. After showing the coin for a moment in the right
hand, he transfers it to the left, and returns it to the
owner, with the remark that he fears the design hasn't
come out quite so clearly as could be wished, but no
doubt he will be able to pass it on a dark evening.
The points in which the present version differs from
Robert-Houdin's are the following:
1. The introduction of the "bending" sleight, show-
ing that the coin is getting soft.
2. The use of the finger palm in place of the ordinary
palm, enabling the performer to show the interior of
both hands immediately after the disappearance of
the coin.
3. The use of the foil ball, serving as an additional
proof that the coin is actually melted.

THE GREAT DICTIONARY TRICK.

The trick which goes by this name was invented by

my ingenious friend Mr. Maskelyne, and when first
produced at the Egyptian Hall, now a good many
years ago, produced an immense sensation. My own
version differs in sundry particulars from the original,
having been altered and amended from time to time,
as improvements, or supposed improvements, sug-
gested themselves. The root-idea of the trick is that
a word is selected, haphazard, from a dictionary, in a
manner that precludes all possibility of collusion, and
that the magician then discovers such word, and re-
veals his knowledge of it in some striking way.
 Later Magic

I will begin by giving the patter I was accustomed

to use for the trick (which will, I think, be found to be
self-explanatory), and follow it with a description of 1
49
the means employed. I may here mention, by the way,
that the dictionary I used was a penny one, in paper
covers, and that of this a dozen or more copies were
distributed at the proper time among the spectators.
"My next experiment, ladies and gentlemen, will be
that known as The Great Dictionary Feat. When this
experiment was first produced, it was conducted rather
differently from the present plan. A dictionary was
handed to a lady, who opened it and selected a word
at her pleasure, and the word so chosen was in due
course revealed. But it was soon found that that

wouldn't do. Everybody imagined that the poor inno-

cent lady was a sister, or a cousin, or an aunt of the
performer ; at any rate a confederate of some sort, and
the feat lost all its effect. Consequently, the mode of
proceeding has been changed. The choice of the word
is now made a matter of pure chance, and, still further
to prove that there is no possibility of collusion, the
choice is divided between three different persons, one
person deciding where the dictionary is to be opened,
a second whether the right or the left-hand page shall
be taken, and a third what particular word on that
page shall be named.
" I use, for the sake of portability, a little dictionary
known as Knight's Penny Dictionary. It contains
only 10,000 words, so your choice will be limited to
that number, but I may tell you, truthfully, that the
difficulty of the feat is not in the least affected by
the size of the dictionary. I could use the Imperial,
or the Century, or Cassell's Encyclopaedic, but they
 Later Magic
492
wouldn't be so handy to pass round. There is an-
other advantage about having small dictionaries. In-
stead of one, I am able to have a dozen or more copies,
which will be distributed among you, so that as many
as possible may take part in the experiment.
" First, as to where the dictionary shall be opened.
Will you, madam, be kind enough to decide that
point by taking this paper-knife, and thrusting it in
just where you please between the leaves." [The
performer offers a copy of the dictionary, closed. The
paper-knife is thrust between the leaves, and the whole
handed to the lady.] 1'Thank you, madam; now
please take the book in your own hands. Keep the
knife just as it is. Don't open the book just yet, or
allow any one else to do so.
" Next, to decide whether we are to take the right or
the left-hand page. Put it to the vote, if you like, or
perhaps it will be simpler merely to toss for it. Who
will volunteer? Thank you, sir. Now then, shall we
say, head, right-hand page ; and tail, left-hand? Just as
you like. . . . Good! Which is it? Head? then
we are to take the right-hand page, which is the one
bearing the odd number. Is that satisfactory? If not,
you are still welcome to choose the other.
"Lastly, as to the particular word on that page.
Here I have a number of counters" (he offers them on
a small nickel-plated salver), "numbered regularly
from one up to one hundred and fifty, that being the
average number of words on a page. Just see that the
counters are all different, and meanwhile, perhaps
some one will lend me a hat. Thank you, sir." [The
performer takes the hat in his left hand.] " Now will
some one take a handful of these coins, and give them
 Later Magic 493

to me? Thank you, I drop them into the hat" (he

does so), "and give them a good shake up. Now, sir,
will you put in your hand, please, and take out one
counter. Close your hand tightly upon it.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have to discover the
word thus elaborately selected. You will readily
see that it is absolutely impossible that I should know
it beforehand. In order to discover it in at once the
simplest and most mysterious manner possible, I shall
invite the spirits (my own special blend of Scotch and
Irish) to write it in letters of blood on my bare arm.
Allow me first to show you that there is neither word
nor letter on it at present." [He bares his arm, and
exhibits it on all sides, then draws the sleeve down
again.] "I would willingly pass my arm round for
inspection, but, unfortunately, it is a fixture.
" Now, madam, will you open the dictionary you hold,
and tell us where the paper-knife chanced to be in-
serted. Itopens at pages " (as the case may be),
" and it was settled that we were to take the right-hand
page, which is page . . . . Now, sir, please look
at the counter you selected. What number does it
bear? . . . Then all who have dictionaries, please
open them and look out the th word on the th
page. Meanwhile, I just take the dictionary and the
counter in my hand, and allow the mesmeric influence
to flow up my arm."
"The spirits are quicker than you, ladies and gentle-
men " (he bares his arm), "for here, in blood-red
characters, appears a word. Perhaps somebody will
read it. What should it be, please, to correspond with
the th word on the th page of the diction-
ary? , f , Good. The spirits have done their
494 Later Magic

work well, for here on my arm, in plain characters, is

that same word, ."

I know no trick of its kind more effective than the

foregoing. There does not appear to be even a loop-
hole for deception left open; and yet this surprising
effect is produced by the simplest of means.
The properties for the trick consist of a dozen (or
more if the audience be large) of the small dictionaries,
unprepared, and one "special" one, prepared as here-
after described; a small, thin paper-knife; a gross of
counters, numbered consecutively from i upwards, on
a small plated salver, and eight or nine similar counters
all bearing the same number, say "24." These last
are placed till needed in the left pochette, or in a clip
under the left side of the vest.
For the preparation of the special dictionary twenty-
eight to thirty ordinary dictionaries have to be sacri-
ficed. These are unstitched and two consecutive
leaves, say pages 37, 38, 39, 40, taken out from the
middle portion of each. These are then pasted to-
gether in couples ; page 3 7 of each pair against page 40
of the preceding pair. Against the foremost page 37
is pasted the first leaf, and against the ultimate page 40
the last leaf of the book, so as to secure a proper
beginning and ending. The leaves thus pasted to-
gether should be dried in a press, and they must then
be sewn together, in one of the original covers, by a
bookbinder.1 The dictionary thus made up will be

1 The mutilated copies should be carefully preserved, and utilized

to make up other "faked " copies, as it would obviously be very un-
wise for the performer to use a dictionary opening at the same
pages evening after evening.
 Later Magic 495

externally just like the rest. It will have a correct

first and last page, but wherever it is opened the
pagination will be the same, viz., it will always open at
pages 38, 39. This is placed at the bottom of the heap
of unprepared dictionaries, as they lie on the perform-
er's table.
The performer has further to prepare his own arms.
On the left arm, just below the bend of the elbow, he
writes, with red ink of good quality, or with Judson's
crimson dye, a little diluted, the twenty-fourth word
(or otherwise, according to the number intended to be
forced) on page 39, being the right-hand page of the
faked dictionary. In like manner, he writes or gets
somebody to write for him, on the right arm, the
twenty-fourth word on the left-hand page (page 38).
Thus prepared, the performer is ready to show the
trick. When distributing the dictionaries, which he
does more particularly to those spectators in his own
immediate neighbourhood, he keeps the undermost
(which is the faked one) to the last, and retains this in
his own hand. Then, producing the little paper-
knife, say from his vest pocket, he asks some lady to
thrust it between the leaves. He leaves the book in
her possession, the request that she will not open it
just yet protecting it from any inconvenient examina-
tion. The choice of right or left-hand page makes no
difference to him, save that if the right-hand page be
chosen he will produce the word on his left arm, and
vice versa.
For the forcing of the number a little address is
required, but it really presents no difficulty. Before
picking up the tray of mixed counters from the table,
the performer gets the forcing counters (those bearing
 Later Magic
49 6
the number 24) into his left hand. Holding the tray
in the same hand, these are concealed tinder the rim.
After inviting some one to take a handful of the visible
counters, he puts the tray down, and borrows a hat.
Receiving it in the right hand, he transfers it to the

Fig. 204.

left, which grasps it with fingers inside and thumb out-

side (just as the hat is held in the familiar "Shower
of money" trick). He takes back the handful of
counters with the right hand, and apparently drops
them into the hat; in reality retaining them clipped
against the lower joints of the two middle fingers, and
dropping the forcing counters from the left hand into
the hat. They are heard to fall, and no one is likely to
 Later Magic 503

in c. A reverse movement brings the thimble from

the fork of the thumb to the tip of the finger again.
This little sleight is by no means difficult of acquisition,
and, if performed with the arm in motion, the smaller
movement of the finger is quite invisible. The only
point requiring special caution is to keep the hand
wherein the thimble is palmed with its back towards
the audience.
For the performance of the complete trick two thim-
bles are used, but, as it is important that the spectators
should not suspect this, it is as well to commence with
a few passes in which it can be seen clearly that one

thimble only is employed. The second thimble may

either be vested, mouth downwards, or placed, mouth
upwards, in the left-hand waistcoat pocket ; anywhere,
in fact, where the performer can get secret possession
of it at a moment's notice.
For the moment we will consider that he is working
with one thimble only. Placing this on the tip of his
right forefinger, he makes the motion of transferring it
to the left hand, which forthwith closes as if containing
it. As a matter of fact, however, it is thumb-palmed
in transit, and it is the bare forefinger only which
comes into contact with the left hand. With this same
504 Later Magic

hand the performer pats himself on the top of the head,

and after a momentary pretence of trying to swallow
something that won't go down, produces the thimble
from his mouth. This sleight is merely the former
reversed, the thirnble being transferred from the thumb-
palm to the finger-tip just as the latter reaches the
mouth.
The performer may now apparently place the thimble
in the mouth (thumb -palming it as he does so), and
reproduce it from his beard under cover of a pretended
pull at the latter. If he does not happen to wear a
beard, he may with the left hand pick up a lighted
candle, blow it out as if blowing the thimble into the
candle, and with the right hand reproduce the thimble
from underneath the candlestick. If the sleight is
neatly worked, the illusion is in each case complete.
Having done as much as he cares to do with the one
thimble, he secretly gets the second into the left hand,
and proceeds to work with the two.

Space only permits of my giving one or two qf the

possible "passes." Mr. Devant usually begins the
two-thimble work by holding the hands as depicted
in Fig. 207, the right hand having at this stage a
thimble on the forefinger, and the left a second con-
cealed in the fork of the thumb. He waves the
right hand backwards and forwards alternately before
and behind the other. As the fingers of the right hand
pass out of sight behind the left, the visible thimble is
palmed as above described. At the same moment the
forefinger of the left hand is bent and again extended
with a thimble on it, the effect to the spectators being
that it has flown from the one forefinger to the other.
 Later Magic
505
Some of the passes exhibited with the one thimble
may be executed still more effectively with two. Thus
the thimble may be placed (after the deceptive fashion
already described) in the mouth, and reproduced with
the other hand from the back of the head. It may
then be inserted in one ear and brought out of the
other.
Another pretty effect may be produced, the per-
former being in a seated position, by bringing the

Fig. 207.

hands down thrice with a slap upon the knees, at the

same time (after the manner of the "Fly away, Jack;
fly away, Jill" of our childhood) saying, "One, two,
three!" At the word "three" the thimble passes
from the forefinger on which it was first seen to the
other.
The principle of the trick once mastered, it will be
an easy matter for the amateur to devise passes for
himself ; though it will probably be some time bet ore
he is able to execute them with the ease and finish of
the original inventor.
 Later Magic
506
THE THIMBLE AND PAPER CONE.

There is another version of the trick, in which two

thimbles of light substance are used, so arranged in
point of size that the one shall fit neatly over the other ;
the two, in such condition, appearing as one.
The two thimbles, one upon the other, are shown
together on the forefinger. The performer makes a
little cone out of soft paper, trimming its edges level
with a pair of scissors. This he places over the visible
thimble, "just to try if it fits," as he says. He then
takes it off again, and places it on the table. The
thimble which was seen on the forefinger still remains
there.
He now undertakes to pass this thimble visibly
under the cone. He flourishes the right hand over it,
and at the same moment thumb -palms the thimble
from the finger-tip ; immediately picking up the cone,
and showing that the thimble (professedly the same)
has really passed beneath it.
The reader will hardly require to be told that when
"trying how the cap fitted" the performer lifted off
with it the outer of the two thimbles, and that it is
this thimble which afterwards appears beneath it.

THE PATRIOTIC THIMBLE.

The neat little trick to which Messrs. Hamley have

given the above title has considerable affinity in effect
with that last described.
The material of the thimble is in this case celluloid,
coloured, in successive circles, red, white, and blue.
The performer offers the thimble for examination.
 Later Magic 5i3

THE VANISHING THIMBLES.

Yet another pretty variation of the thimble trick is

the invention of a Belgian wizard, M. Van Lameche.
It may either be exhibited independently, or follow
one of the other effects already described, the special
thimbles employed being privately substituted for
some of those already used.
Three thimbles are necessary. They should be of
thin metal, graduated in point of size, so that No. 2
shall just go over No. 1, and No. 3 over No. 2. As
they are intended to fit closely together, and when so
fitted to appear as one, they are better without the
usual bead around the edge.
At starting, No. 1 is placed on the first finger, No.
2 on the middle, and No. 3 on the third finger, and the
hand is shown in this condition. Remarking, "I will
now transfer one of these thimbles to the other hand,"
the performer makes the movement of doing so. When
the right hand reaches the left, No. 3 is drawn off the
third finger, and the second finger (which during
the transit has been slightly flexed, in readiness for the
movement) is inserted in it. The left hand is closed
and withdrawn, professedly containing thimble No. 3,
which, however, now actually covers No. 2, leaving
the appearance of the right hand unaltered. After a
momentary interval, filled up by some appropriate
remark, the left hand is opened, and the thimble is
found to have disappeared.
The same manoeuvre is then repeated, Nos. 2 and 3
being together passed on to No. 1 . All three are then
"vanished" simultaneously by means of the thumb-
palm in the usual way.
33
5H Later Magic

M. Van Lameche's scheme does not include the repro-

duction of the thimbles, but this might easily be ar-
ranged; by placing, say, a spare thimble in the left
vest pocket, another inside the collar, and a third in
the left ear ; each thimble reproduced being put aside
on the table as done with, and so remaining till the
conclusion of the trick.

THE CHANGING DICE.

Readers of Modern Magic may recall a pretty little

sleight-of-hand trick with a pair of dice,1 the points of
which are made to change in a mysterious manner.
Two or three new ideas have been imported into the
trick, involving not only an improvement in the
method of working, but considerable novelty of effect.

Fig. 209.

To make the following explanation clear, it will be

necessary to recapitulate to some extent the instruc-
tions previously given. The performer, holding the dice
as shown in Fig. 209, was directed first to exhibit the
upper faces, and then (by raising the hand) the lower;
then to " change" the latter, professedly by rubbing
with the forefinger of the opposite hand, but actually
1 Page 268.
 Later Magic 5i5

by a slight upward movement of the thumb, com-

pelling the dice to describe a half -turn on their own
axis, this to be done under cover of lifting the arm for
the second time.
The improvement in working to which I have al-
luded consists in changing the lower faces of the dice
during the first upward movement of the arm, bringing
them back to their normal position as the hand de-
scends. When the lower faces of the dice are ex-
hibited for the second time, they simply retain their
position, and the performer may therefore even allow
his wrist to be held, and his right hand to remain per-
fectly motionless, while, he passes the forefinger over
the faces of the dice to " change" them, no further
movement being required.
Of course an expert in the use of dice would know,
as remarked in Modern Magic, that the upper and
lower faces of a properly made die invariably amount
to " seven," and might call attention to the fact that
those first shown as the points of the lower face are not
quite as they ought to be. It is found, however, that
so few people are experts in this particular, or, if they
are so, trouble themselves to use their knowledge, that
any fear of objection on this score may be safely
disregarded.
Another variation, in this case in point of effect, is
to suppress the points of the dice altogether, but to
have them specially coloured, three of the sides (one
of them being that at right angles with the other two) ,
say, white, and the other three black. The working is
practically the same as in the other case.
Thus, we will suppose the cubes, coloured as above, to
be taken between the finger and thumb as in Fig. 209.
 Later Magic
5*6
The exact placing, however, is a matter of importance.
They must be so arranged (for this particular purpose)
that the sides next the thumb are black, as also the two
lower and the two end surfaces. Under these condi-
tions, the performer lowers his hand and shows that
the upper surfaces are white. He raises it to show the
lower faces, but in so doing makes the upward half-
turn with the thumb, under which circumstances the
lower surfaces appear white also. Having allowed
the spectator to fully satisfy himself on this point, he
lowers the hand once more, bringing the dice back
to their normal position, passes the forefinger over
their lower faces, and again shows them
without making the turn, when they are
no longer white, but black.
Again, take the same dice between
finger and thumb, but placed as shown
in Fig. 210. The innermost of the two should now
have one of its black sides, as shown, at top, one to
the front and the other in contact with the second
die. The white faces of the latter should be on the
top, next the finger and next the other die.
The performer shows, as before, the upper faces, in-
viting the spectators to note that the white face is
nearest the tips of the fingers. He then (making the
turn) shows that in the case of the lower faces the
white face is likewise outermost. When he again
shows the lower surfaces, without the turn, they are
found to have changed places, although the upper sur-
faces remain as before.

In another form of the trick, dice are used each of

which has five sides white and one black. When
 Later Magic 5i7

taken between the finger and thumb the black sides

are undermost, but after having shown the upper
surfaces, the performer, in the act of raising the hand
to show the under sides, makes the dice describe the
usual half -turn, so that the sides actually shown are
white. In again lowering the hand he brings the dice
back to their original position. Drawing the finger
across the under surfaces, he raises the hand without
making the turning movement. The dice are thus
shown in their original position, the lower faces being
now black. When he desires the black to disappear
he lowers them once more, and on again raising them
does so with the turning movement as at first.
To produce the maximum effect in this case, the
performer should provide himself with two pairs of
cubes, one pair being white all over. These are handed
for examination, and when returned are taken back with
the left hand, and apparently transferred to the right,
in which the trick dice are already hidden. These are
then placed in position and the trick worked as above.
As the whole attention of the spectators is given to
the right hand, there is nothing to prevent the plain
dice remaining in the left hand (held by a slight
contraction of the hand against the roots of the second
and third fingers) and being again substituted for
the others at the conclusion of the trick.

Other changes may easily be devised by any one who

cares to study the subject, and among what may be
called ''pocket" tricks I know none that are more
effective. Of course, save where the " change" last re-
ferred to is employed, there is no concealment of the
fact that the dice are of two colours. I am indebted
 Later Magic
5 i 8
to Messrs. Hamley for the knowledge of an ingenious
expedient whereby an examined die may be made
apparently to change completely from black to white,
though it is in reality only of the first-named colour.
The die in this case is used not in pairs, but singly.
It is a neat little affair of ebony, or other black wood,
three quarters of an inch square, with sunken white
spots. After being submitted, in a casual, off-hand

Fig. 211.

way, for examination, it is held between the fore-

finger and thumb of the left hand by two diagonally
opposite corners, as shown in Fig. 211. three of its
sides being thus simultaneously exposed. The per-
former has but to pass the finger of the opposite hand
over it, in an upward direction, when it is seen to have
changed not only points, but colour, being now white,
with black spots. Another touch of the right hand,
and it becomes black as before. It is immediately
handed for examination, but nothing is found to ex-
plain the mystery.
 Later Magic 5i9

The secret lies in the fact that the solid die, a, is used
in conjunction with a tin shell, 6, which exactly fits
over it, covering three of its sides. This is enamelled
white, with black spots. After the die has been ex-
amined, this is privately passed over it, and the die is
arranged in the hand, as shown in the diagram, in
such a way that only the three uncovered sides are
visible.
When the die is for a moment covered by the oppos-
ite hand, it is made to perform a semi-revolution,
bringing the three white faces to the front.
When the trick is over, the die is taken in the right
hand, and allowed to drop out of the shell, the latter
being then palmed, and the die offered for examin-
ation.
CHAMELEON WATER.

The apparatus for this trick consists of a clear glass

jug of about a pint capacity,1 filled with distilled
water (this is procurable of any druggist), and seven
wineglasses alike in shape. The performer pours
water from the jug into the various glasses, and back
again, when it changes (apparently) from water to
ink, ink to water, water to wine, and wine to water,
in a most bewildering manner. This trick has been
deservedly called ''The King of Chemical Tricks."
The requirements are as follows:
In the first place, the water must have dissolved in
it a small quantity (say as much as will lie on a dime
or sixpence) of tannin. This does not affect its

1 A decanter is sometimes used, but the jug is somehow less sug-

gestive of chemical preparation, and the liquids are more easily
returned to it from the glasses.
 Later Magic
520
colour or clearness. The glasses must be arranged in
a determinate order (preferably not a single row) on a
tray, so that the performer can be sure of using them
in proper succession. Of these, Nos. i and 3 are un-
prepared. The remainder are prepared as under :
Nos. 2 and 4 each contain two drops of perchloride
of iron ('1 steel drops " ).
No. 5 contains ten drops of a saturated solution of
oxalic acid.
No. 6 contains ten drops of liquid ammonia.
No. 7 contains sixty drops (a small teaspoonful) of
sulphuric acid.
With these before him, the performer is ready to
show the trick. Holding up the glass jug, he remarks
that no doubt all present will take this to be ordinary
water, but such is not quite the case. It is water in
which a chameleon has committed suicide, and which
has thereby acquired the chameleon property of
changing its colour.
Filling the first glass, he holds it up to the light and
asks if any of the audience would like to taste it, as-
suring them that the flavour of dead chameleon is
really not very objectionable. No one is likely to
accept the offer, though if some rash schoolboy did so
(and " Stalky & Co." do sometimes rush in where wiser
persons fear to tread), he would be none the worse for
a sip at this stage, and the flavour of the tannin in so
small a quantity is only just perceptible. If he did
notice anything peculiar, it would naturally be put
down to the chameleon.
Before filling the second glass the performer waves
his wand over it, and, when filled, the contents, in-
stead of water, appear to be ink. "It 's all done by
 Later Magic

the power of the magic wand, ladies and gentlemen.

This time I will abstain from vising the wand ' ' (he fills
glass No. 3), "and the water remains clear as at first.
1
Again I wave the wand" (he fills No. 4), "and the 52
water is as black as if a nigger had washed in it. Per-
haps it may look better if we put it back in the jug."
He returns the contents of all four glasses to the jug,
all of the water in which then appears to be ink.
"That does not seem to be much improvement," he
remarks, refilling the four glasses as before. "What
am I thinking of?" he exclaims, as he reaches the last.
"I quite forgot to use the wand." He waves the
wand over the fifth glass, and fills it from the jug.
The black fluid has again undergone a change. The
contents of the glass appear to be clear water.
He now waves the wand over the jug and pours the
contents of all five glasses into it, beginning with No. 5.
The moment this is poured into the jug, the contents
of the latter become clear again, and the same thing
happens with the contents of each of the other glasses,
as they are poured into the jug.
The performer, remarking, "That is better. Black
is an ugly colour. I am glad we have got back to clear
water," refills glasses 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, but at this point,
as if bethinking himself, says, " But perhaps you would
like to see another change. Observe, this time I wave
the wand in the opposite direction." He waves the
wand over glass 6, and fills it. The supposed clear
water immediately turns to a claret colour.
Again waving his wand over the jug, he pours all
back, beginning with No. 6, and the whole contents
become claret colour. Once more he fills the glasses
(1 to 6) ; the contents of all are still claret colour.
 Later Magic
522
Another wave of the wand, and as he fills glass No. 7
the colour disappears.
He pours back all into the jug, beginning with No.
7, and all is in appearance clear water, as at first.

The reader should be cautioned that some of the

above chemicals are distinctly unwholesome. The
amalgamated liquids should therefore be placed out
of harm's way as soon as possible.
A further caution. The chemicals employed should
be of the best quality, as any impurity, either in these
or in the water used, would be prejudicial to the com-
plete success of the experiment; hence the recom-
mendation to use distilled water.
The quantities above given should be carefully
checked by experiment, as, according to the strength
and purity of the drugs, a trifle more or less may in
some instances be necessary to produce a perfect
result.

A very similar and equally pretty trick, though the

effect is produced by wholly different means, is that of

RAINBOW WATER.

A tray with a decanter full of water and half a

dozen wineglasses is placed upon the table. The per-
former gives .some fanciful account of the origin of the
water, which he alleges to have the curious property of
assuming different colours at command. This he pro-
ceeds to illustrate, as follows :
Taking up one of the glasses, he fills it from the de-
canter. The water remains unchanged. He takes up
 Later Magic 523

the second glass and touches its lip with the wand.
"This time," he says, "the water shall become crim-
son," and the water poured out is crimson accordingly.
He fills a third glass, touching it with the wand as
before, and the water is deep blue. Filling a fourth
in the same way, the colour is violet.
By this time the spectators naturally begin to suspect
that the water is not quite plain water, and that the
glasses are somehow chemically prepared. To prove
that such is not the case, the performer takes the glass
first filled, invites some one to taste the water in it, and
pours the remainder back into the decanter. He then
hands the glass just emptied and the two remaining
glasses to the company, who satisfy themselves that
there is no preparation about them. They are then
invited to choose any one of the glasses, which he forth-
with fills from the decanter. "Observe," he says,
"the water remains — as it was at first — pure water.
It is the influence of the wand which makes the differ-
ence." He pours the water back again. "What
colour shall we have now — orange, scarlet, or green?"
He touches the same glass with the wand, and again
fills it, when the water is seen to be of the colour
chosen. The other two colours are produced in like
manner.
The secret lies in an ingenious preparation, partly of
the glasses, partly of the decanter. To begin with, the
performer procures aniline dye in powder, of six differ-
ent colours, say, crimson, blue, violet, orange, scarlet,
and emerald green. (These are sold in penny tubes,
one such tube of each being sufficient for a dozen per-
formances.) Mixing glycerine and water in equal
proportions, he moistens each powder separately with
524 Later Magic

the mixture, and rubs it down to the consistency of

cream.1
The glasses we will distinguish by the numbers 1,2,
3, 4, 5, 6, answering to their positions on the tray.
Nos. 2, 3, and 4 are prepared by inserting at the
bottom a little dab of each of the first three colours.
Nos. 1, 5, and 6 are left unprepared. The lip of the
decanter is prepared with the three remaining colours, a
dab at each of the points marked a, b, and c, in Fig.
212. The fourth point, d, is left vacant,

Fig. 212.
g.
The working of the trick will now be readily under-
stood. In filling glasses 1, 2, 3, and 4 the performer
holds the decanter in such a manner that the water
shall pass out over d. The result is that the liquid in
glass No. 1 remains clear water, while that poured into
2,3, and 4 takes in each case the colour of the dye in the
glass. When in the later stage of the trick the per-
former desires to produce clear water, he again pours it
out over the point d, and for the remaining colours over
a, b, or c, as the case may be.
The actual performance of the trick is easy enough,
but some care must be taken with the previous pre-

1 For lack of glycerine, white sugar, dissolved in water so as to

form a syrup, may, be used.
 Later Magic 525

paration in order to be certain of producing a perfect

result. The pigments must neither be too wet nor too
dry, and the exact degree of moisture, as also the
exact quantity to give the desired shade of colour, can
only be ascertained by actual experiment.
The performer should provide himself with a small
funnel, preferably of glass, for pouring back the water
into the decanter. Without this there would be some
risk of washing the pigment off the Hp into the de-
canter, and so spoiling the trick.
The addition of a little rectified spirit (in the propor-
tion of about 1 in 8) to the water, is recommended as
making the colours dissolve more rapidly. If no rec-
tified spirit be at hand, whiskey makes a very fair
substitute.
THE MAGIC ORGAN PIPES.

This capital trick, known on the Continent by the

more romantic title of " Le Sottper du Diable" is said
to be the invention of a wizard (amateur, I believe)
named Antonio Molini. Whether he is as Italian as
his name would seem to imply, I cannot say, it being a
sort of unwritten law that if a conjurer adopts a stage
name, he shall assume some nationality other than his
own. In any case, the inventor may claim to have
originated what is a rarity in conjuring, namely, a
trick which is a genuine novelty, not only in effect, but
in principle.
The essential apparatus consists of six metal tubes,
zinc, tin, or sheet brass, alike in length, but graduated
in point of diameter so that the smallest passes easily
through the next larger, and so on throughout. The
metal may be either simply polished, or enamelled to
526 Later Magic

taste. For stage purposes, the tubes should be twelve

to sixteen inches in height, and range downwards
from about six inches in diameter.
Each tube should bear, conspicuously painted on it,
a number, the largest being No. i, the next No. 2, and
so on.1 In the orthodox form of the trick these are

Fig. 213.

arranged, as shown in Fig. 213, on a slab of plate

glass, supported on low trestles. If, however, the
performer finds this arrangement too costly, he may
1 In the trick as originally produced, the smallest cylinder was
made No. 1, and the tubes were successively exhibited 5rom the
smaller up to the larger, but the method described in the text is
the easier to work.
The set of cylinders is sometimes used without numbers, but
each japanned a different colour. This is in some respects an im-
provement, but in describing the trick, the use of the numbers
makes the explanation clearer.
 Later Magic 527
substitute for the glass slab a plain wooden plank, and
for the trestles a couple of chairs. In either case, a
plain wooden table, with seats for two persons, should
stand close by.
Briefly stated, the effect of the trick is as follows:
The performer, having shown clearly that tube No. 1
is empty, proceeds to pass No. 2 through it, and then
shows this also empty. No. 3 is then passed through
No. 2, and No. 3 shown empty, and so on throughout.
This done, the performer asks a couple of the specta-
tors to step up on the stage, and join him at supper.
They take their seats at the table, and he produces
from the empty tubes, first, a table-cloth, glasses, and
plates, — then a bottle of wine, a loaf (of the long
" Vienna" shape), a sausage, eggs, a roast duck, and
other eatables, in fact, — all the materials for a complete
meal, even to a vase of flowers wherewith to decorate
the table. The tubes are then "nested," one within
the other. The performer passes his arm through the
innermost, makes his bow, and so carries them off the
stage.
The secret lies mainly in a very ingenious method
of loading the tubes, and of transferring the contents
from one to another. The largest, No. 1, is at the
outset empty. The rest are all fully loaded, the con-
tents being suspended from the upper edge of each
tube by means of a hook, formed of a narrow strip of
tin, bent into the shape shown at a in Fig. 213. It
will be observed that the hook is bent at top at an
acute angle, while the lower bend is rounded. The
load is in each case suspended from the lower arm of
this hook by means of a loop of black thread, in such
manner that it shall hang midway, or a little lower, in
528 Later Magic

the tube. There should at the top be a clear space of

two inches. At the bottom, an inch, or less, may
suffice.
One of the most important loads is the bottle of wine,
which is a specially prepared article. It is a black
bottle, of the shape used for Burgundy. The bottom
is cut out, and a false bottom of tin cemented in be-
low the neck, just so far down as to leave room for a
couple of glassfuls of wine above it. Near the lower
edge of the bottle is drilled a small hole, through
which is passed the thread to form the loop, and by
means of such loop the bottle is suspended, upside
down, in tube No. 2. In the vacant space within the
bottle are packed, also upside down, two small tum-
blers, one within the other, and, within these, other
small articles, say, a mustard-pot and salt-cellar.
In tube No. 3 is suspended a table-cloth, rolled
round a couple of table napkins and a like number of
knives and forks, and held together by a couple of
rubber bands, one at each end. In No. 4 may be a
sausage, a Vienna loaf, and a net containing a couple
of hard-boiled eggs. In No. 5, a roast duck or chicken,
which may be the genuine article, though it is more
frequently a papier-mache imitation. In No. 6 is
suspended, upside down, a vase of flowers, which may
be so arranged as to expand freely when another
rubber band, encircling them, is removed.
On his own person the performer conceals, under the
vest on each side, a couple of small plates. These
should be of enamelled metal, as occupying less space.

To exhibit the trick at its best it should be led up to

by some more or less plausible story, accounting for
 Later Magic 529

the performer's use of such comparatively out-of-the-

way objects as (alleged) organ pipes. Much of the
effect of the illusion will depend upon the skill with
which this is done. I quote, a page or two farther on,
a "traveller's tale," arranged to serve as introduction
to the trick. When he reaches the appropriate stage of
his discourse (which should be a little before he begins
to call direct attention to the alleged emptiness of the
tubes), the performer should take tube No. 1 in his
hand, and without apparent intention so move it
about as to let every one see that it is a plain, empty
cylinder. Replacing this, and lifting up No. 2, he
lowers it vertically into No. 1, and, when it is fairly
down, lifts the latter off again at the top. The effect
of this is that No. 1 lifts the hook off No. 2 on to its
own upper edge, carrying away within itself the parcel
which was suspended in No. 2, and so enabling the
latter to be in turn shown empty.
The same course of procedure is adopted with the
remaining tubes, No. 3 being lowered into No. 2, No.
2 lifted off, No. 3 shown empty, and so on throughout;
the final condition of the tubes being that No. 6 is left
empty, and all the rest loaded, each with the original
load of the next lower number. Some amount of
practice will be needed to work this portion of the
trick with ease and rapidity. The more quickly
(without manifest hurry) the operation is performed,
the less time have the audience to reflect that, if the
tubes were really empty, the obvious course would be
to show them so at once, without the preliminary
passing of one through another.
Having completed this introductory process, the
performer proceeds to lay his table, naturally beginning
 Later Magic
530
with the production of the table-cloth. Having drawn
this out of the appropriate tube (privately removing
the rubber bands), he notices, with apparent sur-
prise, that there is something wrapped up in the bundle,
whence he in due course produces the table napkins,
knives, and forks. He lays these down temporarily on
the slab which supports the tubes, remarking, "There
is something else here, I fancy." So saying, he shakes
out the table-cloth, and produces from under it, after
the manner of the "fish-bowl" trick, first the one, and
then the other pair of plates.1 The other require-
ments for the meal are in due course produced from
the remaining tubes, and the professor proceeds to wait
upon his two guests, whose probable embarrassment
at being invited to eat under circumstances of such
publicity is likely to cause some fun to the rest of the
spectators.
The hooks and rubber rings are quietly pocketed,
and the performer brings the trick to a conclusion by
packing the six tubes one within the other, as already
mentioned, — the best possible proof that there is "no
deception ' ' about them.
It will readily be understood that the performer is
not limited to the production of the materials for a
1 Sometimes a different plan is adopted. The performer comes
forward, in the first instance, with a large table napkin thrown over
one arm. Before commencing his patter he throws this on one
side. When he has reached the stage at which plates are wanted,
he picks it up again, and produces them from under it.
It seems to me that the producing the plates from the table-cloth
is the more artistic method, as the plates in such case appear to
come, though indirectly, from the tube. The fact that they are
larger in diameter than the tubes makes the production all the
more magical.
 Later Magic

supper. By modifying the patter accordingly, the

tubes may be made equally available for the produc-
tion of other objects, particularly such as are of a com- 3i
5
pressible kind. Indeed, some of the makers of magical
apparatus have developed the trick in a new direction,
by manufacturing articles specially for use with the
tubes ; as, for example, a bird-cage with a rising bot-
tom, leaving just space above it for a living bird, with
a vacancy below for the accommodation of multiplying
balls, expanding bouquets, and the like. Lanterns,
with coloured glass sides, to be produced lighted, are
made after a similar fashion. These may, at the out-
set, be themselves loaded with alligators, snakes, fish,
or carrots, all of which are now made on the col-
lapsible principle.

A recent number of the French magical serial,

Ulllusioniste, contains the description of a new method
of working the trick. In one sense it is distinctly in-
ferior, inasmuch as only two of the six tubes are loaded,
and the quantity of the production is proportionately
limited. On the other hand, all the tubes are alike in
size, and the passing of one tube through another
(the necessity for which is the weak point of the
original trick) is avoided. The method by which this
is achieved is so novel, and at the same time so in-
genious, that I cannot refrain from quoting it.
The six tubes are numbered in Roman characters,
cut out of glazed paper, and pasted on. The two
loaded tubes bear in front of them the letters I., II, ,
but only lightly stuck on (this may be done with soap
or wax). No I. also bears on its opposite side the
letters III., and No. II. on its opposite side the letters
 Later Magic
532
VL, these last being stuck on securely. The third
tube bears the letters III., but the first I. is removable,
and in Eke manner the V. of No. VI. Nos. IV. and V.
are permanently marked with the appropriate letters,
and have no specialty.
The arrangement of the tubes at the outset is as
shown in Fig. 214. For the sake of distinction, the
permanent letters are shown black, the others being
those which are removable.

ffl YJ

The tubes on the extreme left (the original Nos. L,

II.) are alone loaded, each containing, supported on
separate hooks, three independent packages. The
thread loops by which they are suspended may be of
different lengths, as may be needed for the better
accommodation of the packets. The writer of the
article (M. Adolphe Blind, of Geneva) assures us that
in two tubes eleven inches in height and five in diameter
room can be found for a small table-cloth, two knives,
two forks, two spoons, a Vienna loaf, two bottles
(shells only, of enamelled zinc) fitting one within the
other, two gelatine tumblers, a sausage, a couple of
eggs, and a small lobster.
 Later Magic 533

The performer begins by bringing forward for ex-

amination tubes V. and VI. In returning, he peels off
the V. from the VI. (transforming it into No. I.), and
places it immediately behind No. II., No. V. being
placed in front of the latter. The arrangement of the
tubes is now as shown in Fig. 215.
He next offers tubes III. and IV. for examination,
and on the return journey peels off the loose I. from
No. III., transforming it into No. II. He places this
behind, and No. IV. in front of, No. I., and under

Fig. 215.

pretence of squaring them up, gives a half -turn to the

original Nos. I. and II., transforming them, so far as
the spectators are concerned, into Nos. III. and VI.
The six tubes are now arranged as in Fig. 216. Then,
remarking, ' ' Let me see ; I have now shown you all but
Nos. I. and II.," or something to the same effect, he
brings forward for inspection the two in the rear row
which now represent those numbers. If this process
is carried through with sufficient aplomb the spectators
will be fully persuaded that they have examined all
the tubes.
534 Later Magic

The cylinders are now arranged in a row in accord-

ance with their new numbering, the original No. VI.
being now No. L, and the original III., Xo. II. The
original Xo. I. has become No. III., and the original
No. II., No. VI. (These last, it will be remembered,
are the two loaded tubes.) Xos. IV. and V. retain
their original numbers and their former position.
The performer, standing behind the table, begins the
production by extracting the rolled-up table-cloth

Fig. 216.

from tube III. He spreads this out, and disptays, em-

blazoned on it, in bold letters, The Devil's Supper.
He holds it by two of its corners, outspread in front of
the tubes, and under cover of this, while engaging the
general attention with a little patter as to why the
devil should require any supper, or should take this
peculiar method of providing it, he transfers four
packets (two from each of the loaded tubes) to the
vacant tubes, one to each.1
1 The inventor does not explain how this is to be done; but by
holding the corners of the cloth between the second and third
fingers of each hand, the thumb and forefinger would be left free
 535
Later Magic

This done, the cloth is laid on a table, and the pro-

duction proceeds in regular course.
The expedient already described for the production
of the plates may, of course, equally be made available
in this form of the trick.

For the following patter (already referred to) , which

seems to me rather ingeniously conceived, T am in-
debted to the German magical serial, Die Zauberwelt.
Its only fault is that, to English ideas, it is a trifle
lengthy.
" Ladies and gentlemen, with your permission I
propose to exhibit a little experiment, which will serve
on the one hand to show you what great advances have
of late years been made in the art of magic, and, on the
other, to prove what good service may now and then
be rendered to humanity by the most unlikely objects.
''For instance, these receptacles before you. At
first sight I dare say you may have taken them for
pickle-jars, or something of that kind, but as a matter
of fact they serve a very much higher use. I will re-
late to you in a few words their history, and I will at
the same time tell you a little secret connected with
them.
"On my return voyage from India, which I had been
visiting in order to study the wonders of the Indian
fakirs, our crew sighted a ship aground near the Cape
of Good Hope. Our captain hove to, to see if he
could render any assistance. The passengers and
crew had already left the wrecked ship and clambered
to operate behind it, or, with a little modification of the hooks, the
thumbs alone might suffice to lift the packages from one tube to
another.
 Later Magic
536
on to some rocks, where we found them, half dead of
hunger.
"We gave the poor wretches food, but I observed
that one man took neither food nor drink. On ques-
tioning him, I found that he was broken-hearted on
account of the loss that had befallen him. He told me
that he was an organ-builder, under contract to deliver
and personally erect a church organ in a transatlantic
city, and that now he had lost his all.
' 1 In the course of his story, he pointed to a heap of
something covered with matting. On going closer I
found it to consist of a number of metal organ pipes of
various sizes. These pipes were all the old man had left,
and now his only thought was to get them back to his
home. It appeared to me that there need not be much
difficulty as to this. When the victims of the ship-
wreck had been fed, and were making ready to go on
board our ship, I asked each of them to carry on board
one or two of the pipes, so as to save at any rate some
part of his instrument for the unfortunate organ-
builder. I myself took a double armful, and carried
them to the boat, and the others followed my ex-
ample.
4 'Our vessel started anew on its voyage, and at
night, when the persons we had saved were asleep in
their berths, I went on deck to see that the organ
pipes were placed under cover. While I was thus
employed, it struck me that, in order to impress all on
board with the value of these pipes, I would make use
of a few of them to exhibit a little trick which I had
learned from an Indian fakir. Some of the passengers
had openly expressed a fear that, our numbers being so
largely increased by the presence of the shipwrecked
 Later Magic 537

persons, the provisions in store would scarcely suffice

for the voyage, and that we should all have to go short
of our proper allowance. To set this apprehension at
rest, I determined to show the passengers, when fair
weather should again allow them to assemble on deck,
how something can be made out of nothing, and
thereby dissipate any fears they might entertain of
going short of food.
"The next morning, in company with the organ-
builder, I took in hand the stowage of the pipes. Some
of them had been so knocked about in course of salvage
that they were valueless to the owner. I asked him,
however, not to throw them overboard, but to give
them to me as a keepsake, which he readily agreed to
do. With the help of a metal-saw which happened to
be on board, I cut down the best parts of these very
bruised pipes, which were of various sizes, to pretty
nearly the same length, and prepared them for my
experiment.
'"Shortly afterwards, one fine afternoon, I invited
all hands to assemble on deck. When they were seated
before me, as you are at this moment, and after I had
expatiated, in eloquent terms, on the great value of
organ pipes and the unlimited power of magic, I pro-
ceeded to prove my assertions. I placed the organ
pipes in a row, exactly as they stand before you to-day,
and with your permission I will repeat the phenomenon,
just as I exhibited it to the passengers on board that
ship.
" Your silent attention shows the interest you take in
the experiment. Just such a silence prevailed that day
on board, and even now I can see in my mind's eye that
old organ-builder; how he gazed, open-mouthed and
 Later Magic
53 8
lost in wonder, at the marvels which took place before
his eyes.
" In the first place, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to
show you these pipes, one by one, in order to satisfy you
that nothing can be concealed in them, and further that
there is not the slightest preparation about them. I
have purposely placed them upon a sheet of glass, so
that you may be assured that nothing is introduced
into them from below. That I put nothing into them
from above you will be able to see for yourselves."
[During the foregoing harangue the performer has
passed each tube through the next larger and shown
the latter empty.]
4 'And nevertheless, I am able to produce from these
tubes, which you have one and all seen to be empty, an
unlimited number of any conceivable articles, of which
in point of fact there are thousands in these tubes,
though you are not able to see them.
"The quantity of provisions in these tubes is such
that it would feed a whole army for years to come.
But we needn't trouble about the future ; just now we
are only concerned with the present. May I ask one
or two of you to step this way, and sample the contents
of my magic tubes."
THE JAR OF WATER AND HAT.
Tricks, up to the stage standard, which can be safely
exhibited in the very midst of a circle of inquisitive
spectators, are very rare. Of this class the following
is a capital example. The credit of this very artistic
combination belongs to Mr. David Devant, though, like
most of his best things, it has been imitated without
acknowledgment in a good many quarters. I am
 Later Magic 539

pleased to be in a position to give the absolutely

correct version.
The requirements for the trick are :
1. A tall hat. This may either be borrowed, or be
the performer's own property (the patter being ar-
ranged accordingly.)
2. A good-sized silk handkerchief .
3. An ordinary plate.
4. A glass jar, of pint size, but special pattern, being
absolutely cylindrical and perfectly plain, as a in
Fig. 217.
5. A glass cylinder, open at each end, and fitting
easily over the jar, as b in the same figure.
N. B. — The height of the jar should be five inches,
and its outside diameter, for a performer with hands of
average size, three and one eighth inches. The cylin-
der should be of the same height, and its outside
diameter three and three eighths inches.
6. A jug or decanter of water.
7. Two fiat bags, of stiffish whitey-brown paper, such
as grocers pack tea or sugar in. These should be about
seven inches in height, and in width large enough to
go easily over the glass cylinder. One of these bags is
at starting laid flat under the plate, and the other on
the top of the glass.
At the outset of the trick the glass, within the cylin-
der, is placed upon the plate. The performer must by
practice acquire facility in picking up both together;
either by nipping them simultaneously by their upper
edges, or by tilting them slightly, grasping the cylinder
round the lower edge and supporting the glass within it
by inserting the little finger beneath them.
Mr. Devant's introductory patter runs to something
 Later Magic
5 4 0
like the following effect. It is assumed that the per-
former isusing his own hat.
" In my next experiment I use that most respectable
article, a top hat. Would you mind seeing that it is
empty, sir. Nothing in it, is there? No, there never
has been much — I always wear it myself.
"The apparatus I am going to use is very simple.
For instance, this handkerchief; funny shape, is n't it?
— got the border all round the edge. I am going to
have one made with the border in the middle, but I
have n't got it yet. I also use an ordinary grocer's bag,

Fig. 217.

the regular sand-bag — sugar-bag, I mean ; and a glass

jar and a plate. You can see through this jar. It
isn't one of those nasty family jars that you can't see
through — in fact nobody wants to see at all.
" Now I fill this jar with water " (he fills it to within
half an inch of the brim), " ordinary wet water; you
know tricks with water are very difficult. I only knew
one man who did a really good trick with water, and
he had a lot of practice. He did it every day. He was
a milkman.
"First I cover the jar with this paper bag; then I
take it and put it in this empty hat." [He lifts it by
nipping the upper edge of glass and cylinder together
 Later Magic

through the paper.] "You know there are only two

kinds of men that will lend a hat to a conjurer ; one is
the man who never lent a hat to a conjurer before, and
the other is the man who is going to buy a new one any- 54i
how, so he doesn't mind what happens to it. Now I
am going to make that water rise up and overflow the
hat. Perhaps I may produce a few ducks and geese as
well. Of course, that sort of thing does spoil the hat a
bit. But I had forgotten ; this is my own hat. That 's
different; I think I will do the trick another way. I
will get some one to hold the glass instead. Perhaps a
lady will oblige me by holding it for a second or two.
Madam, will you hold the plate with both hands. It 's
rather heavy. Good gracious, it 's gone! "
When the performer announces his pretended de-
termination todo the trick " another way," he lifts out
the paper bag, containing ostensibly the glass jar as be-
fore, and replaces it on the plate. As a matter of fact,
however, he now nips the paper bag alone, and it is this
only which is placed upon the plate, though it retains
enough of the circular form to suggest that the jar is
still in it, and, strange to say, the audience distinctly
hear a " click" as the bag comes in contact with the
plate. The secret of this very artistic touch is as fol-
lows :During the previous patter the performer has got
from his vest-pocket and finger-palmed between the
first and second fingers, a penny. When the plate is
taken in the left hand, the projecting edge of the coin
is pressed hard against its underside. At the moment
when the bag is placed on the plate,the intervening fore-
finger issmartly withdrawn, and the penny strikes the
bottom of the plate, with the result above mentioned.
At the moment when the lady is about to take the
 Later Magic
542
plate, the performer gives a sudden jerk, and sends the
empty bag flying over her head among the spectators.
He continues:

" I am really very sorry, madam. I did n't mean it

to do that. But I know what has happened. The
glass has gone back to the hat. It does that to annoy
me and give me exercise. Yes, here it is."
He lifts out the glass and cylinder together by their
upper edges, and replaces them on the plate. Then,
taking the second bag from underneath the plate, he
opens it out, and continues :
"In case every one did n't quite follow that move-
ment, I'11 do it again. In fact I '11 repeat it. When I
do a thing twice I always repeat it. I find it 's the best
way. You will remember that I filled the jar with
water, and then covered it with this paper bag, just as I
do now " (he suits the action to the words) ; " then I took
it and put it in this empty hat, just as I am doing now ;
then suddenly remembering that it was my own hat I
took it out again and put it upon the plate, just as I do
now." [Here he takes out the paper bag as before, but
with the cylinder inside it, and as he puts it down raps
with it lightly on the edge of the plate, which is held
balanced on the finger-tips, to prove that the glass is
actually there.] " Now a glass of water is a most dim-
cult thing to drink — to manipulate, I mean."
Lifting the bag and cylinder together he, with the left
hand, lays the plate over the mouth of the hat. This
hand is then placed under the glass, which is still held
in the right. He then, in a casual way, raises the paper
bag an inch or so, letting the spectators see that the
cylinder, — or, as they imagine, the glass jar — is still
there, resting on his hand. With the right hand he
 Later Magic 543

picks up the handkerchief, which he had, after exhibit-

ing it, laid over the bend of the left arm.
" In case everyone does not see it plainly, I will cover
it with this handkerchief; you will see it better that
way. It makes it look larger, and gives it colour. Now
I want a boy to help me. Just an ordinary boy. I
don't want a boy over fifty. I want a boy to hold this
glass as a lady did a moment ago." [We will suppose
that a volunteer presents himself.] "Thank you!
Now, before we go any further, will you put your
hand underneath the handkerchief, and tell the audi-
ence whether the glass of water is still really there."
[The boy is allowed to put up his hand, and to feel the
side of the cylinder.] * " It is there? Good. Now may I
ask if you have a steady hand ? You don't know ? But
you ought to know, you know ; you look very young,
young enough to know everything. Do you mind going
to the front? I know you won't if you 're a British boy.
Well, come to the back of the front. Now, take hold
of the top of the handkerchief with one finger and
thumb — you will find a ringer and thumb on one of
your hands ;— now put your other hand underneath and
take hold of the glass again. Now hold tight! Look!
Go!" [The handkerchief is shaken out, and the paper
bag falls, empty.] " Where is it? It can't be sewn up
in the corners of the handkerchief, can it ? Now can you
guess where it has gone? You don't think I have con-
cealed itabout me, do you? because you can examine
my clothing, if you wish. All my pockets are quite
empty — as usual. No, it is n't here, nor here. I be-
lieve he thinks I 'm guilty — of drinking it, or something
equally dreadful. No, sir ! It has gone back to the hat,
as before, Come and see — is it there? Yes, of course.
544 Later Magic

Well, that 's exactly how it 's done, see? I 'd better
take it out ; I might get water on the brain, might n't I ? "
During all this patter, as may be supposed, the per-
former has not been idle. As soon as the left hand is cov-
ered by the handkerchief, he unfastens the cuff on that
side; and during the " talkee-talkee " as to a steady
hand, he gradually lowers the glass cylinder down over
the hand, and on to the bare arm. When he tells the
boy to stand "at the back of the front," he motions
him back with this same arm, leaving the paper bag,
covered by the handkerchief, in the right. The re-
mainder of the trick explains itself.

Mr. Devant now and then introduces an ingenious

little piece of business, which may be worked in either
at the first, or second stage of the trick, and consider-
ably enhances its effect ; namely, the spilling of a little
water from the supposed glass after it has been removed
from the hat. To produce this effect, the performer' in
taking the paper bag (or the bag and cylinder together
as the case may be) out of the hat, presses the thumb
down so as to break the paper slightly, and at the same
time to depress a small portion of it below the level of
the water. If he has managed matters satisfactorily,
there will be a little pool of water resting in a hollow
on the bottom of the inverted bag, and this is judici-
ously spilt at an opportune moment, convincing the
most sceptical that the jar of water is, up to that time,
still inside the bag.

THE BAG OF MYSTERY.

This very effective trick is another of the specialities

of Mr. David Devant. It is one in which a clumsy per-
 Later Magic 545

former would "give himself away" half a dozen times:

over, but worked in the finished style of Mr. Devant,
and with the quaint, crisp patter with which he presents
it (and the essential part of which I propose here to re-
produce) itnever fails to score handsomely.
The requirements for its exhibition are as under :
i. The "bag," from which the trick derives 'its name.

Fig. 218.

In point of appearance nothing could be less "mysteri-

ous" ;for it is merely a plain ordinary bag of whitey-
brown paper fifteen inches square ; the sort of thing a
milliner would use to send home a lady's sailor hat in.
2. An expanding bird-cage, of a kind not unfamiliar
to conjurers; one of similar construction being fre-
quently used in connection with hat tricks. The cage,
when expanded to its full extent, is as depicted in Fig.
218, standing nearly twelve inches high. In plan it is
 Later Magic
54^
oval, measuring six arid one half by five and one half
inches, exclusive of the seed- and water-containers.
These revolve on their own axes. By giving them a
half -turn, and thereby bringing them inside the cage,
the performer is enabled to lower the upper half, tele-
scope-fashion, into the lower. The four feet, which
are mere flat pieces of tin, fold down on spring hinges
against the bottom, but fly up again to an erect position
the moment they are permitted to do so. The ring at
the top, which is merely attached to the cage by a wire
on each side, normally lies flat on the top, and in this
condition the net height of the cage is seven inches
only. If lifted by the ring, however, the upper portion
is drawn out of the lower, the seed- and water-contain-
ers each make a half -turn, under compulsion of a
spiral spring, to the outside (thereby preventing the
upper portion from sinking down again) ; the feet rise
up to a perpendicular position, and the cage assumes its
full dimensions. In the top, immediately under the
lifting ring, is a little oval receptacle ; a sort of patty-
pan, three inches long and three quarters of an inch
deep, with a hinged lid, for a purpose which will pre-
sently appear. Just below this is a circular opening in
the wirework, a trifle over an inch in diameter. This is
designed to accommodate the finger in the act of load-
ing the cage, at the proper moment, into the bag.
3. Two glass tumblers ; a fork (silver or otherwise),
and a plate.
4. A raw egg.
5. A wedding-ring and keeper. These are placed at
the outset on a folded piece of tissue paper (to prevent
rattling) inside the little receptacle at the top of the
cage.
35
 Later Magic 547

6. A "nest" of three envelopes, all closed. In the

innermost of these is a duplicate wedding-ring and
keeper. The outermost is sealed with red sealing-wax,
not in the ordinary way, but along each of its front

Fig. 219.

edges, as in Fig. 219, so as to leave absolutely no

opening.1
Across the back (see Fig. 220) is a paper band a a,
pasted down at each end. Under this is passed a piece
of blue silk garter elastic, b b, sewn at the point c, so as
to form an circular band or loop. One end, however, is

Fig. 220.

continued for four or five inches beyond this point,

terminating in a swivel-hook, d. This at a short dis-
tance looks like ordinary ribbon.
1 The easiest and neatest way of doing this is to melt the sealing-
wax in methylated spirits, to the consistency of thick cream, and
apply it with a brush. It will harden in the course of a few hours.
 Later Magic
548
7. An envelope corresponding with the smallest of
those forming the "nest," and having its flap gummed
down with the exception of a space of about an inch
and a half, into which is inserted one end of a flat tin
tube, large enough to allow the free passage of a lady's
ring. The envelope, thus prepared, and folded in half,
is placed just within the breast of the performer's vest,
on the left side.
The arrangement of the stage is, in effect, as shown
in Fig.«2 2i, the centre table being flanked on the one
side by a chair, (with cloth or solid back) and on the

Fig. 221.

other by a small round table. At the back of the

chair, in the top rail, is fixed a hook.
The cage is prepared for use by placing a canary bird
in it, turning in the seed and water-containers, and
letting the upper portion slide down into the lower.
The cage is then turned upside down, its four feet are
folded flat, and kept in that position by laying the nest
of envelopes upon them. The elastic band (b b in Fig.
220) is drawn over the top of the cage, holding all
securely together, and the swivel, d, is hooked into one
of the upper wires of the cage. The cage is then
turned right side up again, and suspended, by the ring
at top, from the hook behind the chair. The plate,
 Later Magic 549

with the two glasses and fork, is placed on the centre

table or anywhere handy.
The performer, having the egg palmed in his right
hand, and holding the bag in the same hand, begins as
follows :

"Ladies and gentlemen, for my next experiment I

should like a gentleman to assist me by coming upon
the stage to act as a sort of committee of one. I must
ask for a responsible sort of man ; an experienced man,
say a married man. I don't want to make a fool of any
one ; one is enough on this small stage. I simply want
some one to examine one or two articles that I shall use.
"Do you mind standing here, sir, or will you sit
down?" [The person volunteering, whom I shall here-
after refer to as "the assistant," is seated on the chair
behind which is the cage.] " The first thing I want you
to look at is this empty paper bag. Examine it well.
Do you find it totally unprepared? Thanks. Now
will you hold your right hand in front of you, so. I am
going to cover it for a moment or two with this empty
paper bag, and I will try to produce something in your
empty hand. All I will ask you is to hold your hand
under cover of the bag, and wish for anything you want.
Something reasonable, you know; of course you
must n't wish for a baby or a steam yacht. Anyhow,
whatever you find in your hand, don't drop it on the
floor. I am only going to cover this gentleman's hand
so that his left hand shall not know what his right hand
is up to. Now, sir, close your fingers gently over."
[The bag is withdrawn . ] " Look ! Now open your hand.
Well, that is a curious thing to wish for. An egg ! Do
you believe this is a real one ? Small? Yes, it is rather
small ; you should have wished for a bigger one. Per-
 Later Magic
550
haps the hen that laid it was only learning. However,
we will break it, and see whether it is real or not. Will
you hold this a moment " (handing him the plate, with
glass and fork, and then breaking the egg into the
glass) . ' ' Oh, yes ' ' (smelling it) , 4 ' it is real. Extremely
real. Would you mind holding this " (handing glass
and fork, and taking away plate and shells) ; I 'd rather
you held it."
It will now be well to explain the working of the
trick up to this point. When the bag has been ex-
amined, the performer, in taking it back, grasps it by
one corner of the opening with the left hand. He opens
out the bag with the right hand, and under cover of so
doing deposits the palmed egg in one of its bottom
corners. He then grasps the bag, with the left hand,
by that same corner, thereby securing the egg. He
takes up his position on the left side of his volunteer
assistant, and in covering the hand of the latter with
the bag, he brings the corner containing the egg just
over it. The assistant, realizing that something is
offered him, naturally takes it into his hand, which he
is then asked to close. The performer then removes
the bag and asks him to open his hand.1 While all eyes
are thus drawn to the egg, the performer with his right
hand unhooks the cage from behind the chair, and
loads it into the bag, which is then laid on its side on
the table. It is hardly necessary to remark that this is
a somewhat difficult load, but, in Mr. Devant's hands,
the introduction of the cage is quite imperceptible.

1 As the spectators are not aware that the egg was really placed in
the assistant's hand before he was asked to close it, the impression on
their minds is that he wished for an egg, which was accordingly
passed into his closed hand.
 Later Magic

The performer continues as follows: "Now I want

something to put in this bag to keep it upright upon the
table. Any little thing will do. Perhaps, sir, you can
lend me a pair of gloves, or a handkerchief. Thanks, 551
I'll take both. I am only going to use them as a sort
of paper-weight. Meanwhile, will you enjoy yourself
by beating up the egg? I can see that you 're married ;
you do it so nicely. Don't drop it on your trousers, or
you will get into trouble at home."
During the last few sentences the performer turns the
bag up on end, drops the pair of gloves and handker-
chief into it, and under pretence of arranging them,
slips the elastic band off the cage (to which however it
remains attached by means of the swivel), opens the
little dish at top and takes out the two rings on the tip
of the middle finger, which he bends so as to keep them
concealed.
"Now, will any lady lend me a couple of wedding-
rings. I should say one wedding ring and a kipper —
keeper I mean ; or a couple of small dress rings will do,
engagement-rings for instance; they come off easier,
don't they? Thanks, madam. I will get you to
place them on the tip of my finger, so that they never
leave your sight for a single instant. Keep your eye on
them, please. I am going to hand them to this gentleman.
Will you kindly pull these rings off my finger, sir."
During the transit from the lender to his assistant he
folds down the forefinger and extends the middle
finger, as described at page 189. It is, therefore, the
substitutes which the gentleman receives.
" Do you know the best way to clean rings, sir? The
very best way is to drop them into beaten egg. Madam,
would you like your rings cleaned ? Yes, of course, you
 Later Magic

552
would. Then drop them in, sir. You will understand,
madam, that I am responsible for your rings, but this
gentleman will pay for them in case of damage. Stir
away, sir, these are stirring times. I think you have a
little too much egg there ; allow me to take a little of it
away. " [He pours out a portion into the second glass.1]
" Please see that I have n't taken the rings away. No!
they are still there. Now I intend to pour the rings,
which have never left your sight, madam, since I bor-
rowed them, with the egg that covers them, into this
paper bag. You are enjoying it, sir, are n't you? I
always try to pour the egg on the handkerchief because
it washes more easily. Dear, dear, it has all gone on
the gloves, but never mind! Now I screw the top
of the bag together, and pass this stick (the wand)
through the paper, and I will ask you to hold the
stick, sir, by each end."
Taking advantage of the fact that during a portion of
this patter his back is naturally turned to the spectators,
the performer slips the borrowed rings inside his vest
and down the tube into the hidden envelope, from which
he then withdraws the tube. When he has poured the
egg with the dummy rings into the little receptacle at
the top of the cage, and, gathering up the paper round it,
forces the wand through the paper, he takes care that
this shall also pass through the ring at top, so that not
only the bag, but the cage, is suspended from it. He
proceeds :
' ' Now I intend to hatch the egg. Look ! Change !' '
He grasps the bag at bottom, and pulls it away with a
downward jerk; the cage, now expanded to its full
1 This is done to reduce the egg to such a quantity as can be com-
pletely accommodated in the little receptacle at the top of the cage,
 Later Magic 553

height, remaining suspended from the wand, with the

sealed envelope hanging from it. "The hen that laid
that egg was evidently a canary ; but it must have been
a strong, wiry sort of bird, for it has hatched a cage as
well as the egg. I see here, attached to the cage by a
ribbon, is a sealed envelope. Will you please tear it off
the ribbon, sir." This done, the performer places the
cage (carrying it in the left hand) on the centre table,
and while his back is turned for this purpose palms, in
the right hand, the folded envelope from vest. The
bag is left on the small round table. He then says to
the gentleman who has been helping him, ''Will you
please tell us whether you think it possible to get the
contents of that envelope out without tearing it or
breaking the seals ? You are quite sure it is n't ? Very
well, will you open it in the ordinary way and tell us what
you find. A second envelope, also sealed? Will you.
please examine that just as carefully as you did the first. "
To facilitate his doing so the performer, with the left
hand, takes back the outside envelope, and transfers it,
sealed side upwards, to the right hand, in which is con-
cealed, folded in half, the envelope which really con-
tains the borrowed rings. This he secretly opens out
flat again under cover of the larger envelope, what
would be the "address" side next the palm. He then
returns both to the left hand.
" Now, sir, if you open that second envelope, I think
you will find a third." (This is done.) "Please ex-
amine that also. You need n't open it" (he takes it
back, and lays it, address side upwards, on the larger
one in the left hand). "I shall ask the lady who so
kindly lent me the rings to open this one herself, and
see that her rings are actually in this sealed envelope.
554 Later Magic

Meanwhile " (picking up the paper bag and offering it),

" here, sir, are your handkerchief and gloves uninjured
And here, madam, is the envelope containing your
rings. They are your own, are they not? I think,
ladies and gentlemen, you will all admit that this is
really a Bag of Mystery."
The final " change" is one of the prettiest things in
the trick. When the performer offers the gloves and
handkerchief the paper bag for a moment passes
in front of his left hand. During that moment the
hand is turned over, thereby bringing the envelope just
examined underneath, and the one containing the bor-
rowed rings uppermost. The keenest eye cannot per-
ceive the change, nor is the most acute spectator likely
to suspect it.

With the last item I suspend, for the time being,

my pleasant task. When a volume has overpassed its
five hundred and fiftieth page, the author need scarcely
apologize for not making it longer. And yet my work
is but half done. Card, coin, and billiard-ball tricks,
with many others little less important, still remain
to be considered. These, as intimated in the preface,
I propose to deal with in a further volume.
To my friendly readers in many lands, therefore, I
say, not "farewell," but
au revoir!

u 0 '07