The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
TRICKS OF MEDIUMS.
Supposed Spiritual Phenomena Merely
Clever LeEerdemain.

New York Herald.

New York Herald.
A well-known magician who has been be-
| fore the public many years in his nroIes-
article to the Scientific American III the ma
ture of an exposure of spiritualisuc frauds.
The article was not written for the purpose
of antagonizing sincere believers in spirit
ualism, but merely TO explain how several
professional mediums and a number OF
unbehevers in spiritualism have secured
their release from cabinets in when they
had been fastened. The writer frankly
states that during the many years he mas
given exhibitions of the mag1cians art ne
has met many test mediums, and can
say without qualification that all or them
have been impOstOrS. On the other mana,
this writer has himself performed cabinet
tricks many times, and before intelligent
and alert audiences, and has never peen eX-
posed In these tricks of the CABINET, SO
old and yet still so frequently performed,
the methods used are many out all hlysu-
flying.
Among the many successful rope tests the
following is about the best: A piece of soft
cotton rope about six feet long and or the
size known as sash cord is securely ued
around the performers left wrist, dividing
the rope so that the ends will be OF an equai
length. When the committee is satlshed
that it has made the knots secure the per
former places his hands benlnq MIN, WIN WIN
the right wrist resting over the KNOTS on the
left wrist and the ends of the rope are Sc
eurey tied together bringing , me sn hn9 rs
fair enough but it is not as fair as II ap-
pears, because, while the knots are quite
SufQc1GnI
wrists to enable the performer, by giving ms
right wrist half turn, to Withdraw TINS
hand from the rope encircling it. -,
The reader may say: mat is all wen
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 ne gives the
rope twist, crossing one end over tne
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 release himself the performer gives MS
right hand and wrist half turn, releasing
the twist lying on the knot, which thus be-
comes G. part of the loop tied around the
right wrist, and charging 1t Suthclently 10
enable the performer to pull the right nand
any trick ne chooses with the free hand
By replacing the hand in the loop and CIV
ing the hand half turn the the knots ti6d can be
shown Is secure as when first tied.
The handcuff test is great favorite OF
uses any pair of handouts furnished by the
audience and by them put on him. Yet in
q very few moments after he takes his
place in the cabinet his coat is thrown out;
but on examination 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 holding the
handouts in his hand, removed from the
wrist but locked.
The explanation of this trick is very sim
pie. There are only few styles of hand
cuffs made in this country, and all that
medium" has to do is to secure the proper
key for each style. which Keys are con-
cealed about the person, and by the aid of
the fingers and teeth the proper key can be
fitted to the handcuffs. In some types of
handcuffS 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 a 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 exposed
appears as easy Of performance as those al
ready dealt with. The whole secret is found
in ,lnnr fNff fol holt nd YfRaa
one which the medium" knows how to re-
move without difficulty.