The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1894-08-31
MAGIC EXPLAINED.
THE STAR TRICKS or HtNDoo CON.
JURERs MADE EASY.

The MaSgo Trick Explained by Kellar, the
AlRgieiAn--It Is the Same which Globe
TrOttr Stevens Claims Is AIiraculously
Performed by Yogi Men.
The sleight of hand performances Of
Mr., Maskelyne, remarkably clever
juggleE, have excited a great deal of in
torest in London Not only ara his
tricks skillfully done. but his explana-
tons Of other tricks have attracted much
attention among a class af men who
seldom visit the halls where feats Of this
sort arc 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 tho 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
the world is as yet ignorant Of
A juggler placed n cloth over the pave.
removed it, and there was a mango
growing between the stones. .'The Jug
gler, - adds the writer, Zone Of the he-
reditary caste, did undoubtedly make
leaf spring out Of the ground; did mako
it grow into q 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 ho per-
formed his feat in four processes, and
between each he shook out his ehudder,
on 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 Inado
imitation, and that the whole miracle
was maryelously rapid sleight Of hand" 4"
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 KellRr publicly offered |
81, 600 to any one who would perform
trick which ho could not duplicate and |
which he could not provo 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. or 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 mo personally !
a full explanation not only Of these |
tricks, but Of several others which have
long bafled the cleverest of the occi-
dental investigators. The magician has
spent more than Is years of his profess
sionai life ia India and the far east, and
he has closely studied the tricks of the
native jugglers with more on less profit
to himself This is how he explained
the mango or pineapple trick as nearly
as can recall it:
1.-The first time / saw the mango
trick, )" said he, twas in Bombay in
1879 or thereabouts, and tho man who
did it was the most skillful eonjurer
ever saw in India Even after had
learned the secret Of his illusion coald
not help admiring its ingenuity and the
dexterity with which it was performed.
The jugglcr and bis two comrades chose
. spot before the Prince Of Wales stat
ue on the plaza. Ho first laid down
bag on the hard ground and then drew
from it q largo bmldanna handkerchief
o small hole in the ground
with one fnger he buried o pineapple
seed, and over this he placed his hand
kerchief He carefully smoothed out
the cloth, rubbing swiftly from left TO
right. After this maneuyer was ended
10 made several passes with his arms
over the handkerchief while his COM
,ades beat indnstriously upon their
irums and blew upon their pipes.
Suddenly, to my surprise, saw the
handkerchief begin toslowly rise ia the
,enter and gently sway from side to side
" though o plaut were really sproUting
% life from the seed which he had
,lanted beneath the cloth. When tho
handkerchief had risen like tent to
leight of about ~ inches, the conjarer
topped his incantations and cautiously
lifted up the left hand corner OF the
over aud peered beneath IL Then,
,lunging both hands underneath to the
Of loud aud tdiscordant
music, he threw aside the cloth and
bowed full grown pineapple plant. j
t'This is the way he did the trick, a.
% afterward admitted to me:
In smoothing out tho cloth he reach
a into the bag, the mouth Of which
vas conveniently placed near the hand
,erchief, and whisked ont hooded CO.
ra snake The moment the reptile was Z
aid down it began to coil That made
be handkerchief rise WAeA Il had !
cached its full height, its angry hiss
1g meanwhile being drowned BY the
lusic Of tue assistants, the performer
1olced under the cloth, taking care TO 9
raw the corner close 10 the mouth Of 2
40 bag. Then he adroitly whisked out !
hollow pineapple from Che bag pnder
cath tho cloth twas now the work Of
minute olly to force the snahe into E
be apple, close the aperture aud the \
rick was done ''-Benjam Northrup I
j New York Mail and Express.
Lace and Brocade. S
u t.f.4x I (,