The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-30

Several men were sitting in fashion |
able uptown restaurant last night smok-
ing and talking lazily, when a small
man with red, Dundreary whiskers and
sleepy-looking eyes strolled in and
looked careIessly around.
There's Goldberg, said one of the
men, suddenly rousing himself and
reckoning to the new conner
The magician sat down with a sigh
and lighted cigar.
"I'm tired, - he said presently. "rve
been around to the New York Club
amusing a dinner party for tire hours.
Besides / devoted the whole afternoon
to a juvenile birthday party in Madison
avenue. So.
81 suppose you're thoroughly sick of
magic"
"Oh, no. It's the only thing never
tire of. I've been at it since was nine
years old. 1t is always interesting to
bamboolle people. By the way,' he
said to his pupil. 81 played that worn
out platter trick again at the club.
That's hoary headed old chestnut, "
said the pupil rehectively.
Il know it. It's as old as minstrel
joke, and yet it always takes. The
trick he explained is really no trick at
all. After doing a number of mystify-
ing acts, and Just befo the party
breaks up, | take a large platter. put it
in the middle OF the table, and tell the
party to put their hands on the plate,
and the one who withdraws his hand
first is to set up the wine for the party
They all rush up and put their hands
on the plate without thinking, and then
they stand-around like a lot of school
boys, each resolved never to let 90.
Meanwhile get my coat on and 90
home. Sometimes they stand for an
hour and sometimes for less than five
| minutes -
Some one spoke later on OF spiritual
ism. s.
ut is the greatest fraud of the age"
said the Professor yehemently THAT
and second sight are simply cloaks for
magician's tricks. / don't deny that
one mind has decided influence over
another, but do deny the honesty of
spiritualistic seances and mind read
ings. y
g How much can you influence any
| one?"
IL will show you the whole extent of
my power are any other mans in this
| respect, said the Professor, taking a
pencil from his pocket. He borrowed
q visiting card from one of the party,
held it under the table, and wrote a
figure on it. Then he folded it up until
it was like ball, and tossed it across
thetable to the writer.
Put that bit of pasteboard in your
| pocket, please, and button Your coat
over it. Now I'll tell you what | pro-
pose to do. Give me another card
Observe write on this card q series of
numbers it doesn I make much differ
ence how many-they are:
| re- 5, l, 8, 6, ?, 4, z, 9, s.
Now, propose by an effort of nv
mind to make you select the number
rom this list which is written on the
folded card in Your pocket, and which
you have not seen. Take the penc:land
card, ~ tossing them across the table,
i land cross out one OF those mum bers
Look me in the eye for a moment.
| Now!"
The writer delbe ately eli ose the fig
nre four and W as about to c oss it out
when he suddenly resol ed to take the
seven. He changed his mind again and
abruptly drew the pencil through the
figure two.
Take the cGrd out of Your pocket,
please and open it.
When the card was unfolded the
figure two was written III the middle!
II don't claim that ] can do that
every time - said the professor, taking
| no notice of the amaeement of the others,
"but it seldom fails. Sometimes !
have the subject cross out three figures
at time This is done twice, and
: leaves three more, if nine are written.
Then ! let him cross out two more, and
the one left standing is tie enc in his
/, pocket There is smalltfickery a. out it.
He teen at their request tried the ex-
| pertinent on the other five members Of
the party. He was sucC esstul in every
| instance.
That is all there is of Spiritualisn
CT mind reading" said he: = the rest is
simply arickery like this Ashe spoke
i. he stretched enc hard across the table
gently took a tNO dollar bill from the
hand of waiter who was hand ng it il
E thange to one of the party, and crum
E pie it up in his hand, which he still
held far over the table. Then he show
ed It to the man, and it was changed t.
a twenty dollar bill Goldberg tossed
it to him, and he at once thrust it int
his pocket with the remark that lie wa
eighteen dollars winner
Are You sure?' asked the Profess r
II ..Of course. know when | put I
twenty dollar bill in my pocket
Its one dollar bill" said the Pro
lessor quietly. The original two dol
lar bill is in the celery glass"
The man pulled out the bill, found i
was one dollar, threw it across to thu
Professor, pulled the two dollar bill on
of the celery glass, and gasped;
sWhere's that twentyP'}
Here in my hand.
n well, motion is quicker than sight.
o Wrong again Motion can not b.
: quicker than sight. The reason yol
didn't see me substitute one of thos
bills for another is because distracted
t. your attention at the instant | made tn
changes. Show us poker hand
t. | you've got cards with you"
Il haven't any. 1 left mine ut til
club
D. A pack was procured by the walter
vino regarded the magician with awe q
he said:
Very many poker players, men o
the world at that, do not believe tia
:, one expert card sharp could GO into
% party of four or five honest players an
d cheat them without discovery. Now II
r deal four hands"
Il He shulfled the cards in number c
g, ways, but always, as far as appearance
Id went, very honestly. He then aske
as the man on his right to cut them, an