The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-07-22
BY EARL SPARKLING
Copyright. 1882 by the New York World
Telegram Corporationl

ldBlCldllS-1uQGeQ, lie Has
been called the greatest ma
gician living, bar none-is Samuel
Cox Hooker, Phi. D., wealthy re-
tired chemist and industrialist of
80 Remsen street, Brooklyn. There
by, the story of a boyhood dream
that did not die.
Fifty years ago as a STRIPPING in
England, where he was born,
Samuel Hooker wanted nothing Of
the world but to mystify it.
He haunted the Egyptian hall in
London, known as "England's
Home of Mystery" Profession
al magicians were his demigods.
He logged them, was so persist
ent that the famous John Nevil
Maskeleyne became his friend and
teacher. At 16 the youth was CIV
ing benefit performances, and the
road to his ambition seemed
straight ahead.
Life got in his way. His fam
lily put him in the Royal College
of Science, London, where he won
prize and a scholarship in chem
istry. Then he was shipped
away to the University of Munich,
to become not a master of sci
ence, buta doctor of philosophy.
And SO, before long, there was
no time for magic. He came to
America in 1885, and there was
still less time.
Honors and cares piled them
selves upon him. He became a
member of the American Chem
ical Society, the American Elec-
ro-Chemical Society, of the
Franklin Institute and of similar
bodies in England, France and
Germany.
He became a director of the
Spreckels Sugar Corporation of
the Great Western Sugar Com
pany.
TN 1916, at the age of So, he re-
i tired. Then, suddenly, the old
dream got at him again. In the
rear of his fine old home in
Brooklyn was stable, unused for
years.
He converted it into a comfort
able two-story laboratory and be-
gan puttering. The results be-
came known in 1918, when he
invited about twenty members of
the Society of American Magi-
clans to visit him at his home.
DR.. Hooker, an immense tall
man with heavy beard, said
little. He ushered his visitors
through the house, through a
courtyard and into the converted
stable.
There they found themselves in
a tiny theater, complete to the
last detail. DR.. Hooker excused
himself and the curtain went up
on him, his "Impossibilities" and
an imitation bear head that was
to become famous around the
world as "Miltiades III"
A borrowed pack of cards was
placed in glass Roulette that
stood on a skeleton table. Any
card the magician called for rose
slowly out of the Roulette, settled
back at his command.
Any card the audience called for
rose similarly. Any number of
cards demanded would rise stimuli
taneously.
THE Queen of Hearts leaped
Il into the air. The magician
took it from the air and stood it
on end without visible support. The
three other queens Ieaped out and
were placed in row, standing on
edge.
Perhaps it was done with
threads. No, the magician placed
cylindrical glass cover over the
Roulette. Under glass, the cards
continued to dance weirdly.
Perhaps it was done by some
mechanism in the skimpy table.
No, the magician attached ribbons
to the little glass Roulette, which
could contain no conceivable me-
chanism, and swung it in the air.
The cards continued to rise at
command, perform the same evo-
buttons. They would rise swiftly,
slowly, jerkily, according to the
movement of any spectators hand.
Then the magician turned to
Miltiades III, resting on another
table. The imitation bear head
came alive. 1t turned, its head
right and left, rolled its eyes.
1t answered questions, yes or no,
by opening and shutting it's mouth.
Name any card in any pack, and
MiltiadeS would tell the cards ex-
act location.
Take any number of cards from
any pack and conceal them in your
pocket. Miltiades would tell the
exact number.
Finally, to the amazement of the
visitors, Miltiades without warning \
arose in the air and remained
perched there without visible sup
port, several feet above the table.
Perched thus in mid air he con-
tinued to roll his eyes, turn his
head and answer questions.
=
WTELL, it wasn't long until the
w news of this had spread
everywhere among magicians. A
steady trek set in for the house on
Remsen street. DR.. Hooker had |
to give three shows a week to &C
commodate the demand. That
lasted three or four weeks.
In the various audiences sat the
most noted professional conjurerS