The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-05

shooting trick cannot be called legil-
mate maEiciaus trick IS done al pres
ent. for the reason that j Gees not ue-
pend upon the skill or sieig nt-oI-land
on the performer. but Is entirely depend
ent upon the c0ufelera-rs, 30 mat any
layUsn could 10 the trick eqla4iy as Wei
as magician
To begin with az recently done, u was
performed with the aid OF SIX soldiers
under the command of a sergeant Al
the Use % the curtain the squad maIcneI
upon the stage and took position 70
obliQue line on the right or the sage
when. after they had been brought 10
attention and order arms, the sergeant
crossed the stage % the leTl thlrl en-
trance for the assumed purpose OF DE-
posting MS gun, and taxing from Aue
same place a salFer, on which the bullets
were TO be placed This salver was IN
the form OF an ordinary walter about
six By twelve inches, and about one men
deep. In the center there was a small
hole or well just large enough TO mold
six cartridges. Concealed In the interior
Of this salVer was another compartment
exactly the same size as the exposed
we'll containing six blank cartridges,
which were naturally hidden from view.
Underneath this salver and concealed
by the hand In which the sergeant car
RED the salver was small peg connect
Ing the TWO cOmpa rtments. The SalVer was
taken by the sergeant to the committee,
who deposited therein the six bullets
winch had been loaded and sealed. The
sergeant then passed among the audience
and various people took the six cart
ridges from the salver and placed marks
upon the leaden bullets. They were then
deposited back in the we'll. The sergeant
then marched on the stage with the sal
yer held az arms length, but as he was
crossing the Platform he moved the COM
partment down and the blank cartridges
up into the place occupied by the loaded
cartridges The loaded cartridges natur-
ally were then covered up and nothing
Or
he then handed 10 the soldiers and each
took out cartridge. This is where the
mystery comes in, because everybody in
I the audience was ready to swear that
the salver with the cartridges had never
left their sight, that the sergeant has
! held Ii at arm s length, that each soldier
had taken a cartridge therefrOm and held
II aloft. What they failed to notice,
though, was that the soldiers held the
cartridges with the rim up and not the
bullet end up. After the soldiers had
each taken their cartridges the sergeant
crossed the stage 10 the third left en-
trance for the purpose Of returning the
salver and securing his gun. This is
where the fine work of the trick comes
IN. The minute he deposits the salver two
| contederates, who are in the third
entrance, take the cartridges, extract the
bullets and put them on a plate which has
been heated so as 10 make the bullets feel
warm. The performer, who has been
standing in the center OF the stage all this
| tluiti lheu Walks over 10 THIS entrance Tor
the purpose Of securing the plate upon
! which ne proposes to catch the bullets In
| the meantime the soldiers had loaded their
| guns with the blank cartridges and march
ed to the platform in the auditorium and
| faced about ready to fire. The performer
secured the plate and bullets at the same
| time, and concealing the bullets in the
1 palm OF his hand he held the plate before
/ him and nodded to the sergeant to give the
command to fire, which was done and the
| performer then turned the plate over
| with the bullets on it amidst great ap-
! plause.
The greatest care Is taken TO see that
| the soldiers have no ammunition of any
kind and as there are but six loaded cart
| ridges IN use, and as the magician does not
/ give the signal to the sergeant TO fire until
| he has received the six bullets it is easy
TO be seen there can be no danger connect.
| ed with the feat, as he already has the
| bullets IN his hand before the soldiers fire
! When 1 saw the amount OF space de-
| voted by the papers to this feat and saw
! with what excitement the audience wit.
messed the act 1 could not help thinking
with Puck: What fools these mortals be. !
Frederick Bancroft