The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-09-23
MAGICIAN UNMASKED.
WONDERFUL TRICKS EXPLAINED By
ONE WHO PROCESSES TO KNOW.

All Very Simple and Easily Undsrstood-
Psyche and His Three-Legged Stool
Cabinet Tricks Made Essy-A Mirscul-
Gus Growth Of Flowers.
The writer sat through one Of modern
magician's sleight-ofhand performances
some nights ago and noticed once or twice
that his right hand neighbor took unusual
interest in the entertainments Not that
he seemed particularly pleased, for he
more than once gave vent to EXPLANATIONS
Indicating anything but joy or astonish-
ment. As the audience filed out at the
conclusion of the cabinet seances the
writer made some commonplace remark
to the gentleman who had sat next to him.
One word led to another, and five minutes
later the two were seated together In
resort near by.
"The posters and announcements Of this
great magician make one smile, he said
during pause in the refreshments.
"From them one would think that he was
going to prove mixture OF tho
devil and DIR. Faustus, while, on the con-
trary, the tricks he performs were old
when I was O boy" and tho speaker
stroked his long beard angrily. "A few OF
them are of later date, but they were
copied from European magicians, So
called. They are all very simple and easily
understood. Take his deviation act for
instance. The posters represent him
sailing all over the auditorium. That,
of course, is mere theatrical adver-
Using He does not even leave
the stage. The theatre is darkened
and stuffed dummy with q phosphor-
escent mask is swung about the theater
by wire. As for Psyche, rs he called 1t,
It is nothing but piece Of mechanism
worked by a man concealed below the
stage. The magician repeats the question
or problem in a loud voice, and all the
men have to do Is to move the hands right
and there you are!
PSYCHIC AND HIS STOOL.
II saw the same thing worked In Lon
don years ago. The machines are sold there
for S15 by the carload. These figures may
be worked in two ways. One is by forcing
or sucking the air through them In the
Same manner that the monkeys In tobac-
conist's windows are made to smoke. The
other way is by means of key by which
the swinging arm can be moved as easily
IS the hands of a watch. The three legs
of the stool on which Psyche is placed are
hollow and are fitted on tubes which pass
through the stage and are connected with
an air pump. The air passes through the
glass cylinder and operates the figure as
easily as the air passes through your nos
trils and operates your lungs. A silver
plated wire can be put through the glass
Cylinder to operate the head or hand with.
out being seen by the audience, and thus
cause Psyche to perform his feats with
the greatest ease.
IF KIN oh A.
chess-board will teach You in five mln,
utes or forfeit 500. Those cabinet tricks
have been seen ind explained a thousand
times, so that every schoolboy under
stands them. The confederate who cuts
the knots and ties them again as soon as
the magician takes his seat in the cabinet,
Is concealed just behind the front apart
ment of the cabinet on small platform.
There is door in the center of the back
of the cabinet which turns on a pivot, so
that he (the confederate) can enter and go
out Of the box as quickly as possible and
show his face at the window, ring the
bells, beat the tambourine, thrust his
hands out, cut the magician loose or tie
him fast, as he requires. He can tie or
unite the cords placed on the magician's
person in very short time.
SEVERAL MODERN MIRACLES.
"You saw him do those alleged spiritual.
istic tricks with the tables and chairs?
That furniture Is made of the lightest
possible kind Of wood Upon the table
and chairs he has some fine wire places
into which he slips his fingers and moves
the furniture where he pleases. l have
seen the same thing done by means of
fine nails driven into the wood. BY ex-
tending his fingers against these q man
can get purchase enough to lift the OBJ
ject
"You noticed the apparently miraculous
growth of flowers in the potsf Go to-mor-
row night and watch him closely. It is
an old trick, and when l was boy used
to apiuse our people with 1t. The trick
consists simply in changing the empty
cone rapidly as the performer passes
coward the pot. How about the hot
coffeef Oh, my dear boy, that Is done by
dropping into 1t piece of unslaked lime
that has been concealed in the palm Of
the hand. And those drinksi That's as
easily explained as the other In the
bottom of the tumblers are essences Of
various kinds of liquor. The same liquor
generally sweetened water or thin wine
is poured into the tumbler, and the re-
suit is something tasting like the liquor
asked for.
"Then you know the performer has con-
federates all over the house. Some of the
men who come upon the stage during the
cabinet tricks are in his employ, rs Is also
the man in the gallery who cries out that
Psyche is wrong. He has been placed
there for that purpose so that the per
former can prove that Psyche is right. II
] didn't want to bore you l could g.
straight through his programme and
show up every trick he does."-Chicago
News Interview.