The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-11-12
THE TRIBUNE.
Herr Hefnann's Wonderful Feats with
Cards.

vate residence near London. and tn
tricks there played Tor the entertainment
of the guests:
The dinner passed off handsomely tn,
flands were of the best In the season: tn,
VINE was OF the choicest; conversation
was Disk, II not brilliant; and good hu
NOR threw radiance over the whole
party. 1t was IN fact, a merry meeting
sa'id there was just the number seated
round the table to concentrate the tall
ana prevent the party from breaking VI
into Knots. Herr Hermann, who wa:
seated at the head of the table had
-Skertic placed at his right hand. Thi:
Collection, which was supposed to be &C
cidental at the time, was designed by the
conJurer. He had seen and noticed the
lncredullty of his guest, and was deter
mined to make convert of hing, or at all
cents to show off his powers at his ex-
pense
The conversation turnad upon prestidi-
gitatcurs and their various fcats of leger-
d:nain. Herr Hermann-who, having
pissed many years in America, and being
~ stranger to England, spoke English
with much fuency-said, Il am well
aware that all you Swans have an idea
how the best of our tricks are accomplish
ed Il should think So from Skcptic
But | fancy [ could puzzle even you. >
u, indeed again from Skeptic ''Ay,
sir. and even you, turning to Skeptic
BY all means try it. Il shall; and
after dinner will show you Il few tricks,
and will defy any one Of you to have the
remotest notion how they are done
Bravo" from all the company except
nh L., ~ l. Il 1 l.
to wine, and congratulated himself on
being so much cleverer than the conjurer
Presently Herr Hermann rings the
bell, and tells the man-servant, who an
swers. to fetch some cards The man
retired, and came back with two packs
OF cards IN secured cases, and placed them
ON the table. Take one of these packs,
said our host, addressing himself to Skep-
TIC; open the cover, and see if all the
cards are alright ''No preparations"
demanded Skeptic "No, assure you.
What | am about to show you now [
could do with any cards. ''Of course,
calculated Skeptic, sneeringly. and began
TO tear the cover from the pack Skep-
tic looked ut the cards, and we all looked
at the conjurer. When Skeptic pro-
nounced the cards all correct, Herr Her
MAIN took them in his hands, and fling
ing them down on the table with their
faces uppermost, said There are eight
Of you. When [ leave the room
AMI the door is shut on me, let
each person draw card from the pack,
return it and shuttle the cards He
left the room, bidding US recall him when
we were ready. Each man took card
and put it back Then we all had a
shuttle at the pack. excepting Skeptic,
who thought he knew all about the trick,
and the conjurer was brought back in
due time.
He took the cards in his hands. ''There
are eight Of you," he said. Each one
of you have drawn card and replaced
it; and the eight cards, if you have well
si.ufficd them, should be dispersed
through the pack No eye lid see
into this room when the door was shut
Even knowing the cards-were that pos
sible- would leave the seeming npossi-
biiity Of bringing the eish cards together;
You will all acknowledge that. Behold
what art can do He gave the cards
a sort of flourish, and placing the pack
on his left palm, drew from he top eight
cards which we had drawn. He then
turned to Skeptic, and with good
naturel smile inquired whether he had
any idea how that trick was done. Our
'nil-adnlirari' friend laughed, and SAID
nothing; but shortly afterwards he WAS
heard to observe, Curious, ain it p
THIS trick gave rise to a good deal of
talk and some disputation; but there
was no two opinions about it; it was al
lowed by all to be the most complete and
inexplicable feat of legerdemain ever
witnessed.
Trick No 2 was even more astonishing
and incomprehensible You know"
said Herr Hermann. addressing the whole
party, after some discussion had gone on
about the sleight-of hand performances,
II work by wit and not by witchcraft. y
For wit read trick, interposed Skeptic.
But what, continued the onjurer, not
needing the interruption, "supposing L
were to interpret your thoughts-to know
what was passing through your minds p
That, indeed, would be trick above
natural magic, | exclaimed. Skeptic
filled his glass and winked at his neighbor.
as if to say, Il know all about it. wv
shall sec, said Herr Hermann ''Now,
each of you two gentlemen, he went on,
speaking to his two right hand guests,
think of card; | do not ask you to
tolch one; and taking up the pack, he
threw the cards upwards on the table.
The choice was quickly made. NJ. Her
mann recovered the cards, shuff1ed them
and spread them. out as before. The
card, he said, .one of you thought OF
is there the card the other thought OF
is absent The gentlemen searched.
One of the cards selected was not to be
Seen-the other was found. $50 far sc
good exclaimed Herr Hermann; but
the trick is only half done" The con
jurer took the cards again. shutfied them
As before, and exposed them on the
table Now he cried, the illusion i.
reversed. The missing card reappearS
aud the card thought of that was presen
/. not to be found Search Aud such
was the case The card had come ant
gone Mt the bidding of the magician, wht
seemed to exercise a mental rather thar
a physical influence over them. Wonde
was expressed III every countenance, anC
Skepte annoyed because he was foiled
drank off an additional bumper to aualif,
him for elucidatlon.
A moments consideration of this trick
must satisfy anybody OF its extreme clev
erness and ncomprehensibility The onl,
possible solution that offers itself is in tn,
supposition that the conjurer, by som
process of his own, was enabled to follow
the eyes of the gentlemen in their direc
ton to the card, spread ON the table, ant
to mark those they made choice Of
knowing the cards, of course an exper
practitioner would find no difficulty il
manipulating them as he pleased; ant
getting rid of card and returning it t.
the pack, contrived with whatever rapid
ity, is no extraordinary feat of Iegerde
main. Ascertaning to a certainty IT,
cards upon which two persons hay
tbrcwn a glance for the shortest poSsibl