The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-12-19

LOmE SECRETS OF PROFESSIONAL
COMJURERS REVEALED.

:rd the Tricks Sh0rn of Their
Charm by Il Peep mt the Mechanism
Echind the scenes.
y behind the scenes view of the IA
nous illusions with which conjurers
have my$tiiiCl and delighted genera
i.Jn after generation has peculiar fasci-
| !ati0ns. There are few of us who
value our own childish illusions so
highly that we will not part with them
for the fun of seeing how we have been
fooled.
Here are examples of some Of the
pest known tricks:
The box trick is as clever as we'll
known and as old as any. A heavy,
brass bound chest is exhibited An as
siStant is placed in Il large canvas bag,
the mouth of which is securely fas-
tened, and the bag is placed in the
hest. which is locked and roped.
The box is concealed for Il few Sec
)ndS, and when it is revealed the occu-
pant is sitting upon it, the closed and
sealed bag beside him. The cords and
seals OH the box are intact.
This astonishing feat is accomplished
thus: The occupant of the bag has in
serted wooden plug in the mouth
while the tying is being done. When
the chest is locked. he pulls it out. slips
out his hand. pulls off the cords, gets
out and replaces the cords over the top
of the sack.
BY the time the chest is roped he is
| free. The chest has Il secret opening,
usually at the end. and while it is hid
den lie crawls out. y slim man is
usually employed to do the trick.
The vanity fair trick is one of the
! most bafiln" in the repertory of the
| black art. \ woman stands before 4
| large mirror about ten feet high and
| placed in Il heavy frame. About three
! feet from the floor is small shelf
! placed against the mirror, the bottom
OF which is about eighteen inches from
! the floor. The glass having been duly
inspected. the young woman mounts
! the shelf. She then turns to arrange
her hair by The mirror. She is asked to
| face the audience. but again and again
| turns her back. hence the name of the
trick.
Finally, losin" patience, the perform
err thruSts :; small screen in front Of
her, fires pistol at the spot where
she WAS standing. snatches away the
screen. and she has vanished.
The top. bottom and sides of the mir
ror have been in view all the time and
only the center has been hidden for a
few seconds.
The secret lies in the fact that the
lower part of the mirror is made
double, the bottom of the upper part
being concealed by second sheet of
silvcrcd glass placed in front of it.
The shelf fits against the line of
junction. and enables the mirror to be
examined by the audience. AS soon as
the screen is placed the mirror slides
up about foot into the top of the
frame. The bottom of this mirror is
cut away in the middle, leaving hole
about eighteen inches square, which
was previously concealed from view
By the double glass at the Ease.
Through this hole the lady instantly
slips. and escapes by i board which
has been pushed forward from behind
the scenes while the vanity fair by
play WAS going on. The glass then
slides down again, the screen is re-
moved. and the mirror appears just
as solid as it WAS before.
Another Of the most astounding feats
of modern magic is that OF making a
person or object apparently float i'll the
air. \ couple of ordinary chairs are
placed OF the S:agc-well toward the
back. which is drlped with black cloth
and upon these is laid broad. thick
plank. y Young lady is then intro
duced and is assisted TO place herself
in a rccumb2nt position on the plank.
He thea draws aside the chairs. and
the plank. with the lady on it. remains
apparently suspended in the air. To
prove that the plank is not supported,
the exhibitor takes a large hoop and
passes it backward and forward over
and around the plank.
Yet there is an attachment. AS soon
as the lady is placed in position Oh
the board Il carriage, placed behind the
black curtain and supporting Il strong
iron bar twice bent upon itself, is
pushed forward by an assistant so that
black cloth. comes out through slit
in the curtain while the exhibitor is
pretending to mesmeriZc the lady. The
bar has ut its end Il very strong clip,
and the performer. while making his
hypnotic passes, guides this on TO the
board. The chairs are then removed,
and the board remains suspended by
the invisible iron bar
The hoop is passed along from one
end until it reaches the bend where
the bar passes through the curtain.
The performer passes it round the end
of the board and himself walks be-
hind. passing the ring along in the op-
positc direction. Next it is brought
back again, and the effect is such that
the average spectator is convinced that
the hoop has, really been passed over
the lady and the board from end to
end.
Another very effective illusion, ar
ranged upon the same principle. shows
the head and bust of Il lady supported
on three legged stool resting on
small table One can apparently see
not only between the legs of the table
to the back of the stage, but through
the space between the stool and the ia
BILE.
In this ease the three legged stool is
arranged with mirrors precisely rs i'll
the tripod illusion. but the table. which
has four legs. is managed differently.
4 large mirror is placed dagonally I'M
der the table. joining to opposite legs.
Thus the spectators really only sees
three of the legs. the fourth being SIM
ply the reflection of the first.-New
York World
Stops.the Cough and Works off hhe Cold.
Laxative Bromo ouininc Tablets cure a colo
In one day. No Cure. No Paw. Price. rs cents.
Bogus Antiques.
The remarkable disclosure that one
OF the ancient Roman statucttcs in
the museum at Vienna is found TO he
rich in tobacco products and To he, in
fact indiSputably made from the worn-
out mouthpicccs of pipes and cigar
holders will send Il shock through all
the cabinets with small q in Eu-
rope 1t is now asserted that the ma
joriiy Of the antique works of art of
this description are the work of con-
temporary Greeks. who appear to have
made this m$avory industry theirs.
As Lord Macaulay has it in well
known lay
Such cunning they who live on high
Have given unto the Greek.
We may even adapt another line