The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-07-25
The Famous Gun Trick.
The Secret OF "Catcsling Bullets"
No Longer a Mystery.

Nh''C l'CVII0 u"NS bNS' "'''S ="
less puzzled to know how the man
who poses before six ritiemeu, with
shOtted guns, manages to "catch
the bullets" The trick has often
been performed by Hermann and
others OF his kind, and always with !
a belief that while it twas a trich, it
WAS yet untatIlomab'e. Frederick |
Bancroft, himself IL professional,
gives The whole snap away. Mr..
Bancroft says: /
"To begin with, as recently done,
1T WAS performed by the aid OF six
soldiers under the command of Il
sergeant. At the rise OF the cur
tain the squad marched upon the
stage and took Il position in obIiquo
JiDe on the right, when after they
lad been brought to attention and
order arms, the sergeant crossed
the stage to the left third entrance
tor tic assumed purpose Of deposit
ing his gun aud taking from the
same place IL salyer on which the
outlets were to he placed. This
salver was in the form Of an ordl-
nary waiter abont 6 by II inches
and about / inch deep. III the cen.
ire there was a small hole or well
large enongli to hold six cartridges.
vCouccAled III the interoy OF this SAL
ver was another compartment eE
.acily the same size as the exposed
well, containing six blank cartridg
cs, which were hidden from view.
WUnderneath this salver aud con.
cealed by the hand in which, the
sergeant carried the salyer was Il
small peg containing the two com.
partments. The salver way taken
by the sergeant to the committee,
who deposited therein the six bull
lets which had been loaded and
sealed. The sergeant then passed
among the audience and various
persons took the cartridges ir0n
tho salvcr and placed marks upon
the bullets. They were then depos.
tied back IN the well. The sergeant
then marched OH the stage with the
salver at arms length, but as he
was crossing the platform he moved
the compartments down and the
blank cartridges mp into the place
occupied by the loaded cartridges.
The loaded cartridges naturally
we're then covered up and nothing
was exposed but the blanks. This
salyer ho then handed to tho sol
dicrs, and each one took a cartridge.
This is where the mystery comes in,
because everybody in the audience
was ready to swear that the salver
with the cartridges had never left
their sight that the sergeant had
held it at arms length and that
each soldier ..had taken II cartridge
thercfrom and held it aloit. What
they failed to notice was that the
soldiers held tho cartridges Will
the rim up, and not the bullet end
up.
"Alter the soldiers had taken THEN
cartridges, the sergeant crossed tt
the third left entrance for the pur
pose of returning the salver and Sc
curing his gun. This is where tkt
fine work Of the trick comes i'll
The minute he deposits the salver
two conteaerates, who are in the
third entrance, take the cartridges
extract the bullets and put them OF
a plate which has been heated SO a
to make the bullets feel warm
The performer, who has been stand
ing i'll tile centre Of the stage al
this time, then walks over to hi
entrance for the pnrposeof securing
the plate upon which he propose
to catch the bullets. In tho meal,
time - 9 soldiers had loaded thei
the; guus with the blank cartride
Is and marched to tue platform i
the auditorium and faced about