Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-06
HALF AN HOUR OF MAGIC.
The way PrestidigitatOr Mystified
Party of Smokers in Restaurant.
8elc York Sun.

-FcG ADfA 2eft"
Several men were sitting in fashion
able uptown restaurant 'ast night smOk-
ing and talking laZily, when a small man
with red, Dundreary whiskers and
sleepy-looking eyes strOlled in and looked
eaFelessly around.
There's Goldberg said one Of the
men. suddenly rousing himself and beck
oning to the newcomer. Pm one Of his
pupils"
ssAre YOU going on the stage"'
ooh, no; / simply do il for the fun of the
fhing. A great many New FORK men study
sleIght-of-hand and magic just as girls
study the piano and the harp. Goldberg
he'll be over here when he gets through
talking with that man-has a studio, and
his pupils 90 there at certain hours Of the
day. He teaches them ali a number of
elementary tricks at so much lesson,
and then charges from $50 TO $50 extra for
explaining tricks that are known to
fame
"Are there many teachers of that s0Tt?'
"Quite a number. Society men devote
years Of desultOTy study to sleight-Of-
hand tricks. Here he comes now"
The magician sat down with a sigh and
lighted a cigar.
I'm tired he said presently. GIVE
been around 10 the New York Club anus
ing a dinner party for three hours. Be
sides. / devoted the whole afternoon to a
juvenile birthday party in Madison ave
nue.
Il suppose you're thoroughly sick OF
magic:"
"Oh. no. It's the only thing l never
tire of. I've been at il since was years
old. 1t is always interesting to bambOozle
people. BY the way he said TO his pupil,
i piayed that worn out platter trick again
at the club"
That's a hoary-headed old chestnut
said the pupil refectiyely.
a. know it. It's as old as a minstrel
Joke, and yet it always takes. The trick,
he explained, is really no trick at all.
After doing number of mystifying acts.
and Just before the party breaks up, |
take = 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 with
draws 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 go.
Meanwhile | get my coat on and go home.
Sometimes they stand for an hour and
sometimes for less than five minutes"
Some one spoke later on of spiritualism.
at is the greatest fraud of the age
said the professor vehemently. THAT
and second sight are simply clOaks for
magicans' tricks. | don't deny that one
mind has adecided influence over another,
but do deny the honesty of spiritualistic
seances and mind reading"
Glow much can you influence any
Ope?''
81 will show you the whole extent of
INV power or any other mans in this re-
spect," said the professor, taking pencil
from his pocket. He borrowed a visiting
card from one of the party, held II under
She table, and wrote hgure on II. Then
he folded it up until it was like a ball,
and tossed 1t across the table to the
writer.
Put that bit of pastebOard in your
pocket, please, and button your coat over
IL. Now I'll tell you what propose to do.
Give me another card. Observe, write
on this card a series OF numbers-lt
doesn't make much difference how many
they are:
5.1.3,6. S.
"E0w, l propose by an effort Of my mind
70 make YOU select the number from this
list which is written on the folded card in
IN your pocket, and which you have not
seen. Take the pencil ami card" tossing
them across the table, and cross out one
Of those numbers. Look me in the eye
for a moment. NOw!"
The writer deliberately chose the figure
4, and was about TO cross it out when he
suddenly resolved to take the Z. He
changed his mind again. and abruptly
drew the pencil through the figure >.
"Take the card out OF your pocket,
please, and open it."
When the card was unfolded the figure
was written in the middle.
Il don't claim that l can do that every
time" said the professor, taking no notice
of the amaZement of the others, but it
seldom fails. Some times l have the sub
Tect cross out three figures at Il time. This
is done twice, and leaves three more if
nine are written. Then L let him cross
out two more, and the one left standing
IS the one in his pocket. There is small
Grickery about it,
He then, at their request, tried the eX-
pertinent Oh the other five members of the
party. He was successful in every in
stance.
THAT is all there is of spiritualism or
EnIud reading" said he; ''the rest is SIM
pie trickery like this" AS he spoke he
stretched one hand across the table, gent
~ took 81 bill from the hand Of waiter
who was handing it in change to one Of
the party. and crumpled il up in his hand,
which be still held far over the table.
Then he showed il to the man and il was
changed to a $50 bill. Goldberg tossed it
70 him, and he at once thrust it into hi-
pocket with the remark that be was SIS
winner.
4'Are you sure?V asked the professor.
ffOf course. l know when l put $50
Oil in my pocket"
Its a 81 BILL" 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 professor,
pulled the s. bill out Of the celery glass,
and gasped:
where's thattwenty?"
<'IieTe in my hand"
f'Well, motion is quicker than sight"
Wrong again. Motion cannot be quick
er than sight. The reason you didn't see
me substitute one of those bills for an
other is because | distracted your atten-
ton at the instant | made the changes.
Show us poker hand if you've got cards
with yOu.''
Il haven't any. 1 left mine at the
club"
A pack was procured by the waiter,
who regarded the magician with awe, as
ne said:
Every many poker players, men Of the
world at that, do not believe that one ex-
pert card sharp could 90 into party of
four or five honest players and cheat them
without discovery. Now I'll deal four
hands,
He shuffied the cards in number Of
ways, but always. as far as appearance
went, very honestly. He then asked the
man on his right to cut them, and had
them cut once more ''fOr purity's sake BIZ
anOtherplayer Then he dealt them around
one at time to four players, including
himself, and the other players picked up
aheir cards.
'-Gadl I'd like to play this hand, +" NUT
tered the first man.
Il could down YOU" said the second
man. with an important scOwl.
The third wore the expression of a man
who looks down upon his fellows, as he
remarked:
''I'd bet everything could win on this"
Meanwhile the professor had slipped
into his top coat, and was drawing on his
gloves. The men put down their cards.
The first had three kings and pair Of
queens, the second four aces and king,
and the third straight flush, nine high,
an almost inyIncible hand.
what's yours, prOfessOr?'
The magician turned up the winning
banda ten-high straight flush.
Beware of card sharpers. gentle /
men," he said, with u smile, and strOlIed |
away.
HORSFORD'S ACID PHOSPHATE.
Specific Virtues in Dyspepsia.