Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-01-27

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and even yOu," turning to Skeptic. "B,
all means try it." al shall, and afte
dinner l will show you a few tricks, an
will defy any one Of you to have the re
motest notion how they are done.
"BravOw from all the company eXcep
Skeptic, who laughed and helped him
self to wine, and congratulated himsel
ON being so much cleverer than the con
jurer. The tricks played by Hermann
are thus described:
| presently Herr Hermann rings tn
| bell, and tells the man servant who an
swers it to fetch some cards. The maj
| retired and came back with two pack
of cards in secured cases and place.
them on the table. Take one of thesi
packs said our host, addressing himsel
to Skeptie; 'Open the cover, and see
all the cards are right No prepare
tiOn% demanded Skeptic. No, / as
sure you, What / am about to show
you now, l could do with any cards.
OF course, calculated Skeptic sneering
ly, and began to tear the cover from the
pack. Skeptic looked at the cards, anC
we all looked at the conjurer. When
S6eptic pronounced the cards 'all cor.
rect Herr Hermann took them in hi:
hands, and, fliDging them down on the
table with their faces uppermOst, said
There are eight of you. When leave
the room and the door is shut on me,
let each person draw a 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 shuttle at the pack, excepting
Skeptic, who thought he knew all about
the trick. and the cOniurer was brought
back in due time.
"He took the cards ius his hand.
There are eight of you,' he said. Each
one has drawn a card and replaced it;
and the eight cards, if you have well
shuffied them should he dispersed
through the pack. No eye could see
into this room when the door was
shut; even knowing the cards-were
that possible-would leave the seeming
impOssibillty OF bringing the eight cards
together; you will acknowledge that.
Behold what art can doD He gave the
cards a sort of flourish, and placing the
pack on his left palm, threw from the
top the eight cards which we had drawn.
He then turned TO Skeptic, and with 9
good-humored smile, inquired whether
he had any idea how the trick was
done. Our mil udRlirdrF friend laughed
and said nothing; but shortly afterward
he was heard to observe, Curious, amt
it?' This trick gave rise to q good deal
of talk, and some disputatiOn; but
there were no two opinions about it; it
was allowed by ali to be the most COM
plete and inexplicable feat of legerde-
main ever witnessed.
''Trick No. . was even more astonish-
ing and incomprehensible. You know,
said Herr Hermann, addressing the
whole party, after the discussion had
gone on about the sleight-of-hand per-
formanees, Il work by wit, and not by
Witehcraft.i For wit read trick inter
rupted Skeptic. But what, continued
the conjurer, not needing the Interrupt
ton, 'supposing l were to interpret your
thOughtS-tO know what was passing
through your mind% That indeed
would be trick above material magic
1 exclaimed. Skeptic filled his glass
and winked to his neighbor, as who
should say, 4 know all about it, I'VE
shall see,' said Herr Hermann. Now,
each of you two gentlemen, he went on,
to his right-handg guests, think
Of card; l do not ask you to touch
one,' and taking up the pack he threw
the cards front upward on the ia
BILE. The choice was quickly
made. Mr.. Hermann recovered
the cards, shuffied 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
70 ha fhn
was found. $50 far, so good, exclaimed
Herr Hermann, 'but the trick is only
half done.' The coniurer took the cards
again, shuffied them as before, and ex-
posed them on the table. Now he
cried, the illusion is reversed. The
card reappears, and the card
thought of that was present is not to be
found. Searchv And such was the case.
The cards had come and gone at the bid
ding of the wonderful magician, who
seemed to exercise mental rather than
a physical exercise over them. Wonder
was expressed in every countenance,
and Sksptic, annoyed because he was
foiled, drank off an additional bumper
to qualify him for elucidatiOn.
ga moments consideration of the
trick must satisfy anybody of its ex-
treme eleverness and incOmprehensi-
bility. The only possible solution that
offers itself is In the suppOsition that the
eonjurer, by some process Of his own,
was enabled to follow the eyes of the
gentlemen in their direction to the cards
spread upon the table, and to mark
those they made use of. Knowing the
cards, of course an expert practitioner
would find no difficulty in manipulating
hem as he pleased; and getting rid of a
card and returning it to the pack, con-
trived with whatever rapidity, is no ex-
lraordinary feat of legerdemain. Aseer-
taining to a certainty the two cards upon
which two persons have threwn q glance
ior the shortest possible space of time,
s, 1t is allowed, one of the most re-
and puzzling achievements of
he eonjurer's art, and may be termed |
Is erowning feat. | do not assert that |
t was by this process Herr Hermann
aseertalned the cards his two guests /
hought of, but if not thus can conceive |
10 other method by which he made |
hem known to him, unless, indeed, it |
we're Yeritable witehcraft.
Some ten or fifteen minutes had |
passed, aud the conversation was about /
C lapse into generalities, when our host |
ose from his seat, and, taking from thei
able the cards, went to the other end of /
he room. want to ask your opinion /
Il trick which, no doubt, you have
'ften seen--yOur opinion as to how I |
10 it. Will you oblige me by taking
ard?' MAY be allowed to suggest the
Unopened pack Of cards, inquiredfriend
,keptic, looking around him with an air
4 wisdom. tOh, certainly answered
Herr HermSnn, 'opened the untouched
'ack yourself and then give it to me-
'keptic removed the envelop from the
lew pack and scrutinized the cards
arefully. The eyes of the company
Vere now fixed ON the pair, and no one
poke. Skeptic having satisfied him.
elf that the cards had under-
one no previous preparation hand
d them to the e0njurer. Take
card said the latter. 1t was done.
Now tSke the pack in your own hands,
ut the card back, and shuifie.' Skeptic
id as he was told, and smiled as he
huffied the cards in a variety Of WAYS.
It would be difficult, would It not
sked Herr Hermann, ito tell y0u the +
ard you dyewp 'RatheFl' calculated
.keptie. What If l We're to do more,
nd make you draw again the same
aFd?l Il should like to Law ten pollnds