New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-20
HERMANN AND HIS TRICKS
,o,rrs THAT WENT OFF WITH RECO1Le
,,, ~, rur PLEASURES AND TRIALS OF BrrN'
MAGICIAN-How TO BE SHOT AT
WITHOUT BEING SHOT.


u,,o remember the magician Heller will
noor NJ any magician Of the present time as
nv" conparison with him. lie was so dert IN
~, or, they say so accomplished in other olrec-
~. such u good musician and such c!eVer
.,y.r that his entertainments were constant de-
49,, cutie unequalled by anything else OF the SORT
r, hos been presented 10 the public since some
'n"' "" on mis- column will recall what they saw
Heller do and what they heaiu ''''' '"' ~ wa"
,,dorse these Judgments
Nv. for the younger generation OF amusement
.akers in America the best OF necromanuc art -
,snr.sented by some two names or at the most
.hros whereof that OF Alexander Hermann Is the
90. Known Whether this mans name was Herr
80, or Alexander. whether his father was
-, magician or not and whether he was born in
% or somewhere else are questions that do not
. much matter 10 those who care TO consloer MS
ortb nurely by Itself. That he was q gooc ma
,o,an for the qualification OF the unfortunates VINO
uerer saw Heller. there is no DOUBT ana no may
n. accepted such without any proo'e"s oi
o,anclature and primogeniture
,y--usnn was shrewd man at knowing what
=. Tor his own advantage. One or the cicVer
b,,gs that he did was 10 cultivate the lho"os' -
,,.,h;st opheles II was not deep eroush 10 a'"i III
rvhody His aspect was not forbdoihg' out no
- The thin face and the sharp eyes naturally
- y. added TO these deliberately the little pointed
- ,na heavy mustache. turned up at the points
", -, short hair with respect TO which Nature
a,aea him again by making 1t curly. Then ne wore
.,osa-ntting dress of black satin and the mo-
Van, ANYBODY saw him he expected him 10 %
ogical things as a matter of course. In his talk
MGR 49, s.ace-the "patter" as ii Is technically
h. was again fortunate. What II his jokes
s,d have a familiar ring TO them AFTER one mao
coma 20 his exhibitions for few years! 10 thoso
ho heard them for the first time they mao the air
- hs,nr made on the spot and they served 10 carry
~. entertainment along merrily at many point
at, arvvts
.,oso understanding Of magicians Is derived only
.o-, having seen one or another OF them on two or
,nree occasions do not realize what an important
rar, O, the business this patter is. Many ma
r,c,an who could do capital tricks has failed alto
ssbe- before an audierce either because he could
nj talk or because his talk was silly rubbish.
TRICKS OF BOOMERANG SORT.
Hartmann was thoroughly fond OF his work. and
=. ala not by any means conhne the exercise of HIS
sl,0 10 the stage. He tried his experiments
.vs-vU,hars II one has little taste for practical
,okes il may be readily imagined that skill In
magic carries with it almost infinite possibilities
Sometimes Hermann. who really did love practical
foxes carried them far enough TO reach the point
where they reacted and he became the victim. as
well as In. protector OF the joke. This was the
cese when he was arrested for removing the watch
y, felow-passenger in a streecar from his pocket.
I, was something Of an undertaking for him TO ex-
Main 70 the officer in charge at the police station
that he was merely exercising his legitimate Gaining
ss a necromancer that he was going 10 restore the
match ~ The owner and enjoy his surprise at find
ing that he had lost II. that the experiment mao
merely conc wrong because the loss OF the "a'ch
was discovered little too soon and that nc was
Lii. If nothjnc more than somewhat unusual
,,a-,, I'm ncrforrninC the experiment on total
Stranger He was obliged to put of all other
.ncareucnts till somebody who knew MIN couio De
een- for 10 corroborate his story ana convince 'e
Ignorant officer and owner Of the watch mat inc
,,o,s performance was quite regular and should De
nun,shed with nothing more severe than the sur
render of few tickets for the entertainment IN the
.v.rirr Happily for him there were not many
s,o,s IN the United States whore somebody VINO
INV him could not be found within an hour al tHe
outside.
Sometimes the turning point OF mo JOKE was
reached and passed more quickly 0uo" " Wv
case when he paused one day 10 wa'ch some 'i'e"
d,sg,rr beside the road, and after q moment took
ra, from the head OF of them and shook three
nv four silver dollars ont OF ~ The isoorer "aS
a..ounded FOR an instant. and Hermann pun mo
dollars into his hand. 10 convince him that they
were real ones. Then he recovered MS senses anu
.s,d. That's pretty clever. mister don't mnd
c,,.ng Won ono OF these" and handed back ono or
~. dollars accordingly. putting tho rest into MS
pocket
Tricks will go wrong sometimes ono OF INC al,
tschss Of a theatre where Hermann was 70 exhip'
rs
pocke. and sit IN certain seat on mo a's'e ="
a.. ~. yctan came 10 take the rabbit out ano theh
IN make q little show OF resistance. no TOOK MS
,,sce early with the rabbit in his pocket ana walt
"a for the trick TO be disclosed 10 the "o"uei''b
audience but Hermann forgot 10 GO the trick .na'
nisht and the poor man sat there all the e'eni's
Nth the rabbit sou!rung and clawnG about under
~, 80, Getting more nervous all the time and
,y,ry ,.s keeper moro uncomfortable. TIL the per-
fo-,oance was over and the audience went OUT inc
weary ettache with the rest. IN a conoiuoh poiuei
I've =, tba, ~ a March hare TO say nothing OF
poor little rabbit
THE USE OF CONFEDERATEs.
7, NAV not be out Of place to remark just nero
that pretty nearly all magicians employ conioo-
crates for some OF their tricks Ihis statement
dnes M, quite come under the head Of state Sc
W., ,noprb the confederates are no. much talked
hon, among layrnen. They are necessary lot some
,roLs and 81 the magician is so moroidly hieh-
minded as 10 object 70 employing .''ei M DO Tn
SAD admission has to be MADE no 70 ,rck AZ M ana
public that the rabbit trick Is no abomi
/; II st consists IN the confederate Sitting ~
his seat and noiding ' ne take it out But there arr
ofher cases IN winch the cohfeueIa.o S,irpd ,Cr
n a more legitimate way. lie may pe t,at, ~.
no,t,1g more than to lend hat ana 10 retain nS
composure when he sees IL c'uS"eu Wv "
On. o, tho MOI, effective uses that Herman n,,h
ever made Of confederate was IN c9i rne ago In
this trick XII is put into trunk. and the truns
is Closed and then opened again. ana tne , Ear 10
found 70 be gone. There Is more 10 ~ the rick
had Seen done stood qP at The bs 's so have az s
house and asked hermann II ne Ia nG' IIerrrnann
that he did not The man asn said he
he could do il with his valise Herman, and
the ,r,ck was done over again, TO the great dehghs
NJ 30 ord,ence The confederate carried OUT s
"a - nc 80 ,rccranme SO well that the policeman
IN charge al the back Of the house wanted 10 az
M "A disturbance,
c,an he'd hard work 10 save his trick from pei,as
spoiled by pocemans excess 80 Of zea 70 be-
Pared bur the declaration that they did no. IA
volved no great danger OF another nclis Vaiei h
cause Few persons come to a theatre WIN vanse
large enough Tor even small girl to get INTO ncn