Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-10-17
FAMOUS ILLUSIONS.
GONE SECRETS OF PROFESSIONAL
I'- CONJURERS REVEALED.
How the Mysteries Are Destroyed
and the Tricks ShOrn of Their
Charm by a Peep At the Mechanism
Behind the Scenes.


A behind the scenes view Of the ia
nous illusions with which conjurer
have mystifed and delighted genera
:. ton after genera ton has peculiar fasci
. nations. There are few Of US who
= value our own childish illusions 81
/. highly that We will not part with then
I for the fun of seeing how we have beer
. fooled.
Here are examples of some Of the
best known tricks:
The box trick is as clever as vel
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 few sec
J onds, and when it Is revealed the occu
pant is sitting upon it, the closed and
sealed bag beside him. The cords and
: seals on the box are intact.
This astonishing feat is accomplished
thus: The occupant of the bag has in.
serted a wooden plug in the mouth
while the tying is being done. When
the chest is locked, he pulls It out, slips
put his hand. pulls of the cords, gets
out and replaces the cords over the t p
Of the sack.
! By the time the chest Is roped he is
free. The chest has secret opening;
usually at the end, and while 1t Is hid
den he crawls out. A slim man il
usually employed to do the trick.
The vanity fair trick is one of the
most battling in the repertory of the
black art. A woman stands before a
| large mirror about ten feet high and
/ placed in heavy frame. About three
| feet from the floor is a small shelf
I 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, losing patience, the perform
er 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 q
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
silvered 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 a hole
about eighteen inches square, which
was previously concealed from view
by the double glass at the base.
Through this hole the lady instantly
Slips and escapes by a 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 lust
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 in the
air. A couple Of ordinary chairs are
placed on the stage-well toward the
pack, which is draped with black cloth
and upon these is laid a broad thick
blank. A young lady is then intro
iuced and is assisted to place herself
recumbent position on the plank.
lie then draws aside the chairs, and
ne plank, with the lady on it, remains /.
apparently suspended in the air. To
rove that the plank is not supported.
he exhibitor takes large hoop and
'asses it backward and forward over
nd around the plank. ;
Yet there is an attachment. AS soon
8 the lady is placed in position Oh
lie board carriage, placed behind the
lack curtain and supporting strong
'on bar twice bent upon itself. is
ushed forward by an assistant so that
ne iron bar, which is covered with s
lack cloth. comes out through a slit
the curtain while the exhibitor is
retending to meslnerize the lady. The
ar has at its end very strong clip o
nd the performed, while making his a
ypnotic passes, guides this on to the "
GARD. The chairs are then removed. a
nd the board remains suspended by N
lie Invisible iron bar.
The hoop is passed along from one 4;
Id until it reaches the bend where
he bar passes through the curtain. cl
he performer passes it round the end ~
the board and himself walks be- ~
nd, passing the ring along ir the CD. n,
'site direction. Next it is brought
lex again, and the effect is such that
e average spectator is convinced that NJ
e hoop has really been passed over g.
e lady and the board from end to ..
d. ~
Another very effective illusion, ar al
nged upon the same principle shows
e head and bust of a lady supported u, a