The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1900-07-19
MISHAPS TO MAGICIANS.
THE BEST PLANNED TRICKS OF CON-
JURORS OFTEN co WRONG.


Professional magicians are inyar:-
ably very smart and cautious mdlVid-
uals. Their tricks are generally well
practiced in private before being miro
duced to the public. which no doubt
accounts for the fact that they are
as a general rule, carried out success
fully. In spite of their elaborate pre-
cautions to avoid failure, however.
some of the cleverest conJurerS occa-
sionally meet with mishapS during the
course Of their performances, and thus
treat their audience to some starting
or amusing unrehearSed effects.
Hermann frequently introduced
into his entertainment the trick OF
producing two large goldfish bowls.
Advancing towards the footllghts
with a large shawl. he would wave the
latter mysteriously in the air. and SUI
denly produce from its folds glass
bowl filed with water. in which
number of live goldfish were compla-
Gently swimming This he would
-,alaee sall4le upon the table and IeIreelT tfes-
waving motion with the shawl until
he had produced another similar bowl
Of goldfish.
A complete explanation of the work
Ing of this trick need not be given here,
says Tid-BitS. Suffice it is to say that
it was accomplished by previously coy
ering each of the bowls with an india
rubber cover. which prevented th2
water from escaping when the bowl
was inverted One of these bowls
| was concealed under each armplt un-
derneath the vest. The bowls were,
of course, easily taken from their nd
ing places under cover of the shawl
the India rubber cover being removed
beneath the cloth before the bowl was
exposed to the view Of the spectators
The trick was very effective one
and rarely failed to elicit a round Or
applause, but one evening ludicrous
mishap occurred. which not only
spoiled the trick, but aso resulted IN
the complete discomforture Of Herr
mann. On this occasion he had just
succeeded in producing the first DoWi
when by some unfortunate mischancc
the cover slipped off the second. with
the natural result that the contents
! of the bowl was impartially distrlD-
uted about the luckless performers
body, filling his shoes and thoroughly
1
satnrating His-ffhifefh ffhifehtf6n that me-
dent concIuided the evening -vrrver-
tainment so far as Hermann was con-
cerned.
Few modern prestidigitateurs en-
ploy confederates during their per
! formances. for although such ASSIST
ANTS can generally be relied upon 10
~ tneAir parts satisfactorily. YET III
simes, through accTdenr04>desihr'@
fail to carry out their instructions. ana
so ruin instead Of assist the trick IN
which they take part. Some years
ago. for example, DeGriSy. very pop
ular performer, included in his repe1
tory q trick in which a confederate
was instructed to hand up an lmlta-
ton gold ring when DeGrisy required
it. The magician got through his per-
formance all right until he came 10
the aforesaid mentioned trick. step
ming among the spectators he Dlandly
requested the loan of Il ring, taking
care. of course, to select the one o.
fered by his confederate. With this
ring he performed an excellent trick,
the details of which may not be de
scribed. and then smilingly handed
the ring back to his confederate. The
latter examined it with apparent sur
prise. and. assuming an indignant air,
asked:
What does this mean? gave you
valuable gold ring, set with diamoh's
and you return me worthless lmlta-
tion."
The wizard was naturally astounded
bv this impudent assertion. but it was
obvious that he could not expose 'ne
confederate without also exposing
himself. In an undertone he en-
treated the man to cease his toollSh
conduct. but he would not be silenced
| until DeGrisy had reimbursed his sup
nosed loss. The confederate then lett
the theater and was never seen there
again. but it afterwards transpired
that a rival magician had bribed the
man to thus bring about the rldlcule
OF DeGrisy.
Among the whole category OF ms
baps. however, none has proved tata
excepting those caused through TN
t.bullet trick" sensational conJurill2
trick which has brought fame to doZ
ems of conjurers and death to at ieas'
six performers. For the beneht o.
those who have never witnessed lh''
| trick we had better explain that II coh
sists in the performer loading a pisto
with a leaden bullet and allowing one
Of the spectators TO fire at him. Whel
ba catches the bullet between hl'
teeth. The secret of this trlck lies Ii
tbc fact that in loading the pistol IN
magician deftly substitutes p'liie
madc of black lead for he leaoen p'''
,et. tbc black lead bullet is crushed L
= nowder with the ramrod. while tn
genuine bullet is secretly slipped lhI
the coniurc9'S mouth as he walks u
+ba stage, Beautifully simple, ism II
Yet in spite of its simplicity accident
will happen.
Only few months ago i cohJure
was presenting the trick in proVil
cial theatre. and. as usual. ne hai' -
the pistol to a young man for the puI
nose of firing. While the conJure
was returning to the stage the ma
who was holding the pistol Introduce
another bullet into it. The pistol wa