The Press., 1903-05-07
FAMOUS ILLUSIONS.
SOME SECRETS OF PROFESSIONAL
CONJuRERS REVEALED.

How the Mysteries Are DESTROYED
and the Tricks shOrn Of Theil
Charm by a Peep mt the Mechanism
Behind the Scenes.
A behind the scenes view of the IA
nous illusions with which conjurert
have mystified and delighted genera
ton after generation has peculiar fasci
nations. There are few of us who
value our own childish illusions 81
highly that we will not part with them
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 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, 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
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 IL
free. The chest has secret opening,
usually at the end, and while it is hid
den he crawls out. A slim man is
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 a 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 back, hence the name of the
| trick.
Finally. losing patience, the perform
er thrusts a small screen in front of
her, fires a 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
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 a 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 ut the Ease.
Through this hole the lady instantly
slips, and escapes by Il board which
has been pushed forward from behind
the scenes while the vanity fair by
play was going OH. 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 in the
air. A couple of ordinary chairs are
placed ON the stage-well toward the
back, which is draped with black cloth
and upon these is laid broad, thick
plank. A young lady is then intro
duced and is assisted to place herself
in a recumbent position on the plank.
He then draws aside the chairs, and
the plank, with the lady on it, remains
apparently suspended in the air. 10
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 on
the board a carriage, placed behind the
black curtain and supporting 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 slit
in the curtain while the exhibitor is
pretending to mesmerize the lady. The
bar has at it's end 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 1t 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 OPP
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 to
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 on a
small table. One can apparently see
AOI OHIy pctWccu luc legs Vi lAC tdUlS
to the back of the stage, but through
the space between the stool and the ia
BILE.
In this case the three legged stool is
arranged with mirrors precisely as In
the tripod illusion. but the table, which
has four legs. is managed differently.
A large mirror is placed diagonally un-
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.