The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-13
" Psychic"
THE NEW CARp-PLAYISG AuToaAToS.
from the London Timcs.i

Tho now autematon invented by Mr.. John
Nnyu Naskelync and Mr.. John Algernon
C,o,t. which snpears twice daily in Messrs.
Vosro,vne & Cookies entertainment at the
Egvn,iau Hall, piccadlly, is not deception,
Itc Raron Kcmpeien's renowned chess
nlayer. That. though it asionishec all Eu-
zone late in The last and early In the present
rentnrv was but in part mechanical; and
The chess playing was really performed by
man inside. Polish patriot named Wo-
rorsky. who, having lost both his legs
r., battle. was able to conceal himself
sn very small spaces within the figure and
the iox-table at which the figure was seated.
Neither IS the DGw automaton OF the same
class with Vaucanson's flute. player, which
was exhibited and explained TO the French
Academy OF Sciences i'll 1898. That superb
piece of mechanism initiated the movements
of the body, the fingers, the lips. the tongue,
and the management OF the breath OF an cX-
pert performer on the flute. Sir David Brcws-
Ter has recorded the fact that for many years
il continued 10 delight and aStonlsh lhe
philosophers and musicians Of Europe" !;
but like barre-o!gan, the machine
only executed those-particular airs which 1t
was arranged to play. The marvel of the
new invention of Mr.. Maskeiyne and MIR.
the figure has no living being within it; it is
perfectly isolated from any connection-me-
chanical, electrical, magnetical, or otherwise
conceivable-with any operator at distance
and vet, nevertheless, it PLAYS the game OF
whist with no little skill, performs arlthmeti
ell calculations, obeys by It's movements the
directions of any person in tbeaudicnce, and
Accommodates number of very surprising
fests with cards chosen and names writ.
by the audience.
"Psycho," as the aut0matOn has been
named, is figure in Oriental costumes, sit
ting cross.ieggcd upon small box or pedes'
tai, and besides being too small TO contain
even a dwarf or muilatcd man, is inspected
through openings in the toX and in the body
of The figure. Mr. Maskcyne, moreover, al
lows any person trCm the audience to ascer'
tain for himself that no spaces whatever are
hidden 10y mirrors or any other contrlVances.
"psvcno" is just what he appears to be-a
piece of mechanism, with the wheels,
weights, springs, and levers visible, without
trick or conccaImcnt. He is first seen upon
table. but 10 isolate him from external con-
troll he is then placed upon stand Of thin
transparent glass-this consisting Of one sir
gle piecc-thoroughy examined 10y the audi
ence before being set clear away from the
back or side scores, and, in fact, in the
centre of The stage. Thee is no attachment
Of any kind, the altomaton resting loosely
on the glass support. aud in any position
and persons from The audience are allowed
10 watch rs closely as possible round the
Gullrc while il is at work, and to r,CXamlne
tie interior VIXEN they plense. Undcr lhcsc
searching guarantees that "P>ycho" Is per-
nctlv scif.acting hat is be seen to do! If
ii,,,D nm IN lon N
addition, subtraction. multiplication, or d.
vision, he SHOWS the answer. one figure at
time. by oIcunga little door and >llding the
figure in front of the aperture with move
ucnt of his lett hand. There is no pre-
Arrangement or collision in this for he pre-
cccds 10 exhibit any numbers which anybody
NAV cali for. lie plays game al whist with
any 'hr"" gentlemen who may like to take a
and with him.
Iuc.iIiec play crs scat themselves at side
fable and cut 10 decide who shall be "Psy-
chu's" partner; and, after dealing, the thir-
teen cards for The aulomaton are placed on
4 Quadrant holder under the radlal sweep
oI the figures right hand, the cards stand.
ing upright. 80 that he can seize any one with
lii thumb and finger. psychic" turns his
head aud looks up or down, apparently
s,ud,inu the hand Of cards on bis quadrant,
and when lis turn comes to play be finds the
best card available to him, raises it, holds it
up in lull view of the spectators $50 that there
is no ri,krry or substitution, and then puts
il down III front Of the quadrant. He will
hold 40 any card again and again, Is often as
desired b. any person in the audience, and
shakes HANDS with his purtnerat the conclu-
sion of the game. He plays good game; and,
unless matched against very scientific play
erS, commonly wins when lie happens to get
fair average hands dealt TO him and his part
ner. Then follows series of further Illus
tra.iOnS eff. Psycho's" mysterious power of
INTEL 4cncc. You help yourself to Il card
gu, OF Il pack, and he tells the suit and rank
and uuuhcr Of spots by means Of strokes
on Il hcil. Iou privately mark any card in
pack, which you shuttle and hold in your
own Lands. and upon the pack being
placed in front of the automston he in.
s,an.iy finds the identical card, and holds
it up, without possibility OF substitution
or deception. Again, you shuttle the
pack, Mr.. Ma,kclyne holds il behind him in
tuli view Of everybody, and Psyche" tells
tie names OF all the cards in succession,
though the coniuror himself has not seen
even the backs oi them. Finally, Mr.. MaSke.
lyne informs the audience that the au,olna'
ION is constructed to perform number of
other maryels of mechanism mot yet finish
ed by the aid Of secret intelligent force
How long this "dynamic my stery" may re-
uain uusolvcd in an aye when the usual re-
sources Of coDjurors are very well under
stood by many people outside the profession
it would be unsafe to predict; but for COM
piete novelty of the effects produced this
new automaton outdOeS everything which
has appeared since the subtle inventions of
Robert uoudin.
From The st. Louis Dcmocrat.l