St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-25

pear TO TALL from The mouth OF MS
dummy.
Herman awayS wears theatrical waist
coat while exhibiting. This waiStcOat
has a rubber cloth back and admits the
slowing away of any number of things.
The rabbits, ducks and. young ele-
phanis SO often found IN the hats bOr-
luwed of those in the audience are all
hidden in that vest. Hermann regret
fully acknowledges that he cannot now
do some of the tricks he could nve years
ago, and this is because of slight cor
pulenry. Five years ago he could hang
a towel over his left arm and carry nine
large glass aQuariumS filled with water
and goldfish, and no one ever learned
how he managed such a feat. The waist
coat and its capacity play an essential
part in all performances.
When Hermann drew from the inside
of MIR. PeaSe'S silk hat six large square
lanterns. people were aStonished. How
under the sun he succeeded in Secreting
six square lanterns, each 4X5 inches,
in the hat no one seemed To have the
faintest idea. Again we find that SIM
plicity makes this trick conSummate
success. Instead of having tour sides,
and bottom and top, as the audience
of course presumed, the lanterns had
but one side, behind which was at
tached a small candle. An ordinary
silk hat would hide two dozen of these
'glaSs frames"
The ''myStic table" without which
many of Herrmann'S tricks could never
he accOmpl, shed, is an indispensable
part of his paraphernalia. Into this
table, which always stands in the center
of the Stage SO that the audience cannot
see the top, sink many of the articles
which Hermann makes disappear
The rabbit pressed into its mate as the
two were side by side on the table was
nothing more than showing the further
one
INTO THE HOLLOW TABLE.
If, Instead of watching the cannon,
the audience had watched string in
the ceiling of the house, they would
have discovered that the high hat was
swung ont on this cord, and not blown
out from the mouth of that murderOus-
looking cannon. The throwing of cards
acruSS the audience is genuine, and &C
Quired after long practice of tlinging
stale sandwiches out of French reStau-
rants.
1t is conceded by those who are per-
SOnally acquainted with Hermann and
his craft that the mOney-cOunting trick
is one of his best. Coming up 10
stranger in the audience he counts into
his hands ten silver dollars. He tells
him to close his hand and hold it tight.
The auditor then counts back and finds
fifteen silver dollars. Considering that
Hermann only employs fifteen dollars
in all. and that five of these
he lays out on the platform
on which he stands, this seems
to be a most unaccOuntable accomplish
meHt. In fact, the extra five pieces are
concealed in the hollow tray and are
slid out with the rest.
When he takes handkerchief from
lady in the audience and affects to- tear
and burn II, lie creates another sense OF
wonder. He burns and tears his own
handkerchiefs. while that of his fair
auditor is Snugly tucked in his waist
coat. Again, wh"n he bOrrOwS white
and yellow handkerchief from two
members of the audience he secures the
former from stranger to his schemes,
but the yellow one is promptly offered
10y colleague. These are again showed
into that capaciOtlS vest. while Hermann
proceeds to cut and burn his own.
The chief featl r. of Herrmann'S en-
teTtdinmeHt Oh has present tour is the
Cremation" In this the deception is
so complete, and the effect partakeS SO
nearly of the reality, as to battle all i'm
mediate theory as 10 the possible sham
of the spectacle The enactment of the
CHASTITY scene occurs in the dingy crem-
atury vanlt. In the center of the vault,
which is a dark and weird compartment,
stands an iron caSket about twice the
size of an ordinary coffin. With
an unusually odd ceremony the
subject for cremation is ushered
into the vault 10y attendants robed
in the conventional garb of hadeS. In
this scene Nine. Hermann appears at
her best, and her beautiful form, draped
i'll ShrOud of pureSt white. moving, as
i'll a trance. about the stone floor of the
vault, chills the heartof every observer.
She is led to the casket, into which she
is hidden 10y the executIOnpr. She sits
down into the casket and submits to
chlOroform sleep. just as she sinks into
Inconsistencies the caSket is closed
and allowed to remain so for moment,
while the devils glide about the floor
and secure every exit. The lid is then
raised. alcohol is poured on the folds of
the still form and the torch applied. In
a second all is dblaZe and cracking be-
fUre the appalled, gaze of the audience.
SHUDDER GOES UP
from the house and women turn their
heads from the CHASTITY sight. There
the body blaZeS, and with Sickening
burst the flames eat their way through
it. The caSket is closed and the bulk is
allowed to shoulder. One and all are
aghast at the reality of Nine. Herrman's
anatomy undergoing the ordeal While
the tallOW body burns away in the
casket, Nine. Herman is preparing her
toilet for the next scene and is nowhere
near the iron roast bin! As the box is
closed just before the alcohol is poured
on and the torch applied, Nine. Herr
man sinks through the bottom of the
caSket and her form Is replaced from
beneath The stage with a tallOw bundle
much resembling her shape, which is
draped apparently as she appeared to
be. This is burned, not the madame!
The next scene is where her spirit
fingers about the grave, and this is seen
through large mirror which covers the
entire rear of the stage. How that
scene is enacted, with no one on the
stage, has been the wonder of nearly all
who have seen it. Behind the caSket,
the stage floor is sunk seven feet. The
mirror is placed at an angle of about
fifty-fiVe degrees over the pit thus made.
and about twelve feet toward the rear
of the stage. Into this pit the actors
assemble and enact their scenes, and
when the light from the side of the
stage is shed upon it the reflection in
the mirror is what the audience sees
though not a soul be on the stage. A
mere mechanical eonlr. vance, but a
very ingenious one. and one which sat
isles the public and brings gold to its
proprietor. HAROLD WITHRAE.