The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1890-03-01
A MAGlClAN'S INGENUITY.

A MAGlClAN's INGENUITY.
HOW Aeuar Once Saved His Employers
Reputation.
1t.was during the early years of the
war that L 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 work.
ing very successfully trick called the
''rising-card" trick. This was done as
follows: was sent into the audience
with pack of marked cards. These I
offered to different persons, forcing them
TO take the cards l had prepared for
tnem. When these cards had been Sc
lected by the spectators, and when they
had been put back with the pack and
shuft1ed up, walked back to the stage
with the cards in my hand. On my way
L changed these cards to another stacked
pack had with me that had been espe.
clally prepared for this trick by having
threads attached to such cards as had
been picked out. This new pack hand
ed the fakir, who, before the audience,
put it into glass goblet. The threads
reached back on the stage, where I
went at once, and I was able at
will to raise any card in the glass. But
we had still another mystery. We had
small electric bell hanging on the
stage which we called the ''speaking"
bell. When the fakir addressed ques-
ton to the bell requiring an affirmative
answer rang the bell twice. After the
cards had been placed in the glass the
conversation between the fakir and the
bell would probably be as follows:
"Do you know what card am think
ing of ?"
Two rings.
HAS any one in the audience selected
the same card?"
, Two rings.
els the spectator a man%
One ring.
'"Then she must be a lady. Well, does
she sit in the front row9'
One ring.
''In the second?"
Two rings.
''The first lady from the center aisle?"
One ring.
''Was the card diamond?'
Two rings.
"a hearth"
Two rings.
"a picture cards
Two rings.
'"The king?"
Two rings.
II thought as MUCH" the fakir woul d
remark with great assurance, though he
knew absolutely nothing of what care
or person l had selected until my an 60
swer Us0 the bell told me the facts. 81
was certain of it. Now that card is in
the glass and when 1 speak the word it
will rise up without being touched.
Rise!''
At this point I would pull the threa !
and the king of hearts would promptly
rise to the rim of the glass, to the great
establishment of the audience That
was very we'll as far as it went, but on
one particular night in New Haven,
had been annoyed by fat man in the
audience, an alderman, who did his ut
most to make me fail in my tricks.
When gave him the cards he kept out
of the pack the one I had forced him to
select. While I was back of the scenes
hastily ran over the pack which I had
still tanned and found this card miss
ing, consequently when the fakir began
saying that the card was in the glass
rang the bell once, and very vigorously,
too. The fakir was evidently non
plussed, but he retained his presence of
mind.
49," he said, ''our little spirit speak
ing bell says the card is not in the glass. +,
Can it tell where it is?" l gave two
rings and the fakir edged over to where
stood.
''The fat man kept the card" whis-
pered.
1t was mere guess, but it was lucky
one. The fakir asked leading questions \
and promptly discovered the card in the
mans pocket, amid uproarious applause.
1t made such hit that from that time
on made it a practice to conceal one of
the cards gentleman had selected in
his pocket and make the bell find it.
But if had not happened to look over
my cards and had not been fortunate
enough to guess correctly where the
missing card was, would probably have
been discharged that night and might
be newspaper reporter or millionaire
instead of magician to-day.-Kellar, 4
in Washington Star.