The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-12-09
TO BECOME =.
A MIND READER

ton Of it. The average audience can
not resist the charm of the lady or
gentleman who, with his eyes blindfold-
ed, sits upon the platform and tells
them the contents of their pockets, the
dates Of the coins in their purses, the
make and pattern of their watches,
and who go n find articles that have
been carefully hidden away-all by
the exercise Of their wonderful gift of
reading other peoples minds. 1t is a
deeply interesting mystery, and the va
rious explanations offered are even
more interesting. Som say it is by
thought transference. others call it
pulse reading, and others ascribe it to
hypnotic power. But the trouble with
really explain. Thought transference or
pulse reading or hypnotic power it may
be-but how is it done?
"Sevengala," we'll known all over the
country as a hypnotic and mind reader,
and whose w public exhibitions
have puzzled the keenest observers,
offers a much simpler explanation. He
says bluntly that t~wo-thirds of all the
mind-reading performances are simply
tricks, very %cleverly arranged, beyond
the power of the audience to detect, but
for all that simply tricks.
"~Sevengala" is the stage name of
Walter C. Evans. a tall, good looking
man, about thirty years of age. He
has been a student and experimenter in
mind reading and hypnotism since he
was a boy Of eleven. One Of he
most curious experiences of his life
happened a few years ago. He had
been exhibiting in Kansas, and a rival
mind reader had camped on his trail
in a somewhat annoying way. He was
hailed into court for having said that
were all tricks, and he made a novel
offer to the court of justifying the libel
by, doing the same tricks himself in the
court room, and then showing the judge
and jury just where the trick came in.
The offer was not accepted, but
"~Sevengala" made good his offer to a
large Kansas audience, and has repeat
edly done so to other audiences since.
To a reporter he gave in Pasaic, N. j.,
an interesting account of the inside
processes of many of the best known
mind reading feats.
HOW 1T is DONE.
II cal instruct any intelligent man
how to do most of the mind reading
business in a few shor and easy les
sons,' he said. II will tell you enough
now in half an hour to enable you tc
give a very successful evenings enter.
tainment in your own home as a mind.
reader.
Take the first favori1e feat Of blind
folding the mindreader and putting hin
outside the room while the testing par
ty carefully hides some object, which
presently, at a signal, the ~blindfoldet
person is to come in and find. Per
haps the hidden article is a book or
paper knife or a cigar. Whatever it is
the mind reader when he comes int
the room goes from one member Of tn
company to another, making mysteri
Gus passes with his hands-all Of which
is mere by-play. Pretty soon he goes 4
the top Of the bookshelf, OF it may b
under the cushion Of the sofa, or un
derneath the rug on the floor, an
brings forth the hidden thing. Won
derful, isn't It? Certainly, till you know
how 1t is dane.
'The one essential thing in finding
hidden articles in this way Is one con
federate in the company. 1t is neve
difficult to arrange that. OF course
the confederate cannot speak, but in
formation can be given by signs. Their
are several codes Of sign-speaking ii
use by so-called mind-readers. One o
the best and simplest is this: The con
federate uses his hands and feet a
signal stations to the mind reader.
UNLESS the room is very quiet it /
quite possible as the mind reade
gropes around his confederate, for tn
latter to whisper the word "Pocket
knife" or whatever the hidden articl
may be. But even If he cannot do tina
his hands and feet can be easily mad
to give dumb directions. The right foo
is placed to point but the general lin
for the searcher. II the two feet ar
raised so as to rest on the points Q
the toes the searcher knows that tt
article is hidden somewhere behind tn
confederate.
Next, the hand is called into use.
the confederate punches his hand an
allows his thumb to point up abov
the bunch it means that the article
higher than the searcher's head. If tn
thumb is held On a level with tn
hnnched fingers it meana thai the al