The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-09-12
FAMOUS ILLUSIONS.
SOME secReTs or PROFESSIONAL
coNJUReRs REVEALED.
How tho Mysteries Arc Destroyed
and the Tricks shorn of Their
Charm by Peep mt the Mocha nism
behind the ecencs.

have myst!Aed and delighted genera.
ton after generation has peculiar fasci-
nations There nre 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
best known tricks:
The box trick IL as clever as well
known and as old as any. A heavy,
brass bound chest IS exhibited. An as
sistant IS placed IN large canvas bag,
the mouth Of which Is securely fas-
tened, and the bag Is placed IN the
chest, which Is locked and rOped.
The box Is concealed for a few sec
onds, Az when IL is revealed the Occu-
pant Is sitting upon II, 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 II 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 secret opening
usually at the end, ana while it is hid
den he crawls out. \ slim man Is
usually employed 10 do the trick.
The vanity fair trick Is one Of the
most battling in the rcpcrtory of the
black art. 4 woman stands before n
large mirror about ten feet high ana
placed In n heavy frame. About three
feet from the floor is a 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 bnck, hence the name of the
trick.
Finally, losing patience, the perform
or thrusts small screen i'm front Of
her, fires n pistol at the spot where
she was standing, snatchcs 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
few seconds.
The secret files In the fact that the
lower part OF the mirror Is made
double, the bottom of the upper part
being concealed by "A second sheet of
sllyered glass placed i'm front Of 1t.
The shelf fits against the line OF
junction, and enables the mirror to be
examined by the audience. AS soon us
the screen is placed the mirror slides
up about foot into the top of the
frame. The bottom of this mirror is
cut away I'm the middle, leaving hole
about eighteen inches square. which
was previously concealed from view
by the double glass mt the base.
Through this hole the lady instantly
slips and escapes by 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 rs il was before.
Another of the most astounding feats
of modern magic is that OF making
person or object apparently float I'm the
air. A couple of ordinary chairs are
placed on the stagc-wcll toward the
back. which is drapcd with black cloth
and upon these is laid a broad, thick
plank. a young lady is then intro
duccd and Is assisted 10 place herself
in rccumbcnt position on the plank.
lie then draws aside the chairs, ana
the plank, with the lady OH IT, remains
apparently suspended I'm the air. TO
prove that the plank Is not supported,
the exhibitor takes n large hoop and
passes II backward and forward over
and around the plank.
Yet there is an attachment. AS soon
as the lady Is placed I'm position on
the board carriage, placed behind the
black curtain and supporting n strong
iron bar twice bent upon itself, is
pushed forward by an assistant so that
the iron bar, which Is covered with
black cloth, comes out through a slit
in the curtain while the exhibitor is
pretending TO mCsmcriZc the lady. The
bar has at its end very strong clip,
and the performer, while making his
hypnotic passes, guides this OF 10 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 IL reaches the bend where
the bar passes through the curtain.
The performer passes II round the end
of the board and himself walks be-
hind, passing the ring along i'm the op-
posite 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 10
end
Another very effective Illusion. ar
ranged upon the same principle, shows
the head and bust Of lady supported
ON a three legged stool resting OF n
small table. One can apparently sec
not only between the legs OF the table
10 the back OF the stage. but through
the space between the stool and the ta-
bic.
In this case the three legged stool is
arranged with mirrors precisely rs I'm
the tripod Illusion. but the table, which
has four legs. is managed differently.
A large mirror is placed dlagonnlly I'M
der the table, Joining TO opposite legs.