Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-06-10
theatrical Traps and Tricks.

| IIUir VINO saw Tue iuTy rptctucic
called tLc Rio Carottc" at the Grand
Opera House in New York, says Olive
Lotnn may remember an extraordi-
nafy sScne, in which on old magician
wa5 Fdemingly dismembered in the
pres,nic Of the audience. This feat
was accomplished through tho aid Of
an arrangement of traps. The situa.
tion WIS this An old and feeble sor-
ccror, liter having rendered import.
ant seivices to some Young friends Of
his,asked Of them that they should
cut bin in several pieces, and throw
him III by bit into an oven heated 10
Wilb heat; after which he expected
TO none out young man, as fresh and
liQs' As yeast and magic ever yet made
baki1g come out Of oven. Ills will
was done; be was cut up and put in
the oven without leaving the stage,
and without ceasing to talk. Seated
10 large arm chair, the old man
asked that huge volume should be
brought in and placed on a table near
him. This was done, and tho cnor.
nous book being laid on the table,
Immediately became vivifcd living
gnomcs issued from the pictures on its
leaves, and skipped about tho stage ;
after which they rc-entercd tho book,
and II was closed and carried away.
Then the magician's legs were cut of
and thrown in the oven, ditto his arms;
then his head was cut of and set on
the table, where it went on talking,
giving directions as to the disposal of
the trunk after which tho head too
was thrown into the oven, which burst
open with a loud report. and the actor
walked on the stage, young and hand
some. II was an incomprehenslblc
performance to the ordinary spectator,
and very amusing one to those Who
tried TO guess how il was done; but
1t can be explained
Tho huge volume was brought in
and laid on the table at the same mo-
mont that the magician in the arm
chair quietly withdrew his legs from
tho sccno and placed them on trap
under the stage, papior.machc legs
were substituted by machinist from
below, and the seat OF tho armchair
retired in good order. All this trans.
pired while tho spectators attention
was diverted by the big book and its
animated pictures, which were little
boys who simply came up from under
tho stage through a hole in the table,
and through spring holes in the book,
arranged with India rubber. The
magician then requests that his legs
be taken off; and having slipped his
real arms out Of sight, gives his papier-
mache arms in their order TO the do
vouring flames. Nothing is left but
tho magician's trunk and his head,
which Keeps on talking and looking
around the stagc. This head Is. in
fact, a mask, with long white beard,
spectaclcs, black skull-cap, and lace
neck -frill-which mask exactly fits the
actors head Of flesh, and permits moth
ing real to be seen but the lips and
the eyes. One of the persons on the
stage tugs at the magician's head till
he pulls il off-that is to say, he pulls
the mask off-and carries il over to
the table (while the magician, who
has sunk through trap, runs along
under the stage, places il on tho table,
where it Immediately begins to talk
and give directions about the trunk,
which still remains il the chair. This
trunk is papier-machc, Of COURSE
The magician, running along under
tho stage, was sent up through anoth-
er trap under the table, and slipped
his real head into the mask again, and
began to talk as stated. Finally, the
head is thrown into the oven, the
magician draws his head down under
the table doscends on tho trap, reas-
cends on another further back, slips
on a rich jacket on the way, and whom
tho oven bursts, steps forth rejuven-
atcd