The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-01-17
A Contueer nj Home-Enc Magician
Herm O m n-Sokno OF HIS ss"e
Tricks


A writer in Belgario describes VT, s,.,t ~
the " magician Hermann: NJ nT p' 49,
residence near London, and the u'ehs .usIe
ar,israd Sor ,he entertainment Of tho guests !:
. The dinner passed off handsomely the
x;snds we're Of The best In the season the
wine was Of the choicest conversation was
brisk. If not brilliant; and good humor
threw a radiance over the whole party. 1t
was. In fact, merry meeting; and there
was lust the number seated around the table
to concentrate the talk and prevent the party
from breaking up into knots. Herr her.
mann, who was seated at the head OF tue
table, had Skeptic placed at his right hand.
This collocation, which was supposed to ne
accidental at the time, was designed by the
conurer. He had seen and noticed the III,
creduiity Of bis guest, and was Determined
70 make q convert OF bin, or at all events 10
show off bis powers ut his expense.
The conversation turned upon prestiaisl'
tateurs and their various feats OF lcScrde-
main. Herr uermann-who, having passed
many wears in America, and being no
stranger to England, spoke English with
much fuency-said: 81 am well aware that
all You Savants have an idea how the best OF
our tricks are accomplished" should
think So" from Skeptic. But fancy l
could puzzle even yo,l.' go, indeed
again from Skeptic. "Ah, sir, and even you,...
turning to Skeptic. BY all means try IT,
~ shall; and after dinner will show youa
few tricks, and will defy any one OF you to
have the remotcst notion bow they are
done" "Bnvo!" from all the company
executing Skcptic, who laughed and helped
himself to wine, aud congratulated him
self on being so much cleycrer than The con-
jurer.
The tricks played by Hermann are thus
described:
presently Herr Hermann rings the bell,
and tells the man servant, who answers It,
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, address
ing himself to Skcptic; 'open the cover, and
see if all the cards are right No prepare
tion:' demanded Skeptic. "No. assure
yon. What am about to show you now,
could do with any cards. 'Of course cjacu-
lated Skcptic. sneeringly, and began to tear
the cover from the pack. Skeptic looked nj
the cards, and we NIL looked at the conjurer.
When Skcptic pronounce the cards 'aIl cor
rect Herr Hermann took them in his hands,
and flinging them down on the table with
their faces uppermost, said: sThere 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. lie left the room, bidding us re-
call 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 conjurer was brought back in due
time.
"He took the cards In his hand. There
are eight of you,' he said. Each one has
drawn card and replaced it; and the eight
cards, if you have well Sbuftled them, should
be dispersed through the pack. No eye
could see into his room when the door was
shut: even knowing the cards-werc that
posSiblc-would leave the seeming impOsSi-
bity Of bringing the eight cards together;
you will acknowledge that. Behold what
art can do!' He gave the cards a sort Of
flourish, and placing the pack on hi, left
palm. threw from the top the eight cards
which we had drawn. He then tHrncd to
Skcptic, and with sood-humorcd smile in.
quired whether he had any idea how the
trick was done. Our mil ddmsrGtt' friend
laughed, and said nothing but shortly after
ward he was heard to observe, Curious, amt
it, This trick gave rise to II good deal of
talk, and some disputatiOn; but there were
40 two opinions about it; it was allowed by
all to be the most complete and ineXp!!cable
"Trick No. , was even more astonishing
aud incomprehensibe. You know SAID
Herr Hermann, addressing the whole party
after some discussion had gone OH about the
slcight -of-hand performances, I work 10y
wit. and not witchcraft.' For wit, read
trick intcrposcd Skeptic. But what, con-
tinued the conjurer, not needing the inter
ruption, 'supposing TINT were to interpret
your thoughts-to know what was passing
through your mind - THAT. indeed, would
be Il trick above natural maggie | exclaimed
Skeptic flied his glass and winked to bis
neighbor, as who should say, i know all
about it, I'VE shall see,' said Herr Her.
mann. Now, each of you two gentlemen,
he went on, speaking to his right-hand guests,
think Of r card; do not ask you to touch
one; and taking up the pack, he threw the
cards front upward on the table. The
choice was quickly made. Mr.. Hermann re-.
covered the cards, sllu!lied them. and spread
them out rs before. 'Ihc card he
said, sone OF you thought of is there; the
card the other thought Of is absent The
gentlemen searched. One of the cards Sc
lected was not to be sccu--tlle other was
found. so far so good exclaimed Herr
Hermann, but the trick is only huff done.'
The coniurer took the cards aSuin, shutfied
them rs before and exposed them on the ta-
pIS. ANO", US CIlCu, lllc liluSiou 10 ~
rersed. The missing card reappears, and
The card thought of that was present is not
TO DC found Searrh!' And such was the
case. The cards had come and gone at the
bidding of the wonderful magician, who
seemed to influence mental rather than u
physical exercise over them. Wonder was
expressed in every countcnance, and Skep-
tic annoyed because he WAS foiIcd, drank of
an additional bumper to qualify him for elu-
cidation.
"a moments consideration Of the trick
must satisfy anybody Of its extreme clever
ness and incomprehensibility The only
possible solution that offers itself is in the
supposition that the conjurer, by some pro-
cess OF his own, was enabled 10 follow the
eyes of the gentlemen in their drcc-
ton to the cards spread on the table,
and to mark those they made use of. Know
Ing the cards, of course an expert practi-
toner would lind no difficulty in manipu-
lating them as he pleased and getting rid
Of a card and returning it to the pack con-
trived with whatever rapidity, is no extra
ordinary feat of legerdemain. A>certlining
to Il certainty the two cards upon which two
persons have thrown glance for the short
est possible space Of time, is, it must he al
lowed, one of the most remarkable and puz-
cling achievements Of the conjurcr's art, and
may be termed its browning feat. do not
assert that it was by this process Herr Her.
mann ascertained the cards bis two guests
thought of; but If not thus, can conceive
no other method by which he made them
known to him, unless indeed it were verta.
BILE witchcrait.
"Some ten or fifteen minutes had passed,
and the conversation was about to lapse
into generalities, when our host rose from