Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-20
By
Frederic
j. H0SRin

of the coffin to it's head, and from the
foot OF the body to its head, the goose
neck permits 1t to be done without COM
ing in contact with the supporting bar
II the spectators were to demand that the
performer pass the hoop completely over
the body and not back again, the trick
would be discovered. In many of the
deviation acts in spiritualistic seances
the performance is not as convincing as
those related here.
deviation may be accomplished in a
great many ways. In some cases a table
is made to rise in the air through the
magician or the medium having on his
wrist a hook which takes hold of the
under surface of the top of the table
while the hands are free above il. In
another case a heavy tack is pressed into
the top of the table, and a secret notch
IN ring on the finger engages this and
raises the table. Where there are two
performers their cuffs may be made to
lift the table.
Like the medium, the wonder worker
of the stage gives answers to questions
that have been written and placed in the
pocket of the writer. and he also makes
messages to appear instantaneously on
paper which has hitherto been blank II
he writes his message with diluted sui
phuric acid 1t will be undiscoverable by
any layman who casually examines the
paper. To make the message appear,
he lays the paper on top of a table hav-
ing a metal surface, under which is Sc
GREETED a spirit lamp. The heat serves
to bring out the message.
Some years ago the two Davenports
toured America and created a great fu-
rore through the mystery connected with
their feats until they encountered a
man versed in the art of magic. One of
their tricks was to have flour placed on
their hands while being tied with rope
so as to make sure that they could not
escape without being discovered. When
their cabinet was reopened, after all the
mysterious manifestations had occurred,
the flour was still on their hands. The
magician bethought himself to substitute
Snuff for the flour in one of the trying
tests. When the lights were turned on
the snuff had disappeared and the -four
was on the hands instead. Later the
Davenport brothers went to Cornell uni
versity, and there again they met their
matches in the art of legerdemain. They
of university boys can summon. the lights
were put out and musical instruments, a
table, glasses and many other inanimate
objects began to fly about the room. At
this juncture the university boys flashed
number Of pyrotechnic balls which
made a brilliant light and revealed the
Davenport brothers hard at work sling
ing these objects about.
The magicians of the United States have
a general association which meets once a
year, and they support a number of pa
pers. In these papers one may see ad-
vertised all sorts of tricks and acts and
the equipment for carrying them out. 1t
is a fact easily ascertainable that nearly
every new manifestation produced by the
commercial spiritualistic medium of to-
day is first advertised in these magi-
clans journals.
One might go on indefinitely recounting
the things the magician can do. He can
bring three babies from a single hat
bake a cake in a silk top hat, shoot d
watch out of a gun and pin it on the
lenders coat. and a thousand other
things no less surprising and often more
mystifying. When acting as a mind read