The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-11
FAMOUS GUN TRICK.


Tho Secret of Catching Bullets" Ne
Longer = Mystery.
Most people have been more or less
puzzled to know how the man who
poses before six rifemen with shotted
guns manages to "catch the bullets"
The trick has often been performed by
Hermann and others of his kind, and
always with belief that while il was
a trick, it was yet unfathomable. Fred.
erick Bancroft. himself professional.
gives the whole snap away. Mr.. Ban
croft says:
40 begin with, as recently done il
Ees performed with the aid Of six sol
diers under the command of a sergeant
At the rise of the curtain the squad
marched upon the stage and took s
position in oblique line on the right
when. after they had been brought to
attention and order arms, the sergeant
crossed the stage to the left third en-
trance for the assumed purpose of de-
posting his gun and taking from the
same place a salver on which the buE
lets were to be placed. This salver was
6x12 inches and about one inch deep
In the center there was a small hole
or well large enough to hold six cart
ridges. Concealed in the interior OF
this salver was another compartment
exactly the same size as the exposed
well containing six blank cartridges.
which were hidden from view.
Underneath this salver and concealed
by the hand in which the sergeant car.
ried the salver, was small peg con-
trolling the two compartments. The
salver was taken by the sergeant to
the committee, who deposited thereon
the six bullets which had been loaded
and sealed. The sergeant then passed
among the audience and various per-
sons took the six cartridges from the
salver and placed marks upon the bull.
let's. They were then deposited back
in the well. The sergeant then marched
on the stage with the salver held at
arms length, but as he was crossing the
platform he moved the compartment:
down and the blank cartridges up into
the place occupied by the loaded cart
ridges. The loaded cartridges naturally
were then covered up and nothing wa
exposed but the blanks. This salver he
then handed to the soldiers, and each
one took cartridge. This is where
the mystery comes in, because every.
body in the audience was ready to
swear that the salver with the cartridges
had never left their sight; that thu
sergeant had held il at arms length
and that each soldier had taken
cartridge therefrom and held 1t aloft
What they failed to notice was that
the soldiers held the cartridges with
the rim up. and not the bullet end up.
After the soldiers had taken Their
cartridges the sergeant crossed the
stage TO the third left entrance for
the purpose of returning the sslver and
securing his gun. This is where the fine
work of the trick comes in. The minute
he deposits the salver two confederates,
who are in the third entrance, take the
cartridges, extract the bullets and put
them on a plate which has been heated
40 es to make the bullets feel warm.
The performer. who has been standing
in the center of the stage all this time,
then walks over to his entrance for the
Purpose of securing The plate upon which
he proposes TO catch the bullets. In the
meantime the soldiers have loaded their
guns with the blank cartridges and
marched TO the platform in the audi
forum and faced about ready to fire.
The performer secured the plate and
bullets at the same time, and conceal
ing the bullets in the palm Of his hand,
he held the plate before him and nodded
to the sergeant 70 give the command
to fire, which was done and the per-
former then turned the plate over with
the bullets on il amidst gTea. applause.
The greatest care is taken TO see that
the soldiers have 10 ammunition Of any
kind. and as there are but six loaded
cartridges in use, and as the magician
does lot give the signal 20 the sergeant
TO fire until he has received the six bull
lets, IL il easy 20 be seen that there can
be no danger connected with the feat,
a. he has the bullets IN his hand before
the soldiers fire.
When / saw the amount OF space de-
voted by the papers 20 this feat and
noted with what excit@Dent the au-
dienee witnessed the act could not
help thinking with Puck: hat fools
these mortals be-