Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-05-24
THE MAGIC ART.
SOME REMARKABLE ILLUSIONS AND
UNEXPLAINED TRICKS.
The Wonderful Performances Of Party
of Travelling Masicians in Anam-
siaterializafions i'm Broad Day
Iight-A Decapitation.


possible that they will not come, but it GER
tainly would he a paying investment, as the
people in the United States have no ade-
quate idea of the tricks that are executed by
some Of the jugglers of the east.
The finest exhibition l ever witnessed,
continued the speaker, was in Anam. l
was travelling through the country with a
party of G. rulan officials, when We stopped
one night at an inn where 1t CHANGED that
a number of magicians were resting. There
were six of them, four men and two women,
all very small. except one, who was heshy
giant, resembling the typical wrestlers.
soon made their acquaintance. as was then
greatly interested in legerdemain, and soon
won their good will Tney were very eager
for me to show them an exhibition OF my
skill. ] did so, but in every case they
caught me and laughed at my efforts, ex-
cepting once Thoug h tried some of our
best tricks upon them, curiously enough, the
most stupid thing of all fooled them 1t
was tie old "Pharaoh's serpents' trick,
which was so much in vogue some years ago
after had finished my exhibition the
doors were clio ell, and only those admitted
who paid a regular admittance fee-a small
sum-and soon the apartment being filled
the magicians began their performance.
The audience sat on the floor about the
fallirs, SO that they had no way of conceal
ing themselves or Of hiding any thing. At
their request | examined them and satisfied
myself that they bad nothing about them.
Then one Of the women stepped into the in
closure, the rest remaining behind the spec
tators, who formed close ring around them.
The light was now turned down a little, AMI
in moment the woman's face began to be
iliumined by ghostly light that extended
quickly over her entire boiy. She then be-
gan to move round and round, uttering a
low, murmuring sound the while. gradually
quickening the pace until she was whirling
about like top.
a moment Of this and the light that had
chung about her seemed to he whirled off by
centrifugal force, and assumed a pillar-like
form beside her. As soon as this was ac-
complished she stopped, turned, and began
10 mold the light with her hands, and,
though | could distinctly see her hands
move through the light as if it were cloud,
it began to assume human form. We saw
the arms, hands and legs all nodded, and
finally a face and headgear. She next
called for a light, and, the candles being re-
lighted there stood an utter stranger, a ma
tive seemingly evolved out of cloudland.
He stepped forward and grasped me by the
hand; his hanls We're moist, as if with per-
spiration, and he was very healthy spirit
After he had talked and drank glaS, Of
rack, he took his place beside the woman
again AMI began 10 whirl about
"The lights were dimmed, but not so that
we could not see, and in few moments the
figure began to fade. soon assuming the APP
pearance of pillar or form Of light and
81 a
seemingly being absorbed by her. All this
was done in n very short space of time, be-
fore the eyes of at least fifty people, and not
ten feet from myself The girl appeared
greatly exhausted afterward. Now this
would be explained by the Psychological
society As some new sense or power, etc, but
between you and |, who know that all
things can be explained by cold facts. it
was merely clever trick, so skillfully done
that did not discover it in any way or
shape
"Ths man next took his place in the ring,
and handing me a large, highly ornamented
sabre, lie said: in five minutes by the clock
wish you to beheai me- l objected, of
course. but he insisted, and said it had been
done dozen times, so l finally agreed. He
was searched, and in the dim light began
he seemed to grow perceptibly smaller, and
finally stood before us gluZy that |
thought ] could see right through him. 1t
was now five minutes, SO 1 took the sabre
AMI struck light blow, only sufficient
TO knock n man over, when. to my
horror, the blood spurtei into my face and
the head dropped with a thui upon the floor.
As soon as it fell the body stopped and
picked it up. held it in the air, then placed
it upon the shoulders. The full light being
turned on, there stood the giant, srinning
and warm.
The blood. That had faded away by the
time the light was turned up and, you must
remember, that in all this though the light
was dim it was not sufficient To prevent our
seeing every thing, and seemed TO lie u ed
only that we might observe the figures of
lights that We're evolved so curiously from
the mediums, As our spiritualists would call
them.
The next trial was equally mystical All
the party now stepped into the ring and be-
gan to chant and move about In few
minutes they ceased and We observed that
one was missing, though no one saw him go.
A moment after the whirling was repeated
and another was found to have disappeared,
and SO on until in fifteen minutes only the
giant was seen. More light being given US,
"a noise was heard at the door and, upon
some one going TO it, there stood the mystic
five clamoring for admission. That ended
the performance for the night and l sat up
the rest of il, or well into the morning, try
ing 10 figure out how it was all done. The
natives accepted il as magic without debate,
and began to think that was about the
easiest way out Of it.
The following day another performance
WIS given at midday that was even more
wonderful The giant, | called him.
caused tie audience to sit on grass plat,
leaving a circle of about twenty five feet
across, and in this the Jugglers took their
places, tine giant opening the entertainment
by taking roll of ribbon, and by dexter
Gus toss sending it up fifty feet or So where
We distinctly Jaw a small hawk dart at il
aud carry it up higher until We nearly lost
sight Of 1t. Ii then seemed to enter a cloud
that, | a sumei, was caused by something
burning on the ribbon: but from the cloud
came sliding down, first "A dog. then a snake
good big one, too-that wriggled off the
moment it touched the ground and was cap
:Ire by the men.
Then larger object was seen sliding along
and one Of tie women leaping forward re
ceived and held II out 10 the crowd a laugh
lag native baby. The giant had all this
time held the end of the ribbon and reieas-
ing II 1t seemed h disappear IN the air; at
any rate We saw IL no more. \ few moments
later they ell joined hand, and began to
move about rapidly. Wien they moved to
{ he right distinctly counted twelve per-ons
in the circle; when they changed the move
ment We law only eight and some one ap-
Iearei to standing in the center
"The e are only samples Of the marvels, as
mi h; say, that they went through