The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-12-07
PRETERNATURALISM.
How TO Perform Few Choice but
Simple Tricks.
Henry Iatton, the Magician, Explains the
Easy WAY In which Mysterious and
PerpleNing Manifestations Ar
Successfully Produced.

GiHlowfy-"I can cali spirits from the vasty
deep"
Hotsgur-"why, so can I; or so can any man;
But will they cope' when you dc
call for rthtms"
-H0vy ", Part T., H, 7.
Decentralization is the word and "A
very good one, though it is not in the
dictionary | have used for
many years to describe certain Curl
Gus effects which never fail 10 interest
my audience, both old and young, and
though by no means supernatural, are
about as near TO il rs mortals can APP
proach. Indeed, when | allow my
hands to be tied behind my back SO
tightly that il scams impossible for mo
10 use them, many persons question
whether or some concealed coufed-
crate produce the sights and sounds
that occur behind the screen whore, i'm
lieu Of "cabinct,' am seated. Yet
ii is tricicry, pure and simple. Not
so simple rs 10 be seen through, yet so
simple that, knowing how, any one
may do il.
II is now about thirty years since the
Davenport Brothers first introduced
the ropc-tying trick, and 50 clcycrly
did they do it that TO this day the sa-
crct is known 90 very few. As they
did it, the audience wcre allowed 90 do
the tying, and the brothers were found
us tightly ticl after the "manifcsta-
tons as before.
have never met more than two So
called explanations OF the trick. In one
heperformer by means Of siip-hHots ties
himself so that he can either free him
self or fasten the knots anew at pleas
urc and in moment. In the other.
the audience do the tying, and the
performer merely wriggles himself
out Of the rope, without any attempt to
replace il or the knots. just how he
does this is described i'm so-callcd
Explanation Of the Davenport Trick, Z"
sold in England some years ago at the
modest price Of n guinea, "A copy Of
vhicn have preserved, and reproduce
here for the benefit Of my readers:
'"Place your hands upon your knees
and sit upright in tho chair, expand
ing the chest as much rs possible. It
matters not how tightly you may be
bound at any part Of the body, or how
many knots may be tied around you;
the whole secret depends upon the
wrists, and the means you adopt 60 re-
lease your hands; for when the hands
are released, the rope, being in one
length, may be shaken from you with
out "A single knot being united.
"In order to release the hands,
place them upon the knees win the
fists clinchcd, using great muscular
effort, which will expand the veins,
and prove "A resisting power 20 the
rope when it is fastened round tho
wrists Take no notice Of any knot
that may be tied until the operator
comes TO the wrists, then use as great
a resisting power as you can, without
being observed, against the sil3 on
which the rope is fastened, and the
trick is accomplished. As soon a. you
are alone Gin "A room or cabinoD, place
your thumb and little finger duder tho
palm Of the hand, and you will find no
difficulty whatever in drawing tho
hand through the rope which being
accomplished, the other hand is
readily released, and you are at liberty
20 make any manifestations with
musical Instruments, etc.
II will be seen that these methods
are entirely different from the Dlven-
ports Indeed, their trick is little
known even among professional con-
iurers, but as these gentlemen found
Il necessary, for the sake Of their rep
utatious. 10 exhibit something akin
20 H. they invented and substituted
similar effects quite clever in their
woy. These too have been 80 care
fully guarded that. so for as avn
aware, the secret has never been laid
bare.
In this paper ] propose % explain
how some Of these arc done, selecting
those produced without the aid Of
mechanical contrivaucc7 a. not only
the most ingenious, but decidedly the
best. shall begin with that known
a. The Sentry-Box," n fayOrite trick
Of Robert Heller, and still used by
Maskelync and Cooke, the London con-
iurcrs.
The main piece Of apparatus con-
sists Of an oblong box, about four feet
nine inches long. eighteen inches wide,
and twenty inches deep. Having made
OK procured such a box. stand IL up
light. and about eighteen inches from
the ground end fasten partition
board % serve a. "a seat for The per-
former. II should be- nailed firmly 20
The sides aud back CbOttom) oi the box.
and be supported by clca's. About
four or fye inches above this seat ;wo
gimlet-holes must be- bored about ara
inch apart. 20 that they will b. on q
line with the performers hands ii held
behind his back while seated. The
box finished. the young magician.
whom ! will suppose - be yOu. my