The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-27
CLEVER.
HOW A CIGAR DRUMMER GOT
AWAY WITH THE BOYS WITH
A LITTLE MAGIC.
Some Astonishing Legerdemain in
Mr.. Browns Cigar Store and
Elsewhere.
oriental Fables EclIpsed by the
Realities Of Little Slight-o'-
Hand in This City.

During the past few days there has
Deen IN the city commercial traveller
who has the science of legerdemain
down to absolute perfection. No
magician who has APP
peared IN this city is his equal in illu- |
sion Tricks. He is also most excellent |
VentrlloquiSt. He has been having |
lots OF fun IN every part of the city. |
lie met the city marshal and that Off |
clal having heard of the experiences of |
the man, wanted to see something. |
Wen, says he, will show you little |
ball trick. So he got two cups and
Two little balls about the size of
marbles were put into the cups and
ne began to throw them from one to
the other and in doing so one ap-
parently fell out without the perform
er seeing it. Marshal Lee, who was
watching very closely, picked it up
quick and put it in his pocket. The
man turned the cups down and wanted
Lee to tell him which glass both balls
were under. Lee said both balls were
not under either glass. Oh, yes they
are, IT L have not made any mistake
and guess Ihave not, he said care
lessly. Lee,who could not surmise how
third ball could have gotten into the
cup when he knew he had one in his
pocket which he was confident the
man did not know he had; he there
fore proposed to bet the cigars for the
crowd that two balls were not
UNDER THE CUP.
"'AL right" said the man, 81 will
bet with you they are under this
cup" agreed" said Lee, and the
cup was taken up and there were the
two balls; then turning to Lee he
said: 81 believe you have one in
your pocket too"
He met Monroe Miller and they
dropped into a conversation about
cards, in the course of which he re-
marked he liked to have the sharpers
look at his hands and telegraph to his
| opponents. He never failed to beat
them when they tried it. To show you
what l mean, Mr.. Miller, you will let
me have pack of cards. A pack was
got. l hold mighty mean hand
now there you see is tt q jack of clubs
and he handed the card for inspec-
ton and took it back. His hand was
before the lookers-on all the time so
that every movement could be seen.
OF course they have seen the card and
know as you do just what it is-but
uOA pay UlldG Cdlus DuU Uu6J
WOULD SEE YOU,
change it, said Monroe. Would they?
Do you think it possible could have
changed it here now, No, said Mon
roe I'll let the cigars for the crowd
you have not changed it. It's bet said
the fellow, and he handed the card to
Monroe, when to his absolute amaze
ment he found the card an ace. He re-
noato6 thic friolT Of no 0f
eral bystanders who thought they could
detect how it was done but all failed
as a matter of course. He then asked
one of the fellows in the store to treat
to cigars. The fell declined with
the excuse he had no money. He
says, l know better than that, and be-
gan to turn up the fellows coat collar,
and then he found dollar after dollar.
After he had taken out fifteen or
twenty of these, the man said, that is
my money, give 1t to me. Well, he
says, will tell you what 1 will do.
L will put these dollars in my pocket
and take out 500 bill and let you
have it.
ALL RIGHT,
said the fellow who claimed the mon
ey, and the sleight-of- hand man said:
''Let me fold this first; now watch me
closely, tor 1 may play some trick on
you" The man folded the bill with
arms outstretched, and by using the
tips of his fingers only. When he
had it folded into wad no larger than
postage stamp, he laid it in the
palm of his right hand. He said to
the fellow: "Now watch me closely:
you are certain that is the bill 2" The
fellow said he was. "Now," he said,
81 will slowly close my hand"
and he shut his fingers very slowly
over the bill and after his hand was
closed he held it unmoVe-
able with the nails of the fingers up.
Then he said to the man. Twill YOU
take what is in this hand for the sill
yer dollars l took from your coat COL
lar ?" The fellow said he would and
the man slowly unclasped his fingers
when behold! the twenty dollar bill
was not there-his hands were as
empty as a dudes head, There was
LITTLE CONSERVATION
when this trick was performed. He
appeared to be as surprised as any OF
the by-standers, and remarked: al
cannot account for that, unless 1 |
dropped it on the floor, and one of you
gentleman picked it up. I believe that |
gentleman there has it, he said, |
pointing to "a very exemplary deacon
in one of the city churches. "I guess
not" said the deacon, somewhat in |
dignant. "Win you permit me
to examine your vest pocket, |
sir?" The deacon told him |
he would. He then slipped his |
thumb and forefinger into a vest |
pocket and amid the rcars of the |
crowd drew forth the Identical bill.
Now, he said some folks say you
cannot put money through hard wood.
have discovered a science by which
l separate the minute globules Of the
metal so they will pass through any
known substance, He then stepped
to
HARD WALNUT TABLE
and said " take that dollar, Mr., and
place it in the centre of the table"
This was done. "Now will that gen.
tleman put his felt hat over ft?"
This was done. "Will that gentle