Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-10-04
How Il Tell Policeman Inlerfered
With a Magieian's Pro-
grAmme.
St. Louis post.p isnatch.l

St. Louis Dispatch
Even Hermann, the greatest Of all
living tricksters, and whose convers-
ance with the black art should, enc
would think, place him beyond the
possibility of being on the wrong side
of a trick, is himself once in a while
victimized in a manner that raises a
loud laugh. The other night the
magician had the most recent laugh
placed against him. In his programme
be introduced his marvellous cabinet,
a large institution like a two-story re-
frigerator, with double doors opening
SO as to expose the whole interior,
which is cross-barred in the manner
made familiar to the public in the
construction of tables for living heads
and half women. In this cabinet he
~secretes a sailor who my~steriously
disappears, although the audience can
see under and all around the affair,
and two gentlemen are sitting on the
stage within three yards ofit The
sailor cannot possibly leave the cabinet
without being seen, and the trick on
sists in SO disposing of the panels Of
the interior that, although the doors
are swung wide, the eye cannot detect
any change in the appearance ofthe
compartment. There are several va.
riations of the trick. The sailor in
stantly releases himself from a pair of
stocks when locked inside. He also
gets out of a securely fastened and
rOpe-bound trunk, and there are
numerous hands shown at the open
ings of the doors, but the most mar
velous feature of the whole thing is
the appearance Of a little darky in the
auditorium less than a minute after
he has been hustled into the cabinet.
The trick went well enough until this
stage Of the performance was reached.
The darky was rushed into the cabinet;
Hermann opened the doors a moment
afterward and the boy was gone.
Boy BO.yln the magician shouted,
Were air you, bo-y2'
But no "bo " showed up in the
auditorium. The call was repeated a
number of times, and Herman was at
last almost in despair. At last one Of
the ushers ran up the parQuet aisle,
making directly for the magician.
Were eez de bo-y?" Herman
shouted. You are not heem. You
luke too pale"
The usher grabbed the magician's
left ear and whispered a few words
it. He told him that the black
boy was then on his way to the Gala
bose in the arms Of a tall policeman,
and would not be able to finish his
share Of the trick until he was bailed
put Herman could not be more as
tenished ifhe had been struck with a
He slammed the doors of the
cabinet angrily, told the audience that
boy" had been arrested By a
officer, and he would have to
BRING the trick to a close without the
usual triumphant denOumennt.
The explanation of the difficulty is
7ery easy: The darky, a small four
.een year old boy, whom Herman had
secured in Memphis, in making
lis way out ofthe cabinet, runs for the
1sck door Of the stage, and then,
With the heetness of a two legged Iro
Iuois, flies through the alley and
.round the corner into the entrance Of
he theater just in time to answer,
Here | am, to the magician's Boy,
air your As he darted out Of
he alley the boy ran into an officer $
The policeman, imagining
hat the little fellow had stolen some
hing, carried him of to the station.
unconscious Of the fact that he
lad quite spoiled one Of Herrman's
BEST tricks.