Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-06-01

The coins held by the coniurer are not,
of course, the marked ones, but dummies,
and even these are conveniently gotten
rid of, before the apparent throwing of
them into the air takes place the cash
box itself performs the rest OF the trick.
In form it is as IN figure app The top "a b
is sliding out in direction of the arrows.
In the centre of this lid is an Opaque de-
sign presumably placed there for orna-
ment, but really for use, for beneath II is
placed the marked money as in figure ''2'
supported laterally by strips of glass; k
k" and vertically by a plate of glass the
size of the lid which is hinged, as shown
a. "c'' and "c"in figure "l'' and so arranged
that when the cord which attaches it to
the side "A d" is severed, it falls inward
towards the side "B E'' where it is secured
by spring clip, and the coins having now
no support, fall downwards into the box.
The frame of the box is of metal, and at
"F'' has an opening filled with a plug of
wood. A platinum wire, sop, figure runs
along the top of this plug and is attached
which pass through the rings "H H. Gig
ure - to the slken covered wires 81 II
which support the box when it is swing
ing The thin thread which holds up the
movable glass flap of the lid. passes at
right angles over this wire as shown in
figure g. Now when strong current of
electricity is passed through the copper
wire it meets with the resistance of the
platinum and heats it to white heat, the
thread is burnt through and the flap falls,
releasing the coins and instantly being
clipped Itself by the spring at the bottom
of the box, so that it becomes part of the
side instead of the top.
Before closing this article which has to
so large an extent dealt with automatic,
it seems fitting to mention the most histo:-
ically famous of them all, which ended
its existence in our own country. This
X aDn npin ('hpGs-nlnUlr nt
which many accounts varying in incOr-
rectness from sheer unveracity to slight
mis-statements have been given Briefly al d
| as far as ! know, tor the first time stated
these are the facts The figure, which
was that of life size Turk, seated benin
square box about two feet and a half
high, and and three feet long, on top of
which chess board was constructed by Bar
ron Won kempelen, who happened to oe in
| Russia IN 1863 and there met Pole named
| Worouski whose legs had been amputated,
| and VINO was in danger of his life from the
| Russian authorities Won Kempelen con
| structed the figure birth rs a profitable
venture, and to aid the Polish insurgent
to escape. In both objects he was success
! full. The diminutive size OF the man al
lowed him to be hidden in a comparative
| ly small space, rendered apparently small
er by the introduction of bogus machinery
whose Only purpose was to keep up con
tinual whirrng, as of clockwork, during
the game. The automaton played with
its left hand, in order to accommodate the
popularity of Worouski in this respect.
After being being exhibited before the
Empress Maria Theresa, the figure travellt
all Ova Europe, visiting Paris land Lon
don, Aid was eventually brought to this
country by NJ. Maelzel, in 1925, 1t was
exhibited here with varying success, ant
eventually bought at auction by j. X
Mitchell of Philadelphia, and by him de
, posted in the Chinese Museum of tina
city, where it was burnt with the rest o
the curiosities and the building itself, Jul
5th, 1854 OF course the original playe
had long before this forsaken it, but nj
place was supplied by succession of sin
lads whose play as rule was not rs bri
liant as that OF their crippled predecessor
Sieight of Hand Tricks with Cards-Th
Pass and its Developments by Hou.
din and Others-Second Sight-How
1t Began and How it Ended
The EX planation gifts Latest
Form.
\ ! [CopJ wright 1888 by the Author
Cards were to the conjurers of the las
generation, among the most importar
tools of their trade, a fact which it is easit
to understand, when it is remembered thu
their performances were given as a rul
in comparatively small rooms and befol
what a magician OF to-day would look u
on as an insignificant handful of an aud
ence. The large theatres and crowde
galleries of the present time have relega
ed their class of tricks to the amateu
or parlor magician. There is howevt
scarcely any form of sleight-of- hand whic
is more picturesque or effective when en-
ployed by an expert, than that which el
ables him to make the "pass' or Sdutt
la coupe, "to force" to make the falls
VI abuffia Ufo chanUaV or HIeT In oo