The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-31
A MaRician's Ingenuity.
KeIlar IN the Washington Star


1t was during the early years of the war
that became the apprentice and assistant
of the famous fakir of Ava Harris Hughes
one of the best of the old-style magicians
We had been working very successfully a
trick called the rising card" trick. This
was done as follows: / was sent into the
audience with "a pack :of marked cards
These | offered to different persons, forcing
them TO take the cards | had prepared for
them. When these cards had been selected
by the spectators, and when they had been
put back with the pack and shutfied up, /
walked back to the stage with the cards in
my hand. On my way | changed these cards
to another stacked pack | had with we that
had been especially prepared for this trick ty
having thread attached to such cards as had
been picked out This new pack i banned
to the fakir, who, before the audience, put
it into glass goblet The threads reached
back on the stage, where | went at once,
and | was able at will to raise any card in
the glass. But we had still another mystery.
We had a small electric bell hanging on the
stage which we called the speaking" bell.
When the fakir addressed question to the
| bell requiring an affirmative answer [ rang
| the bell twice. When it needed negative
reply l rang it once. After the cards had
| been placed in the glass the conversation
| between the fakir and the bell would proba-
| bly, be as follows:
''Do you know what card / am thinking
off"
Two rings
''Has any one in the audience selected the
same cardl"
Two rings.
SIS the spectator mans"
One ring.
"Then SIZE must be lady. Well, does she
sit in the front roww
"In the second?"
Two rings.
1.-THE first lady from the center aisle?"
One ring.
"Was the card a diamondp
Two rings.
IA heartM
Two rings.
IA picture cardP'
Two rings.
1.-THE kngF'
Two rings.
81 thought as much" the fakir would
| remark with great assurance, though he
knew absolutely nothing of what carl or
person had selected until my answer via
| the bell told me the facts 81 was certain
of it. Now that card is in the glass and
when speak the word it will rise up with
| out being touched. Rise"
AT this point would pull the thread, and
tne King Oh neartS would promptly rise to
| the rim of the glass, to the great astonish-
ment OF the audience. That was very well
as far as it went, but on one particular
| night in New Haven l had been ANNOYED
| by fat man in the audience an alderman,
| who did his utmost to make me fail in my
tricks. When | gave him the cards he kept
| out of the pack the one had forced him to
select. While was back of the scenes
| hastily ran over the pack, which had still
| retained, and found this card missing, con-
sequently, when the fakir began saying that
the card was in the glass, | rang the bell
once, and very vigorously, too. The fakir
was evidently nonplussed, but he retained
his presence of mind.
80" he said, ''our little spirit speaking
bell says the card is not in the glass. Can
it tell you where it is?' I gave two rings
and the fakir edged over to where | stood
1.-The fat man kept the card, whispered.
1t was mere guess, but it was lucky
one. The fakir asked leading questions and
promptly discussed the card in the mans
pocket amid uproarious applause. 1t made
such hit that from that time on made it
practice to conceal one of the cards a
gentleman had selected in his pocket, and
make the bell find it. But if had not hap
pened to look over my cards aud had not
been fortunate enough to guess correctly
where the missing card was would proba-
bly, have been discharged that night aud
might be newspaper reporter or a million
aire instead of magician to-day.