Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-08-17

dollars.
The customers range from
millionaires Ia urChins. Four
tagalongs, aged from x 10 II,
have been coming in regularly.
They call themselves the Four
Mighty Master Midget Magi-
clans. After looking over the
various tricks displayed In the
showcases, they retire To cor
ner, hold a formal business
meeting. and vote whether 10
buy disappearing egg or IA
Stripper deck.
Among the grownupS the
ranks of amateur maClcianS IN
Clude Paxton McldcSsohn. Gar
Wood Jr, Judge O. 4. lde, De
tcctive Sgt Del Raymond and
a raft al others, doctors law
yerS, druggists, building con-
tractors. Judge Dewitt Ner-
ram used 10 be one. but Of late
years seems 20 have backsld.
One millionaire ducks out OF
the Detroit Athletic Club regu-
larry and sometimes spends aS
much as four hours browsing
through the Stora-He leased
basement and spent $500 fitting
n up as a place TO keep his
magic equipment.
And one OF the clerks in pro-
bate court occasionally per
forms one OF his tricks right in
court with has back toward
the Judge OF course.
The attorneys and witnesses
viii see hum stick an egg in ms
mouth and then pull % ont Of
his ear. or go through some
other such SiciEht Of hand II
doesn't upset the older hands.
bur lawyers who haven't cN-
f-lE-+He-ai--t ti---tt.f-t-- +t1trer- 4 rr1rri
time keeping their faces com
posed -o the Judge won't rap
their hnuck'c> for contempt.
Sterling. a. a former profess
sional magician. knows most
standard tricks, and inNents
new ones OF his own. for which
he has won some national ac-
claim. But a. 10 knowing all
triCks-hardly.
There il, for example, an en-
cyclopedia Of rope tricks, i9S
pages OF theu6 With cards,
there are something like 10000
known tricks. Milton korte,
Detroit druggist, pro- a b Y
knows them all, Sterling SAYS.
and although an amateur il
possibly the best card manipu-
lator in the United states.
Many amateur magicianS
have outfits that cost thousands
OF dollars, and Ted Glass.
eating contractor has no Joss
man 800 books on magic
While Sterling was showing
me one Of hiS newly invented
foOlerS, Bill Cohen. the former
HamtramCk CIty attorney. wan
dered IN. He used 10 make trips
10 New York and Chicago lust
10 Scour up new tricks and still
Is an ardent fan
Among politicians. the anna
teur magicians include Miller
Dunckel. and Walter Serpment,
president OF the Hamtramck
city council. and II NAV take n
magician. AT that, TO keep that
body under control when IL
gets 10 feuding
Sterling plaStcrs his walls
with pictures Of maCicians, anna
tour and professional. one is
Bob King, A ventriloquiSt, who
was torpedoed three times as
a merchant marine sailor, and
has been missing for nine
months now.
other customers include
ShelI-shocked soldier from
Guadalcanal. who took up
magic as a hobby 10 steady his
nerves: a bedridden man whose
back was broken In three places
while he was being shot out
OF a cannon in n circus; quite
a few soldiers In service; and.
recently, several Japs In an Ari-
IONA concentration camp.
Sterling and his wife. also an
accomplished magician, seem 10
enjoy doing tricks for the
amazement Of any b % v but
won't tell how the tricks work
1--WE always wondered and
wondered" they say, $50 now
that we know how. guess we
lust like 10 see somebody else
as baffled aS we used 10 be-"
Many visitors, even regular
ones. don't notice for months
\ that the ceiling is covered with
! playing cards. One Of the Stcr-
lings' tricks Isl 10 have YOU
initial a card, then pat II back
In the deck. They toSSs the
whole deck IN the air, and your
initiated card sticks 10 the CELL
ing Some Of these cards have
been up there for two years.
The SterlingS have n hobby,
too. by the way. At Christmas
Gt..It.... -. "a. .. a.. -. ,.tg.t y