Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-05-02
SLATE WRITING.
A Famous Spiritist Trick Can Be Dol
 With a Little Practice.


 Two ordinary wooden framed states are presented to the spectators and ex- amined in succession by them. A small piece of chalk is introduced between the two slates, which are then united by a rubber band and held aloft in the pres tidigitator's right hand.
 Then in the general silence is heard the scratching of the chalk which is writing between the two States the an- swer to a question asked by one of the spectators-the name of card thought of or the number of spots obtained by throwing two dice. The rubber band having been removed and the slates separated, one of them is seen to be cov- cred with writing.
 This prodigy, which at first seems to be so mysterious, is very easily realized.
 The writing was done in advance, but upon the written side of the slate A there has been placed a thin sheet of black cardboard, which hid the charac- ters written with chalk. The two sides of this slate thus appeared absolutely clean.
 The slate B is given out for examina- tion, and, after it has been returned to him, the operator says: "Do you want to examine the other one also?" And then without any haste he makes a pass analogous to that employed in shuf1ing cards. The slate A being held by the thumb and forefnger of the left hand and the slate B between the fore and middle finger of the right hand, the two hands are brought together. But at the moment at which the slates are superposed the thumb and foreanger of the right hand grasp the slate A, while at the same time the fore and middle finger of the left hand take the slate B. Then the two hands separate anew and the slate that has already been examined, instead of the second one, is put into the hands of the spectators. This shifting, done with deliberation, is entirely invisible.
 During the second examination the slate A is laid fiat upon the table, the written face turned upward and covered with black cardboard. The slate hav- ing been sufficiently examined and been returned to the operator the latter lays it upon the first and both are then sur rounded by the rubber band.
 It is then that the operator holds up the slates with the left hand, of which one sees but the thumb, while upon the posterior face of the second slate the nail of the middle finger makes a sound resembling that produced by chalk when written with. When the operator judges that this little comedy has last ed quite long enough he lays the two slates horizontally upon his table, talk ing care this time that the non-prepared slate shall be beneath. It is upon it that then rests the black cardboard and the other side on being raised shows the characters that it bears and that are stated to have been written by an invis- ible spirit that slipped in between the two slates.
 Our readers will not ask us how we manage to know in advance what should be written upon the slate. It is useless to say that deceit is allowable in pres tidigitation. Loaded dice always turn up the same number and nothing is easier than to know the name of the card that 8 spectator will draw from a pack composed of thirty-two similar cards, if not slSillful enough to cause him to take the forced card.-La Nature.