The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-02-17
4 CONJURER 1T home.


Queer Tricks.
Az writer in Belgravia describes visit to the
'magician" Hermann, at his private residence
near London, and the tricks there played fol
the entertainment of the guests:
The dinner passed off handsomely; the
viands were Of the best in the season; the wine
was of the choicest; conversation was orlss
if not brilliant; and good humor threw radl-
merry meeting; and there was just the num-
ber sested around the table to concentrate the
talk and prevent the party from breaking up
into knots, Herr Hermann. who was seated al
the head OF the table, had Skeptic placed at his
right hand. This collocation, which was sup,
posed to be accidental at the time, was deslgneo H
by the copjurer. he had seen AID nonced the
incredulity of his guest. and was determined
to make q convert Of him, or at all events to
show off bis powers at his expense.
The conversation turned upon preshdiglta-
teurs and their various feats of legerdemalD.
Herr Hermann-who. having passed many
years in America. and being no stranger TO
said: ~ am well aware that all you savants
have an idea how the best Of our tricks are ac-
complished." 81 should think 3d." from Skep-
tic. .But fancy could, puzzle even you.
20, indeed |" again from Skeptic: "Ah, Sir,
and even you." turning to Skeptlc. "By all
means trS IL. L Sudli1 duu ehtoi othh"A = VA
show you few tricks, and will defy any one OF
You to have the remotest notion how they are
DONE" sBravol" from all the company ex-
ceptinp Skeptic, who laughed and helped him.
self to wine, and congratulated himself on
being 80 much cleverer than the coDjurer.
The tricks played by Hermann are thus de-
"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, addressing him
self to Skeptic; open the cover, and see if all
snSed 1ns Sedas skepsie sas ssN las assure you What
am about to show you aow, 1 could do with
any cards. 'Of course calculated Skeptic,
sneeringly aud began to tear the cover from
theIpack. Skeptic looked at the cards, and we
all looked at the copjurer. When Skeptc pro-
nounced the cards AL correcs, Herr Hermann
took them in bis hands, and 1inging them
down on the table with their faces uppermost,
said: There are eight OF you. When leave
the room and the door is shut or me, let each
person draw card from the pack, return it,
and shuttle the cards. He left the room, bid
ding us recall him when we were ready. Each
man took card and put IL back. Then we all
who thought he knew all about the trick, and
the copjurer was brought back in due time.
she 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. II
you have we'll shuf1ed them. should be dis
into his room when the door was shut; even
knowing the cards-were that possible-would
leave the seeming impossibility of bringing the
eight cards together; you will acknowledge
that. Behold what art can dol He gave the
cards 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 q good-humored smile in-
quired whether he had any idea how the trick
was done. Our mt Gdmirdtt friend laughed,
and said nothing; but shortly afterward he was
heard to observe, Curious, amt ltP This
trick gave rise to good deal OF talk, and some
disputation; but there we're no two opinions
complete and inexplicable feat OF legerdemain
ever Witnessed.
sITrick No. was even more astonishing and
incomprehensibe. You know said Herr Her
mann, addressing the whole party, after some
discussion had gone on about the sleight-of-
hand performances, i work by wit, and not
witchcraft.' For wit, read trick interposed
Skeptic. But what continued the con1urer,
not needing the interruption, 'supposlng that
! were to interpret your thougbts.to know
what was passing through your mlnd?' That.
indeed would be o trick above natural magic.
I exclaimed. Skept1c filled bis glass and
Winked to his neigbbor, as one who should say,
i know all about it. we shall see,' said Herr
Hermann. Now, each Of you two gentlemen
he went on, speaking to bis right-hand guests.
think Of card; do not ask you to touch one;
and taking up the pack, be threw the cards
front upward on the table. The choice was
ouicklY made. MIR. Hermann recovered the
cards, shufied them, and spread them out as
before. The card he said, one OF You
4 = fk,aN fnnr~ M
of is absent The gentlemen searched. One
Of the cards selected was not to be seen-the
other was found. so far 80 good exclaimed
Herr Hermann, but the trick is only half done.'
The coni1rer took the cards again, shufied
them as before, and exposed them on the ta-
BILE. Now he cried, the illusion is reversed.
The missing card reappears, and the card
Thought of that was present is not to be found.
SesrchI' And such was the case. The cards
had come and gone at the bidding OF the Won
derful magician, who seemed to influence
mental rather than 8 physical exercise over
them. Wonder was expressed IN every coun-
tenance, and Skeptc, annoyed because he was
foiled, drank off an additional bumper to quail.
" him for elucldation.
"a moments consideration Of the trick must
satisfy ANYBODY OF its extreme cleverness and
incompreheusibilty. The only possible solu-
tion that offers itself is in the superstition that
the conjurer, by some process OF his own, was
enabled to follow the eyes OF the gentlemen IN
their direction to the cards spread on the ia.
BILE, and to mark those they made use OF.
Knowing the cards, of course an expert practl-
TONER would find no difficulty in manipulating
them as he pleased; and getting rid of q card
and returning it to the pack, contrived with
whatever rapidity, is no extraordinary feat or
legerdemain. Ascertaining to q certainty the
two cards upon which two persons have thrown
a glance for the shortest possible space OF
time, is, it must be allowed, one Of the mostr re-
markabi. Ind puzzing achievements Of the
cepjurar's art and may be termed its crowning
feat. do not assert That it was by this pro-
cess Herr Hermann ascertained the cara9
his two guests thonsit Of; but if not thus, l
can conceive no other method by which he
made. them known to him, unless indeed it
were Sseritable witchcratt.
'.Some ten or fifteen minutes had passed,
and the conversation was about to lapse into
gcneralities, when our host rose from his seat,
and, taking from the table the cards, went to
the other end of the room. Il want to ask
your opinion Of trick which 10 doubt. you
have often seen-your opinion as to how do
it.. Will you oblge me by taking a card I?
May be allowed to suggest the unopened
pack Of cards p inquired friend Skeptic, look
ing around him with an air OF wisdom. 'Oh,
certainly answered Herr Hermann, open the
untouched pack yourself and then give it to
me- Skeptio removed the envelope from the
new pack and scrutiniZed the cards carefully.
The eyes Of the company were now fixed on
the pair, and no one spoke. Skeptic having