The Portland daily press., 1892-05-23

feet apart on the long way and four feet
on the short.
A plank an inch and quarter thick is
suspended yard above the stage by four
double brass chains from the poles in
view of the audience. A man is stretched
upon the plank his wrists and arms are
manacled and locked by a committee
from the audience, his neck is inclosed
in steel collar and locked to the plank.
At signal short curtain, concealing
only the prisoner and the plank, permit
ting full view underneath to the wall OF
the stage, is drawn and in minute more
withdrawn again. In place of the prison
er is secured a beautiful young girl, clad
in pages costume.
That is what Professor Hermann
calls "Strobeika'' and he gives it that
name so as TO fit the trick to a very
touching Russian legend about an exile
of that name.
The trick of course, is the disappear
ance of the manacled prisoner and the
substitution of the girl, also securely
manacled and locked in the position the
man formerly was, the keys to the pad
locks being still in the possession OF a
disinterested committee.
It is simply trick depending on me-
chanical ingenuity. The solid end of the
iron manacleS are hinged so that they
open toward the center, in the case of
the two used to shackle the arms. In the
other two the hinges are on the left.
When neck, feet and arms are in proper
position the irons are bent down over
staple, which staple is set in a bed of
metal Just remember that staple bed,
for it is there the principal part of the
trick lies. The padlocks are passed
through the staples and are locked by
the committee, who keep the keys.
There is no deception about the keys,
necessary to the deception that there
should be. In the
Staple and Staple Bed.
is where you are deceived. Each staple
with its bed is removable upon the touch
ing of skillfully contrived lever. The
staple pulls out, each manacle or band is
at once loosed, the prisoner escapes,
another takes his place; the staples are
pushed back in place, the lever is moved,
and everything is securely loc1-ed again,
The little handle of the lever wheel
which moves the mechanism which re-
leases the staple beds is cunningly SIM
ulated screw bolt head placed in the low
er right hand corner of the plate, to
which the right hand manaele is fastened.
This screw bolt runs through the plate
on the board into the lever frame. A
simple pressure of the fingers on the
bolt head to the right about two inches
is all that is necessary to free the staple
beds, and a simple movement back to
the left lock the staple beds again.
Deceiving the Very Elect.
The little runway of the bolt is so care
fully fitted as to deceive the committee
in the dim light given them on the stage.
To provide against the committee dis
covering the movement of the screw
head, there is small plate placed under
the other plate. This holds the screw
head in position until the operator intro
duces small piece of metal which he
holds in his right hand By pushing this
under the edge of the top plate he is en-
abled to slide the small plate away from
the screw, and the latter is now nova
BILE.
The escape of the prisoner and the in
PRODUCTION of the substitute seem to be
managed variously Those who saw the
trick here thought the substitute was
CoHC6dleu III IL IOlu OF the curtains III one
corner. Another method used by Herr
mann has been the extending of a plank
from hole in the scenery to the cabinet,
over which the performers could pass.
1t does not seem probable, however, that
the plank was used here.
Some of the tricks could probably be
explained only by Hermann himself, OF
by a juggler equally proficient. Yet it is
safe to say that quickness and ingenuity
are the substance of them ALL Perhaps
the trick where Nine. Hermann was
suspended in air was even more wonder
full than Strobeika. The mechanism was
certainly more ingenious. Under the
loose draperies which Nine. Hermann
wore when she came on to the stage was
strong steel framework, closely fitted
to the body, and it's mechanism center
ing on the under side of the right arm
There, when she takes her place, joint
is made with the brass upright post.
Close observers noticed that fold of the
drapery was always laid over the place
where the brass rod came in contact with
Nine. Herrmann's right arm. The sub
sequent movements are caused by inge-
NOUS mechanism.