, 1884-02-14
sIEIGHT-oP-HAND.
Tho Way a Prestidigitator Fooled
. Party or Loungerh
AstonishiaE Tricks with Cards..
SomsthinE Very Much LAX
observation-disclosures
lof Card-sharperH.-



@How much can you innusnce any onsr
Il will show you the whole sxtsnt OF my
power, or any other mans. In this respect"
said the professor, taking . pencil from his
pocket BE borrowed a visiting-card from
one Of tho party, held It under the tabls. and
wrote a figure on IL Then he folded IL up
until it was like a ball. and tossed IL across
the table to the writer.
u that piece Of paper In your pockst,
please. and button your cont over IL. Now
III tell you what I proposs to do. Give me
another card Obssrvs, I write on this card
a series OF numberxt It doesn't mako much
difference how many. They arc:
iadyfftrf s, r 3, Q, z, 4, 4, 9,s. lie.
Nov, 1 prop2se, by an effort of my mind,
TO mako you seitct thu number from this Lit
which 10 written on the fole ed card in your
pocket, and which you hays not seen. Take
tho pencil and card, tossing them across the
tabls, @and cross out ono Of those NUMBER
Look me In the eye for q moment. Nowl"
The -rt.cr dsiiSc-=teiy chsss the agurs 4,
and was about 10 cross It out when he sud-
denly resolved TO take ths 7. Hs changed his
mind again, and abruptly drew the pencil
through the figure 2. .isyI,.sa.
Take the card out OF your pocket, please,
and open it"
9 Whsn ths card was unfoldsd the figure Q
was written I'm the middle. q
u don't claim that l can do that every
time, said the professor, tskinx no notice or
the amazsmsnt of the others. -but it Seldom
falls Sometimes l have the subject cross
out three figures at q time. This is done
twice, and leaves three more IL nine are writ
ten Then | let him cross out two more. ind
the one left standing js ths one in his pocket.
There Is small triokery about it"
BE then. At their request, triod the expert
msnt on the other nve members Of the party.
He was successful In every instance.
That IL all thsrs 10 Of spiritualism or mind
reading said he; -the rest is simple tricksry
like this" AZ he spoks he stretched ono hand
Aoross the table, gently tooka two-dollar bill
from the hand OF a waiter who was handing
1t In change to one Of the party, and crumpled
1t up In his hand, which he still hold over the
tabls. Then no showed Il to thu man, and it
was changed to a $40 bill. Goldberg tossed
1t TO him. and he at once thrust 1t into his
pocket with the rsmark that ho was SIS
winner. Uui-r
"Are you surST' asked the professor.
o course. know whom l put q SEQ bill
In my pocket
@Its a 81 bill. y said the professor, quietly.
Tbs original 81 bill IL in the celery glass"
Tho man pulled out the bill, found 1t was
81, throw 1t across to the professor, pulled the
% out Of the celery glass, and gasped,
where's that twentyf'
Here In my hand"
well, motion IL quicker than sight,
wrong again Motion cannot be quicker
than sight. Tbs reason you don't sss mo sub
stitute one of those bills for anothsris because
l distracted you attantion at the instant /
mad the change. Show US q poksr hand II
you've got cards with you"
II haven't any. I left mine at the club"
A pack was procured by the waiter, who
regarded the magician with awe. as he said:
Very many poker players. men OF the world
at that, do not bslisve that one expert card
sharp could 70 into q party Of four or Eve
honest player and cheat them without dis
covery. Now III deal four handG"
He shufisd tho cards In a number Of ways.
but always, 80 far a. appearance went, very
honestly. BE then asked the mnn on his
right to cut them, and had them cut oncs
more 1for purity's sake" by another player.
Then he dealt them around, one at a time, TO
four players, including himsslf, and ths other
players picked up their cards.
-Gadi I'd like To play this hsnd,I nuttersd
the first man. q N r
81 could down you aid the second man,
with an important soowL
Ths third was tho expression Of a man
who looks Town upon his fellows, as he 70
marked: T bst s%vsrything l could win on
thiA."
Meanwhile the professor had slipped into
his top coat aud was drawing on his gloves
The arst had three hngs and a pair OF queens,
the second o u aces and a king. and a third
a straight hush, nine high, an almost In
vincible hand
-Whats yours, professor
The magician turned up the winning hand
a ten high straight flush.
Beware Of card-sharpers, gsntlsmsn," he
said, with a smile, and strollsd away.