Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-23

ance before the Russian court was TO be
crucial test, which would demonstrate
whether the young American was phe-
nomenon or fraud.
Zone of the czar's sons took daggers, and,
while Bishop was blindfolded and put into
another apartment Of the palace, went
through all the actions appropriate to a
stealthy attempt st stabbing. Then the
prince Jumped into sleigh, and, behind his
three horses, he rode through the dark roads
TO point about mile distant from the I'M
perial household, and there, In q deep snow
bank, secrsted the dagger. On the prince ;
return Bishops eyes were uncovered and be
got into the sleigh The mind reader directed
the horses, although the roads were unknown
to him and the night WAS pitch dark, and
alighted at precisely the same point where
the young man had got out. He went straight
to the snow bank and took out the hidden
weapon Returning to the palace be gave q
perfect counterfeit presentInent Of the mock
stabbing ARRAY, and concluded, to the be
wilderment OF tho car and his family, by
putting the point OF the dagger exactly ar the
place on the czarina's left shoulder where her
son had touched her.
Irving Bishop never had a confederate.
His performances were 10 mere feats in leger-
demain Bishop had fine education and
was thorough cosmopolitan. He had an In
comprehensibly keen perception and power
of concentration. The mental and nervous
strain was intense during some Of bis per-
formances Irecollect that after one exhibit
ton his pulse actually beat leo.
That performance was the most marvel
l,j Ir .Ns7ts-
vile, Ky, and as / sat on the stage and
watched the entire performance critically, l
am sure he had no assistance. An old Ken
tuckian, very wise in his own way and skep-
teal, offered TO wager large sum that Bish-
OPP could not reveal the secret he would try to
conceal.
Nov, my friend said Bishop, Charles
Foster would give you pad and ask you 10
write something on the upper leaf and then
tear the page OF and put it into your pocket.
Foster would take back the pad, in which he
had q piece of manifold paper, and seeing a
duplicate Of your writing would tell you
what you had put into Your pocket. That
was a trick Now, l viii do something more
difficult. l won't use any pad and want
you TO take your own paper The sneering
old fellow took scrap OF paper from his
pocket, and while Bishop sat blindfolded in
another part of the stage the old man wrote
a name on the paper and put 1t into his
pocket. Bishops bandage was removed, and
going over to the old fellow he said, smilingly:
That's quite man you wrote about Won't
you come out and have a smoke with mei
You wrote the name of Henry Clay on that
paperP You never saw "A more surprised
man In your life than that old fellow.
Henry Clay was really what had been
written. But Bishop had worked himself into
a most agitated state and tn doctors then
found his pulse 10 be leo.
He did another thing which puzzled me
greatly He got a man TO get an ordinary
needle, mark it, and then go along TO store
quarter of mile away aad mix the needle
among a boxful. bishop then vent 20 the
store, took the particular BOX of needles,
although there were dozens Of boxes tbsre,
and picked out the needle instantly. New
York News