Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-18
ANCIENT TRICKS OF CONJURERs.
InconceiyabIc That Such Transpnr-
ent Tricks Could Deceive.
Uondon Standard)

Uondon Standard.)
Coniurers in ancient times were not very
respectable members of society-when sue
cessful they enjoyed the reputation OF
having sold their souls to the evil one ana
when of inferior ability they gained noto-
riety by being either drowned or burned'
The medieval magicians as well as the
Egyptian magi and the Chaldean sages
were only a strange mixture OF chemist
conjurer and charlatan; and as these gem
tlenen were in the habit of using their
supposed occult powers TO their own ad-
vantage. they were naturally unpopular
The feats of jugglery were for the inysu-
fcation and not the amusement OF the
public and for centuries conJurlng nau 10
il only a black side. The amateur con-
iurer of to-day is not always a popular
Individual save with children and the I'M
sophisticated yokel; to the general pubic
he is merely a bore Of greater or less mag
nitude. whose performance Is so obvious
as TO deceive no one. 1t is hard to realize
that this person is no mushroom growth
OF modern society, but in point Of fact
his role is one OF a respectable antiquity
for he is 10 be found treading close upon
the heels OF the magicians, and in the
DAVIS when witchcraft was still rampant
This is significant OF his reputation even
I'm those early times, for had,any one taken
his tricks seriously he would doubtless
have been run 10 earth and done TO death
as wizard
In the middle of the seventeenth century,
I'm the earliest years of the restoration, d
number of tricks was published In one OF
those facetious books which seem 10 nave
occupjed the press to great extent at THIS
time. but which, owing to their unpopular
ltv have for the most part perished Inc
chief recommendation OF the greater num-
Der of these tricks is that no apparatus
beyond the utensils of every day lie Is
necessary: also ii is suggested TO the per
former that he can make some small
proft out of his entertainment by pre-
yailing on his audience TO bet with nm
on the result Of the trick. 10 set q
horses or an ass head upon man
head and shoulders" seem Impossible out
of the land of Faery, but we are informed
that Inv boiling the head off from living
animal 1.-THE flesh boyd may runne into
oyle." and then by mingling the hair
beaten into powder with this oil, and
amounting the heads of the standers-by,
"thev shall seem TO have horses and
asses heads"-a costly experiment and
fearsome, If successful. But. besides
this one can make people seem head
less" and this without bloodshed and by
the following simple recipe: Break arse
nick very fine and boyle it with sulphur
i'm q coyer'd pot and kndle it with new
candle. and the standers-by will seem 10
he headless." Doubtless a strong imagi-
nation is necessary for success.
Some of the tricks are such as would
nowadays cause the performer to De dis
liked TO put IL mildly; for instance. have
4, nut filed with ink. and give this unto
another and bid him crack IL and see
what he can find I'm that" which being
done. twill cause much laughter" TO
keep a tapster from frothing his pots
must have been an amusement 10 the
ways of the period, and for this provide
i'm readiness the skin of a red herring
and when the tapster is absent, do but
rub a little on the inside Of his pots ana
he will not be able to froth them DO what
he can, I'm a good while afar. TO couh-
terfeit q diamond with white saphir'
is n most useful accomplishment, but the
fraud is likely i'm these days TO be discov-
cred and is more a chemical experiment
.ban n trick. Several tricks are recon-
mended which have animals as their SUD
iects and are for the most part brutal 10
our modern IDEAS Perhaps the least oD-
icctionable Is ito seem 10 Kill horse ana
cure him again which may be thus ac-
complIshed: Take the seed of henbane
and give it TO the horse I'm his provender
and IT will cast him into such steep
that he will seem dead; If you will recover
him again rub his nostriis with vinegar
and he will seem to be revived The
seem to- be-reyiyed" sounds rather oml-
nous and il is 10 be noted that the cor
rect quantity of henbane is not mentioned
so that it might be best TO try his expert
uent on some one else's horse ITO make
a shoal OF goslings draw timber logge'
sounds interesting. but unfortunately the
directions are very vague. ITO make
shoal of goslings or a gaggle or geese
10 seem to draw a timber logge Is done by
the verie means that is us'd when cat
draws fool through pond. but handled
somewhat further off from the beholders.