The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-23
GERMAN WIZARD ABoUr
A S~leiEht-of. Hand Performer who Used to
Surprise Men Looking for NiShtcaps.

Surprise Men Looking for Nichtcapa.
Before this big thirsty town was supplied with
so-called Raines law hotels there were several
quiet places on Broadway between Twenty
third and Thirty-fourth streets where night
caps could DO procured after l o'clock In tho
morning and one of Thorn was a combination
of cigar store and cafe. 1t was always an
orderly place and very much the same crowd
could be found there night after night. Twice
q week it was visited by a jolly-lookinS
little German who wore a wig and q per-
petual smile. He never raid for anything
that he drank. and 1t wasn't necessary that
he should. He could do many clever thinga
with his hands that would make an intoxicated
man sober or fr!ghten him into delt:igm
tremens. One of his standard tricks was TO
slide quietly up to the bar and ask for a news
paper. When 1t was handed to him no would
look at it hungrily until he had attracted gen.
eral attention. and then he would begin to eat
the paper. Big strips OF 1t would disappear in
his mouth. and by the action OF his throat
the spectators could -RRtisfy themselves that
he was swallowing t.. II thoy had never
seen the little German before. their amaze
ment was great. The man was starving.
they would say. 1t was a shame. in q
city of this size. Wouldn't the bartender
give him n drink and a sandwich The little
hut IL never prevented him from eating the en-,
tire paper. Then. II drink were placed In front
OF him. he would say:
Veil. | got no use for paper now llreatty."
and. reaching his hands to his mouth. he would
pull out a ribbon OF paper long enough to reach
across Broadway. 1t was colored, and the spec
tators were relieved.
This was merely an Introduction to q dozen or
moro clever sleight-of-hand tricks that the Ger
man performed. winding up with passing the
hat. He drove nails into his forehead and took
them out of his ear; he pulled white mice out
of mems pockets. and he did u good many other
unex pected things OF the kind. Ii was profita-
BILE to him and amusing to the spectators.
For several years this sleiCht-of-haud man had
neglected his old haunts. 1t was supposed that
he was travelling. He turned up unexpectedly
on Wednesday evening in the Long Island City
ferry house Just after the II 30 boat had pulled
out. A score or more of disappointed people.
who Had just missed IL. seated themselves to
wait for the next boat in silence. 1t was an un-
promising collection TO amuse. The little Ger
man looked them over and then walked out to
the centre of the floor and took from his
pocket an ord!nary-looking watch. The big
waiting room was quiet The German
began winding his watch, and 1t was at
once filled with noise. Sleepers awoRe
and nervous people jumped out OF their seats.
waiting room. AZ the unwilling spring was
coiled II groaned like q heavy train of cars
whose speed IS yielding TO the pressure of the
air brakes. The noise filled the room for half n
minute. TO the exclusion OF all other sounds,
and AS IL died away the little German tucked
his watch into his pocket and only his eyes
twinkled. The people In the waiting room
sm lied broadly and wondered who the owner OF
the watch was. When the big door was swung
back the little German was tho first man to
dash through. and as he passed the guard he
pulled a handful OF coins from his nose.