Evening star., 1937-10-24
Houdin Act
Mystifed
Royalty
Trick Explained
By Expert
Of Today.
BY THOMAS THE MAGICIAN.

BY THOMAS THE MAGICIAN.
TODAY want to tell you the story
of THE Most Dramatic Trick in
the History Of Magic!"
Robert Houdin. famous French
magician of the nineteenth century
performed this celebrated feat when
he completely baf1ed King Louis
Philippe with his creation entitled
"The Enchanted Casket," which he
performed at the Palace of St Cloud
in 1846. Each detail Of the effect mas
been retained in Houdin's memoirs
am going to describe it as accurately
as my memory will permit
Houdin borrowed from his noble
spectators several handkerchiefs
which he made into a parcel. Then
at his request three different persons
wrote on blank cards the names of
places where they desired the hand
kerchiefs to appear. When this had
been done, the King was asked to
choose from this group the place he
thought most suitable
After due consideration of the three
cards. the King decided that the
handkerchiefs should appear in "the
trunk Of the last orange tree on the
right of the avenue leading from
the drawing room"
Houdin Immediately acknowledged
the request, and the King instantly
ordered the orange tree to be watched,
in order that no assistant might
plant" the handkerchiefs there.
Houdin then placed the handker-
chiefs beneath q glass jar, and. taking
his wand in hand, commanded them
to disappear and proceed to the spot
the King had personally chosen. He
Immediately raised the jar, and to the
astonishment of all, the little parcel
was no longer there :. white
dove had taken its placel
The King, having assured himself
that the guards we're still at their
posts in the garden, ordered one OF
the waiting servants, William, to cut
open the trunk of the last orange tree
and bring back what he found
If anything!
William proceeded to the specified
orange tree and carefully removed one
side of the trunk, thrust his hand in
and almost touched the roots before
he found anything.
Suddenly he uttered a cry of dismay
and drew out a small iron box badly
eaten with rust. This extraordinary
discovery was then cleansed of its
rust and mold and brought in ano
placed by Louis Philippe's side.
Having received the box, the King
exclaimed: We'll, here is box. q.
Am / to conclude that it contains the
borrowed handkerchiefs?"
Houdin admitted that it was so, and
after giving the King the key (Which
by the way, was taken from the neck
of the dove that appeared after the
disappearance of the handkerchiefs)
requested that he open the box.
His majesty did so with no little
haste. The first thing that caught his
eye was a parchment on which ne
read an astonishing statement to the
effect that the metal box had beer
buried some so years before by the
Count of Cagliostro. a famous con-
iurer. The letter was signed ant
sealed by the dead count, and seemed
to be genuine in every respect.
In the bottom of the box, Loui'
Philippe found a small parcel, alsC
bearing the seal of the count
magician.
This package, after having beer
carefully examined. was opened. And
of course, inside were the borrowed
handkerchiefs.
Now, there was an effect tha
looked like real magic. and it caused
widespread speculation. which soor
extended far beyond the boundarie!
of France.
OF all the attempts to explain th'
trick, the following seems to me to b.
the most logical, (Houdin himsel
never left clue as to its solution)
Houdin, of course. had the run o
the palace in preparing for his per
formance, and he planned this effec
elaborately. The iron casket had al
ready been prepared. as had the holt
in the orange tree. When he collected
from his audience the cards upor
which they had written the place
selected for the temperance of tn,
handkerchiefs, he slipped in thret
cards of his own already prepared
These named places which were il
reality selected by him. BY a simple
sleight-of hand he was able to force
these three prepared cards oil on thu
King, and then depended upon hi
own psychological ability to make hi
majesty select the orange tree.
The remainder of the trick was de-
pendent upon q swift and capable
assistant. We are told that he hat
this in the person of his own son.
While seeming to place the hand
kerchiefs under the jar on the table
he really passed them to his son, WHIT
then had time to place them in th'
casket and slip out and thrust 1t int
the prepared hole in the orange tre'
trunk, filling in the hole while hi!
father was slyly forcing the King t.
choose that particular spot. The key
Count Cagliostro's letter and seals
and the appearance of the dove hat
been prepared in advance.
There are you! An extremely simple
explanation, and for that very fact
the most reasonable of all