Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-02-18
HIS TRICK FOOLS
KING EDWARD
C0NIURING AT THE ELBOWS OF
AUDIENCE
Travels Of the Queens Handkerchief
Around the Audence-BIlndfold
Trick With Deck Of Cards.
Legerdemsin Feats
Special Gable to The Herald.

Special Gable to The Herald.
LONDON, Feb. Ito mystify his
majesty King Edward VII, a man who
has seen everything that there is to
see and knows the tricks of everyone
from courtiers to crooks, is to achieve
the almost impossible. Yet this is the
particular feather which graces the cap
of Max Malini, a young New York
conjurer, who is about to return to
America after a successful trip abroad,
during which he was guest of the
duke of Portland at Welbeck.
Mr.. Malini had been specially en-
gagged to entertain distinguished
party including King Edward and the
queen, and found that he was expected
to do his conjuring and legerdemain at
the very elbows of his audience, as 1t
were In fact, he was never further
away than u few feet from the king
even when trying to puzzle the royal
eye and mystify the regal mind with
his most novel tricks. That he sue
ceeded so well is a great tribute TO his
ingenuity and skill.
When the king entered the room,
Mr.. Malini, taking this as signal to
begin his performance, opened fire.
when his majesty interrupted him by
saying:
"Mr Malini, the queen is not here
yet"
The entertainment, therefore did not
commence until Queen Alexandra en-
tered the room. Her majesty gave Ma
lini smile of recognition, for he had
entertained her before at a party at
Lady de Gray's house.
Cards in Kings Waistcoat
The conjurer, after a few simpler
tricks, which nevertheless puzzled
everyone, cut a button from the duke
of Portland's coat and mysteriously
replaced it, with no sign of it's ever
having been removed. He made coins
appear in the most unexpected places,
and took liberties with the royal gar
ments by having King Edward discover
a pack of cards in his waistcoat pocket,
where no one had seen them placed.
Even the queens handkerchief was
brought into the tricks, and was found
first in the duke of Portland's hat and
next in the kings glove, which he had
held in his clinched hand all the while.
For three-quarters of an hour the
king and the others watched the con-
iurer's performance with unbounded
interest, his majesty making the same
exclamation, Wonderful" at the COM
pletion of each new feat But 1t was
when the famous blindfold trick, in
vented and used exclusively by Malini
was 0Ole, IIldI his anu
justification rose to the greatest.
This trick consists in handing a pack
of cards to the audience and having
several of them select a card. These
cards are not removed and each per-
son simply makes a mental record of
| the card he has chosen The cards are
| then shuffled and placed face down.
ward on the table. Maini blindfolded,
then, with the point of little dagger,
picks from the deck the cards that
were chosen by his audience. The king
was completely staggered by this trick
This is not surprising however, for
even President Roosevelt, for whom
Malini gave an exhibition at the White
House a short time ago, acknowledged
himself baffled by it.
II wish to thank you personally for
the great pleasure you have given me-"
said King Edward to Malini at the
close of the performance.
King Like an Interested Child
81 never performed before a more
appreciative or completely interested
man than the king of England" says
Malini, in speaking of the event. HE
was as pleased as a child with each
trick I have saved the pack of cards
used in my tricks for him and shall
have it framed in gold and preserved
1 would not sell a single card of the
fifty-two for $780,"
Malni, in spite of his italian name
is a German by birth, but came with
his parents to this country when a
small boy. In New York he began to
study and practice sleight-of- hand
and soon became an expert. He has
appeared before the most select audi
ences here and in Europe. and makes
speciality more of private entertain
ments than of public exhibitions
though he has done both.
Malini prefers a small audience with
whom he can get in close touch. as it
is more fun" to use his own words
to fool your audience when they
think they have every advantage than
when you are at such a distance from
them that they cannot watch you so
| closely"