Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-09-25
MODERN MAGICIANS.
WONDERFUL TRICKS SHOWN A oeR.
MAN WHILE IN CAIRO.


rous Disappearance Of Transparent
baiis--A Secromancer's Method al
killing Dogs--A Strange Death.
When Frederick Gerstaecker accom-.
panied the Duke Of Coburg to eastern
Africa, the incognito OF his SOVEREIGN
friend was dropped at Cairo, where =
German banker treated them to a Dime,
Of fatherland fare, followed by an exhibi.
ton OF local talent: fife concerts. Arabian
dances and legerdemain. The exponent
OF the latter accomplishment produced a
copper dice box and repeatedly emptied Il
on the carpet alternating his. throws with
predictions that were lost upon the for.
eigners; but after series of similar nra.
hmlnaries invited his audience to an omen
terrace, and In the plain light Of the even.
ing sun Hung up number Of transparent
balls, that disappeared at an apparent
height OF some eighty feet above the foot
OF the esplanade. The globes were color
less and Dellucid like white glass, but a.
light as gum, and were repeatedly sub
United to tie examination OF the specta-
tors. After passing from hand to hand
they were put in an open vessel, shaped
somewhat like short handled dipper.
and leaning back till his outstretched arm
nearly touched the ground, the wizard
then flung them straight up in the air.
where they could be seen glitterinR for Z
moment like icicles or large glass pearls,
WHAT BECAME OF THEMp
But nobody ever saw them fall down
again, though the scene Of the experiment.
was surrounded by large, level lawn:
the air seemed to have swallowed them
like globes OF dissolving vapor. Could
they have evaporated or exploded into q
spray OF minute particles latter the man.
ner OF Prince Rupert's drops'Di A
sleight OF hand trick was clearly out Of
the question, but more tenable explana,
ton OF the phenomenon would have pug
z!ed chemist as much as an optician
Gefstaecker tried In vain to bride the
wizard into hint on the composition OF
his missiles, and was not much luckiel
in Batavia, where Parsee juggler treated
the Dutch residents to novel matanza
or killing show, in the circus of the old
city bull ring.
His victims were number of worthless
ours, which their owners or captors had
brought along with the distinct under
| standing that their entries would not sur
| vive the incidents of the performance
| With no weapon but light stick tpossi.
| bly, tube) some six feet long by an incl
in diameter, the performer entered tn.
arena, and then invited his patrons 4
| start their pets, one at q time. A lanl
hound, almost hairless with mango
opened the festivities by making q rush
round the ring, but stopped short ON find
| ing his way barred by the still lankel
| professor, and retreated, after displaying
his few remaining teeth. The NEGRO
mancer held his staff at arms length
still facing the dog, who presently begaI
to stagger, and two minutes after had ex
| pred in commissions. A second cur man
aged to run the blockade by leaping owe
the extended staff, but soon after begaI
to show signs of distress, and before tn
end of the third minute had shared th,
fate of his predecessor.
A POST MoRTEM INQUEST.
Dog after dog entered the ring In quicl
succession, some of them stopping in sur
prise and shifting at the corpses Of thei
doomed forerunners, but all finally az
preached tine possessor of the fatal secret
or even snapped at his naked shins, an,
not one of the thousand spectators say
him strike a direct blow or defend hiInsel
in any way suggesting a mechanical Ell
PLANTATION of the uniform result. II
would merely lift his staff with mer
acing gesture, or permit blockade runne
to touch it in darling by, but in no In
stance was there occasion for repeatin
that touch. The victims had hardly tim
to complete the circuit of the ring befor
their gait underwent peculiar change
they would drag themselves along an
stagger, or start as under a sudden blow
then roll over and die in the CONFUSION
characterizing the effects of certain virr
lent drugs. They had evidently bee
poisoned; but how3
A post mortem inquest failed to reve
as much as a scratch or a puncture.
poisoned arrow could not have eutire
disappeared, while gaseous poison wou
have betrayed itself by its odor or by i
effects on the person of the performe
After the conclusion of the matanza, M
Gerstaecker secured q private intervie
with the artist, and in vain offered him
liberal indueement to explain the modI
operandi of his trick. The Parsee SCENE
bride proof, but at last took his tempt
aside, and in a whisper guaranteed Il
results of his professional assistance
Mynheer should wish to try the effica'
! of his art by an experiment on a tv
legged subject-the amount of the pro
fered compensation having evidently su
| gested conjecture that the enterprisir
foreigner was contemplating the remov
,. of some obnoxious fellow bipedl-Fel
w. Oswald in The Cosmopolitan.