Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-02-05

! III
! the sword which was made through
openings and which he had been In
| siructed 10 keep clear OF. While CON
/ cealed in the basket he undoubtedly
! applied a sponge or cloth dipped in
l goats blood or some chemical prepara-
| ton resembling II to the sword, ana ne
/ acted his part so well as TO almost
| prove TO the spectators that he was
/ really being murdered. Instead OF the
| same boy escaping from the basket
and coming in, the double put in his
| first appearance. and the thing was
Now, in order TO find out exactly
/ what impression had been made on
the non-professional portion of the au-
| dience, l conversed with several OF
| them, and in every case was informed
/ that II was the most wonderful thing
/ they had ever witnessed. Without ex-
/ ception they maryelled as to how the
/ boy could have been gotten out OF the
/ basket and placed at such distance
from the performers without being
1 seen. Not one of them suggested the
possibility of the double, and l am
satisfied that there was not one per-
son present, excepting myself, that DID
not firmly believe that the boy who
entered the circle was the same ono
that was placed in the basket, and /
cd having the basket brought back ana
examined.
European and American magicians,
a few years ago, introduced an illu-
sion called the Hind0o box trick, Tor
no other reason than that Hindoo is
a very good word to tack on any illu-
sion, as 1t Is to a certain extent mys-
tifylng. The trick was performed in
the following manner
hoe AL Al fNF hal n
human being was brought in and ex-
amined by a committee Invited on the
stage for the purpose Of making this
inspection. It was found to be
strongly built iron bound box. with
great hasp hinges fastening one side
OF the lid to the box, the other side of
which was held down with a hasp and
staple, firmly riveted through the wood,
and any one in the audience was called
upon to secure It with paddock. This
was done. Then the box was placed
on two trestles sufficiently high to sus-
tain It about eighteen inches from the
stage floor; coil Of rope, usually about
hundred feet In length, was handed
TO the committee and they were re-
Quested to tie the box, which was IN
varlably tied by lashing 1t so securely
MS to render 1t an lmpossibility to open
the lid in any way without destroying
the rope. The knots Of this rope were
often sealed with sealing wax, marked
with rings and charms worn by mem
bers Of the committee In such man
ner as to prevent the seals being tam
pered with without a discovery.
After this was done to the satisfaction
Of the committee the assistant, gener-
ally young woman dressed In a pages
costume, was called in. This assistant
was placed in strong linen bag, the
bag drawn up over her head and Sc
curely tied with a stout string, the
knots Of which we're sealed In the same
manner as those on the box. The page
was then taken and seated on the box,
screen drawn around both the box
and the performer when In an incred-
IDLY short space Of time never exceed
ing thirty seconds, a smart tap on the
box announced that all was ready; the
screen was hastily drawn aside, and the
empty bag, shll scaled exactly as left
by tho committee, with every seam
intact. would be found lying on top Of
the box, the page having disappeared
entirely.
A rapping on the inside OF the box
proclaimed the fact that the performer
was inside OF It, and after the seals
and knots were inspected and united
and the network of rope wound around
1t removed the key was produced and
the box unlocked. The performer would
step out as cool and unruffled as
though she she had been lying ON a
sofa during the whole AFFAIR
Now, unexplained, this appears truly
wonderful but the explanation Is SO
simple as to be ridiculous. The box,
carefully corded and locked. Of course
could not have been opened at the top,
the bottom was resting on the trestles,
and we naturally turn TO the sides for
an opening. The front side OF the hox,
Just below the haap, was SO arranged
that an invisible hinge or rod running
through the bottom Of the lower half
Of the box front allowed this to drop
down inside the box, leaving no obstacle
in the way OF the performers entering
1t but the ropes, which Of course, were
pushed aside enough to allow the small
body of the page to pass through.
Once inside the box she simply rolled
10 the back OF 1t, raised the front,lld and
with a small, fiat, knlfellke instrument
shot two tiny bolts into place, raped
ON the box, concealed her Instruments
to open 1t ana was ready for the in
spectiOn OF the committee. The bolts
were hid by the other half OF the box
lid, they being set into the upper edges
Of the board and the smallness of the
cracks prevented their discovery.
But how about the bag? YOU ask.
That was managed In this way:-There
were two bags. one inside the other.
The performer was placed in the outer
bag, leaving an empty one exactly like
the outer one fiat against the back of
the bag. When the magician was pull
ing the bag over the young lady's
head, ready TO be tied and sealed. he
simply brought the tops OF the two
bags to be scaled up. that of the EMMY
one above that OF the one containing
the page, and held II in his hand 10 b.
tied and sealed, the hands clasped
around the top Of the outer bag con-
cealing its mouth so that the commit
tee working above his hands really tied
aud sealed the top OF the empty BAG
When this was done he would pick m
the slight figure Of the page and seat
her on the top Of the box, quickly draw
the screen around her and she womb
slip the outer bag down from her shoul.
ders, draw up and shake out the inner
or empty one and lay It on top OF the
box. The inner bag would then he
wound around her body inside biouse
waist or outer garment; she would
then open the box, crawl into 1t, fasten
the front and call for light"
A. HERRNf