Daily camera., 1899-02-07
POSTED BY SIGNALS.
How "Mind Readers" Perform
Their Tricks in Public.
A simple system or Code OF Words
IL Used by the Performer
to Mystify the A1-
dience.

There is nothing more interesting
than mystery-except the explana-
ton of it. The average audience cannot
resist the charm of the lady or gentle
man who, with his eyes blindfolded, sits
upon the platform and tells them the
contents Of their pockets, the dates OF
the coins in their purses, or the make
and pattern of their watches.
Some say it is done by thought trans
ference, others call it pulse reading, and
others ascribe it to hypnotic power; but
d famous society conjurer, TO whom
Rival man applied for information, said
bluntly that two-thirds of all the mind
reading performances are simply tricks
very cleyerly arranged, beyond the pow
er of the audience to detect, but, for all
that, simply tricks. -.. ..l-
4 can instruct any intelligent man
how to do most of the mind reading
business in a few short and easy les
sons he said. Il will tell you enough
now in half an hour to enable you to
give very successful evenings enter
tanment in your own home as mind
reader.
Take first the favorite feat known
in the profession as the Pad act The
blindfolded mind reader sits on the
platform. People in the audience are
asked to write any questions they
please on little pad, furnished them
from the platform. The mind reader is
to answer them. The questions. when
written, are torn off the pad by the
writer's and put into their pockets so
that the mind reader cannot possibly
read them Then the attendants 60
round and take back the pads, on which
no writing appears. They are taken
quickly downstairs, under the platform.
There, by chemical treatment that
syery rapid, the impression left by the
writer on the pad is brought out dis
tinctly The mind reader is seated in
the chair, so that his ear is close to a
speaking tube. The questions, as fast
IS brought out, are repeated to him.
and he calls them out loud to the audi
ence and gives witty reply. Thus, for
example, he calls out A lady sitting in
row D asks me the question: Where is
my husband tonight" l am sure she
would rather l, didn't tell her now, but
| will write to her about it.
The audience roars, and the mind
reading miracle is apparently proved
by the mere fact that the questions are
actually called out to one after another
of the audience. Many of the ques tions.
too, are readily answered correctly, be-
cause they are like these: ',Whois ou1
most popular general?' What is our
next great public holiday"
The conjurer was asked if he could
explain how the Identification Ct ar.
ticles taken at haphazard from the
pockets of persons in al large hall was
made by blindfolded mind reader sit
ting at distance onthe platform.
THAT is just as simple as the other
feats," he replied. "The confederate of
the seance goes round among the audi
ence and calls for articles. One person
hands him a gold watch. What is this
have in my hand?' he calls out to the
mind reader. Emphasis is on the word
what Instantly the answer comes:
"A watch That word what is an
agreed signal. ..
What kind" of watch is it" The
answer comes at once: "A gold watch.
If it had been silver one, the question
would have been: What sort" of a
watch is it?'
Then the question isput: Describe
the watch further tits an open-faced
watch The word describe is the
agreed signal. If it were hunting
case then the question would have be.
gun with different word.
THE articles offered are always about
the same-watches, lockets, penknives,
coins, handlcerchiefs, pocketbooks, etc.
There is a simple code of signal words
which the mind reader understands
The first or the last word of the ques-
tion gives him the tip. If a strange ar.
ticle should be offered by any person
the operator is clever enough to pass it
by."-Rival.