Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-07
MASTERS OF MAGIC.

u LII
every body s mouth. Heller was one whose rep
utattOn and fame was lasting, and he was wei
known on both sides of the Atlantic as per-
the greatest Of all sleight-of- hand performers,
has reputation that extends the world over,
ana OF MIN more has appeared In the public
Sa me ever was aooq h an the
magic But magtcianS as public performers are
no longer the attraction to the public that they
nave % ne e, lew years ago II was not uncom-
mon 10 nn0 Cnree or four preSt1d1g1tateurs CIV
Ing entertainments in this city at the same
time. During the last two years there have
t neeh nut tnree magicians Of any note seen IN
very lights of their profession Heller and GAIA
neuve; The third was Keller1 Every one OF
Inem lost money and failed lamentaoly to draw
Ihere are two branches OF the business
sleight- hand proper and mechanical magic.
inc success OF Straightforward tricks depends OF
course upon the dexterity of the performer and
hls cleverness in presenting the fact that the
hand may be quicker than the eye. To the
other class belongs such performances as the
more very astonishing things which, to the
casual observer, appear absolutely beyond COM
prenens1on and as belonging to the supe mat
ural In fact, all the business of the performer
Is deceit. His part 1t is to produce an effeUt
which his audience do not readily trace to nat.
ural causes
TWO DIVISIONS.
But neither Skill In Sltght-Of- hand perform
ances nor the best arranged paraphernalla viii
make successful performance Upon the
adroltness OF the presentation OF the trick rests
Its success. In this Heller was unapproachable
With great command OF language. united
With ready wit and q faculty for expressing in
action what he said In words, the presentation
OF his tricks was always delightful. An old
magician, one who does not want his name to
appear In type because he gives lots Of informa-
ton that his profession will say he ought not to
have given, tells what is written above, and
says OF sleight-of-hand work that 1t is to me-
10 vNio M 10 f0
turning the crank OF hand-organ. The magi-
clan who succeeds Is he whose tricks appear
the simplest. When once they are made COM
plicated the number Of principles involved are
increased and with every addition there is
chance added that some sharp eye will discover
the secret, and mag1cianS never should be dis
covered. Running on In this way, the magi-
clan who pleasantly draws an orange from his
1nterrogatOr's ears at the same time he gathers
dozen half-dollars from his own moustache,
comes down to personalities, and speaks of the
as no others ever did, and Robert Heller Is
named. He, it will be remembered, died sud-
denly In this city few months ago. Heller
says the inteIvieWed, was magician. He
he could do many things with cards. He had a
vast quantity OF paraphernalia which he bought
In Europe, and about which the most absurd
stories were circulated. One was that he Willed
all his mechanism to be destroyed at his death
Now. as all the machinery he had may be du-
pl1cated abroad such talk was veriest nonsense
Is on the market abroad, but they were not es-
sential, because there are half dozen men who
can do all Heller ever could do. There is one
thing, however, that must except-his second
sight, in which he was so ably assisted by Hal
dee Heller. But OF second sight l will speak
presently. Heller was natural comedian and
glorious pianist He made half dozen for
tunes, and lost them gambling in stocks. The
impression prevails that he died rich. That is
not SO. He left only tribe.
THE OLD HERMANN.
"1he old Hermann was the best and first of
the sleight- hand performers this country
ever saw. He made a great deal OF money In
this country, more, indeed, than he ever ac-
CURED In al his tourneying In other lands. He
Is o now VI In Holland dealing In diamonds sup
try. He told me that he had made 100000 in
his two years trip through the states. guess
he did not speak the truth exactly. He 1t was
who introduced the goldfish trick. He would
take from under a cloth thrown over his arm
half dozen dishes OF water with live fish
swimming in them. AS he stood away from the
table altogether the effect was excellent. But
see how transparent the thing is. Will show
you without the cloth. Here is BASIN Here
Is close-ftting Indla-rubber cover. AS make
of the dish as push the dish under the cloth.
That much Is sleight-of-hand l lift the cloth
ana mere Is the fish and open dish OF water
How strange 1t is that people will be so easily
oecelved. and yet Hermann set the people OF
New York wild by that simple trick
"Inere Is hermann now travelling In South
america that almost equals in skill the man
from whom he took his name. His right name
Is Alexander and he came to this country as the
elder Hermann's assistant. More recently he
appeared In variety theaters and went to South
back on visit last winter, bringing SD. 900 In
gold. saw the money He has gone bacK to
south America Tor another 100000.
Tbe T FIsncSmsn So
never speak English, although he could speak
the language very well, Is the equal Of the elder
Hermann in sleight-of-haLd tricks. His manip-
he didsa good many things that no other ma
gician ever attempted In this country. His
paraphernal1a was extensive and valuable. 1t
manufacturer in Europe. He had made much
money and could afford to have the very best In
the world. His trip to this country was a sad
failure. He made nothing at ALL in fact, he lost
heavily, except in a few cities. Boston, Phtla-
delphia, and l think San Francisco were the
only places that he scored successes in. Per
haps bis Indian mail trick was the best sensa-
lion ne had 1t was certainly very clever He
Is now in his native land, where he VOWS he
will stay. At any rate he asseverates with many
an oath that American soil shall never bear the
imprint OF his footsteps again.
"Wh1le speaking OF foreigners who did not
succeed here must not forget Patrizo, Span
lard who came to this country some two years
ago. He was splendid straightforward per.
former and his paraphernalia was superb He
played In New York, at the Academy OF Music.
He DID not succeed at ALL He went to Boston,
"ASAO uOtChuCu al TIC OpculuR ulSQG. VQero
were 1900 people in the house. He never got q
hand OF applause, although his performance
was delightful to NE. His skill OF manipulation
was beautiful. and some Of his electric and
magnetic experiments were simply immense
He returned to Spain broken-hearted and
financially ruined man. The reason Of his
failure, as OF Cazaneuve's, is plain. They could
present the trick well, but they couldn't I'LL In
the interstices by cheerful and witty remarks.
That Is where Heller was so great.
SEVERAL MAGICIANs
" Professor HartZ was once well known DC O
magician lie was machine performer in.
ueeo, Out ne Clothed his work In much mystery
ana was very successful In working un tne
press In MS interest and his O-called black art
HaTtz came 10 this country In 1866 and trav
eied lor several years with Indifferent success
ore time he was travelling in Canada The
1relght car In which his machinery was stored
was wrecked In collision and his apparatus
knocked Into ten thousand smithereens. That
was lucky thing for HarZ. He COMPROMISED
his claim for slO, 600. which was paid him by the
IalIroad company. doubt whether the whole
iot ne had was worth more than $500. With
ILLS money ne started In the business of selling
machinery tricks In New York. l don't thinR
ne succeeded very well. There is not much de-
mand for that kind OF thing in America. Well.
HartZ went to the West Indies. made some
money ana came home crazy. His brother is
now on the road. or the gift now neonia 7
won't speak. They include the Faktr or Ava
the Fakir Of Olu, Abracadabra, the Demon q;
the Nile, Professor Macalister and half Gnzan
others. do not class with them. hOWever tho
boy magician Balagraba, as he STYLES hin,,ceIf
who first annparp0