The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-03-05
SLEIGHT OH ND.
SLEIGHT OH AND.
The Way Prestidi91tatOr Fooled
q Party Of l.. ungers.
Astonishing Tricks with Carde-
Something Very Much Like
Mind-H-ad nz -"Beware
of Card Sharpers.
New York SUn.1

View York 5un.1
"Hpw much eau you influence an,
On+?"
II will show you the Whole extent
of NV power, or any other mans. III
this respect" said the professor,
taking a pencil from his packet. H.
borrowed Il visiting card from n o.
the par y, held it under the table and
wrote y figure on it Then h- folded
1t up into a ball and tossed it across
the table to the writer.
Put that piece Of paper In your
pocket, please and button your coat
over it. Now I'll tell you what l
propose to d.. Give me another card.
Deserve, I write on this card q
series Of numbers. 1t dJsen' MAX
much difference how many. They are
S, I, B. 8, 2, 4, rs 8.
"NOw 1 propose, Dy III effort of my
mind, to make you select the number
from this lit which is written on the
folded card in your pocket, and which
you have not seen. Take the pencil
aud card" tossing them across the
table. land cross out n Of those
numbers. Look me IN the eye for a
moment. Nuw!"
Tue writer deliberately chose the 4,
and was about to cross it out when
he sudd. My resolved to take the Z.
He changed his mind again, and
abruptly drew the pencil through the
figure Z.
Take the card out of your pocket,
please, and open It,"
When the carl was unfolded the
figure 2 wa~ writt-n in the middle.
II don't claim that 1 can do that
every time," SAID the professor. taxi
ing no notice IF the nInazrment of the
others, ''but it seldom fails. Some
times I have the subject cross out
three figures at q time. This is done
twice. aud leaves three if nine are
written. Then I let him Cross out
tw" more, and the n left s anding
is the one in his picket. There is
small ,rickery ab"u' it."
H. tnt n, ut their request, tried the
experiment on the five other mem
Leis of the PARTY. and was successful
In every instance.
"That is all there Is of spiritualism
or mind-rea'iIng, , said he, 1.-The rest
is ali trickery like this As he spoke
he stretched one hand across the table
gently took a two dollar bill from The
hand of y waiter who Was handing ii
IN change to n Of the party, and
crumpled it in bis hand, which h.
still held over The table. Then he
showed 1t to the man, and it Was u
$40 till. Goldberg tossed it to hum,
and he at Once thrust it into hi,
pocket with the remark that he was
$l8 winner.
"Are on surt?" said the professor.
"Of course. l know when l put u
$40 bill into my pOcket."
"It's u 81 hiII," said the professor, |
quietly. The original 81 bill is in the
celery glass
The man pulled out the bill, found
it was 81, threw it across to the pro-
feseor, pulled the So out Of the celery
glass, end gasped:
"Where's that twenty?"
"Here in my hand"
swell, motion is quicker than
sight,"
"Wrong again. Motion cannot he
quicker than sight. The reason you
don't see me substitute one of these
bills for anOtber is because I distract.
ed YOU attention ut the instant l
made the change. Show US Il poker
hand if you've got cards with you.
II haven't any. l left mine at the
cub" A Pack was procured by the
waiter, who regarded the magician
With awe. as he said:
livery many poker players, men of
the world ut that, do not believe that
one expert card sh irp could 70 Into u
party of four or five honest players
and cheat them without discovery.
Now ! II deal four hands"
He sbufh ID the cards in a number
of ways, Tut honestly. so far as ~p-
pearaDce went, very honestly. He
then asked the ma on his right to
cut them, aud had them cut once
more for purity's sske' by another
player. Then he dealt them around
one at a time, to four players, includ-
ing himself. and the other players
up their hands.
"Gad! I'D like to play this b and,
muttered the first man.
II could down YOU" said the Sec
ond man, with an inn GRANT scowl
The third was the expression Of a
man who loci ks down upon his fel
lows, rs he remarked: I'D bet all l 81.
could win on tins hand"
Meanwhile the professor had !:
slipp+d into his tor, coat and was
drawing on his glaves. The first had
.hree kings and u pair of queens, tn
IecOnd, four aces and a king, and a !
bird a straight flush, nine high, an F!
invincible hand. !
"What's yours, professor" {
The professor turned up the win
ling hand, a ten high straight flush.
"Beware Of card lharpers gentle
men," he said, with a smile, IS he
trolled away.