Evening star., 1896-03-31
MAGIC AND MYSTERY.
Some Tricks Explained by One Who
Has Become Expert.

Some Tricks Explained by One Who
Has Become Expert.
From the Chicago Herald.
Now. here's an easy trick" said Mr..
Rotcrberg, the magician, as he picked up
battered silk hat and few slips Of paper.
"Just suggest the name of some states
man."
Grover Cleveland" said one of the Wis
itors.
Mr.. Roterberg wrote on one Of the slips,
folded it and dropped 1t in the hat Lincoln,
Grant. Mayor Swift and other statesmen
were propos ed. but when George Washing
tons name was mentioned the magician
wrote the last slip and dropped it into the
hat. Then he shook them all up and pass
ed the nat to his nearest visitor.
Take Slip" he said. When 1t was I'M
folded it showed the name George Washing
ton. The magician tlen took the assurance
Of one Of the visitors that the name Of
Washington had been proposed.
"All right" he went on. Now, We'll
burn the Slip
He did so, and when the paper had curl
ed and twisted into ashes he rubbed some
of the ''charred remains on his wrist and
the name George Washington stood cut at
once in clear red letters.
That's very simple trick, although it's
a bit puzzing," explained Mr.. Roterberg.
when you ask to have the company sug-
gest the names of the statesmen. or animals
or anything else. take one yourself which
you know will be selected. In statesmen,
for instance, take, as 1 did, the name Of
George Washington, which in patriotic
company is sure to be selected, and in Sc
lectinS animals take horse or dog. Then
when you begin to write the slips put On
all of them the name you have selected i'll
stead of the others proposed, so that when
you pass the hat to one person to select
n q of fhn hat &c
1t. H
Now, producing the handwriting on the
arm is just simple. About five minutes
before you do the trick trace with milk the
name you want to appear and let the milk
dry. Rubbing on the ashes then brings it
out in red, and to any one who does not
know the trick it is all exceedingly mys-
terious.
Here's another neat little trick" went
on Mr.. Roterberg. ito make this coin pass
through a magician's wand, through a
pack of cards. and drop into a glass on
which the cards are resting"
Mr.. Roterberg then placed his glass on
the table. rested the cards over the glass
and stood his wand perpendicularly On the
it in his left hand and appearing to take it
in his right. Now, watch it 60"
He hit the top of his wand a crack with
his right hand. and instantly there was
Of cards and in the glass. But it wasn't
the coin Mr.. Roterberg exhibited at first
That he still held in his left hand, The
one that dropped into the glass had rested
securely in a couple Of Sits in the bottom
card until the downward pressure from the
wand bent the cards and released the coin
A little dexterity in handling the cards
makes it impossible to discover the coin
in the pack, and a few words about the
wand" and magic" and so on. add much
to the bewilderment and the interest
Another clever trick that seems 70 call
for an exertion Of magnetic force and has
very mysterious look is that of making
lead pencil rise to a perpendicular posi-
.tion after placing 1t horizontally from the
palm to the slightly bent finger tips. The
operator passes the finger tips of his other
hand close over the pencil, as Svengali
Goes over Trilby when he hypnotizes her in
the play, and as he does SO, the pencil
rises from it's horizontal to perpedicular
position. The trick has the appearance of
great mystery, but in reality is extremely
simple. To perform it pencil with a rub
ber eraser should be used. Push a needle
from which the temper has been taken
through the eraser and leave just enough
out at the end to bend into an almost in
visible hook. In placing the pencil in the
palm push this small hook under the skin.
Then put the other end on the finger tips,
and the rest is simple. The opening of the
palm, which tightens the skin, raises the
pencil, and the mystic passes of the other
hand and the talk about personal magnet
ism serve nicely to deceive the spectators.
Columns have been written about the trick,
and all kinds of magnetic swindlers have
made their reputa atoms on simpler things.
Making a handkerchief disappear from