St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1885-03-14

dfticle ITOm SOME person III tHc duuicuCc,
and, although he apparently gave no
sign and certainly did not speak, Miss
Heller would promptly say what it was.
They did not know how simple the solu-
ton was. When Heller played in his
Broadway Theater, now Harrigan &
Hart's, there was lattice-work ON the
front of the stage covered with artificial
flowers. Behind this sat Mr.. Dale.
Miss Heller was seated blindfolded,
with her back to the audience. Heller
would take up some article from the
first or second row, and MIR. Dale,
through strong opera-glasS slyly pene-
trating the lattice, could see very clearly
what it was and telegraph to Miss Hell
Ter. To vary the system as much as
possible, Dale on some nights would
communicate to her through a speak
ing-tube that ran through the stage
floor up through tho lounge where she
sat
Perhaps the most impudent thing in
the way of audacity that Heller ever did
was the book trick. A gentleman in the
rear of the audience, apparently from the
country. would hold up volume and
SdN No", L u llhC MISS IlCilCI lCll
me what I've got in my hand" Heller
would appear annoyed, would not notice
him further than to say: .'You should
have spoken of this sooner" in a net
tied tone. Suspicion would grow that
Heller was stuck" and finally. as the
gentleman, who was generally dude,
was persistent, the great magician
would elicit from Miss Heller
that it was q book. Then he
would go on the stage, and in order to
make the bandage over Miss Heller's
eyes doubly effective apparently. he
would tie glove over each eye. They,
however, would be tied in such a way
as to form a sort of French roof over
each optic, SO that Miss Heller could
see very well looking down. The dude
wanted to know the name of the book,
and after due consideration Miss Heller
would say, for instance. Rawlinson 5
History Of the Ancient Egyptians. !"
Heller would tell the dude to put play
ing card in the book at random and
open it. 1t was done. and Heller would
glance at the page, and, asking Miss
Heller the proper questions, she would
at once give its number. The astonished
dude verified the answer. Then Miss
Heller would proceed to read the con-
tents Of the page, to the amazement OF
everybody. This trick was not done
every night. The explanation is simple.
Miss Heller had duplicate book. and
the dude was another confederate.
When she got the cue for the page and
gave it, she turned to the page on her
Tap, her back being turned to the audi
ence, and coolly read its contents. The
book was kept concealed in secret
pocket of the lounge. and was quietly
returned there before she left the stage.
Before performance of second-sight
Heller would often borrow half a dozen
articles from the audience and put them
in hat. Half an hour later he would
let any one in the audience, when he
fished out an article, ask Miss Heller
what it was. She could always answer
This seems strange, but it is simple as
any other mystery when it is explained.
Before the performance of second-sight
Heller would find occasion to 60 on the
stage, either to bandage Miss Heller S
eyes or something of the sort. and he
would tell her quickly, and in a very
low tone of course, the contents of the
hat. She would remember the articles
in the order in which he enumerated
them. and Heller was careful to pick
them out of the hat in the same order.
OF course. he would not allow any
person in the audience to pick them out
These are the various systems used by
Heller in his second-sight business.
Murder will out. and so will magicians'
tricks, and these explanations may be
accepted as the truth of the whole
matter. OF course there are very many
other details connected with the per-
formance of magic which it is unneces-
sary to go into here. They are simply
cumulative. Anybody with an excellent
memory and a quickness of perception
can do the most difficult trick with the
aid of another person similarly gifted.
~ y Times.