The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-08-17
MAGICIANS' MISHAPS.
CONJURING ClIMAxES WHICH WE'RE
NOT ON THE BILL.

i CONJURING ClIMAxES WHICH WERE
NOT ON THE BILL.
How Hermann Once Took an I'm
promptu HRth-A Mean Trick That
Was Perpetrnted on De Grisy-Feuts
! That Beckoncd Denth.
Professional masici0ns are invariably
very smart and cautious individuals.
Their tricks are generally well practiced
in private before being introduced 10
the public. which no Doubt accounts for
the fact that they are. as general rule,
carried out successfully. In spite of
their elaborate precautions to avoid fail
+ urc, however, some of the clevcrcst con-
jurers occasionally meet with mishaps
during the course of their performances
and thus treat their audiences to some
startling or amusing Inrehearscd effects.
/ Hermann frequently introduced into
| his entertainment the trick of producing
two large goldfish bowls. Advancing to-
ward the footlights with a large shawl,
! he would wave the latter mysteriously
| in the air and suddenly produce from its
folds a glass howl filled with water. in
which a number of live goldfish were
complacently swimming. This he would
place upon the table and repeat the wav-
ing motion with the shawl until he had
produced another similar bowl of gold
fish.
A complete examination of the work
Ing Of this trick need not be given here.
Suffice it to say that it was accomplished
by previously covering each of the bowls
with an india rubber cover. which pre-
vented the water from escaping when
the howl was inverted. One of these
bowls was concealed under each arrlp;t.
underneath the vest. The bowls We're,
of course. easily taken from their hiding
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 10 elicit round of applause.
but one evening a ludicrous mfshap oc-
cured which not only spoiled the trick,
but also resulted in the complete discom-
future OF Hermann. On this occasion
he had just succeeded in producing the
first bowl when by some unfortunate
mischance the cover slipped off the sec
ond. with the natural result that the con-
tents of the bowl were impartially dis
trihuted about the lucklrss performers
body. filling his shoes and thoroughly
snturating his clothes. 1t is almost SD
pertluous to mention that this incident
concluded the evenings entertainment SO
far as Hermann was concerned.
Few modern prestidigitators employ
confederates during their performances,
for, although such assistants can general
~ be relied upon to play their parts salts
factOrily. yet at times. through accident
or design. they fail TO carry ont their
instructions, and SO ruin instead of assist
the trick in which they take part. Some
years ago. for example. De Grisy. a very
popular performer included in his roper
tory a trick in which a confederate was
instructed to hand up an imitation gold
ring when De Grisy required it. The
magician got through his performance
all right until he came to the aforemen-
toned ring trick. Stepping among the
spectators. he blandly requested the loan
of ring. taking care. Of course. 10 select
the one offered by his confederate. With
this ring he performed an excellent trick
uhc details of which need not be dcScrib.
eD and then smilingly handed the ring
back to his confederate. The latter ex-
amined it with apparent surprise. and,
assuming an indignant air. asked:
What does this mean? | gave you q
valuable gold ring, set with diamonds,
and you return ME a worthless imita-
Iion."
The wizard was naturally astounded
by this impudont assertion. but il WAS
obvious that he could not expose the
confederate without also exposing him
self. In an undcrtone he entreated the
man to cease his foolish conduct. but he
would not be silenced until De Grisy had
reimbursed his supposed loss. The con-
federate then left the theater and was
never seen there again. but it afterward
transpired that rival magician bad
brihPd the mau to thus bring about the
ridicule of De Grisy.
Among the whole category OF mishaps,
however. none has proved fatal except
ing those caused through the bullet
trick" sensational conjuring feat
which has brought fame to dozens of
conjurers and death to at least six per-
formers. For the benefit of those who
have never witnessed this trick we had
better explain that it consists in the per-
former loading Il pistol with II leaden
bullet and allowing one of the specta-
tors to fire at him, when he catches the
bullet between his teeth, The secret Of
this trick lies in the fact that in loading
the pistol the magician deity substitutes
n bullet made Of black lead for the lead
ell bullet. The black lead bullet is crush
ed to a powder with the ramrod while
the genuine bullet is secretly slipped into
the conjurer's mouth as he walks up the
stage. Beautifully simple, isn't it? Yet
in spite of its simplicity accidents will
happen.
Some time ago a conjurer was present.
ing the trick in provincial theater, and,
as usual, he handed the pistol to a young
man for the purpose of firing. While
the coniurer was returning to the stage
the man who was holding the pistol in
PRODUCED another bullet into it. The pis-
to was then discharged, and the bullet
crashed through the brain Of the unfor-
tunate conjurer, who fell dead upon the
stage. Many of the spectators tainted
at the horrible sight. and the man who
had fired the pistol was Immediately ar
rested, but as he succeeded in convincing
the jury that he was not aware he was
doing anything wrong he was acquitted.
Still more tragic was another case in
which an ingenious performer resolved
to introduce Il variation of the bullet ,
trick. He made up 10 represent the
historic William Tell and each night he
would shoot an apple from the head of
his son. the bullet being afterward found
imbedded in the apple The feat was.
Of course, nothing more than trick.
But one evening. through some terrible
mistake. the lcaden bullet was fired from
the gun, the boy on whose head the apple
rested being killed outright. TIL" unhap-
by conirrer was sentenced to six months
Imprisonment for homicide. and shortly
after his release from prison he died in
lunatic asylum.-London Tit Bits.