The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-11-06
ABOUT HPSYCHO.v

The inventive genius of mechanicians
has produced, from time to time, very
wonderful machines that are merely Gu
rious and mysterious without claiming
to be useful. The world of London is
just now raving over an automaton of a
most remarkable kind; and which per-
forms by machinery many actions that
partake so strongly of every appearance
of intelligence as to astound all OBJ.
servers of the mysterious mechanism.
| 1T is called the "Psycho;" and is the
result of the joint skill and genius of a
Mr.. Clarke and q mechanician named
Maskelyne.
The Scientific American gives an ex.
tract from letter written by Mr.. Clarke
to Boston friend, giving some account
of the queer doings of this queer ma
chine. 1t says:
In design the automaton Is an isolated
| figure, said to be perfectly removed from
any possible connection with anybody
or anything outside, with no commune
cation mechanical, electrical, magnetic,
| pneumatic, hydraulic, OR otherwise
conceivable from the stage, back, sides,
roof, or else ewhere, yet controlled by the
influence OF its proprietors, so that the
| figure moves when and in Whatever man.
ner desired. 1t is MaeIzePs chess player
over again, but without the cnances ior
deception which that piece OF mechanism
| allowed.
The figure calculates numbers an6
4 plays whist; but it is adapted for many
other feats, and it works precisely as ii
l there were person Inside, and YET
| there is nothing beyond the mechanism
| TBe audacious part OF the invention is
| that maker of automata, or other per
| son, is allowed to see and feel all the in
| side of the figure, SO as to satisfy al
4 senses that there are no spaces con
ceaied by optical arrangement or other
| wise. The chief difficulty was in demon
strating 10 the puUlic that the automa
ton is really insulated from all connec
ton with the stage or with the performer
and, it is sometimes exhibited in on,
Il way and sometimes in another. 1t il
placed upon hollow glass cylinde
Iwenty-four inches in height, or upol
the carpet, or upon a loose woodel
stand, with legs to keep the automatol
from the floor. Sometimes the glas
cylinder is SET loose upon small wood
en- stool that is set loose upon anothe
wooden stand, and the legs OF the latte
are set loose on glass piano-Iorte insu
lators.
the audience are at liberty to go upoi
the stage aud handle aud examine al
tue parts as much as they please, ant
anybody may remain close to IT while
, is in operation, aud see and feel that n
threads or wires or any other thlhgs con
meet any parts OF the apparatus will
| the outside.
AS at present exhibited, the perform
lance is as follows: The audience name
two numbers, and Psyche multiple
them together and shows the answer on
, figure at time by opening a liLtle 400
in small box and sliding theHgure i
front by movement OF its lelL nanC
The audience gave 1t sum In division
> and it shows the answer in the sam
. manner. Then three persons go on tn
stage. inspect Psyche and the appa
ratus, and, sitting at side table, play
/ game of whist. The thirteen cards TO
, Psyche are placed, upright and singlJ
in u quadrant rack over the range OF Ill
figures right hand. Tie arm has
radial motion horizontally to lind an
? card wanted, and Psyche lifts the car
and holds it up in view Of the audienc'
1t lifts the card up repeatedly, or keep
it up, at the command OF any pei
i son among the audience. The figur
, then covers the card to be played. Nd
Maskelyne then takes the card to tn
table, and calls out the names OF th
. cards as the player plays them; an
o sometimes he retires from the tigure an
= card table, to show that Psyche goes o
a with the game independently Of the col
o duetor. Alter the game it tells, b
movements of its arm, the state of ii
q game and the number of tricks in its +
vor. Psyche shakes hands with IL
players, and answers questions by rim
IS ing bell. 1t also takes part in SON
n usual card tricks.