Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-09-20
MAGIC EXPLAINED.
THE STAR TRICKS OF HINDoo CON-
JuRERs MADE EASY.

The Mango Trick Explained by KelIar, the
AIagician-It Is the Same Which Globe
Trotter Stevens Claims Is Miraculously
Performed by Yogi Men.
The sleight of hand performances of
Mr.. Maskelyne, q remarkably clever
juggler, have excited great deal of in
terest in London. Not only are his
tricks. skillfully done. but his explana-
tions of other tricks have attracted much
attention among a class of men who
seldom visit the halls where feats of this
sort are presented.
The Mail and Express recently pub
lished an article from the London Spec
tator in which the writer describes one
or two tricks which he saw in India
and which mystified him greatly. Here
is one, which, by the way, is described
by Thomas Stevens, the globe trotter,
who says that the Yogi men, who per-
form it, are aided by an occult force that
lthe world is as yet ignorant of.
A juggler placed cloth over the pave
lment of the street, and presently he
removed it, and there was a mango
growing between the stones. "The Jug
gler," adds the writer, lone of the he
reditary caste, did undoubtedly make a
leaf spring out of the ground; did make
it grow into dwarf mango, and did
hand the mango from it to be eaten. 1t
looked wonderful because of the appar-
ent simplicity of the juggler, but he per-
formed his feat in four processes, and
between each he shook out his chudder,
or muslin wrapper, so that it passed for
an instant between the spectators and
the plant. The writer had no doubt
then and has no doubt now that this
was done not to conceal anything, but
to distract attention momentarily; that
the first leaf, the upgrowth of leaves,
the dwarf mango and the mango on it
were all of wax or other carefully made
imitation, and that the whole miracle
was marvelously rapid sleight of hand. "
To Americans who are interested in
this sort of thing this mystery is almost
amusing. 1t was exposed several years
ago by Kellar, the prestidigitateur. Four
or five years ago Kellar publicly offered
$1,000 to any one who would perform a
trick which he could not duplicate and
which he could not prove to be done by
wholly human aids. A number of per-
sons who had recently visited India i'm
mediately deluged him with descrip-
tions of this and other specimens of
oriental jugglery. Of course as they
could not perform the trick themselves
they did not compete for his money offer,
and therefore they were not publicly
answered.
Kellar, however, gave me personally
a full explanation not only Of these
tricks, but of several others which have
long baffied the cleverest Of the occi-
dental investigators. The magician has
spent more than Is years of his profes-
sional life in India and the far east, and
he has closely studied the tricks of the
native jugglers with more or less profit
to himself. This is how he explained
the mango or pineapple trick as nearly
as can recall it:
''The first time I saw the mango
trick" said he, twas in Bombay il
1879 or thereabouts, and the man who
did it was the most skillful conjurer
ever saw in India. Even after l haC
learned the secret of his illusion I coulc
not help admiring its ingenuity and thu
dexterity with which it was performed
The juggler and his two comrades chos'
\ q spot before the Prince of Wales stat
ue on the plaza. He first laid down
! bag on the hard ground and then drew
from it large bandanna handkerchief
Digging small hole in the grount
with one finger, he buried a pineapple
seed, and over this he placed his hand
kerchief. He carefully smoothed on
the cloth, rubbing swiftly from left Il
right. After tks maneuver was endet
he made several passes with his arm
over the handkerchief, while his com
rades beat industriously upon thel
drums and blew upon their pipes.
Suddenly, to my surprise, saw tn
handkerchief begin to slowly rise in th
center and gently sway from side to sid
as though plant were really sproutln
to life from the seed which he ha
planted beneath the cloth. When tn
handkerchief had risen like q tent to
height of about 10 inches, the conjure
stopped his incantations and cautiousl
lifted up the left hand corner Of th
cover and peered beneath it. Their
plunging both hands underneath to th
accompaniment Of loud and discordar
music, he threw aside the cloth an
showed full grown pineapple plant
'This is the way he did the trick.
he afterward admitted to me:
"In smoothing out the cloth he reacl
ed into the bag, the mouth of whic
was conveniently placed near the han'
kerchief, and whisked out hooded c.
bra snake The moment the reptile wi
laid down it began to coil That mao
the handkerchief rise. When 1t hs
reached its full height, its angry his
ing meanwhile being drowned by I'll
music of the assistants, the perform
looked under the cloth, taking care
draw the corner close to the mouth
y. the bag. Then he adroitly whisked O
hollow pineapple from the bag unde
= meath the cloth. It was now the work
a minute only to force the snake in
the apple close the aperture, and q
trick was done. Benjamin Northr'
in New York Mail and Express.