Daily camera., 1897-10-08
TRICKS OF MEDIUMS.
Supposed Spiritual Phenomena
Merely Legerdemein.
Some of the Tricks Employed by Pro-
fessiOnals to HOOdyvink the PeO.
pie Not Genuine Spir-
itualfsm.

A well-known magician who has been
before the public many years in his
professional capacity contributes an
interesting article to the Scientific
American in the nature of an exposure
of spiritualistic frauds.
The article was not written for the
purpose of antagonizing sincere be-
levers in spiritualism, but merely to
explain how several professional "me-
diums" and number of unbelievers in
spiritualism have secured their release
from cabinets in which they had been
fastened. The writer frankly states
that during the many years he has
given exhibitions of the magician's art
he has met many test mediums" and
can say without qualification that all
Of them have been imposters.
On the other hand, this writer has
himself performed cabinet tricks many
times, and before intelligent and alert
audiences, and has never been ex-
posed.
In these tricks of the cabinet, so old
and yet still so frequently performed,
the methods used are many, but all
mystifying.
Among the many successful rope
tests, the following is about the best:
A piece of soft cotton rope about six
feet long, and of the size known as sash
cord, is securely tied around the per-
formers left wrist, dividing the rope
so that the ends will be of an equal
length. When the committee are sat
isfied that they have made the knots
secure, the performer places his hands
behind him, with the right wrist rest
ing over the knots on the left wrist,
and the ends of the rope are securely
tied together, bringing the knots down
tight on the right wrist. This appears
fair enough, but it is not as fair as it
appears, because, while the knots are
quite secure, there is sufficient slack
between the wrists to enable the per-
former, by giving his right wrist a
half turn, to withdraw this hand from
the rope encircling it.
The reader may say: THAT is all
well enough, but how and by what
means does he secure this slack?'
In placing his hands behind him after
the rope is tied about the left wrist
he gives the rope a twist, crossing one
end over the other, pressing the twist
down on the knot and covering the
twist and knot with the right wrist,
which is then tied. When ready to re-
lease himself, the performer gives his
right hand and wrist a half turn, re-
leasing the twist lying on the knot,
which thus becomes part of the loop
tied around the right wrist, and en-
larging it sufficiently to enable the per-
former to pull the right hand free from
the rope, when he can perform any
trick he chooses with the free hand.
BY replacing the hand in the loop and
giving the hand half turn the knots
can be shown as secure as when first
tied
The handcuff test is a great favorite
of the medium" In this test the per-
former uses any pair of handouts fur
nished by the audience, and by them
put on him. Yet in very few moments
after he takes his place in the cabinet
his coat is thrown out, but on eXamina
ticn the handouts are found to be on
his wrists just as they were placed by
the audience. AS final test, the per-
former comes out of the cabinet hold
ing the handouts in, his hand, removed
from the wrist. but locked.
The explanation of this trick is very
simple. There are only few styles of
handouts made in this country, and
all that a medium" has to do is to Sc
cure the proper key for each style,
which keys are concealed about the
person, and by the aid of the fingers
and teeth the proper key can be fitted
to the handouts. In some types of
handouts it is impossible to get the
fingers to the keyhole. If such a pair
is placed on the performer, and he
cannot use his teeth to hold the key,
he slips the key in crack in the chair
or cabinet. which crack he makes sure
is there before undertaking the test,
thus holding the key and unlocking the
handouts.
The spirit collar trick, when once ex-
posed, appears as easy of performance
as those already dealt with. The whole
secret is found in a number of false
bolts and a genuine one which the ''me-
dium" knows how to remove without
diffculty.-N. Y. Herald.