The Sphinx

THE SPHINX
GOLDEN JUBILEE BOOK OF MAGIC

A Selection of Tricks fro t!e P"#es of t!e M"#"$ine
Compiled by MILBOURNE CHRISTOPHER
Illustrated by SID LORRINE
Dedicated to the memory of William J. Hilliar who founded
The Sphinx and A. M. Wilson, M. D., who so ably established the
maa!ine in the world of maic
!d
J"H# M$%H"%%A#D
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The Sphinx Presented by: Learn Magic Tricks Page 1
in%e&
THE SPHINX
GOLDEN JUBILEE BOOK OF MAGIC
A Seleci!n !" Tricks "r!# $e Pages !" $e Maga%ine &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'
Pre"ace&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&(
Inr!)*ci!n&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&+
T$e Ne Pl*s Ulra Ca,ine
B- Harr- Kellar&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&.
A Sleig$ an) a F!rce
B- Da/i) De/an&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'0
Free%ing Ice in $e Han)
B- L!ng Tack Sa#&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'1
P!a! J!nes
B- H!race G!l)in&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'2
T$e M-seri!*s Le#!n Trick
B- Ale3an)er4 5T$e Man 6$! Kn!7s5&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'+
Ba""les8 N!/el Pr!)*ci!n Ball Fake
B- C$arles 9& Br*s$&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'.
T$e Oracle
B- Da/i) T& Ba#,erg :F* Manc$*;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&0<
Nea! Silk
B- Pa*l 9!sini&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00
T$e I#aginar- 9*,,er Ban)
B- Nae Lei=%ig&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&0>
T$e Sel"?E3ricaing Car)
B- H!*)ini&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&0(
@ank?A?Hank
B- 9!ss Berra#&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&0+
A Use"*l 5N*#,er5 Trick
B- E)7ar) Aic!r&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&0.
9!=e Deca=iai!n
B- Is$i)a Tenkai&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&1<
T$e G7-nne Pr!)*ci!n B!3
B- Jack G7-nne&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&1'
Berlan)8s One C*= an) Ball 9!*ine
B- Sa# Berlan)&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&11
T$e Aanis$ing Cigaree
B- Jarr!7&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&1(
T$e Ti#e Is
B- Her#an @erger&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&1B
A Grea Pr!)*ci!n
B- Blacks!ne&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&1.
LiC*i) C$ange
B- Carl!n King&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&>'
Flas$ Bill S*n
B- Dr& J& G& F& H!ls!n&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&>1
Car) S=elling De L*3e
B- Ge!rge G& Ka=lan&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&>>
T$e B!*)!ir !" $e Dancing Girl
B- T& Page 6rig$ an) 6illia# Larsen&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&>(
Fl!7ers an) 6ac$
B- E) 9en!&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&2<
A T*,e !" Man- M-series
B- Dr& E& G& Er/in&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&20
C$inese M!ne- Trick
B- Silen M!ra&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&2>
@!*r Car)4 SirD
B- Jean H*gar)&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&2(
Billiar) Ball Mani=*lai!n
B- Herr Jansen :Dane;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&2B
N*#,er Please
B- T$e! Anne#ann&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&(<
A Ha L!a)
B- Birc$&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&(0
C!#e)- Cigaree
B- L* Bren&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&(>
T$e 9a#! Sa#ee Car) Trick
B- Dai Aern!n&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&(2
T$e Na=kin As$es
B- J!e 9*k*s&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&(B
La*ran Cas$es His O7n C$eck
B- E*gene La*ran&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&(.
T$e Hans!n Ke7=ie D!ll Ill*si!n
B- Her#an Hans!n&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&+<
Penerai!n Del*3e
B- Kei$ Clark&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&+>
Marin8s T7el/e Car) Trick
B- T!##- Marin&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&++
An Alc!$!l 9*,
B- H!7ar) Sa/age&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&B0
Jack Tre=el8s Tele=$!ne B!!k Trick
B- Jack Tre=el&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&B1
Le/ane Fl!7ers "r!# C!ne
B- Les Le/ane&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&B(
Fin) $e La)-
B- P&C& S!rcar&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&BB
T$e 6eig$ !" All Fles$
B- Al Baker&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&.<
Pa=er Balls ! Ha
B- Sli)ini&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&.0
S7ic$ing Decks
B- Harlan Tar,ell&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&.2
Fl!7ers a @!*r Fingeri=s
B- Mil,!*rne C$ris!=$er&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&.(
T$e Enc$ane) Finger 9ing
B- Le!n Herr#ann&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&.B
Cas$ an) C$ange P*rse
B- 6illia# H& McCa""re-&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'<<
9!=e?I
B- B!, Haskell&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'<0
T$e De/il8s Flig$
B- J!se=$ D*nninger&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'<>
Is T$is @!*r Car)D
B- Pa*l LePa*l&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'<(
T$e Miser8s Drea# as I D! I
,- T& Nels!n D!7ns&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'<+
T$e Triang*lar 9!!#
B- J!$n M*ll$!llan)&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'''
Di#inis$ing G!l" Ball 9!*ine
B- Ballanine&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&''>
Ge $e P!inD
B- Ar$*r Ler!-&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&''(
Penerai!n M!s E3ra!r)inar-
,- Tan H!ck C$*an&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&''+
Silk Penerai!n
B- M!$a##e) Be- :S& Le! H!r!7i%;&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&''B
T$e P$an!# Fla#e
B- Carl!s H& C!l!#,i an) Graciela N& A/en)aE!&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&''.
Ne7 Sal S$aker
B- Har!l) Pears!n&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'0'
Un=re=are) Tr*nk Esca=e
B- L!*is N& Miller&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'00
T$e T!rn an) 9es!re) Cigaree
B- C$arles 6& Fricke&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'01
C!in in Ball !" 6!!l I)ea
B- Her, 9*nge&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'0>
Har,in8s Pr!)*ci!n B!3
B- 9!,er Har,in&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'02
Bing!
B- Se7ar J*)a$ an) J!$n Bra*n&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'0+
T$e Secre Panel
B- Her#an L& 6e,er&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'0.
Jas!nis#
B- E))ie J!se=$&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'1<
T$e Fi)ge- P!ker C$i=s
B- Nels!n C& Ha$ne&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'11
T$e 6aier8s Ti=
B- Ge!rge DeM!&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'12
A Ti= "!r T$e 6aier8s Ti=
B- Si) L!rraine&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'1+
Silk Pr!)*ci!n N!/el-
B- Fre) Min%&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'1B
Sil/er an) C!==er
B- Pa*l N& 9-lan)er&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'><
T$e Hilliar) 9ising Car)s
B- 6illia# J& Hilliar&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'>1
A Magician8s H!=e C$es
B- U& F& Gran&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'>2
T$e Tennis 9acke Car)
B- H& S-ril D*sen,*r-&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'>(
A Maer !" 9ec!r)
B- J*)s!n Br!7&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'>B
I#=r!/e) 0<$ Cen*r- Silk
B- Manger&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'2<
T$e Fi/e Car) Trick
B- T!# Os,!rne&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'20
Pi= !" a Pi=e
B- Ge!rge An)re7&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'2>
Pref"ce
'HE%# one warm da! this past summer# &ohn 'ulholland
suggested the editing of this ook I agreed with little hesitanc!#
thinking it would e a pleasant task to re(read the earl! volumes
of )The *phin+#) a simple matter to prepare the est tricks for
pulication. Two weeks or so# I thought# would see the work
through.
*o I started through the ,- !ears. I had planned to read onl! the
tricks# ut the articles and pictures and news notes kept
distracting me. Reports on the shows of Kellar and Herrmann
intrigued me. the rise of !oung performers such as Thurston and
Houdini# not to mention /ante and 0lackstone1 and most of m!
contemporaries kept sidetracking m! attention from the matter
in hand. Then the tricks themselves2 'ultipl! one issue ! more
than five hundred and !ou egin to appreciate the prolem of
comining the est feats into a single ook. It would have een
far easier to compile five volumes than one. *o man! choice its
of conjuring had to e put aside. It would astonish !ou to check
in current dealers3 catalogues the man! tricks which first
appeared in )The *phin+.)
4 large and e+cellent group of tricks had to e !(passed
ecause the! were alread! so firml! estalished as the standard
feats of toda!3s sorcerers. 4nother atch of afflers had to e put
aside ecause# though the trap doors and special stage
mechanisms on which the! depended are just as practical toda!
as the! were several decades ago# there are few modern wi5ards
who could put them to use. The decline of the theatre and the
rise of television# hotel and intimate entertainment has made a
special !ardstick necessar! to measure the value of a feat toda!.
The estimated two weeks stretched into months# ut the
manuscript egan to take shape.
This ook is far more than a collection of tricks1 it3s a procession
of the outstanding performers# inventors and writers of magic
from 6-77 down to toda!. %o one man could possil! have
e+plored so man! avenues with so man! unusual results. Here
then are not onl! outstanding tricks# ut the outstanding men
who are responsile for them telling !ou how to do them. Here is
magic for all tastes# all purposes.
Milbourne &hristopher
Intro%'ction
IT 84* )The *phin+) which told me what went on inside magic
when# as a ver! !oung magician# I could see onl! the outside. If
was )The *phin+) which rought me advice# from the ver! top
people of magic# on how to etter m! performances. It was )The
*phin+) which gave me man! of the feats of magic m! audiences
most enjo!. Therefore# as a performer# and one greatl! interested
in all phases of magic# the maga5ine has meant a great deal to
me. I am not uni9ue in m! feeling for# during the half centur!
that )The *phin+) has een pulished# magicians ever!where
have looked on the maga5ine as their ke! to the secret door of
the world of magic. &ust a few weeks ago 8illiam R. 8alsh#
4merica3s numer 6 amateur magician# wrote to me. )8ell do I
rememer the thrill e+perienced when# as a !oung man# I found
m! first issue of 3The *phin+3((how I accumulated at first single
copies# and then# later# volumes(the man!# man! evenings I
pored over each article and advertisement(how it opened up an
entirel! new world for me# one of intrigue and deepl! rooted
interest. This all egan aout 6-6:. 4 few !ears efore this I had
een casuall! interested in magic# ut this was the eginning of a
real and consuming ho! which has een ver! close to m! heart
ever since. %ow I am the possessor of a complete file of 3The
*phin+3.)
In all the fift! !ears of pulication of the maga5ine# there have
een ut three editors# and I feel that I was ver! fortunate to
have known well oth the first# 0ill Hilliar# and /oc 8ilson# the
second. In 6-6; I was pleased and honored when /oc asked me
to work for his paper. I enjo!ed working for /oc 8ilson for
eighteen !ears. It# also# has een a privilege and a pleasure to
edit )The *phin+) these past twent!(one !ears. The mechanical
headaches of an! given month are forgotten with the enthusiasm
of working on the ne+t issue.
8hen it was decided to pulish a ook to commemorate the :7th
4nniversar! Issue of )The *phin+#) to include some of the
outstanding magical effects which first had appeared in the
maga5ine# I was in a 9uandar!. To 9uote the old prover. )I could
not see the forest for the trees.) To me the vast majorit! of the
tricks pulished in )The *phin+) were well worth repulishing.
However# to pulish so large a numer was an utter impossiilit!.
Therefore# I felt that the selection of a reasonale numer should
e left to one not so intimatel! connected with the maga5ine.
'ilourne Christopher was given the huge task of making the
selection. To make the ook uniform and more attractive# *id
Lorraine drew a completel! new set of illustrations.
Throughout the !ears# each editor# in turn# has een grateful for
the help of the thousands of magicians who were willing to share
their cherished and most e+cellent secrets.
I elieve that !ou# and !our audiences# will like the magic in this
ook# too.
John Mulholland
T!e Ne Pl's Ultr" C"(inet
B) H"rr) Kell"r
THERE are times when even the est posted# most practical
magician has the e+treme pleasure of witnessing during the
performance of a rother wi5ard some illusion that simpl!
da55les him# so clever and <to him= so ine+plicale it seems.
*uch was m! e+perience during one of m! recent trips across the
water. I was in one of Europe3s largest cities. *everal of the
theatres had magicians on their programs and# as usual# when
the opportunit! offers itself# I started out to witness their
e+hiitions# hoping to see some new tricks and possil! get a
pointer or two. '! desire was fulfilled far e!ond m! wildest
hopes or dreams. I went into a theatre where the magician was
illed to perform )4 series of most astounding spiritualistic
phenomena# including the most marvelous materiali5ation ever
witnessed on a rilliantl! lighted stage.) 0eing especiall!
interested in this class of work# I purchased a front seat and
waited for the )'arvels.)
4fter the usual thing of tale tipping# slate writing# and ordinar!
tests# came the feature of his show. 4 cainet <ver! similar to
the one used ! m!self= aout si+ feet s9uare# sa! eight high#
raised some eight or ten inches from the ground# was wheeled on
the stage. This cainet was composed of thin# light wood and
made# !ou might sa!# entirel! of doors. Each of the four sides
was composed of two doors opening outwards. The cainet was
spun around to show all four sides. The professor then opened all
the doors to show it entirel! empt!# then closing them after him#
stepped from the cainet and fired a pistol. The front doors flew
open and a gentleman in full evening dress stepped out of the
previousl! empt! cainet. 4gain all doors were opened and
closed and again a man was suddenl! produced# making two
men from the empt! frame. >nce more all doors were opened.
the performer owed# leaving us to wonder from whence came
the two gentlemen in the dress suits.
To me it was as pu55ling an illusion as I ever saw. E+planations
offered themselves to m! mind in rapid succession and each
seemed more impossile than the one efore. 4fter a couple of
da!s# just as I was read! to give up in disgust# the true
e+planation came to me. 4fter I had m! diagrams all drawn I
went once more to see the trick done to verif! m! theor!. I had
struck it right.
4s I said efore# the cainet is composed of a light# thin panelled
wood# so made that the two doors on each side open outward.
8hen the trick is egun the two men are wheeled on the stage
inside of the closed cainet. 8hen set# the two ack corners
have a small ledge just large enough for a man to stand upon.
?igure I shows a ground plan of the cainet# all doors open. the
men are indicated ! the letters 4 and 0. The dotted lines
indicate the arcs descried ! the doors in opening. '!
e+planation is given figuring from the rear of the cainet# thus
making the man 0 as right side# and 4 as left side. %ow we are
read!.
0oth men are in
the cainet#
wheeled on
stage and spun
around. 4s the
stage performer
makes his
announcement#
the men step
out on the ack
of the cainet
and the
performer
opens the front
doors. He then
opens the doors on the left side# which allows 4 to stop into
hiding. The left ack door is now opened. 4 is concealed. The
right side doors are opened# and 0 steps into position. The right
ack door is opened and 0 is concealed.
The performer closes the left side ack door. 4 steps ehind it.
The left side doors are then closed# then the right side ack door.
0 steps ehind it# and the right side doors are closed. The
performer steps out# closing the front doors ehind him. 4s he
does so# 4 opens the ack door# steps inside# and at the shot of
the pistol throws the front doors open and walks out.
The performer returns to the cainet and opens the right side
doors# on which 0 steps into position. The right side ack door is
now opened# then the left side and ack doors. The right side
ack door is now opened# then the left side and ack doors. The
right side ack door is closed# then the right side doors# then the
left side and ack doors. 4gain the performer closes the front
doors as he steps to the stage.

0 now duplicates the moves that 4 made. 4fter his production#
the doors are opened an! wa! the performer sees fit# the3
cainet is spun around and the illusion completed.
A Slei#!t "n% " Force
B) *"+i% *e+"nt
I 4L84"* elieve in simplif!ing the means of performing an!
illusion. Thus# I have alwa!s taught amateurs to eliminate the
pass in card tricks. That is to sa!# as much as possile. ?or
instance# it is usual to receive ack a chosen card on the lower
half of the pack. Then put the two halves together. Then make
the pass# and then false shuffle the cards. I suggest the pass# in
this instance# is not necessar!. I receive ack the card on the
lower half# ring the top half to it# and keeping the two separated
! the little finger of the left hand# leave it thus for a few
seconds# then separate them again ! commencing a false
shuffle. To do this I naturall! take the top half of the pack and
drop it in front of the lower half. This leaves the chosen card on
top and !ou continue to false shuffle ! slipping the chosen card
each time !ou transfer cards from the ack to the front of the
pack.
In the same wa! a simple method of forcing three cards is this#
which I advise amateurs to use. 'ake up a pack consisting of
groups of three cards# each group eing similar cards. 4 pack like
this ma! e cut as man! times as !ou like and the same three
cards will alwa!s e on top of either pack.
Take the pack down into the audience on a small tra! and ask
two or three persons to cut the cards and the last person who
cuts to cut again. Thus leaving three packets of cards. 4sk this
last person to choose which packet shall e used# and get him to
deal out three cards from the top of it# handing one each to the
nearest persons. Then# gathering up the rest of the cards# !ou
sa! !ou will turn !our ack while the! hold their cards so that
ever!one can see
Free$in# Ice in t!e H"n%
B) Lon# T"ck S"
THI* is a favorite
trick of Chinese
magicians and is
ver! old# though. I
elieve# entirel!
unknown to the
performers of other
countries. The
effect depends
upon the trick
eing worked
neatl! and upon
the assurance of
the magician# ut
this is ver! largel! true# of course# of ever! it of magic either
>ccidental or >riental. The Chinese magician is taught while an
apprentice to learn the routine and patter of a trick thoroughl!
and not to var! its performance.
@nless ever! move is the result of studied effort the trick cannot
have its full effect. 8ith a ow to Lu Tsu 0ing# the patron saint of
the Chinese magician# I egin.
The effect is good not onl! ecause it is m!stif!ing# ut also
ecause it is surprising. ?rom a owl filled with water# the
magician dips out a handful and changes the water into a small
lock of ice. The hottest weather and the most iceless small town
are no hindrance.
The ice is made from a heav! colorless piece of plate glass#
chipped to look like an ice lock. It should e aout an inch and
a 9uarter thick# and must have no sharp edges# so that it can e
palmed like a illiard all.
In performing the trick# the magician has a owl of water on a
small tale ehind which he stands. 4n! small opa9ue owl will
do. The ice is palmed in his right hand. He shows the left hand
empt! and pulls up the right sleeve. Chinese sleeves have tight
cuffs. The sleeves are pulled up# in effect to keep them out of the
water# ut in realit! as a means of showing the hands empt!. The
left hand is again shown empt! after the sleeve is pulled up and
the ice# ! a change( over palm# is transferred to the left hand.
The right hand is shown empt! and the left sleeve is pulled up.

4ll this is done without an! apparent tricker!# the purpose seems
to e to keep the sleeves dr!# and It is done with slow enough
motions so that the audience win not suspect that either hand
holds an!thing.
The left hand is now palming the ice. The right hand is cupped
and dipped into the water. 4 handful is rought out with a
flourish# then poured ack into the owl. This should e done to
make as ig a show as possile of the 9uantit! of water !ou dip
up. This is done several times. ?inall! the motion of dipping is
repeated# ut no water is taken up. This time the )water) is
apparentl! poured into the other hand. The left hand is closed
around the ice and held thum up so that the water seemingl!
goes into the hole made ! the curved thum and first finger.
4gain# apparentl!# water is poured into the hand. There will e
enough water on the right hand from its previous wettings to
shake off a few drops after giving the effect of filling the left
hand.
The left hand now seemingl! s9uee5es the water so that it forms
the ice lock and slowl! opens to reveal the ice. "ou must give
the effect of the cold ice free5ing !our hand. To do this put it first
on one hand then the other. each time ruing the fingers of the
free hand over that hand. This should not e overdone. It is well
to tr! this with a piece of real ice to see what !ou would do
naturall!. The ice is finall! dropped into the owl of water. The
Chinese magician then walks amongst his audience with the owl
so that the ice ma! e seen. 4 piece of chipped glass looks like
ice at an! time# ut in the water it ma! e shown with safet!
right among the spectators. 4s I said efore# this is an old effect
in China# ut it is ver! effective and audiences like it. It is prett!
safe to sa! a trick found to e effective in one part of the world
can e used to advantage in an! other part.
Pot"to Jones
B) Hor"ce Gol%in
THE mise(en(scene of this illusion was uilt around the
wonderful feat of Capt. &ones. of the 0ritish 'erchant 'arine# in
running a shipload of potatoes through the lockade to
*antander# *pain. during the *panish 8ar. These potatoes saved
thousands of the *panish civilian population from starving. The
captain ecame a popular hero with the English and was
affectionatel! nicknamed )Aotato &ones.) 4s ever!one knew of
Capt. &ones and his humanitarian e+ploit# it not onl! made the
illusion timel! ut of popular interest.
The effect was that Capt. &ones# or rather one of m! assistants
suital! uniformed and made(up# was caused to disappear after
having een uried in a crate of potatoes.
The crate was a
wooden and wire
mesh affair((the
frame was made
of wood1 the
sides# wire
mesh. It was
therefore
possile to see
right through
the crate. Capt.
&ones entered
the crate ! a
door at the
ack# which was
then closed so
that he looked
as if he were
standing in a
cage.
Then a large sack of potatoes was hoisted up aove the crate
and opened at the ottom. The potatoes fell down. around and
aove Capt. &ones in the crate# ur!ing him completel!. The
crate was then hauled aloft ! ropes from aove. 4 large
tarpaulin was spread out eneath the crate# and the ottom was
opened so that the potatoes fell into the cloth# leaving the crate
as empt! and innocent(looking as it was in the eginning. Capt.
&ones came running down the aisle from the ack of the

audience to its surprise and delight.
The illusion is ased on the optical fact that the e!e can discern
onl! one wire mesh# though two e used on each side. This
second mesh is nearl! a foot inside the visile outside mesh.
0racing slats of wood# at least that seems to e their purpose#
mask the edges of the inner wire mesh. The top of the space
within the inside wire mesh is also covered with the meshed
wire. This is formed into a dome# so that when the potatoes are
dropped from the sack# the! will fill the spaces etween the inner
and outer meshes. ?rom the front the crate appears to e full of
potatoes# actuall! the! are onl! etween the two meshes.
Capt. &ones enters at the ack of the crate. The door is put there
to mask the fact that there is a doule mesh. It is so designed
that inner and outer sections swing out together.
8hen the potatoes come tumling into the crate from aove#
Capt. &ones ends his knees and s9uats down. 8hen the
potatoes cover his s9uatting figure from view# as the rest of the
potatoes pour into the crate# the Captain makes his escape
through a trap in the ottom of the crate and a similar opening in
the stage eneath it. The instant the crate is filled# the
suspended potato sack is swung out of the wa! and ropes are
attached ! hooks to the four top corners of the crate. The crate
is immediatel! pulled up into the air. ?our assistants# one at each
corner# spread out the tarpaulin# and a string is pulled which
opens the ottom of the suspended crate and releases the
potatoes. The ottom of the crate is hinged on the side awa!
from the audience and the potatoes come tumling down in full
view. The crate is empt!(the Captain appears in the audience.
The potatoes used in the illusion are artificial. %ot onl! are the!
lighter than real ones ut the! can e used over and over again.
T!e M)sterio's Leon Trick
B) Ale&"n%er, -T!e M"n .!o Kno/s-
H4BE a metal card o+ in !our left vest pocket with one
cigarette in the top partition so as to give it the appearance of a
cigarette case. Have a deck of forcing cards in !our right coat
pocket Tear a corner# aout three( fourths of an inch s9uare.
from one of the force cards. Aut this in !our right trouser pocket.
?old the rest of the card crosswise until it is aout the si5e of a
lead pencil. Aush a knife into the end of a lemon until it almost
goes out the other end. ?orce the folded card into this slit and.
once the card is inside. s9uee5e the slit together. If !ou do this
carefull! the cut will not e visile at a two( foot distance. "ou
will also need an unprepared lemon. "ou we now read! to
perform.
)?riends# I will present to !ou a seeming miracle in modern
magic. "our attention is called to two lemons# which I would like
!ou to e+amine. <Toss out the unprepared lemon1 hold the other
in !our left hand. 4sk for the e+amined lemon to e returned#
catch it in !our right hand. Aretend to e+change it for the lemon
in !our left hand and again toss out the unprepared lemon. 8hen
it is returned# continue with !our patter.=
)I have here two unprepared lemons1 the! have een thoroughl!
e+amined. 8ill someone kindl! suggest which one I shall use in
this e+perimentC <If the prepared one is selected# e+plain that
!ou have no use for the other one# ut will use the one of their
choice. It the unprepared one is selected# toss it out# remarking
that it now elongs to the person who selected it and that !ou
will use the remaining lemon for the feat.=
0orrow a handkerchief and fasten the corners together. Dive the
lemon to a small o!# have him put it into the handkerchief ag
and hold it high at all times. *pread !our forcing deck rionwise
face down on a tra! and allow a lad! to freel! choose one card.
/rop the pack ack in !our pocket# taking care that the audience
cannot see the faces of the cards.
Re9uest the lad! to tear the card in two lengthwise# then
s9uarel! in two crosswise. 'eanwhile# !ou secretl! palm the
corner that fits the card in the lemon in !our right fingers. Reach
for her torn card. Tear the pieces again. 4sk her to retain a piece.
Aass her the corner which !ou had finger(palmed.
Det another small o! to assist. Dive him the torn pieces. Take
out !our )cigarette case#) remove the single cigarette. which has
held the case properl! open all the while in !our pocket. Tell the
o! to drop his pieces into the case. *nap it shut and pass it to
him to hold over his head.
)0o!s# the secret of this entire e+periment lies in two magic
words. 8hen I snap m! fingers# I want the o! who is holding
the case to sa! 3>pus.3 4s he does# I desire the other o!# who is
holding the lemon in the handkerchief to speak the word
3Aejensus.3 If these words are spoken in a low tone of voice# the!
will cause the pieces of the card to e restored to their natural
order# to demateriali5e and fade awa! from the o+ and ecome
implanted on the inside of this lemon.)
*nap !our fingers. Take the card case and show it empt!. %ow
remove the lemon from the handkerchief. *lice off the end
opposite to that in which the card was inserted. Take out the
card# allow the o! to dr! it with the handkerchief. Aass it to the
lad! so that she ma! fit the corner which she holds.
This I have found to e# e!ond a dout# the most effective
lemon trick I know. There are too man! angles for them to
watch# and !ou are the master of the situation at all times. 4
great deal of comed! can e worked up with the o!s in sa!ing
the magic words.
B"ffles0 No+el Pro%'ction B"ll F"ke
B) C!"rles 12 Br's!
I% THE one to four illiard all trick at the conclusion of the four
all production in the right hand# the performer suddenl! reaches
out with his left hand and four alls appear there too.
The fake pictured here is perfect for this effect. The four alls are
joined together ! three flesh(colored strips. 4 small hook is
soldered on the middle strip# which permits the fake to e hung
under !our coat.
The fake fits e+actl! etween !our fingers so there will e no
need for 9uick adjustment when !ou reach for it. "our fingers
dart under !our coat# grasp the fake firml! and pull it instantl!
into view. This is done under cover of the production of the
fourth all in !our right hand. The misdirection is e+cellent.
T!e Or"cle
B) *"+i% T2 B"(er# 3F' M"nc!'4
HERE is a little card trick which I have used m!self to great
advantage on occasions. It is a particularl! good little affair to
start things going. "ou remark aout something that happened
to !ou and sa!. )I knew that was going to happen ecause I saw
it in the cards when I read m! fortune last night.)
%ow this never fails ecause the girls almost jump down !our
throat. )Can !ou tell fortunes in the cardsC) 4nd the! eg !ou to
read the cards ... and from then on it3s plain sailing# the ice is
roken.
The effect of the trick is as follows. "ou look at a girl and remove
a Eueen from the pack. If she has lack hair# the Eueen of
*pades1 chestnut hair# clus1 lond# hearts1 and ash(londe or
platinum. diamonds. %ow go through the pack and e+plain the
meaning of various cards in this fashion.
%ine of Hearts is the fulfillment of a wish# the wishing card. The
Ten of Clus is a water journe!. The %ine of Clus a land journe!.
The Ten of /iamonds# riches. *even of Clus# marriage. Ten of
*pades# disappointment. The 4ce of *pades. death. Three
Eueens together# scandal. Three &acks# a fight. Three Kings# good
usiness. There are man! other things# ut there are ooks
aout it and !ou can find !our own comination. The *even of
Hearts is a Ides. The cards are shuffled# then !ou tell the fortune
of the !oung lad! who has selected a card# which is shuffled into
the pack.
The pack is turned face down on the palm of the left hand and
dealt face(up on the tale as shown in the illustration. 4s the
cards are dealt# !ou sa!. )4n 4ce and a Three. /oes that mean
an!thing to !ouC %oC) </eal one card under the upper two# a
?ive. /eal four more# an 4ce# a %ine# a Three and another %ine.
Then three more under those# a Ten# a Two and a four. Then one
card# which represents the girl.= *top. point to the cards and
sa!. )It has een told ! the cards# that <point to the first two
cards# upper row= on the 6Fth da! of the fifth month# 'a! <point
to the ?ive 6-( F(-# nineteen hundred and thirt!(nine <use the
date of !our performance= at e+actl! <point to the three card
row= 67.;, ! the clock# that !ou <point to the Eueen= will e
<turn over the ne+t card. the selected card(the *even of Hearts=
kissed ! <turn over the last card# a &ack# fair or light as the case
ma! e= a dark !oung man. Aermit me.) 4nd !ou kiss the !oung
lad! <on the hand# if !ou are in dout=. 4nd her fortune is told.
This alwa!s gets a ig hand. It3s reall! ver! fine and although it
is not a ver! sutle trick. it is marvelous for reaking the ice and
getting on good terms with ever!one and holding their interest.
%ow. I have two methods to do this trick. *ometimes I have the
cards alread! stacked e+cept for the hour and minute row# and
while I select the cards to e+plain their meaning in telling
fortunes# I give m!self aout four or five minutes and set the
)three row#) while showing the cards. I use a lank card should
the minute e 5ero. ?or the ;7th of 'a! I use two Tens. ?or the
;6st# I use a Two(spot and an 4ce. /on3t use pictures to
represent 66# 6;. etc. @se two 4ces. etc. I use a short &ack of
Clus as a ke! card. I have the Eueen aove it with the *even of
Hearts# which must e forced. The shuffling is faked with a lot of
loose talk aout gipsies and so forth. 4s this is not presented as
a card trick# the! suspect nothing and !ou can get awa! with
murder. I have had some lovel! kisses. The second method is to
stack a orrowed pack as !ou go through it e+plaining the
meaning of the cards.
Ne"to Silk
B) P"'l 1osini
THE magician causes a silk handkerchief to disappear from his
hands and to reappear in a glass some distance awa!. In asic
effect the trick is not new# ut in detail it is new and it is a
complete novelt! to audiences. It is a trick that can e done
effectivel! under an! conditions.
The magician shows a piece of paper aout nine inches s9uare#
and forms it into a cornucopia. The pointed end is folded over
several times so that it will not unroll. He uses this to cover an
empt! stemmed water glass. He puts the glass on a tale and
picks up a silk handkerchief. The magician rolls the silk etween
his hands and apparentl! leaves it in his left hand. He reaches
down with his right hand and plucks the silk from ehind his right
knee. The left hand is empt!. He sa!s. )I will repeat this so that
!ou will have a etter opportunit! to see it.) He again apparentl!
leaves it in his left hand# ut this time((not a silk((ut a lighted
match is produced from ehind the knee. His left hand is empt!.
He touches the match to the cornucopia# which covers the glass.
It disappears in a urst of flame# and the handkerchief is seen in
the glass.

The cornucopia is made of flash paper. 4 small strip of flash
paper is pasted to one end of the flash paper s9uare from which
the cone is made. The duplicate silk is folded ! la!ing it flat and
ringing the corners to the center# and continuing to do this until
!ou have a small# compact undle. This is put on the flashpaper
strip# which is rolled around it# then pasted ack on the s9uare
<see illustration=. This permits the handkerchief to e ent ack
e!ond the corner of the paper# so that ! holding it# masked in
the hand. oth sides of the paper ma! e shown. >nce the cone
is made# the point is ent several times to# keep it from opening

out. The cornucopia is then dropped over the glass.
The magician rolls his silk etween his palms. he pretends to
take it in his left hand# ut keeps it in his right. He produces it
from ehind his right knee. The second time# the magician keeps
the silk in his right hand and pulls the match through a tin! hole
in the seam of his trousers# where the end protrudes. 4 match(
lighting gimmick such as dealers sell is fastened inside the
trouser leg. The withdrawal of the match lights it automaticall!.
The flame is such a surprise that it masks the fact that the closed
right hand still holds the silk. The e+tra silk can e disposed of in
one of !our pockets when the duplicate is pulled from the glass.
This is the first time that I have ever descried a trick for
pulication. I sincerel! hope it appeals to !ou.
T!e I"#in"r) 1'((er B"n%
B) N"te Lei5$i#
THERE is nothing so entertaining and m!stif!ing as an
impromptu trick. >ne where the magician orrows an article and
immediatel!# without preparation# performs a ver! fine effect.
*uch a trick is also valuale for it creates a igger impression in
the minds of newspaper men and clu chairmen than a more
formal trick. *uch an effect I shall now descrie.
"ou commence ! orrowing a der! hat and handkerchief.
La!ing the handkerchief on the tale# !ou take the hat in !our
left hand. )There is something in a der! hat that not one person
in a hundred knows aout It is a ver! fine# ut e+tremel! strong#
ruer and# which stretches across the inside of the crown of
the hat. 0ecause of its color and fineness# it is almost invisile to
the e!e. I shall see if I can show it to !ou.) 8ith !our left hand
still holding the hat# get the nail of an! finger of that hand under
the hat. 8ith the right hand apparentl! search for the imaginar!
3elastic# which# at last# !ou seem to find. Carr! out the
misdirection ! apparentl! pulling the elastic out of the hat and
letting it snap ack. The sound of the snap is caused ! the
finger nail of the left finger against the rion. If this is properl!
carried out# the illusion is perfect.
%ow la! the hat on the tale and e+plain that# although the
ruer is so ver! fine# it has great elastic 9ualities and !ou
propose to demonstrate them. Take the handkerchief and roll it
into a all. Tuck the ends in with a pencil. Aut the handkerchief
into !our inside coat pocket# which is# usuall!# on !our right side.
Leave the handkerchief as near the top of the pocket as it will
sta!. %e+t pick up the hat with !our right hand# apparentl! find
the elastic with !our left hand and make elieve that !ou are
stretching it toward the handkerchief in !our pocket.
Carefull! carr! out the illusion ! going through the motions with
!our hand. E+plain that !ou are looping the ruer around the
handkerchief. 8hile !ou are doing this# !our right hand# which is
still holding the hat# is held at arm3s length.
%e+t press the elow of !our right arm against the outside of
!our coat so as to continue the illusion that the ruer is tightl!
stretched# and that it must e held to keep it from snapping
ack. The moment the elow is pressed against the coat# the left
hand# with the handkerchief palmed# comes out of the pocket
toward the hat. 4s !ou reach the hat# s9uee5e the handkerchief
in etween the hat and the rim. where it can e wedged tightl!
enough to sta!. "our left hand is now free to show the inside of
the hat# and then. in showing the outside# !ou release the
handkerchief with the right hand and turn the hat over so that
the handkerchief is rought inside the hat# where it is dropped.
In doing this# undo the twist so that the handkerchief will
e+pand.
Take the hat in !our left hand and hold it mouth toward the
ceiling so that the handkerchief will not show. "ou are still
pressing the right elow against the right side. Aivot !our right
hand awa! from the hat "ou are now in the same position as !ou
were when !ou first made the ruer )snap.)
E+tend the left hand as far as !ou can reach# which apparentl!
stretches the ruer to its limit. 4t that moment lift !our right
elow# snap the hat and# turn the hat over and let the
handkerchief fall out. This must e done in one move. The whole
thing depends upon the mise(en( scene. It must e carried out
slowl! and evenl!. Ever!thing depends on convincing the
audience that a ruer and is used.
The method of snapping the ruer is up to !ou. I prefer
snapping the hat and with m! finger nail# though !ou ma! flick
!our finger against the side of the hat# or even have a ruer
and around the hat. The onl! troule with snapping !our finger
against the hat is that if !ou don3t get the right sound !ou will
not e apt to carr! out the illusion.
This trick has perfectl! natural moves. There are a lot of good
tricks that I never touch for some of the moves in them are not
natural. things one tells an audience must e plausile# or again
I will not do the effect. 4fter all. in a trick ever!thing is
secondar! to the presentation. 4lwa!s rememer(magic is onl!
magic when !ou completel! deceive.
T!e Self6E&tric"tin# C"r%
B) Ho'%ini
(PLE4*E e so kind as to select# ! name# an! card in the
pack. I shall run through the pack and find that card. 4h2 Here it
is. In order that !ou ma! e certain that !ou can hold on to it#
please take this wooden pencil and push it right through the
card. Thank !ou. It is# of course# ovious that the onl! wa! to
free the card from the pencil is to remove it like this. %ow# please
push the pencil ack through the hole in the card and hold the
pencil with the right hand elow the card and the left hand
aove. Hocus Aocus2 4nd the card has escaped from the pencil
and here it is in the middle of the pack. "ou see !ou hold 9uite a
different card.)
The method is reall! as simple as the trick is effective. 8hen the
card is named# take it and the card immediatel! aove it from
the pack and hold the two cards as one. Have the pencil pushed
through oth cards. 4n e+cuse is given in the patter to take the
card off the pencil. In his left hand# at this point# the magician
has the pack# which he puts under the two cards. He then grasps
the cards etween the pack and his thum. The pencil he holds
in the right hand. 8hen the pencil is returned to the spectator#
the left thum rings the two cards s9uare on top of the pack.
The right hand then takes from the pack ut one card. and as the
spectator sees the hole he has just made in the card# he does
not reali5e the sustitution. 4ll that is left to do is to make a pass
to ring the selected card to the center of the pack. It adds an
amusing touch if the second card used is the &oker.

7"nk6A6H"nk
B) 1oss Bertr"
H4%/KERCHIE? is spread out on the tale and a 9uarter is
laid on it at the center. The four corners of the handkerchief are
then folded in to the center. The performer grasps the top or
outermost corner and shakes out the handkerchief. The 9uarter
has vanished. He then twirls the handkerchief into a rope and
ties a knot in it at the middle. The handkerchief is handed to a
spectator who finds the 9uarter securel! tied inside the knot.
'ethod. The familiar wa+ pellet is not used. This method is
entirel! impromptu. It is most easil! performed on a tale
covered with a cloth. though a method will e e+plained for doing
the trick on an! surface. It is most effective when the spectators
are standing# partl! ecause then the! can see the coin up until
the moment it is covered# partl! ecause the angles are more
favorale to the performer. ?ailing this# the magician should work
with his left side to the audience.
The handkerchief is spread out with the right corner hanging
over the side of the tale# and the 9uarter at the center. The
right hand grasps the inside corner of the handkerchief fingers
aove and thum elow. The right hand folds the corner of the
handkerchief in &ust past the center covering the coin and
turning palm upward at the same time. The left hand. almost
simultaneousl!# folds its corner in also.
4s soon as the right hand is hidden# its first and second fingers
open. The second finger presses down on the edge of the 9uarter
nearest the performer# tilting the coin up slightl!. The inde+
finger closes in# lifting up the outer edge of the coin# with the

result that the coin is flipped on the ack of the hand etween
the first and second fingers.
The right hand now goes to the right corner of the handkerchief.
4s this is hanging over the side of the tale# the hand can grasp
it while remaining palm up. 4t the same time# the left hand picks
up the left corner. The right hand# without turning over# folds its
corner in. followed instantl! ! the left hand. 0oth hands are
dropped to the sides for a moment and the right thum pulls the
coin to the front of the hand# where it is again clipped etween
the first and second fingers.
The left hand now picks up the outermost corner and shakes the
handkerchief# demonstrating that the coin has vanished. The
right hand then takes a corner of the handkerchief and the cloth
is shown on oth sides.
The right hand moves to take the corner diagonall! opposite the
left hand. Then follows the familiar usiness of twirling the
handkerchief into a loose rope# thus forming a tue# down which
the coin slides into the middle of the twisted handkerchief# where
the handkerchief is then knotted with an overhand knot.
A Usef'l -N'(er- Trick
B) E%/"r% 8ictor
B>RR>8I%D a pack of cards. the conjurer asks an!od! in the
room to think of an! card. This person is handed the pack# he is
re9uested to note and rememer at what numer his card stands
from the ottom of the pack. In other words he counts the cards
face upward in his hands until he comes to the thought(of card#
and notes its numer. He is now asked to cut the pack several
times.
The magician takes ack the cards. gives them a further cut and
places them ehind his ack for a second. immediatel! returning
them to the assistant sa!ing that he has discovered the card. He
remarks. )/on3t tell me the name of !our card. ut just sa! at
what numer it was from the ottom of the pack.) If# for
e+ample# the assistant replies )Thirt!(seven#) the conjurer sa!s.
)That3s funn!G I have altered it to the fort!(fourth.) This is dul!
verified ! the assistant himself.
'ethod. ?irst orrow a pack and secretl! end the right hand top
corner of the second card from the top slightl! inwards. The
easiest wa! to do this is to end the right hand top corner of the
ottom card with the left forefinger and then# gripping the top
and ottom cards firml! etween the left thum and fingers# pull
awa! the rest of the pack and put it elow them. This rings the
ent card into position second from the top. Have a card
mentall! selected and hand the pack to the thin er face
downward# re9uesting him to ascertain at what numer his card
lies from the ottom of the pack. The ent corner of the second
card is 9uite invisile as he takes the pack# as it is covered !
the top card.
Having found the numer his card occupies# the assistant is
asked to cut the pack several times ( ordinar! single cuts# each
one completed.
>n receiving the cards ack# !ou ring them to their original
order ! cutting the pack one aove the ent# or crimped. card.
Alacing the pack ehind !our ack for a. moment 9uickl! transfer
seven cards from the top of the pack to the ottom. Return the
pack to the assistant and in9uire the numer his card originall!
occupied. The final position of his card will e seven higher than
the numer he tells !ou.
1o5e *ec"5it"tion
B) Is!i%" Tenk"i
THE advantage of this version of the rope through neck effect is
the apparent fairness of the method. 4 rope as long as the
distance etween the magician3s fingertips# when his arms are
outstretched# is used. The rope is put around the perform3s neck
and allowed to hang loosel! in front. It is then given another turn
around the neck and the ends are pulled. The rope apparentl!
passes through the neck and comes free.
The manipulation is in
the second twist. There
are three parts which are
clearl! shown in the
accompan!ing
illustration. In the first
move# the magician
catches hold of the left
end of the rope etween
the first three fingers of
his right hand. 8ith his
left hand he grasps the
right strand etween his
left first and second
fingers.
In the second move. a loop of the left strand is drawn over to the
magician3s right. 8hile this loop is still held with the left hand#
the performer draws the right hand end around his neck. In
doing this the left hand# holding the loop# also moves up
apparentl! merel! to keep the rope in place. The third figure is
e+aggerated to etter show the manipulation.
4s soon as the two ends hang down in front again# the performer
takes hold of them with oth hands and pulls the rope free.

T!e G/)nne Pro%'ction Bo&
B) J"ck G/)nne
THI* production o+ proved oth effective and practical during
the time I used it in m! vaudeville act. It gives the effect of a
large trick with comparativel! little apparatus. *uch apparatus as
there is has een designed to pack in a small place to aid in
transportation.
The o+. which is uilt up one panel at a time and which is
oviousl! empt!# ecomes full of live stock or silks without an!
suspicious loading. The method is a development of the tip(over
principle. It is cleverl! disguised and the disguise eliminates the
angle prolem usuall! encountered. Therefore# the trick is not
onl! adaptale to stage use ut also to the small platform so
fre9uentl! encountered ! the clu performer.
The illustration shows# in ?igure 4# what the audience sees. 4
small# folding# three(winged screen# which looks like a fanc!
tale# is used as a ase on which to uild the o+# and at the
same time it serves to hide the load chamer at the eginning of
the trick. 4s this screen is entirel! unprepared# it can e used for

man! purposes. Each panel is aout 6, inches wide and F;
inches high.
The ack and sides of the o+ are hinged to fall down# as in
?igure 4. or to stand up to form a o+ as in ?igure 0. The o+ is
uilt on a wooden tra!. The front of the o+ is fastened to the
load chamer and draws it into place. >ne side of the load
chamer forms the front of the o+# while the lower side# as it
fits in the tra!. forms the ottom of the o+.
?igure E shows the shape and construction of the load chamer.
This is pivoted to the tra! so as to hang down inside the screen
until the o+ is uilt. It is pulled into place in the o+ when the
front panel is drawn up.
To prepare the trick# the o+ must e set up on the screen as in
?igure /. The chamer is loaded and put out of sight ! folding
down the front to lower the chamer inside the screen. The o+
is then taken apart# and folded as in ?igure 4. The top cover is
stood on the floor and leaned against the screen. In presenting
the trick# the performer stands ehind the screen and calls
attention to the folded o+. The ack and two sides are raised
and the lid is put on. The o+ then appears as in ?igure 0.
4ttention is called to the emptiness of the o+# and the front is
raised to ring the load chamer into the o+.
The front has a leather ta# or small metal ring# fastened to it# so
that the performer ma! catch hold of it with ease. The tra!# with
the o+ uilt upon it is removed from the screen and placed on
an undraped tale. The screen is folded and casuall! laid aside.
3The performer is now ale# ! opening the lid of the o+ and the
door in the load chamer# to produce whatever it was that he
carefull! tucked awa!.
The o+ ma! e made of polished wood or painted a solid color
which harmoni5es with the rest of the material in the act# or oth
the screen and the o+ ma! e decorated with a Chinese or
some other >riental design or some futuristic pattern. 0oth the
o+ and the screen are est constructed of three or five pl!
wood# as this will entirel! eliminate warping.
Berl"n%0s One C'5 "n% B"ll 1o'tine
B) S" Berl"n%
THE re9uirements for the >ne Cup 0all Routine are simple. 4
common drinking glass <fooled !ou alread!1 it3s not reall! a cup
at all=# two ruer alls aout an inch in diameter# and a large
all that will fit easil! into the glass. ?orm a piece of paper
around the inverted glass and twist the paper at the top. 4ll the
alls are in the right coat pocket. "ou will need to learn to make
a )pass.) 4 )pass) wherein !ou apparentl! put a all in the left
hand ut actuall! retain it in the right.
This is the simplest pass. The all is held etween the right first
finger and the all of the right thum. The left hand is open#
read! to receive the all. The right hand turns to the left as
though to place the all therein# actuall! the all is rolled ! the
thum across3 the middle fingers# and ! a slight curve of the
little finger# plus the aid of the third finger# the all is retained at
the ase of the fingers. The left hand closes# apparentl! over the
all. The all is easil! held in the right hand with ut little
pressure. Aractice until !ou can hold !our right hand rela+ed.
without an! suggestion of strain# as !ou hold the concealed all.
To )load) the all into the covered glass# hold the all as
e+plained at the ase of the little finger. %ow put !our hand
around the glass. thum on one side. fingers on the other. The
fingers and thum rest on the tale# hugging the glass. Lift the
glass aout three or four inches from the tale. 4llow it to tilt
forward slightl!. 'ove the little and third fingers# which hold the
all# slightl! inward. If !ou lower the glass and release the all# it
will go under the glass without hesitation.
"ou have learned the )pass) and the )load#) and with all the alls
in the right coat pocket# !ou are read! to perform. Aerform on a
draped tale. 0orrow a glass# twist the paper around it as
e+plained. Alace the inverted glass on the tale. The right hand
reaches in the coat pocket# palms one of the alls under the little
finger# and rings the second all in view of the audience. It is
placed on the tale. The right hand# which has the concealed
all# takes the glass ! the top and lifts it toward the audience to
show that the glass is empt!.
The left hand picks up the all at the same time the right hand
lifts the glass.
8ith attention on the left hand and the all it holds# the right
hand replaces the glass on the tale# loading the all under it.
Casuall! show oth hands and the all that has een in view all
the while.
Aretend to transfer the all from the right hand to the left. @se
the pass. Tit the ottom of the glass# holding the left hand flat as
it touches the glass. 4pparentl! the all is driven through the
paper and glass. Lift the glass with !our right hand to show the
duplicate all under it. Aick up the all with !our left hand#
replace the glass with !our right# loading the other all as !ou
do. Repeat this passing through feat# ut do not load the cup a
third time. Retain the all in !our right hand.
Aick up the visile all on the tale. Remark that there is a wart
on it. Aretend to pull the wart awa!# and ring the all. which has
een concealed in !our right hand into view. "ou now have two
alls. Aut them on the tale.
4pparentl! put one of the alls in !our left hand# retain it in the
right ! making the pass. The right hand lifts the glass to show it
empt!# and# in replacing it# loads in the concealed all. Hit the
left hand on the glass# then show that the left hand(and the right
hand are empt!. The all has apparentl! penetrated. /on3t#
however# lift the glass. Aick up the second all# apparentl! put it
in the left hand# and retain it in the right. %ow lift the glass to
show that the first all did go through. In replacing the glass#
load in the second all# giving the glass a slight upward sweep so
that the second all will come to rest on the first all. >pen !our
left hand. The second all has vanished2 Lift the glass and show
oth alls under it.
%ow openl! put one all under the glass. *a! that !ou do not
need the second all. Aut it in !our pocket# ut palm it out when
!ou withdraw !our hand. The left hand lifts the glass and
transfers it to the right over the concealed all. Then it lifts the
visile all to the tale. The right hand replaces the glass with
the other all under it. The left hand openl! passes its all to the
right hand. The right hand apparentl! puts it in the pocket. again
retaining it.
>nce more the aove descried move is repeated. ?inall! the
right hand# in going to the pocket. drops the small all and palms
out the large all. The left hand places the glass over the right
hand as efore# and the large all is loaded when the right hand
puts the glass on the tale. Aut the visile small all in !our right
pocket. 4sk someone to tap the covered glass to reak the spell
of the alls appearing.
The left hand is held against
the ack of the tale#
meanwhile# with the thum
on the tale. the fingers
e+tending downward. The
right hand grasps the
wrapped glass at the top.
thum and fingers around the
twisted end. This is important. %ow slowl! lift the glass to reveal
the large all. The hand holding the glass moves ack to the
edge of the tale nearest !ou. @sing the appearance of the large
all as misdirection# the right hand lowers the covered glass just
slightl! elow the edge of the tale. The hold on the glass
through the paper is released. The glass drops secretl! out of the
paper and onto the fingers of the waiting left hand.
Immediatel! the right hand moves over the tale again. The
paper still retains the shape of the glass. %ow don3t hurr!.
Congratulate the spectator on reaking the spell. Cover the large
all with the paper shape. Tell the spectator to hit the ottom of
the glass again. Imagine his ama5ement when he does and finds
that the glass has vanished. The left hand reaches under the
tale and rings out the glass.
Here !ou have an impromptu routine that has all the old
features# including the vanishing glass# which was long discarded
ut is now eautifull! revived as a logical and astonishing clima+.
This is a routine which will appear different to those who are
tired of seeing the regular Cups and 0alls.
T!e 8"nis!in# Ci#"rette
B) J"rro/
I% *>'E wa!s a
trick is like a
joke. ?or
instance#
audiences laugh
harder at an old
joke with a new
twist than the!
do at a rand
new joke. The
same thing is
true in a trick. If the audience thinks it knows what is going to
happen# ma!e even thinks it knows how it happens. and then is
fooled# ever!one rememers that trick and talks aout it. That is
a reall! good trick.
/o not sa! to !ourself that this trick is old and just a it different
from the one where the magician spreads a handkerchief over
one fist# pokes a little pocket in it# drops the lighted cigarette
utt inside# then shakes out the handkerchief to show that the
utt is gone. *ure it is like it. 0ut partl! ecause it is like it# and
partl! ecause it is different# it is a fine trick. It is the sort of
thing that makes an audience gasp.
The magician lights a cigarette# he shows his hands to e empt!#
then he makes a fist of his left hand. He takes the full length
lighted cigarette with his right hand and puts it# lighted end
down# into his fist. He takes his right hand awa! and fans the left
fist. *lowl! he opens his left hand# the cigarette is gone. 0oth
hands are empt!.
@sing a are hand# rather than a handkerchief# makes the trick
look etter to the audience. The cigarette was vanished in a
thum tip# ut how do !ou get a full length cigarette in an inch
long thum tipC That is the new part of the trick and the part
which makes it stand out in the minds of the audience. %ot that
the! know aout the thum tip# ut the cigarette is so ig it
seems impossile to hide (( ut the! saw it vanish.
Areparation. Carefull! pull the toacco from one end of a
cigarette until onl! aout three(9uarters of the toacco is left.
Roll a piece of paper# two inches long and one inch wide# into a
tue. Insert this in the open end of the cigarette. The paper

should e just a trifle heavier than the cigarette paper. This will
make a fake cigarette that can e handled like an ordinar!
cigarette# ut when pushed into a thum tip will crush up so that
it will take ut little space.
The est wa! to take toacco out of a cigarette is to ran it
etween !our hands and s9uee5e one end. This will loosen the
toacco so that it will fall out. If !ou make up several cigarettes
at once !ou will alwa!s e prepared to perform the trick.
%aturall! ecause of the fire# !ou must use a metal(not a
celluloid(thum tip.
Aut the prepared cigarette in the pack# toacco end down. "ou
can recogni5e it immediatel!. 8hen !ou are read! to perform put
it in !our mouth. 8hen !ou put the cigarette package ack in
!our pocket !ou steal the thum tip. 4fter the vanish# reach into
!our coat pocket for !our handkerchief# wipe !our mouth and
return the handkerchief to !our pocket. 8hen getting the
handkerchief leave the thum tip and all it contains ehind in the
pocket.
T!e Tie Is
B) Her"n 7er#er
THI* pocket effect is a ver! good advertisement ecause it will
e talked aout# and !our name and address is left in the hands
of a spectator.
*hould an!one ask !ou the time# immediatel! pull out a card and
jot down the correct time# which !ou pass to the 9uestioner. %o
reference is made to a watch. 4pparentl! !ou are a human
timepiece.
The card I use has )The time is HHHHHHH) printed on one side
and )%e+t time get "erger the 'agician) with m! address under
it on the other side.
%ow as to method. *everal cards are glued together to form a
solid lock. Imedded in this lock is a wrist watch# minus the
strap. The thinner the watch# the etter. *everal separate cards
are on top of the lock# thus hiding the watch.
8hen someone asks the time# I take out the cards# fan them
slightl! so that I can secretl! glimpse the face of the watch# then
I s9uare up the pack and write the time on the uppermost card.
"our ailit! to )sense) the correct time will e talked aout.
?urther# as the spectator keeps the card# he will e reminded of
!our feat each time he sees it((and !our address for future
engagements is on the reverse side.
A Gre"t Pro%'ction
B) Bl"ckstone
THI* is presented as a Chinese effect. If the performer wears a
Chinese hat and roe# it will help the illusion# ut the hat alone
will suffice. 4 Chinese walk and a little Chinese talk will help as
well. The performer takes a shawl and carefull! spreads it out
upon the stage <or upon the floor# for this effect can e used for
a floor show=. pattering all the while. He takes a second shawl#
rings it out open until he is right over the one on the stage. He
kneels on the first shawl# and# as he rises# whips awa! the
second to disclose a tu# from which shoots up a spra! of water
and from which jump a couple of ducks. 0eing ducks# the! will
sta! right under the spra!# which shoots out aout a foot e!ond
the tu.
The shawls# or foulards# are si+t! inches s9uare and innocent.
The! should e of different colors and# if possile# Chinese. 4t
the eginning of the trick the shawls are hung# one on top of the
other# over the ack of a chair. The shawls cover and hide the
tu# which hangs from the top of# and ehind# the chair.
The drawings of the tu speak for themselves. The tu legs# of
three(fourths inch strap iron# are crescent(shaped# with the ends
pointed inward. 4t the top of the tu# at a point on the rim
immediatel! aove one of the legs# is the hook ! which the tu
is hung to the ack of the chair.
8hen the magician picks up each shawl he walks ehind the
chair and# stooping over# picks up the shawl ! the two top
corners. The second time this is done as he leans forward he
hooks the leg of the tu on his vest or elt. He then walks
forward holding the shawl well e+tended. Kneeling will allow the
tu to disengage itself. There is a canvas covering over the tu to
hold in the ducks. This has a rope edging. The rope should have
a loop on one end to e used as a slip knot to hold the canvas
under the wire edge of the tu. 4 slight pull win release the
canvas.
4s soon as the tu has een released# as the magician kneels on
the stage# he whips off the canvas and reaches in to turn the
long handle for the spra! effect. The ottom shawl# ! the wa!#
will asor the water which goes outside of the tu. The
illustration shows the compartment for the water and
cornpressed air at the ottom of the tu. E+periment will show
the 9uantit! of water to use and the amount of air pressure
necessar! to produce the est effect. There is a water(tight
screw at the ottom of the tu which ma! e taken out# so that
!ou ma! put water in the compartment.
4lso at the ottom is the air valve for the compressed air# which
is put in ! hand pump. The space etween the ottom of the
tu and the lower end of the spra! pipe should e one(9uarter of
an inch. There is a long handle on the spra! so that !ou can
reach it 9uickl! and turn it on without fumling during the
production.
Li9'i% C!"n#e
B) C"rlton Kin#
0>@T 6-67 or 6-66 'r. Chris Ban 0ern. a prominent and ver!
original 0ritish magician# put forth the secret of his version of the
wine and water trick in 8ill Doldston3s )'agician3s 4nnual.) I
have seen him perform this affling e+periment in his vaudeville
entertainment and until he e+posed it for the enefit of other
wand wielders it proved most pu55ling owing to the fact that he
used onl! one tumler and one glass jug.
4t the introduction of the e+periment# the tumler was standing
inverted on the tale# and efore commencing the various
changes# he wiped it out thoroughl! with a small silk.
The effect is as follows. The performer stands in the center of the
stage well awa! from tales and chairs. In his right hand he
holds a small glass jug aout two(thirds full of water. In the left
he holds the tumler# which has een previousl! wiped out.
8ater poured into the tumler turns instantl! to ink. 8hen the
ink is poured ack into the jug# the whole turns to red wine. The
performer pours this ack and forth several times showing that
further changes are impossile# then he remarks. )0ut if I
re9uire a tumler of water I simpl! pour it out like this.) *uiting
actions to words# he pours a tumler of water from the jug of
wine# and ! pouring the water ack into the jug changes the
whole into water as it was at first. *o much for the effect.
The practical magician will readil! see the clean cut effect# also#
how it lends itself to comed! lines. In the method used ! 'r.
Ban 0ern a ver! cleverl! constructed glass jug was used. *ome
!ears ago I was using this jug when# unfortunatel!# it was roken
in transit.
%ecessit! eing
the )mother of
invention#) I
devised the
following
method# which I
found works
9uite as
successfull!. 4
glass jug must
e procured with
a handle of the

straight variet!. 4n old( fashioned fountain pen filler# or e!e
dropper# must also e procured. This is securel! fastened#
opening downward# to the handle of the jug. 4 talespoon full of
*alic!late of *oda is dissolved in the water of the jug. *ecure a
9uantit! of /oule *teel /rops from a drug store. Heat the
ottom of the tumler over a candle flame and paint a minute
spot of this preparation on the inside ottom. This will dr!
9uickl! and the tumler ma! e handled with impunit!# even
casuall! e+amined if desired. The fountain pen filler is charged
with a 9uantit! of highl! concentrated >+alic 4cid.
Ever!thing is now read!. 8hen the water is poured into the
tumler it instantl! changes to ink. 8hen it is poured ack into
the jug# wine results. This is poured ack and forth several
times. 4t a moment when the tumler is empt!# under cover of
misdirecting patter# ring the tumler under the jug slightl! to
the rear. The right hand# holding the jug# gives the ul of the
filler a s9uee5e. This shoots the acid into the tumler. Thus#
when the wine is poured into the tumler a change to water
occurs. This eing added to the contents of the jug turns all to
water as it was in the eginning.
I would advise care in using the acid (e sure not to get it on
!our clothes while performing.
Fl"s! Bill St'nt
B) *r2 J2 G2 F2 Holston
THE following makes a good gag for the new flash ins that are
on the market. /ig out from the attic one of those mone!
machines that !ou put awa! long ago# or invest in a new one.
4s an interlude state that !ou ought one of these machines
from a stranger the other da! for onl! one hundred dollars. "ou
have een running the machine more or less ever since and are
thinking of putting an electric motor on it.
8hile pattering# pick up a piece of lank paper and run it through
the machine. >ut comes a ill. Have a lighted candle on the
tale. *tate that the ill is a lot etter than the one printed !
the government.
4s !ou are e+amining it ! holding it to the candle# unfortunatel!
!ou get too close and((puff2 It is gone. Remark. )>h. well# eas!
come# eas! go.)
C"r% S5ellin# *e L'&e
B) Geor#e G2 K"5l"n
THE performer fans a deck of cards permitting the audience to
see that the! are all different# and# after allowing the pack to e
cut several times# re9uests a spectator to cut the deck at an!
point while the performer3s ack is turned# remove the top card
and# after rememering its name# to insert the card in the center
of the deck. Then he is told to place the entire pack in the
outside pocket of his coat.
4lthough this is done while the performer3s ack is turned# he
nevertheless takes the spectator3s wrist and re9uests him to
mentall! spell out his card# using one letter for each card
removed from his pocket. 8hen the last letter of the card eing
spelled mentall! is reached# the spectator is told to think )*top.)
In spite of the fact that not a single 9uestion is asked# the
performer# after removing a numer of cards from the spectator3s
pocket# suddenl! calls out. )"ou just thought of the word 3stop#3
did !ou notC 8ell# strange to sa!. I not onl! received the mental
impulse to stop# ut the card I am now holding is the one !ou
are thinking of. 8ill !ou please name it for the enefit of the
audienceC) 8hen the card is named the performer displa!s the
card he is holding. It proves to e the thought(of card.
The clean(cut manner in which this effect ma! e performed
from eginning to end will leave a profound effect upon the
spectators and# at the same time# should commend itself to the
up(to(date performer.
*ecret. 4lthough the performer fans the pack and the cards
appear to e different# it consists of four series of twelve cards
each# arranged as follows.
)S *H +C ,H -S .C
/C +H ,S 0H -H *H
%ow# regardless of where the spectator cuts the deck# if he
should glance at the top card and replace it in the center of the
pack# the twelfth card from the top will alwa!s e a duplicate of
the one he looked at.
?urthermore# an! card that he will think of will have e+actl!
twelve letters# so that although the spectator spells out his card
mentall!# if the performer counts the cards as the! are removed
from the pocket until the twelfth appears# this will e the
duplicate of the selected card.
T!e Bo'%oir of t!e *"ncin# Girl
B) T2 P"#e .ri#!t "n% .illi" L"rsen
ST"LE of performance in magic is something seldom discussed#
ut it is vital in the consideration of this particular illusion. 4
road comed! presentation or one of heav! m!ster! would e
e9uall! out of place. The illusion must e handled lightl! and
deftl! in a st!le of high comed!1 comed! not in the sense that
the magician is working for laughs# ut simpl! that the illusion is
presented as divertisement# not to e taken seriousl! either from
the standpoint of effect or m!ster!. It is in a measure curious
that although the gruesome is fre9uentl! used as an illusionar!
ackground and# occasionall!# the roadl! spectacular the
elements of simple eaut! and grace are almost entirel!
neglected. "et eaut! dwells in smaller things than e+pensive
scenic effects# and grace is an addition to an! presentation.
The entire effect not onl! should e# ut asolutel! must e done
to the accompaniment of music throughout. The whole
e+periment can e handled etter in pantomime than with the
aid of speech# and music is essential to the atmosphere. The
illusion is est preceded ! a small item which can e done
efore the front curtain# so that the effect ma! e discovered
read! set. 4t the conclusion of his minor prolem# the magician
steps to one side and# as the music starts# motions the front
curtain up. @pon the stage a girl is discovered. 4s the curtain
rises she egins to dance. *he is !oung# she is prett!# and she
dances well((a light dance utterl! free from an! suggestion of
)ja55iness.) The stage need not e too rilliantl! lit((etter that
the lights e somewhat dimmed that she ma! stand out more
strongl! in contrast in the rilliance of the spotlight. To one side
of the stage the magician stands# motionless# as much a
spectator for the moment as an!one in the audience The dance
ends# ut the music continues through the illusion# though more
softl!# as a delicate accompaniment.
Lightl! the girl runs over to where# slightl! to one side of the
stage# stands her )oudoir.) This is a cainet# without front#
decorated inside in light colors as a lad!3s oudoir might e
decorated# and containing for furniture a light dressing tale#
standing with its ack against the ack of the cainet.
The cainet is raised from the stage a foot or two# so that the
audience ma! see underneath it at all times. Into this the girl
steps# still moving in time to the music. *he smiles out at the
audience# then around at the performer# who has moved across
the stage and now stands eside the cainet. *he reaches up
and pulls down a spring lind on a roller# like a window curtain to
close the front of the cainet. 4s she does# the magician pushes
a switch in the side of the cainet and a light is switched on# set
in the middle of the inside ack of the curtain.
*he is starting to disroe# as the audience watches her silhouette
form she reaches down and daintil! pulls off one slipper# then the
other. Then# one at a time. she rolls down her stockings# and
slips them off. %e+t she allows her dress to slip from her and
drop upon the floor of the cainet# and finall! her underthings.
*he stands posed for a moment in shadow. 4s she does# the
magician leans over and takes hold of the ottom of the roller
curtain and raises it. 0ut the gasp of the audience dies as it
egins# for the shadow has vanished instantl! and# as the curtain
goes up# it discloses the oudoir empt!. %owhere is there room
inside for the girl to e concealed# !et she is not there. The
assistants turn the cainet aout. *ince the front of the cainet
is open# there can e no 9uestion aout the matter. Inside and
outside are visile at the same time# ut the girl is gone.
Though it will e recogni5ed that the instantaneous and almost
visile vanishment provides m!ster!# it# is suordinate to the
general effect. The whole illusion carries something of the
atmosphere of a modern revue. 4nd wh! notC
8e can hardl! wish to compete with that form of entertainment
entirel!# ut we ma! well derive from it what we can in the wa!
of diversion to give variet! to our own performance.
'agicall!# the arrangements are simple. The cainet is no more
than it appears to e. It is fitted# 0ut# if this e done# it must e
done properl!. The girl must e a good dancer# must e daint!
and prett!. Costume and setting must e fitting and good
looking# and the performer must e ale to carr! out his part of
the performance with grace# pla!ing it as light comed!# !et
permitting nothing in his ehavior that will give the effect to the
whole of vulgarit!. @nless it is done thus# the atmosphere will
suggest. not a revue# ut a cheap urles9ue.
However# with two lights inside# one at the ack and the other at
the top# near the front. The wiring is so arranged that throwing a
switch at the side of the cainet# on the outside# will switch the
current from one light to the other. The two are on a single
switch so that the light change will e instantaneous. 4t the start
the top light is on.
/uring the dance the magician !ields the stage entirel! to the
girl. He stands to one side watching and motionless# for no
attention is eing paid him an!wa!. 0ut as the girl finishes and
steps into the cainet he comes across the stage and stands
eside it. 4s she pulls down the spring lind# he throws the
switch go that the top light of the cainet goes off# and the ack
light goes on. This he does just as she has the curtain half wa!
down# so that the shadow movements ma! e followed from the
eginning. The light must not e switched on too soon# however#
or it would shine directl! into the e!es of the audience# and as it
must e sufficientl! strong to throw a single sharp shadow of the
girl upon the shade it would prove most disagreeale.
8hen the disroing has een completed the magician leans over
and throws the switch again and then delieratel! takes hold of
the curtain and raises it. The throwing of the switch has# of
course# made the shadow invisile since it is the top light which
is now on# and as the magician moves delieratel! there is a
space of aout five seconds efore the curtain is raised1 time
enough for a well( rehearsed girl to get safel! into her hiding
place. 0ut where is her hiding placeC
4pparentl! there is no space where she could e concealed.
4ctuall!# however# the innocent(looking and thin dressing tale is
not what it appears to e. ?or from the leg toward the audience
against the cainet wall a mirror runs to the leg diagonall!
opposite# creating a triangular space of just sufficient si5e to
contain the girl. 4s the onl! clothing she wears at this time
consists of garments stretched flesh(tight aout her reasts and
hips# the tale ma! e 9uite small. It is hardl! necessar! to
remark to an audience of magicians that the reflection of the
opposite side of the cainet will appear to e the ack of the
cainet seen under the dressing tale# and that the reflection of
the third leg will appear as the fourth leg.
The decoration of the interior of the cainet as a oudoir# the
presence of the chair and general use of the cainet as a
dressing(or rather un(dressing(room(( serve to make the
dressing tale fit in with the mise(en(scene and a natural
furnishing for the cainet. It might e pointed out that the mirror
to e used in this e+periment is smaller# and conse9uentl! more
portale# than in the majorit! of such self(contained mirror
illusions.
It will e ovious that the e+act time taken ! the girl in getting
out of sight must e ascertained ! careful rehearsal# for upon
her speed depends the effectiveness of the m!ster!. 4n! seconds
that the magician ma! waste efore raising the curtain once she
is out of sight will lesson the effect of the illusion ! that much.
?or him to raise the curtain even a fraction of a second too soon#
on the other hand# would end the performance then and there.
Flo/ers "n% ."tc!
B) E% 1eno
THI* is an effect to follow the effective growth of flowers a la
Kellar. The magician has just finished the production of the one
red and the one white rose ush. He then holds the cone over his
own hand# having no other flower pot# and on lifting the cone
discloses a looming plant in a flower pot. This is a real flower. I
alwa!s use a geranium which I u! at the dime store. The plant
is presented to someone in the audience. *eemingl! this is the
finale of the effect. I then orrow a watch. Incidentall!# although
I use a watch and elieve it to e more effective# it is 9uite
possile to use a orrowed ring instead. The watch is put in a
small o+ for safekeeping. I then ask the spectator holding the
geranium to lift it higher in the air. I fire a pistol and show that
the watch has disappeared from the o+. Immediatel! I go to the
person holding the plant and pull it up ! the roots. Hanging
down amongst the roots on a string is the watch orrowed just a
moment efore.
This is an effect that the audience can understand as well as
appreciate. %ot onl! is it effective# ut it is eas! to do and what
is more important sure(fire. ?urthermore# there are no difficulties
in its presentation. It is 9uite unnecessar! to devote space to a
description of the method for performing the Kellar ?lower
Drowth# for !ou all know that. Even if !ou have forgotten the
details# it has een descried full! elsewhere and is still sold !
several of the dealers. The production of the geranium is merel!
a continuation of that trick. It ma! e done after the production
of the first rose ush# although I feel it is more effective to
)grow) two rose ushes in the customar! manner.
The watch is caused to disappear ! means of the 8atch 0o+#
which is still an e+cellent trick though infre9uentl! used toda!.
*hooting a pistol at the flower is good usiness even though it
has asolutel! nothing to do with the trick.
To the stem of the geranium I have tied# efore the performance#
a rown string# colored to match the roots. To the other end of
this string is fastened a watch swivel( catch. The string should e
of such length that after the plant has een pulled from the pot#
the end of the string hangs among the roots.
8hen the plant is presented to a spectator# the string hangs
over the edge of the flower pot. The 8atch 0o+# as !ou know#
returns the watch to me. 8hen I go to the person holding the
geranium all that is necessar! to do is to snap the watch on the
swivel(catch# which is eas!# and pull out the plant ! the roots.
The watch appears to e tied to the roots. The string and watch
are removed and the watch is returned. The flower is replanted
and given ack to the spectator.
0efore the performance the earth should e softened with a knife
or similar instrument so that the plant will pull out easil!.
It is not necessar!# although I present it that wa!# to do the
Kellar Drowth of ?lowers first# for the ?lower and 8atch feat is
ver! effective ! itself.
A T'(e of M"n) M)steries
B) *r2 E2 G2 Er+in
T$e si#=le =iece !" c!nF*ring a==ara*s =resenl- ! ,e )escri,e) is ca=a,le !" in"inie
/ariai!n& I #a- 7ell ,e *se) ! =r!)*ce a silk $an)kerc$ie" in a glass =re/i!*sl- s$!7n
e#=-& Again4 a re) silk #a- ,e =lace) in $e glass4 7$ic$ $as ,een c!/ere) 7i$ $e *,e4 an)
a c!l!r c$ange ! green e""ece)& Or i #a- ,e *se) ! a)/anage in $e =!=*lar 7enie$
cen*r- $an)kerc$ie" rick&
The tue is of sufficient diameter to permit its eing slipped over
an ordinar! drinking glass. Its length is aout si+ inches. It ma!
e readil! constructed out of cardoard. ?our small holes are
punched in the tue# two on each end# aout a half inch from
one side. The first hole on each side should e three(fourths of
an inch from the end of the tue and the second hole on each
side should e aout onefourth of an inch further on. 4 reference
to the illustration will make this clear.
4 ruer and is cut (( thus giving a single strand rather than a
loop. 4 knot is tied in one end. The other end is threaded
through the first hole on one side# out through the opposite hole
on the other side# and then run ack through the two remaining
holes. The free end of the elastic is knotted to prevent the ruer
slipping through the last hole. Thus we have two strands of
ruer running across the tue near one end.
Considering the simplest effect first# the production of a single
silk in the glass. It will e necessar! to roll up a silk and tuck it
under the ruer strands. There it will e held securel!# ut ma!
e 9uickl! dislodged ! merel! pushing it down with the fingers.
In showing the tue empt!( rather# apparentl! empt!(the tue is
held with the fingers on the inside covering the silk which is
secured therein. This effectivel! conceals the silk from the all too
in9uisitive e!es of the audience. The tue# prepared end up# is
then placed over the glass. The fingers of the hand holding the
tue dislodge the handkerchief. It drops into the glass and
unfurls# the tue is removed and magic has een done.
In accomplishing the color change# the tue is prepared in the
same wa!. Let us presume that a red silk has een put eneath
the ruers. The tue is placed over a glass in the same wa! as
efore and the red silk is dislodged so that it falls into the glass.
%ow the magician shows another silk(green. This green silk is
rolled up and seemingl! dropped into the tue. 4ctuall!# however#
the green silk is pushed eneath the ruers# where it is destined
to remain. Raise the tue# concealing the green silk with the
fingers# and show the red silk in the glass.
The twentieth centur! effect is accomplished in similar fashion.
Three silks# red# !ellow and green# are knotted together# unched
up and deposited eneath the ruers. The tue is placed over a
glass and the three silks are dislodged. /uplicate red and green
silks are knotted together# rolled up and placed under the
ruers. 4 duplicate !ellow silk is vanished# the tue is raised
and the trick is over.
C!inese Mone) Trick
B) Silent Mor"
I 0ELIEBE this to e one of the most surprising tricks with
mone! that a magician can do when the audience is close up.
The moves produce one series of astonishing effects after
another until the clima+ is reached. Laughter and surprise are
provoked among those who have not seen it efore. Even if !ou
have seen it !ou will enjo! the looks of astonishment on the
faces of the rest of the crowd.
"ou will need three coins. The top coin in the illustration is hard
to get. It is a Chinese coin aout one hundred !ears old. The
middle coin is 6Ith centur! &apanese# I elieve. There are lots to
e had. The lower coin is Jth /!nast! Chinese and almost
impossile to find. Real ones are e+pensive# ut there are some
good imitations# which sell for aout si+ dollars. If !ou are a
mechanic# !ou can make !our own mone! from rass and cut in
the ackground with acid. 4n engraver can do this for !ou. If !ou
have the patience to )get up) this trick# !ou will have something
few magicians have ever seen. It takes a great amount of skill#
ut is well worth all the time !ou can devote to it. "ou can u!
two of the coins from a collector of rare mone!# ut !ou ma!
have to make the other coin which. ecause of its shape# is
called )man(mone!.)
The asis of this effect is the vanish of a coin in the fold of !our
trousers. I invented the move accidentall! man! !ears ago when
I was with %ate Leip5ig. He vanished a coin from a trouser fold
using an elastic. I worked out a reverse fold to the one he used.
Leip5ig said. )'ora# that3s another new one.) It has since een
descried in man! ooks without credit to me.
In this one# !ou pull up the leg of the left trouser a little it and
fold the material down. This is done with oth hands. %ow place
the coin in the fold with the right hand. The audience sees the
coin against the pants# ut the! do not see the fingers of the
right hand continue to slide the coin under the fold to the last
two fingers resting on the trouser. Aress the fold flat with the
thum and fingers of oth hands and# in this action# the right
hand has a chance to palm the coin. >nce the coin is palmed#
straighten out the fold# open it up# and the coin has vanished.
8ith a little practice !ou can do this easil!.
%ow for the complete se9uence. Aroduce the round coin from
someone3s lapel. Banish it from the pants fold. Aroduce it where
!ou will. 4pparentl! end the coin etween !our hands. Dive it to
a spectator# ask him to tr! and end it. 4s all e!es are on him#
steal the oval coin from !our pocket with !our left hand. Take the
round coin ack# end it again. *a!. )%ever catch it ! the
e+treme (end# for !ou are liale to get it out of shape.) 0ring
!our hands together. The round coin is at !our right fingertips#
the oval coin is concealed in !our left hand. Conceal the round
coin in !our right hand and ring the oval coin into view. Aass it
out to e inspected.
'eanwhile get rid of the round coin in !our right coat pocket and
pick up the long coin. Turn !our od! awa! for an instant to hide
this action. Take ack the oval coin. "our left hand holds the long
coin secretl! ! the middle fingers at the top joints and the ase
of the thum. *a! )%ow# the most difficult part of this trick is to
get it ack in shape. "ou pull on the sides ut not too much or
!ou will get it completel! out of shape.) 0ring the man( mone!
into view# still pulling on it. The! will howl when the! see this
one.
7o'r C"r%, Sir:
B) Je"n H'#"r%
THI* is an elaoration
of a somewhat old
e+periment with pla!ing
cards. The re9uirements
are. a small tale# a
pack of cards# and a
small sheet of plain
glass aout si+ ! four
inches.
0egin ! inviting a
spectator to assist# and
ask him to ring his hat with him. *eat the gentleman on !our
left# show the hat and place it crown down on the tale# taking
the opportunit! now to press the sweatand open a little on one
side. Have the spectator take the pack# shuffle it to his own
satisfaction# and retain one card# handing the rest of the pack
ack.
The ne+t step of having the card returned to the pack# rought to
the top of the deck and# if desired# palmed off while the rest of
the pack is shuffled I leave to each individual3s pet method#
suggesting that one that is as good as an! is the Hindu shuffle.
Take the pack now# replacing the palmed card on top and have
the spectator cut the deck in two parts as nearl! e9ual as he can
manage. Let him touch one. If he touches the packet with the
chosen card on top# sa!. )I am to use this one# ver! well.) >n
the other hand# if he chooses the lower packet# sa!# )"ou wish to
have that one. Ber! good# take it please.) Continue# )%ow I want
!ou to do e+actl! as I do.) 8ith that# take !our packet and rip it
in half. Alace one packet down and rip the remaining packet in
half again. Alace these two 9uarter packets face down on the
tale# and pick up the other half packet. Tear this in half# and
place the resulting 9uarter packets eside the others. 8hile !ou
are doing this# the spectator will proal! e struggling with his
half. However# take no notice. Do right on.
Aick up the 9uarter packet which looks to !ou to e the smallest.
as the! will proal! var! in si5e. 8ith the ack of !our hand to
the audience# drile out these pieces in a stream into the hat.
4t the some time pull ack the top piece of card into finger palm
position. Take up the ne+t largest 9uarter pack and repeat the
operation. Continue with the other two# keeping the largest until

the last# since this will aid in holding the other three pieces easil!
and cleanl!. /ip the last of the pieces into the hat and stir them
around# taking this opportunit! to slip the four palmed pieces
under the sweatand# which !ou have previousl! pulled out a
little to make this operation easier.
%ow grasp the hat with the fingers inside covering the position of
the four pieces# with the thum outside on the rim# and turn
!our attention to !our assistant. Aroal! he has not succeeded
in tearing his packet in half even# ut in an! case let him finish
the operation of 9uartering his cards over the hat# so that the
audience sees the pieces drop in with the others. 4t this time it is
advisale to recapitulate to the audience what has een done((a
card has een chosen# the pack shuffled and the whole pack torn
into 9uarters.
%ow introduce a sheet of glass# on one side of which !ou have
previousl! placed four tin! pellets of wa+ so that the! form the
corners of a s9uare in the center of the glass aout one and one(
half inches apart. Hand it to the spectator and have him hold it in
full view. Touch his hand with !our fingertips under the e+cuse of
getting the virations of the chosen card. *how !our hand
perfectl! empt!
and carelessl! dip it into the hat and draw one of the pieces of
the chosen card from under the and. Hold it with its ack to the
audience and press it face down on one of the pellets of wa+ on
the glass. This operation !ou repeat three times# ut for the last
one. let the spectator himself stir the pieces in the hat
thoroughl!# then touch his hand again and ring out the last
piece.
The pieces. of course# have een placed in proper position on the
pellets of wa+ so that when !ou have the spectator call the name
of his card# it is onl! necessar! for him to hold up the glass
toward the audience and ever!one sees at once that !ou have
restored the chosen card# the face showing plainl! through the
glass.
I know the up(to(date card manipulator# who speciali5es in
)Alease take a card. *huffle the pack. That is !our card#) will
possil! not appreciate the advantage of the so(called
e+planation ! touching the spectator3s hand. I can onl! assure
him that I am old( fashioned# and have alwa!s found that some
sort of a plot# no matter how improale# is necessar! to ring
out a reall! magical effect.
Billi"r% B"ll M"ni5'l"tion
B) Herr J"nsen 3*"nte4
O%E of the easiest and !et 9uite deceptive methods for getting
possession of the first all is to have a high silk hat at the right
side of the stage# with a illiard all placed under the rim at the
ack on the order of the 'iser3s /ream coin load# ?igure 6. %ow
in the act of moving the hat from the right to the left side of the
stage the right hand merel! picks up the hat at the rim and with
the second and third fingers# the all is rolled into the palm. 4
net can also e stretched across the inside of the hat# and a
wand laid across the opening. This will answer as a servante later
on. The same hat# without the servante arrangement can e
used for coin catching# etc. This is merel! so that it is used for a
purpose other than the real one.
I am indeted to 'r. Henr! Clive for another method that I have
used to great advantage. This consists of a illiard all fastened
to the middle of a china plate. The plate is arranged on its edge#
ottom side toward the audience# with the all side against the

ack of the chair# which stands to the performer3s left. %ow
pretend to catch the all with the right hand# then apparentl! put
it in the left ulging out the fingers as though it were reall!
there. The right hand picks up the plate# and as the all side is
graduall! turned toward the audience# the left hand approaches
it and 9uickl! opens as though actuall! placing the all there#
?igure ;. The all should e fastened to the plate in such a wa!
that it has a slight movement and rolls around a it when the
plate is shaken. This makes the effect perfect.
4n ordinar! handkerchief can also e used to advantage !
douling it over in the middle# then sewing it together so as to
form a tue large enough to admit one all. ?asten a piece of
elastic in the ottom of the hem tight enough to hold the all.
ut loose enough to permit eas! release.
This handkerchief can now e laid on the tale or placed in the
pocket and !et can e picked up carelessl! without an!thing
eing noticed. Aerformer wipes his hands# which is 9uite a
natural thing to do previous to illiard all work# and secretl!
s9uee5es the all into his right palm. *everal passes are made#
however# to prove the hands are empt! efore the all is
produced.
N'(er Ple"se
B) T!eo Anne"nn
THI* is one of the most e+traordinar! effects that I have ever
put together. It is proal! the onl! feat of its kind that doesn3t
re9uire a code or signal of an! nature. "our assistant can e
coached in three minutes. 4nd# what is more important to me.
the effect (( not the method (( is asolutel! new and original.
The performer asks that a committee of two or three take the
medium awa! and guard her carefull! until called for. The
performer then asks a spectator for his telephone numer# which
is written on a strip of paper as given. The first spectator selects
a second spectator# the second a third# and this is continued until
a list of numers has een written and verified. The performer
tears the paper in sections and drops each piece into a cup. 4
spectator mi+es the pieces. The medium is rought ack into the
room and seated at a distance to the audience with her ack to
all.
4 spectator selects one of the slips and takes it to a far side of
the room to read. 4t that moment the medium calls out the
correct numer. The owner of the numer verifies it. %ow the
performer states that he will continue with the remaining
numers and that he will do so in silence. Each time a numer is
correctl! stated the owner is asked to stand and acknowledge it.
This continues until the medium has called ever! numer. 4nd
there is no code or signals. 'ethod e+traordinar!. The first man
or woman asked for a numer unknowingl! acts as a plant#
ecause it is the host or hostess# whose numer the performer
knows. This is The "ogi ?orce# which Charles &ordan put out in
6-;;. ?rom here on each spectator picks another which will
make further working on this principle impossile.
0efore starting the
performer had two
pieces of opa9ue paper
aout ; ! : inches. >n
one# spaced evenl!# is
written the known
numer eight times. The
second piece is then
placed on top of the
writing and the two
pieces are perforated
together with an
unthreaded sewing machine or a dressmaker3s tracing wheel.
Thus !ou have a )single) sheet of paper. which can e shown
freel! on oth sides and is so perforated as to e torn in eight
strips. 4fter the first (( the known numer is written. seven other
numers are added as the! are called out.
Tear the strips apart# holding the paper so that the writing faces
!ou. ?old in half as !ou would to crease# then open each strip
ack out and tear off. 4ctuall! onl! one thickness of paper is
opened out and torn off. This is placed on the audience side of
the paper. 4gain fold the paper in half and this time open out
onl! two thicknesses# tear off and place in front. Repeat once
more and open out four thicknesses# and !ou apparentl! have a
packet of single strips in !our hand. 4ctuall! !ou have eight
separate pieces# all alike# in the front and ehind them the eight
original numers folded up and still together.
Holding the packet in the left hand# the eight separate pieces are
counted into the cup# the folded section is retained and the cup is
given to a spectator to hold aove his head and mi+ the papers.
4t this time the medium is rought in# and the performer takes
her ! the hand a second to help her to the chair. 4 good point
here is to have the committee lindfold her# then it is perfectl!
natural to assist her as she goes to the chair. *he gets the folded
paper from the performer3s left hand.
There are now eight papers all alike in the cup. 8hen the
spectator takes an! one# the medium. with her hands in her lap#
opens the folded strip and calls the first name. It has to e
correct. It is2
The performer takes an! one of the seven strips remaining. The
medium merel! calls one of the remaining numers on her list
and the owner of the numer verifies it. This procedure is
continued until all the numer are named. The fact that the
medium calls the numer and the man in the audience verifies it
takes all thought from what the performer has in hand. 8hat the
audience will tr! to do will e to catch signals or discover how
the magician is tipping off the medium.
'odern audiences are far from dum# ut the!3re out of luck with
this test ecause instead of the performer telling the medium#
she3s telling him.
A H"t Lo"%
B) Birc!
?TER the magician has produced a few do5en handkerchiefs# a
paper coil or a few ig foulards# it is eas! enough to get e+tra
loads in the hat under cover of the first production. The difficult!
has alwa!s seemed to me to e to make the first load
satisfactoril!.
The following method I have used for a long time# and it is so
natural that the audience has no idea that a3 load was made. 4t
the eginning of the trick I pick up a closed opera hat with m!
right hand. In m! left hand I hold ! m! thum a load of spring
flowers. The numer of flowers to e used must e found !
e+perimentation. "ou will want enough flowers# when opened# to
make a heaping hatful. I snap the hat open with m! right hand#
and hold it up so that it ma! e seen to e empt!. I then transfer
it to m! left hand# catching hold of the hat with m! thum on the
outside of the rim# and m! fingers and the load inside the hat.
Then attention is called to the ottom of the hat# which I tap with
the fingers of m! right hand. 8hile holding the hat up in the air#
crown down. I let go of the flowers. '! assistant walks on the
stage with a asket. I take it and pour the flowers into it. I
manage to spill one or two on the floor. I notice the error and
look down while m! assistant picks them up and drops them in
the asket. &ust as I look down and m! assistant stoops# m!
right hand rings the ottom of the asket over the hat for a
fraction of a second and m! first real load is made.
The asket is
speciall!
prepared. It is
seven inches
high and seven
inches in
diameter at the
top. The sides
taper so that
the ottom Is
five and a half
inches in
diameter. The
real ottom#
however# is
three inches
from where the ottom would naturall! e. '! load is held under

this false ottom ! three clips# two of them stationar!# the other
movale. The movale clip has an arm which e+tends four or five
inches up the side of the asket and is held in place ! a spring.
4 slight pressure on this arm and the load is released from the
asket. I use a five(inch paper coil as the ottom of the load and
have silks# or whatever else I plan to produce# packed on the
coil. >f course it is possile# ut I have never found it necessar!#
to have a removale reed ottom for the asket. It is easier to
rememer to keep the ottom awa! from the audience.
If a magician does not use an assistant. he could momentaril!
set the asket on top of the hat# while he stooped to pick up the
flowers himself.
In order to have the asket attract no attention it must not e
decorated in an! wa!# ut rather e the kind of a asket one
would take out in the garden to fill with flowers. I had m! asket
woven speciall! with the false ottom made right into the asket.
This is not e+pensive and is well worth while.
Coe%) Ci#"rette
B) L' Brent
HERE3* one for the comed! performer. E+tract a anana from a
paper ag. Aeel it and eat it with much gusto. %ow. after ever!
good meal a good smoke should follow# so (( take a cigarette
from !our pack. Aeel off the paper as !ou did the skin from the
anana. Light it and smoke with great satisfaction.
The cigarette peeling is ver! funn! since the toacco does not fall
apart. 8h!C 0ecause !ou have one of those little cigarette
shaped cigars with a piece of white paper glued around it. It
&ooks e+actl! like a cigarette. Aerform this in pantomime.
T!e 1"o S"ee C"r% Trick
B) *"i 8ernon
BE?>RE mentioning this trick# it should e noted that in the
e+cellent volume. )'agician3s Tricks and How The! 4re /one.) !
the late Henr! Hatton and 4drian Alate# is a feat the! descrie as
)one of the most incomprehensile tricks ever invented.) 8hile
the Hatton and Alate trick is e+cellent# it depends upon the use of
a deck of ut F; cards. and that I do not care for. ?urther# it
depends upon the performer3s memori5ing several tales. 4s m!
method uses the entire deck and does awa! with tales. it is
actuall! new. The feat is a favorite with several of m! magician
friends and I call it ! the name the! have given it(()The Ramo
*amee Card Trick.) Ramo *amee# an East Indian magician. was
the first recorded performer of his nationalit! to appear in
4merica. There is nothing East Indian aout the trick((ut then
!ou know how it is with a name for a trick.
I deal four poker hands. Euite naturall!# I deal m!self the est
hand# ut this is all merel! preliminar! to the trick. >nce the
hands are seen# I )happen to recall) another feat. I ask someone
to think of an! card In the deck. The choice is entirel! mental
and he neither touches a card nor writes down the name of the
one he has in mind.
Then 9uite naturall!. I pick up one of the hands of poker just
dealt# and ask if there is a card of the same value among those
in the hand. The second hand is shown in the same wa!# and the
same 9uestion is asked. The third and fourth hands also are
shown one at a time# and the same 9uer! is made. >n these last
two hands the further 9uestion is made as to whether# in these
hands# are cards of the same suit. Immediatel! after these
9uestions# the magician announces the name of the card held in
mind ! the spectator.
The secret consists of the choice of the cards in each of the four
hands. In the illustration are shown the cards I suggest that !ou
use. Bariations in the choice of the cards ma! e made# ut !ou
will find the cards suggested work well with audiences. In the
illustration alongside the hands are the numers 6(;(,(K.
?irst please consider the method of discovering onl! the value of
the card. This is done ! adding together the numers of the
hands. 4s an e+ample# if the mentall! selected card appears onl!
in the first hand# the total numer is 6 plus 7 plus 7 plus 7# or 6.
>ne is the same as 4ce(therefore the card is an 4ce. If found
onl! in the second hand# the card is a Two. However# if it appears
in oth the second and third hands# ut onl! those hands# it is a
*i+# ecause the numers of those hands ; and ,((when totalled
make J. There are ut two e+ceptions to this rule. If a card of
the value thought of is not seen in an! of the four hands# the
card held in mind is a King. If the card value is found onl! in the
last hand# the card thought of is either an K or a &ack. This &ack
is the onl! card for which an! fishing need e done. The magician
can sa! )Is it a picture cardC) If it is a picture it must e a lack#
and if not a picture it must e an Eight.
%ow as to suit. If the two hands shown in the ottom row of the
illustration are studied# it will e seen that clus are found onl! in
the hand numered four. Hearts will e found in oth hands#
while spades will e seen onl! in the hand numered K.
/iamonds will not e found in either hand. Therefore# when the
magician asks if a card having the suit of the one held in mind is
seen in either or oth of the hands# he will know ! the answer
which suit it is.
If found in oth((hearts# and if in neither((diamonds. If onl! in

one hand((clus# and if onl! in the other( spades. In order to
have the hands made up of the cards illustrated# of course the
deck must e set up either prior to performance# or. for those
having the necessar! skill# during the performance of other
tricks. It is not necessar! to set up the pack so that poker hands
ma! he dealt. I like that idea# ut others ma! wish merel! to
count off four sets of five cards(()merel! indifferent cards)((after
the pack has een shuffled. >f course a false shuffle is indicated.
It is ver! simple to rememer the value of each hand. ?or the
first hand is numered 6. The second is twice one# which makes
it ;. The third is twice two# or ,. The last is twice four# or K.
The description on paper ma! make the trick sound involved# ut
it will e found ver! eas! to perform. 8ork it on !ourself# using
the illustration.
This is a trick which ma! e repeated several times without the
secret ecoming the least it apparent. 4fter a few trials# it will
e found possile# eas! and most effective to )read the minds) of
two persons simultaneousl!.
T!e N"5kin As!es
B) Joe 1'k's
TE4R a paper napkin to its# set it afire and let it urn to ashes
on a plate. Take the plate and pour the ashes on the palm of
!our outstretched left hand. Alace a ottomless glass# mouth side
downwards over the ashes# as in ?igure 6. %ow secretl! palm a
duplicate# alled(up napkin# which has een hidden ehind a
metal tue on !our tale# in !our right palm. Aick up the tue
with the right fingertips at the top and put it over the inverted
glass in !our left hand. Release the palmed napkin which falls
through the ottomless glass into !our palm as !ou cover the
glass. Alace !our right hand over the upper end of the c!linder
and turn the works upside down.
Lift off the tue. There in the glass is the restored napkin. Tilt it
out in !our left hand# put down the glass and hold it out etween
!our hands for displa!.
L"'r"nt C"s!es His O/n C!eck
B) E'#ene L"'r"nt
'HE%EBER I am called upon to present a stunt at a an9uet# I
usuall! tell a stor! aout how I was once oliged to cash m! own
check. )'ost of us#) I sa!# )have e+perienced difficult! in
attempting to cash a check in a cit! in which we are a stranger.
This once happened to me and someone said# 30ut !ou are a
magician. 8h! don3t !ou cash !our own checkC3
)?rankl!. this thought had never occurred to me efore so I
decided to see what could e done. I made out a check to m!self
for the sum of five dollars. I tore It in pieces and wrapped it in a
s9uare of paper. I touched a match to ft. the wrapping vanished#
and there was a five(dollar ill. 4s I tell the stor! I suit action to
the words. The trick is prepared as follows. 4 five(dollar ill is
crumpled# wrapped in a piece of flash paper and put in m! left
coat pocket# along with a o+ of matches.
I fill out a check to m!self and wrap it in a piece of paper that
matches the flash paper. I hand it to someone to hold. I take out
the match o+ and under it# secretl!# I ring along the flash(
paper(wrapped five(dollar ill. I remove a match and strike it.
This I hold with m! right hand. I reach with that hand for the
paper(wrapped check. I pass it to m! left hand and hold it
against the top of the match o+. I call attention to a plate and
apparentl! drop the wrapped check on it. 4ctuall! I drop the
flash(paper( wrapped five spot. I get rid of the other packet
when I drop the match o+ in m! left coat pocket. 4 touch of the
match to the flash paper and it vanishes in a rilliant flame#
leaving ehind the fivedollar ill.
I think this idea was first suggested to me ! m! old friend
*tewart &udah of Cincinnati. I first presented it at a Rotar! Clu
luncheon. 4fter that I fre9uentl! used it as a pulicit! stunt.
T!e H"nson Ke/5ie *oll Ill'sion
B) Her"n H"nson
large# lettered to! lock is seen on the stage with a large to!
alloon floating aove it. It is tied to the o+ with a half(inch(
wide silk rion. The rion runs through the top of the lock
and is fastened to the inside ottom with a small thum tack.
The front doors of the lock are opened# and the cainet is
wheeled around to show it unmistakal! empt!.
4 small kewpie doll is placed inside the cainet# with one hand
outstretched as if it is holding the rion. The doors are closed.
The cainet is again wheeled half a turn to show that nothing is
concealed in the ack. The lock is seen to grow# or slide#
upwards# as a second lock comes into view. 8hen the cainet is
doule its original height it splits apart revealing a live girl#
dressed as a kewpie doll# who still holds the end of the rion.
Modus opera!di1 4n assistant# who wears a papier mache
kewpie head and is dressed to match the doll# is concealed
ehind mirrors# ?igure ,# 4(4.
The rion holding the alloon conceals the front edge of the
mirrors. 8hen the front doors are closed# the assistant
immediatel! closes the mirrors flat against the side walls# and
places the doll in ack of the white elastic and# ?igure ,# C.
4fter the cainet is turned to the rear# then ack to the front# the
assistant places her head e+actl! in the center of the top of the
cainet and takes the handles# ?igure :# 4(4# one in each hand#
and# at the cue# slowl! pushes the outside shell# or lock# upward
until the hinges# ?igure :# E(E# are automaticall! closed. The
assistant then opens the hook# ?igure :# /# and# at the
performer3s cue# pushes the two halves apart to reveal herself.
Co!stru%tio!1 The inside lock is made of solid wood# three(
9uarter inch stock. The outside lock is made of frames of two(
inch ! three9uarter inch stock with canvas glued on the sides
and top. The canvas is si5ed and painted. The inside lock should
e lined with cretonne. ?igure , shows the inside of this lock. 4(
4 are the mirrors. These are hinged and pull to a fort!(five
degree angle to conceal the assistant. 0(0 are the handles that
hold the mirrors in position. C is the wide elastic and for holding
the kewpie doll. /(/ are large desk fasteners. which hold the
locks when split. E(E are half(inch metal ars# oneeighth of an
inch thick# which hold the two cloths D(D at the ottom edge. I(I
are hinges.
In the outside lock# ?igure :# 4(4# are the flat handles# kept
against the top with small spring hinges. 0 is a metal dowel
fastened to one half of the lock# which must workfreel! in the
hole of the other half lock. C(C are uttons for locking the doors
H(H. / is a flat hook on the inside# which keeps the two halves of
the lock together. / is also shown in the ack view. E(E are
spring hinges# with weak springs. made to close instead of open.
0eing etween the inside and outside locks# when the outside
lock is raised the! open over the edge of the inside lock#
?igure J# 4. ?igure :# ?(?# are the wooden locks# which keep the
outside shell on the inside lock at the front# ?igure I. 0. D(D are
cloths tacked to the ottom of the frame of the outside shell and
are fastened to the metal ars E(E of the inside lock# forming
the missing side of the inside lock. In setting the illusion# the
cloths are folded etween the ottom frame and E(E. The cloth
should e of the same material# which lines the inside lock. H(
H# shown in the ack view# are metal ars one(eighth inch !
onehalf inch fastened on the inside of the shell. The! slide in L(L
sleeves# preventing the falling of the halves of the outside lock.
Remar&s1 I would suggest that the stage curtains e opened to
show a child3s pla!room. with the lock on the left and# perhaps#
a large all or hoop on the right. 4 girl assistant# in kiddie
costume# is pla!ing with the kewpie doll in the center.
?or patter# the magician could find out from the child that#
although she has plent! of to!s. she is lonesome for a
companion. The magician sa!s that if she will let him use her doll
and the lock# he will create a pla!mate for her. This he does to
the delight of the little girl and the audience as wen. >f course.
an! other doll could e used instead of a kewpie doll.
Penetr"tion *el'&e
B) Keit! Cl"rk
Put a lit cigarette in !our mouth. Hold an 6K(inch silk at one
corner with the left hand# one corner of the silk l!ing at the
inside of the end of the arm# as in ?igure 6.
Turn !our right side to the audience. Take the cigarette in the
right hand# etween the inde+ and middle fingers smoker3s
position1 ring it over the center of the silk# and apparentl! wrap
the silk around it.
8hat actuall! happens is this. 8hen the cigarette is over the
silk. the right third finger rests on the silk(covered palm# ?igure
;.
The left hand turns over and drapes the silk over the right hand
holding the cigarette# which is immediatel! transferred to the
thum grip# screened ! the folds of the silk# ?igure 67. The right
thum is e+tended upwards at once# taking the place of the
cigarette under the silk# ?igure ,. The right fingers are curled
around the cigarette to protect the silk. 4n this takes place
during the one continuous gesture of wrapping the cigarette in
the silk.
?igure F shows the position of the hands and the cigarette just as
the silk is aout to e tossed over the right hand and the
cigarette thum palmed. ?igure , shows the position after all of
these actions have een completed.
8hile !ou still stand with !our right shoulder nearest to the
audience# the left hand approaches the right hand and the left
fingers close around the cigarette <reall! the right thum=
through the silk# seemingl! to grasp it and carr! it awa!# ?igure
:. 8ithdraw the right thum as the silk is eing removed# so that
it isn3t disclosed sticking up in the air. /rop the right hand for an
instant to call attention to the left hand# and impress on the
audience that the cigarette is now wrapped in the silk.
The right hand.
ack to the
audience# now
goes ehind the
left hand holding
the silk and#
under cover of
the left hand#
transfers the
cigarette to a
position etween the right inde+ finger and middle fingers ((
smoker3s position. %ow# it is promptl! transferred to a vertical
position etween the left thum and inde+ finger# lighted end up#
where it is clipped with the silk. The lighted end must e aove
the silk so it cannot come into contact with it# ?igure I. The right
hand closes around the silk elow L# ?igure I# and twists it
several times. 4s it twists# the left thum pushes the urning
cigarette out of the left hand# as in ?igure K# and it seems to
have urned its wa! through the silk.
*tud! ?igures ; and K carefull! and practice these moves until
perfect. Aractice with an unlighted cigarette first.
Take the cigarette with the right hand and place it well etween
the lips. *how the silk to e unharmed ! holding it up etween
the hands# as shown in ?igure -# and ow to the applause.
M"rtin0s T/el+e C"r% Trick
B) To) M"rtin
In offering this version of the classical card effect known as )The
Cards @p the *leeve#) or )The Twelve Card Trick#) it should e
stated that although an effect of this nature has een performed
for !ears ! various conjurers# in one form or another# it has# for
the most part# een accomplished ! a certain set series of
manipulations# which in the following treatise have een virtuall!
eliminated. In eliminating these sleights# I have sustituted in
their place a new series of simple and easil! mastered moves#
which have een universall! accepted as the most effective and
affling method of presenting this greatest of all card effects. 4s
will he seen in the following e+planation# the performance of the
effect will depend# for the most part# upon the showmanship of
the performer. /ue to the fact that a numer of cards# held in full
view of the spectators# are caused to vanish one at a time until
each in succession is reproduced from the performer3s trouser
pocket# there is a tendenc! toward the presentation ecoming
monotonous unless the performer introduces a certain amount of
personalit! and showmanship in order to entertain the spectators
throughout the feat. The following e+planation makes an entirel!
new effect of this time(honored it of card conjuring.
Prese!tatio!1 The performer holds a numer of cards in his left
hand# which are counted and proven to e e+actl! twelve. He
asks the indulgence of the audience while he proceeds to cause
these cards to disappear one or two at a time until each card in
succession has m!sticall! vanished from the hand. The cards are
reproduced from the right trouser pocket. 4t all times the cards
are in full view of the spectators# and# properl! presented# their
evanishment is as ewitching an effect as there is to e found in
the realm of conjuring. Their suse9uent reproduction from the
trouser pocket heightens the m!ster! of the effect consideral!#
as the cards ma! e noted and memori5ed ! the spectators if
the performer chooses. *everal new moves together with a
numer of invaluale and sure(fire methods of misdirection serve
to render this presentation eas! to master and# at the some
time# positivel! affling at all points of the procedure.
Se%rets1 Areviousl!# put two cards in the upper vest pocket1 one
card# a spade# is placed in the watch pocket of the trousers and
three cards are )top(pocketed) in the right trouser pocket. <0!
)top(pocketing) meant the placing of cards in the upper part of
the pocket so that the lower part ma! e pulled out and shown
as empt!.= In the right trouser pocket is# also# a coin# which
serves later on in the effect.
Ope!i!$ Remar&s1 4dvancing toward the spectators with onl!
nine cards in the left hand. the performer egins.
)Ladies and gentlemen# I should like to offer for !our approval an
effect with a numer of pla!ing cards. I shall hold the cards !ou
see here at arm3s length and each time that I sa! 3Do#3 or each
time that I tap the cards# while !ou are watching them the! shall
disappear one at a time in the air or# etter still# I shall have
them make their wa! across the vest and down into the trouser
pocket# which as !ou ma! oserve contains nothing ut this half
dollar# which has nothing to do with the performance#
nevertheless I shall leave it here.) <8hile sa!ing the aove# the
performer pulls out the right trouser pocket partiall! and shows
the coin. the three cards remain hidden from view in the upper
part of the pocket.=
The performer continues. )I should like !ou to watch the cards
closel!# and see if !ou can see them go. 8atch. *o that all ma!
understand the procedure# one# two# three# etc.((on up to twelve
cards are used.) <0egin counting the nine cards to appear as
twelve# holding the acks of the cards towards the audience.
0ring the two hands together and. in removing one card# call out
at the same time )>ne#) in continuing# go through this same
motion# ut on the count of cards numer two# four and si+ fail
to remove a card from the hand# which will cause the nine cards
to appear as twelve# since three of them have een counted
twice.= This false count is e+plained and illustrated in several
wellknown treatises on card conjuring. 4fter having counted the
cards# egin passing them in the following fashion.
In eginning the actual effect# riffle the nine cards twice# creating
! this move two crepitating sounds and sa!ing simultaneousl!
)>ne) and )Two.) *how the right hand empt!# then sa!#
)Cards#numers one and two have egun their journe!# and we
find them in this right trouser pocket. <4t this point two of
thetop(pocketed cards are rought out one at a time# shown and
placed on a tale.=
)"ou ma! dout that I am passing these cards# ut I had twelve
and have passed two# so that leaves <now count the nine cards#
using a false count on one card so that the! appear as ten= ten.)
Hold the nine cards in the left hand and ask a spectator to hold
!our left wrist# sa!ing. )8ill !ou hold the wrist# please# and I
shall pass one card through !our hand and mine.) 4gain riffling
the cards# ask. )/id !ou feel the card goC) Count# as !ou sa!. )It
must have gone# for we have onl! nine cards left.) 8ith the faces
of the cards toward the spectators# show them to e nine in
numer. 4dvancing toward another spectator# have him remove
the third# and last# of the top(pocketed cards.
Remark# )"ou did not take the coin# did !ouC) Reach in the
pocket to verif! this and introduce si+ cards# which were palmed
from the nine in the left hand as the spectator removed the card
from !our pocket. In introducing these cards top(pocket them#
and pull out the pocket# showing the coin is still there. Leave the
pocket out# put the coin in another pocket.
)8atch closel!.) This time rap the remaining cards in the left
hand with the right hand# sa!ing. )4s we watch them# two more
cards egin their journe! and are found in the...) <Aerformer#
seeing the pocket hanging out# remarks. )>h# the pocket is out1 I
shall push it in and catch those two cards efore the! get ack to
the left hand.)= The two cards# previousl! placed in the upper left
vest pocket are withdrawn as the left side is turned toward the
audience.
*howing the acks of these cards# the performer# with his left
side still toward the audience# reinserts them into the vest pocket
and taps the sleeve on the outer side of the coat# remarking.
)Aerhaps this is sill!# ut if !ou rememer the cards# !ou shall
see that the! will arrive# for here the! are.) Two of the si+ cards
previousl! introduced into the top of the pocket are shown and
placed aside.
4gain rap the cards smartl! and sa!. )Two more shall egin their
journe!.) *how the right hand empt! and remove two more of
the cards from the trouser pocket.
)4s the pack grows smaller# less pressure is re9uired to make
them go.) *uit actions to words. and sa!. )4nother card is on its
wa!.) The right hand reaches into the watch pocket# as the
performer sa!s. )It must e a spade# for it is digging me.) The
card is withdrawn with the remark# )This one did not 9uite
arrive.) %ow sa!. )8e have passed eight cards and# just as a
matter of checking up# eight from twelve would leave how
man!C) 4s the answer((four((is given# false count the three cards
to appear as four. Hold these cards at the fingertips# the arm well
e+tended# the right side to the audience.
)I shall tap these four# and we have left onl! three.) <The three
cards are counted. The right side remains towards the audience.=
Alace the three cards ack in the left hand# show there is nothing
in the right hand and remove another of the top(pocketed cards
from !our trouser pocket# which is awa! from the audience. <This
must e timed so that the audience# in watching the card emerge
from the trouser pocket# does not see the performer slip one of
the three in the left hand into the left coat pocket.=
Turn towards the audience# hold the last two cards together# tap
them and sa!# )Do.) The two cards are now shown and slapped
together with an inward and outward motion from the face to the
length of the arms# enaling the performer to wet one of the
cards# as it touches his face. Alace the two cards together and
sa!. )I shall now pass one more... Do.) Toss the two remaining
cards a foot or so into the air. <The cards adhere ecause one
was moistened and pressed against the other.= The! appear as
one card. *how the front card# adroitl! palm the hindermost
card# at the same time pass the front card from the right to left
hand. Let us see if it has arrived.) The palmed card is now
introduced into the pocket# and removed as if it had een there
for 9uite some time.
?or the evanishment of the last card# a numer of suitale
sleights for the disappearance of one card are to e found in
ooks dealing with card sleights# ut one of the most effective
vanishes is to simpl! palm the card in the right hand. In the act
of shoving it into the left hand# the left hand remains closed as
though it held the card# while the right hand# which reall!
contains it is moved rapidl! towards the pocket. The right thum
and fingers roll the card so that it is held in the crotch of the
thum. The fingers thus appear apart. 8hen the left hand opens#
the right hand inserts this last card# straightens it out in the
pocket and withdraws it. )*o thus the last card reaches its
destination.)
If one is full! adept in the asic moves of card magic# the
preceding effect can e easil! mastered. If not# seek personal
instruction from some performer familiar with these moves# as it
is often ver! difficult to learn them properl! from reading a
description of how the! are accomplished. Hoffmann3s )'odern
'agic.) and )The E+pert at the Card Tale#) ! Erdnase# carr!
graphic illustrations and detailed descriptions of the asic moves.
The misdirection with the coin at the introduction of the cards is
oth sutle and novel.
An Alco!ol 1'(
B) Ho/"r% S"+"#e
calling card is handed to the sitter# who writes a 9uestion on
it. The medium opens a small envelope# address side down# for
the reception of the face down card. The envelope is immediatel!
sealed.
8hen the medium places an identification mark on it# he not onl!
tells the sitter his 9uestion# ut also answers it.
The m!ster!3s solution lies in the solution# alcohol# that is in the
hollow metal pencil of the medium. He pretends to make a
mistake and erase it# ut reall! moistens the envelope with the
sponge(ruer false eraser# there! rendering it transparent.
The chemical dries rapidl! and the 9uestion is handed ack after
a length! answer.

J"ck Tre5el0s Tele5!one Book Trick
B) J"ck Tre5el
This is a method where! a spectator is allowed to open a
telephone director! at an! place he chooses# other spectators
signif! a choice of name on that page# and the magician is ale
to know oth the person chosen as well as the telephone
numer.
In the presentation the magician gives a telephone director! and
a pencil to a spectator. The magician then picks up a slate and a
piece of chalk and sits on a chair with his ack toward the
audience. ?irst# he instructs the spectator to open the ook at
an! place he chooses. He then asks for someone else to call out
)left(right) or )right(left.) e+ample# right(left is named first. The
magician asks the person holding the director! to look at the
right hand page and call out the numer so that an!one who
wishes ma! check on each detail later. The magician then
announces that as right was called first# that leaves left and that
the person holding the director! should put his pencil at the top
of the left hand column of the chosen page. The magician asks
another person to call out a numer. He suggests# in order to
keep the e+periment from ecoming too length!# that the
numer should he from one to twent!(five. The spectator holding
the director! is asked to count down the column until he comes
to the name designated ! that numer. ?or e+ample# if twelve is
called# the spectator would count to the twelfth name. He is then
asked to mark the name with a pencil# to read it to himself and#
in order to impress it on his mind# to draw a circle around it.
%e+t he is asked to read the telephone numer to himself and
likewise to circle it.
The magician rises# faces the audience and reminds the spectator
who is holding the director! that he had a free choice of an!
page and therefore# as a matter of fact# a choice of an! one of
the thousands of names and telephone numers.
The magician writes a name and numer on his slate and holds it
reversed# over his head# ! the fingertips of one hand. The
spectator holding the director! is asked to stand and read loudl!#
for all to hear# the name and phone numer he has chosen.
0efore he is finished# the performer turns his slate toward the
audience so that it ma! he verified that he has successfull!
predicted the correct name and numer.
Met2od1 Arior to the performance the magician cuts a segment
from the ound side of the director! four inches long and a little
over the width of one column. This gives the magician a small
ound ook# having the eginning of the right hand column of all
the left hand pages# and the eginning of the left hand column of
all the right hand pages. In a majorit! of the directories issued
! the telephone companies# if not all of them# the pages are
numered at the center of the ook. It will now e ovious that
provided the spectator announces the numer of the chosen
page# the magician will e ale to turn to that page# The
spectator# seemingl!# is given a choice ! naming right(left or
left(right# ut it makes no difference which is chosen. In either
instance there will e indicated the part of the page that the
magician has in his miniature director!. Limiting the choice to a
numer under twent!(five again keeps the choice within the
section held ! the magician. In the directories with which I am
familiar# a four inch segment of the ook gives twent!(five
names. It is advisale to check the numer of names in the
director! !ou will use and limit the choice of numers
accordingl!.
The magician3s small director! is attached to a length of elastic
which goes around his od! through either the elt loops of his
trousers or the loops of his suspenders. The end of the elastic is
looped around the inding of the ook etween the pages. 4t the
eginning of the trick# the ook is pushed inside the top of the
trousers. 4fter the director! has een given to a spectator# the
magician picks up the slate with his left hand# the chalk with his
right. 4 slate is more impressive# though a pad and pencil ma!
e used. He turns his ack to the audience ! swinging to his
left. In making this turn his left hand goes out so that the
audience ma! see the slate# while his right hand goes in front of
his od! and removes the small director!. The magician then sits
on the chair and puts the slate on his lap. Inside the director! is
a small flat pencil. 4s soon as the magician locates the name and
numer in the director!# he writes oth on the wooden frame of
the slate. He then releases the director! and the elastic pulls it
inside his coat as he stands. I use this pull ecause I found that
an! unusual movement on m! part such as putting the director!
in m! pocket attracted unfavorale attention. There is plent! of
time to locate the page while the spectator is deciding on the
numer etween one and twent!(five# and also ample time to
write down the name and numer while the spectator is counting
and encircling.
The magician then stands and impressivel! calls attention to the
impossiilit! of guessing one name from so large a choice. He
writes oth the chosen name and numer on the slate. disclosing
to the audience that he has read their minds.
The reader is warned to e sure and watch his angles and to
have no spectators seated on the sides of the room# where the!
ma! e in a position to see the method used for the trick.
Le+"nte Flo/ers fro Cone
B) Les Le+"nte
girl assistant# who wears a short frock with an apron of
flowered pattern# hands a cornucopia made of newspaper to the
magician. He shows that it is empt!. He shakes it a it and
suddenl! it is filled with flowers. The assistant holds the ends of
her apron etween her hands to catch therein the flowers that
pour from the cone. The flowers continue to materiali5e until an
unelievale total of F77 are produced. The magician tears up
the cone# the assistant carries the flowers off stage. The effect is
self contained. The magician has nothing to pick up# no tales#
no fuss. 8hen the trick is over# the stage is clear.
Needed1 Three undles of spring flowers# each held ! a dual
elastic and. The details of the elastic holders are clearl! shown
in the illustration. 8hen the release pin is pulled# the flowers
e+pand. 4 cornucopia made from a doule sheet of newspaper. It
is aout 6K inches high. >ne undle of flowers is put in the
ottom of this cone. It is covered with a small piece of
newspaper# which is tucked around the flowers so that the cone
can e shown directl! to the audience as an empt! cone. In fact#
I hold the cone right up to a spectator# practicall! pushing it in
his face. The release string attached to the pin is threaded from
the inside through the ottom of the cone so that it hangs
outside. >n the reverse side of the girl3s flower patterned apron
up near the elt# which ties around her waist is sewn an eight
inch wide strip of uckram. >n the front side of the apron# over
the uckram# are two secret pockets made from the same
material as that used in the apron. Each pocket is attached so
that the material lends perfectl! with the overall pattern. The
ottom of each pocket is sewn in place right through the
uckram. The tops of the pockets are held in place with two snap
fasteners for each. 4 undle of flowers is enclosed in each of
these pockets.
The routine egins when the girl rings the newspaper cone to
the magician. He shows it empt!# then at the right moment pulls
the release string. The flowers e+pand and fill the cone. The
assistant holds out her apron and the performer spra!s it with
flowers. 8ith his free hand the magician# in helping the flowers
to fall in the apron# is ale to pull a load from one of the pockets
and throw it into the cone. 8hen the string on this load is pulled#
more flowers are released and a further stream flows into the
apron. The third load is otained in the same wa!.
8hen the production is completed# the magician rips up the
cone# and the girl e+its.
Fin% t!e L"%)
B) P2C2 Sorc"r
The card trick. )*tung and *tung 4gain) or )?ooled 4gain#) is
known throughout the world to the magical fraternit!. I have
improved the feat and present it with e+tra large si5e cards. This
makes it a phenomenal success on ig stages. The cards# 6;
inches ! 6K inches# are made of three(pl! wood. The! are hand
painted on oth sides and polished.
>n the stage stands a nickel(plated stand# on which hangs a flat
canvas ag# slightl! larger than the cards. There is a *phin+ head
painted on the ag with the name *orcar under it.
4s I enter# I ring three cards held in a fan. The! are the &ack of
Clus# Eueen of Hearts and the King of Clus. I slip them inside
the ag in fun view of the audience# and ask the audience to
rememer the names of the cards. %e+t I sa!. )The Eueen of
Hearts is not here. *he is gone.) 4s proof I pull out the first card#
the King of Clus. I hold the ag upside down and slide out the
&ack of Clus. 8here is the EueenC I hear someone sa! that it is
still in the ag. I at once pull the 5ip fastener in the ottom of
the ag# which reveals a ig card on which is printed )?ooled.)
Ever! Tom# /ick and Harr! calls to see the opposite side. I am#
at first# reluctant. ?inall! I turn the card# onl! to show the words
)?ooled 4gain.)
*ecret. The ag is speciall! constructed. The design on the front
is upside down on the ack. This is so that the ag will look
correct even when inverted. 4 perfect illusion is created ecause
the act of reversing the ag shows the second design# right side
up. 4n! other wa! of turning the ag would e too ovious.
There is a small section in the ag where I conceal the )?ooled)
card. It cannot fall out when the ag is reversed and can onl! e
e+tracted when the 5ipper is unfastened.
The King of Clus is unfaked. The second card is prepared. The
Eueen of Hearts and the lack of Clus are painted side ! side#
as if the! were held fan(wise# on the face of this card. 4 normal
&ack of Clus is painted on the reverse side.
Keep the )?ooled) Card in the ag from the eginning. *how the
other two cards. fan(wise# so the! look like three cards. Aut them
in the ag and follow the outlined presentation.
T!e .ei#! of All Fles!
B) Al B"ker
The orchestra pla!s soft# slow music as the curtain goes up. The
Arofessor is standing on the stage at the side of a lackoard
which is on an easel. In the center of the stage# hanging on a
rope from the flies is a dialed scale with a large hook. The hook
is aout si+ feet aove the stage. The magician claps his hands#
the music increases in tempo# and two coolies come in carr!ing a
trunk. The magician sa!s nothing# ut acts interested.
The coolies lift the trunk and hang it on the hook of the scale.
The scale registers just I: pounds. The magician turns toward
the lackoard and writes )Trunk(I: pounds.) The coolies then
lift the trunk off the hook# unstrap and open it. The! leave the
stage and 9uickl! return# leading a slave girl. The magician
gestures that the girl should e weighed. The girl is wearing a
leather harness# so that when she is lifted up she ma! e hooked
to the scale. The girl weighs <in even hundred pounds# so the
magician writes under his previous figures. )Dirl(677 pounds.)
The girl# upon eing released from the hook# is immediatel! put
in the trunk and the trunk is locked and strapped. The coolies
once more hook the trunk on the scale. The scale registers 6I:
pounds. The magician draws a line under the figures on the
lackoard and totals them. His sum agrees with the scale# 6I:
pounds. The magician picks up a pistol# points it at the trunk and
shoots. 4t the sound of the shot# the scale jumps ack to I:
pounds. The coolies hurriedl! lift the trunk off the hook and put it
on the stage. The! unstrap and unlock it. The! open it and tip it
toward the audience so that ever!one can see that the girl has
disappeared. Ever!thing is done in pantomime.
Met2od1 The scale is faked. Aerhaps the easiest wa! to do this
would e to take an ordinar! accurate# large scale and remove
the rod to which the hand is fastened. This rod is replaced with a
tue# to which the scale mechanism is attached. Inside this tue
is a small rod# a call spring and a catch. @ntil the catch is
released# the small rod is controlled ! the tue. The hand# of
course# is fastened to the small rod. @pon releasing the catch#
the spring moves the small rod and the hand ack the distance
that the hand would have to travel on the scale to indicate 677
pounds. 8hen the trunk is lifted down from the scale# the hand
again goes to 5ero automaticall!# as the regular scale mechanism
is not distured.
The method of causing the girl to disappear is ! using the well
known tip(over trunk (( the trunk sometimes called the Cr!stal
Trunk.
In this trunk# of course# the girl does not actuall! disappear ut it
seems so to the audience.
4s a finale for the trick# here are two suggestions. >ne is that a
twin of the slave girl comes running down the aisle of the
theatre. The second suggestion is that one of the coolies takes
off hie coolie costume and it is the twin.
%aturall! the figures !ou will use will e those of the weight of
!our trunk and !our assistant.
P"5er B"lls to H"t
B) Sli%ini
This is a pantomime routine to e performed while seated at a
tale. ?our tissues are rolled into alls. The! disappear# one at a
time# from the hands of the performer and appear in a hat# which
previousl! has een shown empt!. The trick ma! e done close(
up or as a platform feat efore an audience of considerale si5e.
The manipulation is 9uite simple# ut the details must e
memori5ed and carefull! rehearsed to create the proper effect.
4ll that is needed is a hat# which ma! e orrowed# and four
pieces of paper. I use facial tissues# these are sold under such
names as Kleene+ and Aond3s Tissues.
The routine egins ! the magician showing a hat# pointing out
its emptiness and placing it open side upwards# on the tale to
his left. The four tissues are shown and put to the right. The
performer shows his hands to e empt!. Then# with his right
hand# he picks up a sheet of tissue and waves it several times
over the hat. He turns left at the waist so that his right side ((
his head and trunk (( is toward the audience. The hands are
rought up to shoulder height and the tissue is rolled into a all
etween his palms.
The magician closes his left hand around the all# and points to
his left fist with his right hand. He opens the left hand to show
that the all is still there. He picks it up with his right fingertips
and raises the right hand high over the hat (( the left hand drops
naturall! to the lap. He slowl! lowers and raises the all aove
the hat several times. This gets across the idea that the all is to
go in the hat# ut the magician Is ver! careful to have the
audience see that the all does not go into the hat. The all is
alwa!s visile.
The magician returns the all to the position etween his palms
and rolls it once more as if to make the all more firm# ?igure 6.
Then he moves his right hand awa! from his left# closing the left
as if it held the all# ut reall! palming the all in his right hand.
The left fist is raised and the hand is turned over so that the
thum points downward and the palm of the hand is awa! from
the audience. The right hand is lowered to rest gentl! on the
edge of the tale and the all is dropped into the lap. The left
hand is rought toward the hat and# as this move is made# the
right hand is rought up to the left. 0oth hands are held some
distance over the hat. The fingers of the right hand pr! open the
closed fingers of the left hand so that the audience can see that
there is nothing in either hand. However# the magician acts as if
he were still holding the all and he drops the imaginar! all into
the hat. He removes his hands from the vicinit! of the hat and
ends forward and looks in. He delieratel! nods his head as
though he were sa!ing. )"ea# it is there.)
The spectators can see that the magician3s hands are empt!# and
understand that he claimed to have dropped an invisile all into
the hat. 4ctuall! the magician has the all in his lap.
The magician now rolls the second tissue into a all in the same
manner he used in making the first all. He e+hiits it in the
fingers of his left hand# while the right hand casuall! drops to the
lap and picks up the first all.
This all is held in the palm ! the thum. Care must e taken to
keep the ack of the hand toward the audience so that the all
remains hidden. 8hen the two hands come together# the visile
all is pushed up to the fingertips# ?igure ;# and the hidden all
is s9uee5ed etween the palms of the two hands. 8hen the
hands are together# the hands# as if to etter e+hiit the visile
all# can e turned sidewise with the little fingers toward the
audience. The palmed all will e masked completel!. The hands
are turned ack to the position shown in ?igure ;# and raised to
the lips so that the magician can low on the all. This is merel!
usiness# ut it gives an opportunit! to palm the hidden all in
the right hand.
4s soon as the all is palmed the hands are separated. The right
hand drops a few inches. The right hand then reaches up and
touches all numer two with the fingertips. Then# as if to
remind the audience that this all is to go into the hat# the
magician reaches out with his right hand and dips it into the hat.
The first time this motion is made the magician drops the palmed
all into the hat. The second time he does it to emphasi5e the
idea that the all# which the audience can see plainl!# is to go
into the hat. It also gives the audience an opportunit! to see that
the right hand is empt!. The magician must rememer that the
audience did not see the first all fall to his lap# nor did the! see
him drop the first all into the hat# while he was handling the
second all.
4fter the magician has indicated that the second all is to go into
the hat# he handles it e+actl! as he did the first all. That is# he
drops it on his lap secretl!# and pretends to make it disappear
while his hands are held over the hat.
The routine with the third and fourth alls is actuall! the same as
that used with the second. 4t this point the audience# to sum up
what has gone efore# has seen the magician cause three alls to
vanish# and has understood that the magician has implied that
the! have passed into the hat. 4ctuall! three are now in the hat#
one is on the magician3s lap.
>ne wa! to got the last all into the hat would e to palm it and
drop it in the hat during the motions of showing how the other
alls passed into the hat. However# it seems to me etter to do
what I usuall! do. I go through what seems to e a it of
inconse9uential comed! !(pla!. I pick an imaginar! pellet from
the air with m! right hand# and put it in m! left hand. The left
fingers are opened slowl!# I show surprise and concern that there
is nothing in the hand. I look higher in the air and gra with the
left hand. 'eanwhile# I drop m! right hand to the lap# and palm
the fourth all. Then# in the same manner as I got the previous
alls into the hat# I drop in numer four. I open m! left hand to
show it is empt!. I show m! right hand empt!. I pick up the hat
carefull! to show that there is no tricker!# then I tilt the hat
slowl! toward the audience. The four alls spill out.
S/itc!in# *ecks
B) H"rl"n T"r(ell
Modern(da! magicians have often made something complicated
that the old(timers accomplished in a simple action. >ne of these
things is switching one deck for another. Barious contraptions
have een rought out for this purpose# some of which seem far
removed from the simple suject at hand. I am going to descrie
a method of changing decks# sa! a deck of forcing cards for a
regular deck# or a deck of regular cards for a threaded pack#
such as was used ! Herrmann# Aowell# /eKolta# Kellar# Ransom#
Reno and man! others. I# m!self# have used it man! times in
performing the rising cards# where I wanted to switch a regular
pack for one threaded for the card fountain.
The threaded deck 0 is on the tale under a silk handkerchief#
?igure 6. The audience# of course# is not aware of this hidden
deck. %ow# let3s sa! that three cards have een selected#
returned and shuffled in the pack. This deck is held in !our right
hand. Aick up the silk at the rear with the left hand# thum
underneath# and place deck 4 under it# ?igure ;. Transfer the silk
from the left to the right hand. Aut the silk down on another part
of the tale in full view. 4ll this is ut a moment3s work# and to
the audience all that !ou have done is simpl! to place a deck of
cards on the tale and pick up a handkerchief# which is
temporaril! in the wa!# and place it aside. Tr! this method and
see how eas! and effective it is.
Flo/ers "t 7o'r Fin#erti5s
B) Mil(o'rne C!risto5!er
One ! one the magician produces flowers at his fingertips and
drops them on a waiting tra!. 8hen the tra! is filled to
overflowing# the magician reaches out again in thin air and
produces a huge ou9uet.
Met2od1 This is a new and effective use for spring flowers.
Arevious to the performance a stack of ;7 or F7 folded flowers is
held under the tra! ! a clip. 4nother packet of ;7# with strings
attached to each# tied together in the usual ou9uet fashion# is
inserted in a second clip.
8hen !ou pick up the tra!# !our right hand steals the group of
single flowers# the other hand cups around the ou9uet stack#
and masks it completel! as !our left hand holds the tra!.
The closed fingers of !our right hand hide the compressed
flowers from view. To produce the flowers# press !our right
thum against the top folded flower of the packet and push it
forward. The flower props open instantl!. It seems to appear
from nowhere. /rop it on the tra! and repeat the process to
produce the other single flowers. 4s each is produced# it should
e held a second or two# then dropped on the tra!. *ee the
illustration for the e+act wa! to hold the flowers and produce
them. E shows the stack in the hand as the thum presses firml!
on the top flower and shoves it forward. / shows the open flower
at the moment of production at the fingertips.
?ollowing the production of the last single flower# oth hands hold
the edge of the tra! momentaril!. The left hand grasps the ead
on the knotted end of the folded ou9uet and# holding the ead
firml!# moves out and a do5en inches awa! with lightning speed.
The ou9uet materiali5es instantl!. The flowers cover the hand
that produces it. This is !our applause cue. 8alk off with the
ou9uet in !our left hand and the flower(filled tra! in !our right.
This can e presented under the most rigorous conditions. I have
used it in the center of a night clu floor. ?or full effect# use
flowers of one color (( red. The! show up etter and appear to
e real flowers. %ot so# the lue# !ellow# green and purple
assortments that are usuall! used.
*ilk flowers# those with silk outer leaves# slide etter than paper
flowers. I had to cut an eighth of an inch off of the sides of m!
flowers so that I could manipulate them with greater ease.
4 ledge on the tra! prevents the flowers from falling off when
the! are dropped. In the diagram# the tra! is perfectl! plain# ut
a colorful design would mask the loads for close work.
*hould !ou wish a larger production# enter with ;7 flowers
palmed in !our right hand. 4fter these have een produced# steal
the single load from the tra!. ?inall!# as in the other version#
ring the trick to a clima+ with the ou9uet production.
T!e Enc!"nte% Fin#er 1in#
B) Leon Herr"nn
Take an ordinar! glass# which !ou pass for e+amination to show
that it is empt!. 4sk a gentleman to hold it. 0orrow a finger ring
and place it under a silk handkerchief# and give it to the person
who alread! holds the glass# as shown in ?igure 6# so that at
!our command he can drop the ring into the glass# and also lot
the handkerchief go at the same time to cover the glass.
%ow take !our magic wand# or a stick aout one(half an inch
thick and one foot long# which !ou have read! on the tale. Take
another handkerchief# which !ou orrow from someone in the
audience# and roll it around the stick# ut !ou must leave the
ends of the stick free# so that another person will e ale to hold
it ! the ends without interfering with the handkerchief# ?igure ;.
4sk the person who is holding the glass to shake it so as to hear
that the ring is still there. Take the handkerchief that covers the
glass ! one corner# remove it 9uickl! from the glass and the ring
will e gone.
%ow !ou go to the person who is holding the stick# and !
removing the handkerchief# which is around it# !ou will find that
the ring has passed onto the stick# ?igure F. The eaut! of this
ver! surprising trick is that the person who is holding the stick
did not remove his hands from the two ends# still the ring will e
seen on the center of the stick. It is one of the most eautiful
sleight of hand tricks# entirel! unknown# and has never een
e+posed. It is also one of the most effective to perform. It ma!
e shown in a parlor with great advantage and# with a little
practice# m! readers will undoutedl! e successful in its
e+ecution.
Have a false ring attached with a piece of thread# aout three
inches long# to the center of a silk handkerchief. Have that
handkerchief in the outside little pocket of !our coat. 8hen !ou
orrow a ring from one of the ladies in !our audience# take the
handkerchief out of the pocket with !our left hand <the false ring
on !our side=# and with !our right hand place the lad!3s ring# the
real ring# in the handkerchief. 4s soon as the handkerchief covers
the right hand# 9uickl! e+change the real ring for the one which
is attached to the handkerchief# and keep the real ring in the
palm of the right hand while !ou hold the false ring through the
handkerchief with !our left. Dive the covered ring to the person
who is holding the glass and ask him to hold it over the glass so
that# at !our command# it will e eas! for him to let it drop in the
glass. >f course# ever!one will hear the ring as it drops in the
glass# as the thread is long enough to give a kind of loose
alancing to the ring. 0e careful that the handkerchief covers the
glass all around# so that no one can see the ring inside.
%ow take# ! one end# the stick with the right hand# which has
the real ring palmed# and manage to slip the ring over and on
the stick# ut alwa!s keep !our hand closed to hide the ring. %ow
when !ou roll the handkerchief around the stick# twist the
handkerchief around the ring and slip it to the center of the stick1
it is onl! when !ou give the stick to someone to hold that !ou
take !our hands from the stick.
C"s! "n% C!"n#e P'rse
B) .illi" H2 McC"ffre)
The magician gives a pack of cards to a spectator and permits
him# after he has shuffled the deck# to choose an! card. The
magician then takes the deck and hands it to another spectator
to shuffle. He asks the one who chose the card to write his
initials on the face of the card. The magician riffles the deck so
that the spectator ma! replace his card in an! position. The
magician s9uares the deck and passes it to another spectator. He
then reaches in his pocket and rings out a small change purse#
of the t!pe that has two nus which overlap one another to hold
the purse closed. The spectator is asked to look through the
deck. He finds that the marked# chosen card is missing. He is
invited to open the purse. Inside# he finds that chosen card# with
its identif!ing marks# folded to one(fourth the si5e of the open
card.
@p to the point where the card is replaced in the deck ever!thing
is 9uite as it seems. The sleight to get the card out of the deck is
an adaptation of the )dove(tail pass.)
8hen the magician riffles the deck so that the spectator ma!
replace his card# the deck is held in the left hand in the dealing
position e+cept that it is held a little lower in the hand than most
people hold the cards in dealing. 4s the magician looks down on
his hand# the tip of his little finger is at the lower right hand
corner of the pack. The left hand side lies along the ase of the
thum. The top itself is on top of the pack. The magician riffles
the cards# as I have said# and allows the card to e replaced at
an! point. 0efore the card is pushed too far in the deck# he
e+erts a little pressure with his thum so that the card cannot e
pushed all the wa! in. The magician then# apparentl!# pushes the
card down into the deck. 4ctuall! what he does is to press the
card diagonall! to the right. In short# e+actl! what is done with
the )dove(tail pass#) ut in the opposite direction. 4s the card is
pressed around to the right# the fingers of the left hand
straighten out. This# of course# is done under cover of the fingers
of the right hand while the thum of the left hand holds the pack
together. The fingers of the left hand then curl ack toward the
deck and# if the moves are made correctl!# the chosen card is
held in the usual palming position in the left hand e+cept that the
cards of the rest of the pack are oth aove and elow the
chosen card. The left hand# as this )dove(tail) pass is made# is
turned so that the ack of it is toward the audience. The right
hand takes hold of the pack# at the top# which is protruding out
from the left hand# and pulls the pack awa! from the left hand#
leaving the chosen card palmed.
4s the pack is handed to the spectator# the left hand drops to the
side. 8hen !ou close the left hand# the card is folded in half.
Then pressing with the thum in the center of the folded card
and permitting a little space etween the second and third
fingers# it will e found ver! eas! to fold the card in 9uarters.
The left hand then goes into the left coat pocket and pushes the
unfolded card into the alread! open change purse. The purse is
snapped shut and rought from the pocket and handed to the
spectator. If this trick is done correctl!# the audience not onl! will
have no idea that the card could have left the pack# ut will not
dream that the chosen card could e found in the tin! change
purse.
1o5e6It
B) Bo( H"skell
selected card is shuffled ack into the pack ! a spectator.
The spectator spreads the cards in his hands and tosses them in
the air. 4s the cards come down in a shower# the performer# who
has formed a lariat out of a piece of rope# lassos the selected
card.
Properties1 4 o! pin# painted white# and a ten(foot length of
rope. 4 lariat is made from the rope# and the o! pin is
attached as in ?igure 6. La! the rope on !our tale or a chair.
To Load1 To attach the card to the gimmick# first pick up the
loop at point 4 with !our left hand. The card is palmed in !our
right hand# and as !our right hand reaches the gimmick# the card
slips naturall! under it and is held there firml!.
*till holding the rope with !our right hand# let go with !our left
and take the rope up again at point C. 0! pulling the rope !ou
close the loop around !our right hand and the card. /on3t close it
too tightl!1 leave a loop of aout eight inches. Continue wrapping
the rope around !our hand until !ou reach the end# point /. This
end is held etween !our right thum and first finger as in ?igure
;.
8hen the cards are thrown# toss the coiled rope# straightening
!our fingers. Hold on to the end with !our thum. 4s the lariat
reaches its full length# a short jerk on the rope will close the
noose around the card.
Prese!tatio! 3# Have a card in !our right trouser pocket. ?orce
a duplicate of this card# then let the spectator shuffle the deck.
8hile this is eing done# !our right hand gets the card from the
pocket and the left hand picks up the rope. The card is loaded
into the gimmick as e+plained aove. ?inish the trick as
descried.
Prese!tatio! 4# Have the card in the gimmick at the start. The
rope is coiled on !our tale. ?orce the card and during the
shuffling pick up the coiled rope. "our hand naturall! conceals
the card. Conclude the feat in the usual wa!.
Prese!tatio! /# %o duplicates are used in this version. @se an!
deck. Have the spectator mark his freel! selected card. 4fter the
card has een returned to the deck# palm it out and give him the
deck to e shuffled. *lip the palmed card in the gimmick when
!ou pick up the rope. The spectator tosses the deck sk!ward1
!ou throw !our lasso. "ou snare the marked card in the noose.
T!e *e+il0s Fli#!t
B) Jose5! *'nnin#er
4 plank and two wooden saw horses are rought into view. The
plank is placed upon the horses so that an improvised tale is
formed. 4 lad! stands on the plank. *he is covered with a cloth
that doesn3t reach to the stage. 4 pistol is fired1 the cloth drops1
the lad! has vanished. This is one of the few illusions that can e
worked on an! stage without the use of traps and other such
necessities that are usuall! emplo!ed to produce a similar effect.
E5pla!atio!1 The saw horses are ordinar!. The plank is
prepared ! attaching a cloth of the same color as the
ackground used to its rear edge. 4 long# thin iron ar# which
acts as a weight and also enales the performer to roll up the
cloth more easil!# is sewn to the ottom of the cloth.
0efore covering the girl# hold the cloth in front of the plank for a
moment during which time the girl releases the curtain with her
foot. The ar attached to the cloth causes it to unroll. @nder
cover of the cloth the girl gets ehind the masking curtain and
holds up a stick with a all attached to its end. This# when
draped# causes the audience to elieve the girl is under the cloth.
4 shot is fired# the girl 9uickl! pulls the stick out of view1 the
cloth falls# and the girl has vanished.
This illusion is ver! ine+pensive to make# and a ver! effective
finale. It is advisale to have a carpet of the same color and
material as the ackground underneath the horses on the stage.
Is T!is 7o'r C"r%:
B) P"'l LeP"'l
6ou can3t have too man! methods for producing a chosen card. Here is
one that I have found to e ver! useful# amusing and effective. It is one of
those startling little effects that takes !our audience ! surprise.
The magician offers a spectator a free choice of one card from the deck.
The spectator looks at the card and is asked to rememer it and replace it
in the pack. 8ithout the spectator3s knowledge that !ou have done so#
ring the card second from the top. The pack is then s9uared up in the left
hand# taken with the right hand# as in ?igure 6. and the ottom card is
shown. The spectator is asked. Is this !our cardC)
@pon his denial# the pack is returned face down to the left hand# and the
right hand# still in the same position# picks up the top card and ! a turn
of the wrist shows the face of the card as !ou ask if this is the chosen
card. 4s this card is shown# the ack of the right hand is rested on top of
the deck. The thum of the left hand secretl! pushes out the second card#
and the corner awa! from the od! of the performer is grasped etween
the knuckles of the first and second fingers of the right hand# as in ?igure
;. 8hen the spectator denies that this is his card# the card is returned to
the deck ! turning the wrist as efore# ut naturall! in the opposite
direction. This automaticall! rings the chosen card sticking up etween
the first two fingers of the right hand facing the spectator. The magician
then sa!s# as he picks up the remainder of the pack with his right hand#
)Then this must e !our card.)
T!e Miser0s *re" "s I *o It
() T2 Nelson *o/ns
Of the man! feats of magic# the so(called 'iser3s /ream or
4erial Treasur! has alwa!s een m! favorite# and with it I have
een ale to achieve an international reputation. %eedless to sa!#
the asic idea of this conjuring classic is ver! old and has een
performed countless wa!s ! countless scores of artists for a
hundred !ears or more.
'! own success in connection with the trick has een the result
of a certain st!le of presentation# plus certain sleights and moves
of m! own origination. 'an! of these later are descried for the
first time in this article and it will e interesting for the reader to
compare 4t with the original descriptions to e found in m!
ook. )'odern Coin 'anipulation.) Time rings improvement
Aroperties and preparation. I use aout thirt!(si+ half(dollar si5e
palming coins. I prefer the usual Rotererg coin and find it
advisale to smooth them ! ruing on a piece of carorundum.
4lso used is the familiar Kellar coin producer or holder# otainale
from all dealers. Remove the metal clip as it is not needed. The
onl! other item is a hat. This I sometimes orrow# ut more
fre9uentl! I use a folding opera hat# to the ottom of which# on
the inside# is riveted a circular piece of thin rass painted dead
lack. This# acting as a sounding oard# materiall! increases the
sound of the dropping coins.
The Kellar holder# loaded with aout twent! coins# is placed in m!
right trouser pocket. In the left trouser pocket are the remaining
coins.
Aresentation. I pick up the folded opera hat and show it in m!
left hand. Right hand nonchalantl! goes into m! pocket and
palms out the loaded holder. The hat is transferred to m! right
hand and snapped open ! hitting it against the palm of the left
hand.
The holder is held clipped under the edge of the rim# which
enales me to displa! the interior of the hat and also m! left
hand. The hat# together with the holder# is transferred to the left
hand and the right is displa!ed. This is repeated whilst making
introductor! remarks. This freedom in handling the hat and the
load is onl! made possile ! using the Kellar holder.
?inall!# the holder is clipped ! the left fingers inside the hat
against the sweatand in the approved position. The production
now commences. The right hand reaches into the air and
pretends to catch a coin# which in apparentl! tossed into the hat.
*imultaneousl!# a coin is released from the holder with the left
forefinger. I remove a coin from the hat displa! and then
apparentl! toss it ack. In realit!# of course# the coin is palmed
and another coin is released from the holder.
I shall not go into a detailed description of the catching
procedure as it is familiar to all. The secret# of course# is to var!
the operation as much as possile and# aove all# to dramati5e it
to the fullest e+tent.
I will# however# sumit a couple of original wrinkles that greatl!
enhance the production. 4s a coin is released from the holder
sharpl! lift the hat upward a few inches. This greatl! increases
the impact of the coin and greater sound results. 4nother move I
use to secure the same result to this. 4fter producing a palmed
coin at the fingertips# delieratel! draw it with considerale force
into the hat. 4s the coin leaves the fingers# the hand must he
almost out of sight in the hat so that when the coin hits# the left
hand releases another one from the holder which is forthwith
palmed in the right hand in readiness for production. I do this
intermittentl! through the routine and find that it pu55les people
who know a thing or two. This sleight re9uires timing ut is
simple enough to learn easil!.
T> var! the production an much as possile I# of course# pass a
coin through the ottom of the hat. That is ver! old usiness ut
m! method is a it different. I hold the coin against the hat and
etween the first finger and thum. %ow e+erting a slight
pressure causes the coin to swing on a pivot# so to speak# and
out of sight ehind the fingers. 0! all means tr! this simple move
in front of a mirror to appreciate its singular illusion.
4nother familiar and effective move is apparentl! to toss a coin
high into the air and. a second later# catch it in the hat as it
makes an invisile descent. Here again# m! procedure is a it
different. The coin# as usual# is tossed into the air <reall! palmed=
and the hat is held out in readiness to receive it. However# after a
rief wait# the coin does not appear. I look at the audience
pu55led. Then I turn m! head right# still looking for it. 4t this
point a coin is released and when it )hits)# I turn and look at the
hat in great surprise. Aroperl! timed# this is a sure laugh.
0! now I have produced aout twent! coins in as varied a
manner as possile. I start 9uite slowl! and delieratel! ut
graduall! increase the tempo. I now introduce one of m! favorite
creations# the production of an! numer of coins called for at m!
fingertips. I stall a it ! talking and m! left hand goes into the
hat delieratel!# palms out aout si+teen coins and holds them
clipped against the sweatand. I show m! right hand and
transfer the hat# ut the si+teen coins <more or less= remain
palmed in the right hand.
*uppose I am asked to produce eighteen coins((this is two more
than I have palmed# ut it doesn3t matter. The coins are palmed
overlapping a it and are produced one at a time in a fan held
etween the first fingers and thum. Aroceed as follows. The
third finger pulls awa! one coin from the rest and assisted ! the
second finger rings it into view etween the first finger and
thum. This is repeated so that the second coin suddenl! joins
the first with a nois! )clink.) This is repeated with the remainder.
It re9uires a ver! considerale degree of practice to do this
neatl! ut# as the old sa!ing goes# the student will e ampl!
repaid for his laors.
4s stated aove# if !ou have onl!# sa!# si+teen coins palmed and
are re9uired to produce eighteen# it doesn3t matter. I ridge the
difficult! ! simpl! pretending to catch two coins at intervals and
make the illusion perfect ! snapping one of the coins alread!
produced with the third finger. The e+tra sound is there even if
the e+tra coin is not. 4t the conclusion of the production# I am
holding a fan of coins etween m! thum and first finger of the
right hand. I now drop them singl! into the hat# counting aloud
as I do so. If I am )short) a few# a gesture is made of dropping
them and simultaneousl! the right numer are released singl!
from the left hand. This# properl! done# is 9uite indetectale.
4fter the aove# whenever time permits# I make a trip into the
audience catching coins from their )whiskers) and elsewhere. 4s
I step into the audience# I delieratel! palm out the additional
load of coins from the left trouser pocket so that I3m all set.
8hile in the midst of the audience# I ra5enl! steal handfuls of
coins from the hat and shake them from spectators3
handkerchiefs# neckties# etc. To the average la!man# this is the
most marvelous part of the entire routine.
In an! event I finish the trick ! streaming a numer of coins
from a spectator3s nose with the remark. )This gentleman alwa!s
lows himself aout this time of the evening.)
'! onl! purpose in writing this little article has een to reveal a
few good things in connection with the grand old tricks which will
never grow old.
T!e Tri"n#'l"r 1oo
B) Jo!n M'll!oll"n%
The four &acks from a pack of giant cards are shown to the
audience. The magician also displa!s a thin triangular oard. >n
the lower side of this oard are three feet# one at each corner#
and on the upper side# si+ doule rackets# two on each side.
The oard is put on the tale with the point of the triangle awa!
from the audience. >ne of the &acks is slid into the rackets in
the oard# and then the second &ack is also put in the rackets.
4t this point# the two cards form an angle with the open part of
the )B) toward the audience. The third &ack is then put in the
rackets at the front of the oard# so as to make an enclosed
triangular room of cards. The fourth lack is then dropped on the
top to make a ceiling. The ase is given a 9uarter turn so that
one of the angles points towards the audience# ?igure 6. The
magician makes his incantation# the roof card is removed and the
magician produces a 9uantit! of silks# etc.# from the room of
cards. *o much for the effect.
4s far as the ase and the cards are concerned# the! are e+actl!
as the! seem and completel! unprepared. ?igure ; shows the
construction of the ase.
In order to etter show the cards# the magician also has a
skeleton easel. 4t the eginning of the trick# the four cards rest
in a stack upon this easel# faces toward the audience# ?igure F.
8hen the magician e+hiits the cards# he takes one from the
easel at a time and calls attention to the suit of each &ack. 8hen
he has reached the third &ack# he holds it with the other two
previousl! shown# in a fan# and then without touching the fourth
&ack# merel! calls attention to its eing the fourth suit. He then
puts the three &acks ack on the easel# while showing the
innocence of the wooden ase.
?igure , shows the construction of the skeleton easel. The
upright sticks of this easel# as well as the cross ar connecting
them# are raetted out in a )v) shape groove to hold the cards.
4lso on the inner side of the uprights are saw slots running
verticall!. ?igure : shows the top view of one of these uprights.
The construction of the card and its triangular load is shown in
?igure :. The card is slightl! narrower than the &acks and just a
little shorter. It is est made of thin fire wood oard. The
container itself ma! e made of fire oard or a thin metal. The
load compartment is half an inch narrower than the card and half
an inch shorter than the height of the card. In order that the
fourth &ack does not slip out of the easel efore it should# there
are two metal lips at the top edges of the easel which stick out
toward the front e+actl! the thickness of the card# ?igure : 4. In
order to make packing easier. the uprights of the tripod are
hinged to the ase 4(4 In ?igure ,.
In performing the trick the fourth lack is left on the easel in order
to mask the load at that time. 8hen the &acks are again picked
up to put them in the rackets on the ase# the first two &acks
are lifted straight up from the easel and casuall! put in the ase.
In lifting these &acks from the easel. the fingers of the right hand
are pressed against the top of the card. ?riction will slide a card
up until it can e grasped at the ack with the thum. The third
card is lifted in the same manner# e+cept that the thum grasps
the card with the load and pulls it up along with the third lack.
These two cards# as one# are then stuck in the ase. 0ecause of
the lips the fourth &ack does not come out at the time the third
&ack and the load are lifted. In picking up the fourth &ack# the
thum presses at the ack and ends the &ack until the corners
snap out from under the lips. It is then taken from the easel as
were the first three# and dropped on top of the room of cards. 4s
soon as this fourth &ack is taken# the easel is seen to e the
lightest sort of skeleton# and it is inconceivale to the audience
that it can pla! an! part in the trick.
/ue to the fact that the third &ack had een shown on oth sides
at one point in the trick# and merel! slid off the fourth lack when
taken from the easel to uild the room# there seems to the
audience no possile wa! for a load to e introduced.
In making the load container# the ape+ of the triangle can e
made to open. in order that it too will pack flat.
*iinis!in# Golf B"ll 1o'tine
B) B"ll"ntine
Ireland3s diminishing golf all effect is one of the smartest
effects in modern manipulative magic. However# the routine
worked out ! Laurie Ireland has one defect for the night clu
performer((ad angles. Aeople on the side or rear can see the
gimmick as it e+tends from the hand. <*ee )Dreater 'agic)# page
J,-.= I have worked out a method of handling the alls which
enales the performer to work surrounded on all sides.
4 colored silk is thrown over the left hand. The right hand holds
the large all at its fingertips. The gimmick is inside# ?igure 6.
The all is placed on the silk and held through it ! the fingertips
of the left hand. The gimmick Is underneath the all# concealed
! the silk# ?igure ;. The right hand is cupped over the all.
Aretend to s9uee5e it# ut reall! palm it off. 4t this instant# the
left hand turns over# allowing the silk to hang so that it conceals
the gimmick# ?igure F. Run the right hand down the silk several
times# stating that !ou have caused the all to diminish in si5e.
The left hand turns upright again to its original position#
permitting the silk to fall awa! and reveal the large end of the
dumell gimmick# ?igure ,. The right hand goes to the pocket
and rings out the palmed all in order to compare its si5e with
that of the diminished all. Replace the large all in the pocket.
The left hand again turns over. 4s it does the left fingers reverse
the ends of the dumell. The right hand strokes the silks several
times# then the left hand turns ack to its original position. The
silk falls awa! and reveals the small all# ?igure :. The large all
is again rought out for comparison# then replaced.
The right hand now grasps the edge of the silk nearest the
audience and folds it ack over the small all. 4s it passes over
the all# the gimmick is thum palmed. The right hand goes to
the pocket# leaves the gimmick and rings out the large all to
compare it with the all which# apparentl!# is still in the silk.
The left hand shakes the silk open# holding it ! one corner# to
show that the all has vanished. Remark that the all is now so
small that it is invisile.
Get t!e Point:
B) Art!'r Lero)
I7ve een keeping this effect for m! own use and never
intended to release it. However# I noticed an advertisement a
short time ago offering a like effect for sale at a dollar. 4s I3ve
een showing it to magicians around %ew "ork for the past eight
!ears# I figure it3s time to lot it out and get it over with. I just
mention the affair to keep from eing accused of pirating m! own
effect.
The effect is simple ut cute. 4 card is selected# returned to the
deck and is lost in the shuffle as usual. Then the pack is alanced
on the lade of a standard# flat# tale knife. The pack is thrown
from the lade and# as the cards fall# the knife is wielded in the
air among the cards. 8onder of wonders((ta(ran(ta(ran(ta(ran(
ta(ra((the selected card is seen impaled on the knife.
Cut a slit through the mid(section of a court card just a it wider
than a tale knife lade. That3s all the preparation !ou need.
?orce this card ! an! method that gives the spectator a sight of
the card ut doesn3t necessitate its removal from the pack. 4fter
the card has een noted# ring it to the top# false shuffle leaving
it on top# and all is in readiness. Hoosah.
Turn the pack face up# and# at the same time# separate the allt
card from the rest of the pack just a trifle with !our little finger.
In placing the knife# run it etween the slit card and the deck so
that it passes through the slit and out on the far side. The slit
card is now impaled and all that remains is to throw the deck in
the air# sta# and there# sir# is !our card. Keep !our inde+ finger
on the card while staing# so that the momentum doesn3t
dislodge it from the lade. 4fter a couple of tries !ou3ll find it
9uite eas! to insert the lade properl! without an! troule. Tr! it
out. 4s !ou can see# its effect upon a la!man is tremendous#
since !ou can use a orrowed knife and a orrowed deck#
preparing the slit in an instant while !ou are performing some
out(of(the(room stunt prior to this one. Carr! a sharp ra5or lade
and !ou will attain a far greater effect than !ou possil! could
with an e+pensive Card /agger or Card *word.
Penetr"tion Most E&tr"or%in"r)
() T"n Hock C!'"n
Into a glass tumler are put three colored silks# rown# green
and lue. The lue silk is put in first with the others on top. 4
lad!3s handkerchief is put over the tumler and secured around
its mouth with a ruer and.
Ainching at the ottom of the tumler# the magician pulls out the
lue silk# which is seen to leave the tumler graduall!. The
tumler is left intact with the lad!3s handkerchief# the ruer
and and the two other silks undistured.
Met2od1 4 lack thread is attached to one corner of the lue
silk. *hove the lue silk into the tumler first# leaving the thread
over the edge and hanging down. >n top of the lue put in the
other two silks. Aut the lad!3s handkerchief over the mouth of the
tumler and fasten it in place with the ruer and.
Hold the tumler so that the left hand is around the lower end.
*how it on all sides. Then with the right hand# make a series of
pulls on the thread until the corner of the lue silk appears elow
the tumler. Then pull it slowl!. The illusion that the silk is
emerging directl! through the glass is uncann!. Aull the lue
handkerchief completel! out. It is strange that the silk can leave
the tumler with the elastic and and covering handkerchief still
intact.
Silk Penetr"tion
B) Mo!"e% Be) 3S2 Leo Horo/it$4
Here is a silk penetration effect that involves neither fakes nor
prepared silks. It is an adaptation of the pencil or cigar through
silk effect. <*e!mour /avis. )Ahantom Hank!#) ?e. 6-F-# p.
F6I.= In the following version# the effect has more visual appeal
as it is# of course# more colorful. 4 dark silk is spread over the
left fist and a depression is made in the center of the silk. 4
second silk of a light# contrasting color is pushed into the
depression of the first silk. 4 corner of the light silk suddenl!
appears from the underside of the dark silk. The right hand
reaches under and pulls this end down a it# then it reaches ack
and pulls the top end. 4fter pulling the light silk ack and forth a
few times it is eventuall! pulled clear of the dark silk. 0oth silks
ma! e e+amined1 the! are free from damage.
Met2od1 This is identical with the earlier idea. The first silk is
spread over the left fist. The right forefinger starts the
depression and egins a twisting motion. In this motion the ack
of the hand would first e facing the ceiling# then the palm would
e up# ?igure 6. /uring the action the second finger comes
alongside of the inde+ finger# the inde+ finger slips out and ends
ack# and the second finger continues the twisting motion. ?igure
;. However# when the second finger is withdrawn a moment later
a channel has een made through which the light silk can pass
on the outside of the dark silk. The light silk is pushed in and
pulled through as descried.
T!e P!"nto Fl"e
B) C"rlos H2 Colo(i "n% Gr"ciel" N2 A+en%";o
The effect aout to e descried re9uires a precisel! made
gimmick and a certain amount of presentation ailit! so that the
various movements lend into an integrated whole. This is a trick
that will astonish an! audience and leave it without a logical
e+planation for what has occurred.
The magician lights the candle in a candlestick on his tale. He
takes it out of the candlestick with his left hand# and removes the
white handkerchief from his reast pocket with his right hand. He
covers the candle. 4 few magical passes and the flame and a
part of the candle are seen penetrating the handkerchief. The
magician shows the covered candle on all sides and lights a
cigarette from the flame. Immediatel! he pulls awa! the
handkerchief. The lighted candle is as it was in the eginning. He
replaces it in the candlestick. If desired# the handkerchief ma! e
e+amined.
The gimmick is simple to construct. "ou need a 67(inch piece of
galvani5ed iron wire# no larger in diameter than the load of a fine
pencil. >ne end is soldered to a thum tip# the other is ent as
shown in ?igure 6. The wire must e perfectl! straight and rigid.
The upper end is filed to a point and inserted into a piece of
candle. The wire is painted dead white. The thum tip is the
usual flesh color. 4lso needed is a rass tue of the e+act si5e of
a common candle# some 6; inches long# the diameter of which
will permit the end of the wire to fit neatl! in cut as shown in
?igure ;. The other end of the tue is closed and the whole tue
is painted dead white to simulate a candle. The candle end#
pierced ! the sharp end of the wire# is inserted in the cut(out
top of the tue so that the thum tip lies at the ase of the
pseudo candle. The audience sees what appears to e just a
candle in a candlestick.
Prese!tatio!1 The magician takes the lighted candle from the
candlestick with his right hand holding the candle and wire
together. Aassing it to his left hand. he inserts his left thum into
the thum tip. The right hand removes the pocket handkerchief
and displa!s it in front of the candle. 4t this precise moment the
left thum moves ack and takes with it the wire to which the
candle end is attached. The left hand doesn3t move# onl! the
thum. The right hand covers the action# then places the
handkerchief over the candle. The left thum moves ack to its
original position and rings the lighted candle end on top of
handkerchief. 4 slight magical pass of the right hand covers this.
The audience sees the lighted candle end penetrating the
handkerchief. The illusion is perfect. The whole set(up ma! e
turned around ecause the white wire lends with the
handkerchief and the thum tip is# of course# flesh colored. The
magician lights a cigarette# and# reversing his earl! moves#
withdraws the handkerchief# leaving the candle still alight.
The faked candle ma! e made of wood instead of a rass tue.
It is a pleasure to offer this original effect to readers of )The
*phin+.) I hope the! will have as much enjo!ment in presenting
it as I have had.
Ne/ S"lt S!"ker
B) H"rol% Pe"rson
This is a new use for !our drum head tue. Handle the tue in
the regular wa! and after the ends are closed with tissue and the
load is secured# take a pencil and punch a numer of holes
through the doule tissue end. 4sk someone what the tue looks
like. The! will generall! sa! a salt shaker. If the! do not# suggest
it !ourself. Have a dark lue silk on the tale. *hake the tue
over it. *ure enough# salt comes pouring out.
Un5re5"re% Tr'nk Esc"5e
B) Lo'is N2 Miller
large unprepared trunk is e+amined ! a committee. The
performer dresses himself in a large roe and pulls a mask over
his face. 4s he does this# he e+plains that he wants the
committee to lock and rope the trunk after he is placed inside.
He rings forward a screen which he stands ehind the trunk#
then he gets in the trunk and the men from the audience
proceed to lock and tie it with ropes.
*uddenl! the performer comes running down the theatre aisle.
The committee opens the trunk. >ut steps a lad! in evening
dress.
*olution. The secret lies in a 9uick change made when the
performer steps ehind the screen to ring it forward. The screen
stands to the left of the stage as far ack as possile and close to
the wings. The lad! assistant dressed in matching roe and mask
is ehind it. The instant the performer steps ehind the screen.
the lad! comes forward. In picking up the screen from the front#
she rings it close enough to the wings so that the performer will
he hidden as he dashes off stage. The screen is then rought to
the trunk. The masked figure gets inside the trunk# and 9uickl!
removes her roe and mask when the lid is closed. 'eanwhile
the performer has run to the front of the theatre# where he waits
for the logical moment to run down the aisle.
4s an! trunk will do !ou can safel! offer a reward for an!one who
can show that it is prepared in an! wa!. In fact# !ou can orrow
a trunk in each cit!.
T!e Torn "n% 1estore% Ci#"rette
B) C!"rles .2 Fricke
The performer opens a pack of cigarettes# removes one and puts
the package ack in his pocket or on the tale. 8ith a pair of
scissors he cuts the cigarette in two in the middle. He shows the
cigarette freel! and allows the audience to see his hands are
empt!. 8ith one half of the cigarette in each hand# he rings his
hands together# shows the cigarette suddenl! restored and lights
and smokes it.
E+planation. The ends of the cigarette are first treated with one
of the good rope cements. Care must e taken that the entire
edge of the paper is coated. 8hen the cigarette is cut the treated
ends are put together etween !our hands. The joint is so nearl!
air(tight that the cigarette can e smoked.
Coin in B"ll of .ool I%e"
B) Her( 1'n#e
Have the all of wool# with the coin slide in it in a paper sack.
The fake is sticking out of the sack on the side awa! from the
audience.
8hen !ou steal the marked coin from !our rattle o+ or from
under a handkerchief# secretl! insert it in the slide as !ou pick up
the ag.
Reach in and remove the all of wool with !our right hand. "our
left hand retains the slide in the sack ! pressure on the sides.
4ll that remains is to have the wool unwound. The marked coin is
inside.
H"r(in0s Pro%'ction Bo&
B) 1o(ert H"r(in
There must have een thousands of production o+es invented#
ut here is one which is different((and deceiving. 'ore
important# it holds an enormous 9uantit! of silk.
4n elongated o+ with no ottom is shown completel! empt!# a
wand is pushed through holes in the top and sides when the o+
is facing the audience# as in ?igure ,. %othing could e more
empt!.
Then# as illustrated((?igure 6((large silks are produced from the
the holes in the sides and from inside. There is no hesitation.
The! are produced at once.
The construction is cheap and simple. ?igure ; is the secret
container# which slides up and down and is stopped in the center
of the o+ ! the stops shown in figure F. The holes in the
container correspond with those in the outer case. There are si+
holes in the container((four in the sides# two in the ottom.
These are one inch in diameter and are closed with two strips of
elastic as shown. The holes in the outer case have star traps
made of ruer and are one and one(half inches in diameter.
The container# or sliding o+# has a piece of one inch tuing in
the center so that a wand or stick can e thrust through when
the o+ is shown to e empt!. 8hen the o+ is inverted# the first
finger prevents the sliding section from falling into place until the
right moment.
Each silk has a lack ottom sewn to a corner which makes it
eas! to get at through the star traps. The silks are loaded from
the outside so that the uttons are flush against the elastics in
the container# which hold them in position. The interior of the o+
is painted lack. The outside is coated with an! desired color and
with an! pleasing decoration.
Bin#o
B) Ste/"rt J'%"! "n% Jo!n Br"'n
Bingo# the modem version of Lotto# has ecome so popular in
the last few !ears that it is known in ever! cit!# hamlet and town
in the land. The mere mention of the word 0ingo arouses
interest# and for that reason we have used it as the title of an
interesting little trick for the clu or stage performer# although it
will e seen that the trick aout to e descried ears little
resemlance to the game itself.
The performer e+hiits five sealed coin# or pa! envelopes# and
hands them to a spectator to mi+ thoroughl!. Taking them ack
again# he e+plains that one of them contains a valuale pri5e#
and this pri5e is to go to the winner of a game of simplified
0ingo# that he intends to pla! with four spectators. He e+plains
that the word 0ingo has five letters and# as he holds the
envelopes# he proposes to award one to each of the four
spectators ! a process of elimination. The performer himself will
keep the last envelope. He sa!s that he will spell 0ingo#
transferring an envelope from top to ottom of the stack for each
letter# and award the envelope at the last letter to the first
spectator. This spelling process is to e repeated until ut one
envelope remains# which he will retain. The spelling egins as the
performer stresses that the envelopes were mi+ed ! a memer
of the audience. In fair and delierate fashion each of the four
spectators now gets an envelope. Each spectator opens his
envelope and finds inside a slip of folded newspaper or the
performer3s usiness card. The magician# good honest man# finds
a crisp M;7 ill in his envelope.
?ive coin envelopes are needed. >ne is marked with a pencil dot
in the upper left hand and lower right hand corners of oth sides#
so that after the mi+ing# the performer can locate it at a glance.
*eal a M;7 ill in this envelope. In each of the others seal a
folded piece of newspaper the si5e of a ill# or a usiness card or
advertising piece.
Come forward with the envelopes. Have a spectator mi+ them.
8hen !ou take them ack# hold them fanned in the left hand and
locate the marked envelope. This must e rought second from
the top efore !ou egin spelling. This can e easil!
accomplished ! a shuffle# or cut while e+plaining the rules and
conditions of the game. If this is not done# !our mone! is lost.
8e wouldn3t want that to happen. *tep up to the first spectator#
spell and transfer an envelope from top to ottom with each
letter. Hand the envelope# at the letter > to the spectator. Repeat
this with the other three spectators. Keep the last envelope
!ourself. If !ou have made no mistakes# !ou will hold the marked
envelope. 8hen the ends are torn awa!# the performer will e
the winner and a gasp of surprise will e heard when the
spectators see the valuale pri5e.
T!e Secret P"nel
B) Her"n L2 .e(er
Hocus Aocus2 4nd what will !ou haveC 4 new flower growthC 4
sensational duck vanishC 4 reall! m!sterious production of a
stack of owlsC 4 new appearing# e+changing or vanishing girl
illusionC 4 ewildering production screenC These and man! more
are here for !ou in the *ecret Aanel.
4 two(panel screen painted# sa!# red on two sides and green on
the other two# is shown on all four sides to he solid and
unprepared. /espite this a load of large proportions is concealed.
>ne glance at the drawing
reveals all. There is a secret
panel# without legs# that is
hinged to# and hangs ehind#
the screen at all times. This
panel supports a shelf for
owls# ducks or what !ou will.
>pposite it on the right# the
panel contains two secret
doors# held flat ! spring
hinges. These doors open
onl! one wa! so the inside
ack of the panel has a small
moulding to hold them when
the! are rapped to prove their
solidit!.
The manipulation of the
screen is simple and direct. The performer stands ehind the
screen# leans over and raps the front panels with wand or
knuckles. The split panel is then rought to the ack toward the
performer and onto the other panel. It is knocked against the
ack of the other panel and that panel is opened out so that the
other two sides are rought into view.
In realit!# however# when the split panel slaps against the secret
panel# its doors open to allow the load to pass through. Thus
when the solid front panel is opened forward# the other side of
the load panel which is flat and solid now faces the audience in
place of the unseen section of the split panel. The color contrast
etween the red front panels and the green ack panels makes it
apparent that the screen has een shown on all sides.
J"sonis
B) E%%ie Jose5!
It is a well(known ps!chological a+iom that an effect onl!
appears supernatural when the true cause escapes us. I provide
such an e+ample in &asonism. I held this in reserve 6: !ears#
using it sparingl!# onl! on special occasions# to great advantage.
The direct approach and asence of )out of sight action) convince
the close oserver that tricker! does not pla! a part.
The performer remarks that he is aout to present a rief# ut
convincing# e+hiition of thought reading. Instead of the usual
lindfold# he asks one of the men to stand ehind him and place
his hands over the operator3s e!es. The second man is re9uested
to shuffle either his own or the performer3s cards. Then he is told
to cut the pack and place one portion on the performer3s
outstretched hand. The remainder of the pack is discarded.
The performer shows the cards# one at a time# and asks the
gentleman to make a mental record of one card and its position
in the pack. 8hile showing the cards# the performer continues.
)In order to make sure that I cannot gain the slightest clue which
ma! eventuall! lead me to !our selection# please do not stop me
as soon as !ou decide on a card ut let me continue right
through.)
Thus the operator shows the face of ever! card and points out
that since the selection is made mentall! no one ut the selector
can identif! it.
)0ut#) adds the performer# )if we could ring our minds in
agreement I would e ale# with remarkale certaint!# to proe
into the innermost recesses of !our mind and share !our secret.)
The packet is handed to the gentleman with the e+planation that
the onl! wa! to ring two minds into agreement is to raise one to
an active state# to lower the other to a passive state. *ince the
performer is to read the other3s mind# the gentleman is
instructed to raise his mind to a state of activit!# !
concentrating intentl! on the card and its original position. He is
warned that success depends entirel! upon his concentration
ecause thought reading is not a one(sided matter. 4s an
untrained mind cannot concentrate on two things the man is
asked to form a mental image of his selected card and ring in
artificial aid ! transferring one card at a time from the top of
the packet to the ottom to e9ual the position at which his card
stood originall!. Then the gentleman is instructed to call out the
names of ever! card in his hands. %o sooner is this done than
the performer intercepts the mental virations and names the
card.
4 careful anal!sis will satisf! the reader that the strongest point
of &asonism is its simplicit!. The )cause) will definitel! evade the
keenest oserver due to that simplicit!. *ince the oserver feels
that the performer is ignorant of the identit! of the card and
does not restrict the numer of cards emplo!ed# the investigating
witness is roed of a starting point.
8e shall now investigate the )cause.) 4fter the group of cards is
in the performer3s hand# he announces that he will show the face
of ever! card so that one ma! e mentall! chosen and its
position rememered. The performer pushes the top card over.
His right hand takes it and holds it up. The ne+t card is handled
in the same manner# ut it is placed in front of the card alread!
in the right hand. This is continued. Each card goes in front of
the preceding one. 8hen K or - cards are shown# the performer
drops the group in his right hand on the tale and continues with
the rest of the pack in the same manner. The entire success of
the prolem depends upon this innocent suterfuge.
However# the performer must rememer the numer of cards he
drops on the tale in the first lot. *uppose it is nine. He
continues to count# to himself# right through in order to ascertain
the total numer of cards in the packet handed to him. *uppose
this is twent!(three. He deducts nine from twent!(three# which
leaves fourteen. He must rememer this numer.
4 reason is given in the patter for transferring a certain numer
of cards from top to ottom. *uppose the gentleman
concentrated on the &ack of /iamonds# which happened to e in
the eighth position. He will naturall! move eight cards from top
to ottom. "ou are not concerned with the original position of the
card. 4s soon as he transfers the numer of cards to e9ual the
original position# he automaticall! places the card in the
fourteenth position. 4ll !ou have to do is listen for the name of
the fourteenth card. The rest is showmanship.
This is the formula. The total numer of cards in the packet#
minus the numer of cards the performer drops on the tale in
the first atch. e9uals1 the ke! numer.
The working is elastic. If the performer drops thirteen cards in
the first atch and the packet consists of eighteen# then# of
course# the selected card will appear in the fifth position.
However# the performer continues right through the rest of the
cards after the original atch and drops them on the first lot. The
entire packet is passed to the assisting spectator.
T!e Fi%#et) Poker C!i5s
B) Nelson C2 H"!ne
The performer e+hiits three ordinar! poker chips# which can e
e+amined ! the audience# and a flat wooden tue. This tue is
aout si+ and one(half inches long. The chips are of different
colors# such as red# white and lue. The! are allowed to fall
through the tue several times previous to the e+periment.
?inall!# one end of the tue is held shut ! the fingers of one
hand. The chips are inserted in the opposite end in this order.
red# white and lue. If this were not magic# the chips would e in
the same order when the! were permitted to slide out the other
end. 0ut here again the impossile happens2 8hen the chips
emerge the! appear lue# first# red second# and white last. 8hen
the principle is understood the aove routine might e enlarged
! further similar effects. Rememer the chips are unprepared.
The audience ma! look through the tue efore and after the
feat. The chips ma! e slid through the tue previous to and
following the e+periment. Can this e possileC
"ou will need four ordinar! poker chips. >ne red# one white and
two lues. The tue is prepared. This preparation is simple and
cannot e detected ! the audience. *ee the drawing. The
opening of this flat tue is onl! large enough for one chip to slide
through at a time. The tue should e aout si+ and a 9uarter or#
etter# seven inches long. It should e painted lack on the
inside. >n the inside# aout three(9uarters of an inch from one
end# is an indentation which will hold one chip in the wall of the
tue. This is where the e+tra lue chip is concealed. If the tue is
lack on the interior the audience cannot see this preparation.
The e+tra lue chip is in this space efore the e+periment egins.
This side of the tue is kept nearer the floor so that the chip will
not close the opening of the slide or slip out of the end of the
tue. 8hen the other chips are inserted the! slide right over the
concealed chip.
4fter the chips have passed through the tue several times# the
tue is turned over so that the concealed lue chip falls out of
the indentation into the channel of the slide. The tue is held
upright in the left hand# and the chips are put in the opening.
Red first# then white and lue. %ow the tue is tilted so that the
last lue chip falls into the cut(out space the other lue chip
previousl! occupied. The chips are now allowed to slide out of
the ottom. The impossile has een accomplished. Their order
is changed.
T!e ."iter0s Ti5
B) Geor#e *eMott
Eight small# individual si5e o+es of dr! reakfast cereals((sa!#
Corn ?lakes# *hredded 8heat# Aost Toasties# 8heaties# 0ran
?lakes# Auffed Rice and Ki+((are in a row on the performer3s
tale. 4 plate is also on the tale. ?ive men are re9uested to hold
coins aloft. >ne man# a penn!1 one# a 9uarter1 one# a nickel1
one# a dime# and the last# a half dollar. The performer asks a
traveling man in the audience what he would consider a suitale
tip for the waiter at reakfast. *uppose the man sa!s a 9uarter.
The magician instructs him to orrow the 9uarter from the man
holding it. The other men are thanked and re9uested to put their
coins ack in their pockets.
The magician instructs the traveling man to mark the coin so that
he positivel! will recogni5e it whenever he sees it. 8hile this is
done# the magician returns to the stage and gets a napkin. He
wraps the 9uarter. It can e felt through the cloth. The traveling
man selects his favorite of the eight cereals. The )waiter3s tip)
vanishes from the napkin. The top of the selected cereal is torn
off and the reakfast food is emptied onto the plate. 4long with
the cereal the coin is seen to fall and heard to hit the plate. The
o+ is ripped into pieces and discarded. The plate is passed to
the traveling man. He verifies his mark on the coin. The coin is
then returned to its owner.
*ecret. 4 good si5ed slot is cut through the rear of each o+ on
the side awa! from the audience. 0ackstage# in a row# are five
napkins. Each has a coin of a different denomination sewn in the
corner under an e+tra flap of cloth.
%o matter which si5e coin is selected !ou have a gimmick read!
for its vanish. The orrowed coin is palmed as the sewn(in coin is
wrapped in the center. This is what is felt through the folds. Hold
the napkin in the same hand that has the coin palmed to mask it.
Command the coin to vanish. *hake out the cloth# holding it !
two top corners. La! the napkin aside or put it in !our pocket.
The palmed coin is introduced into the selected o+ through the
rear slot as !ou pick up the o+ to tear it open. /ump the cereal
and the coin on the plate. Tear the o+ to its and toss it awa!#
thus no one can ever discover the slot.
The plate is handed to the traveling man# he identifies his mark
on the 9uarter# then the coin is returned to its owner.
"our assistant# in the meantime# has removed the other o+es. If
!ou work alone# !ou can put them in a shopping ag and set
them aside# so that no one can find out aout the slots. 4nd
there !ou have the m!ster! of )The 8aiter3s Tip.)
A Ti5 for T!e ."iter0s Ti5
B) Si% Lorr"ine
Personall!# I3d have the five prepared napkins planted in various
pockets. I3d have the plate in m! inside coat pocket. It would get
more laughs if !ou took the plate out of !our pocket and also
mention that !ou rought along a napkin front the 8aldorf(
4storia.
I3d use eight unprepared o+es of cereal. 8hile the coin is eing
marked# remove the plate and the re9uired napkin. The coin is
wrapped1 the spectator feels the sewn(in coin through the cloth1
!ou steal the marked coin.
Aick up the selected o+ of cereal. The fingers of the right hand
press the coin against the ack of the o+. 8ith !our left hand#
pull awa! the napkin from the spectator. The coin has vanished2
Aut the napkin aside and tear off the top of the o+ in !our right
hand. *tart pouring the cereal. 8hen aout half is on the plate#
release the coin. It will e seen to fall# apparentl! from the o+#
in the stream of reakfast food.
*tep ack and let the spectator verif! the mark on the coin. Take
!our o+ and have the spectator return the coin to its owner.
'eanwhile# pour the cereal ack in the o+ and present it to !our
assistant for his kindness in helping. If !ou could produce a
ottle of milk at this point# it would e a fitting clima+.
I like the effect and think an audience will like it# too. Deorge
/e'ott is to e congratulated for a novel clothing of the passing
of a marked coin.
Silk Pro%'ction No+elt)
B) Fre% Mint$
Here is an e+traordinar!# smooth(working# little production
effect which I am using in m! act. It is a silk production from a
maga5ine# which is shown freel! on oth sides# shaken and riffled
to demonstrate that nothing is hidden etween the pages. The
maga5ine is rolled into a tue# the tue is shown to he empt!#
then four or more silks are produced from it. The maga5ine ma!
e unrolled and shown at an! time during the production#
without disturing or revealing the load. The trick is asolutel!
self(contained# re9uiring no od! work# tale loading. etc. Like
itC
Here3s the secret. The maga5ine# a thick one((I usuall! use
)Cosmopolitan)((is prepared in this manner. Each of the inside
pages is cut from a point at the ack of the ook# where the
pages are joined# half wa! from the top to the ottom diagonall!
to the ottom at a point aout four inches from the ack. The
cover is left intact. *pread a little glue around the cut edges of
each page# close the ook and let the glue dr!.
%e+t take the cover from a duplicate maga5ine and glue it over
the prepared maga5ine. 4s soon as the glue is dr!# !ou are read!
for !our trick. "ou will have a maga5ine with a triangular
compartment in it# capale of holding four or more silks. The
reason for the diagonal section is that with it the maga5ine ma!
e freel! riffled to show that it is empt!.
The loaded maga5ine is held with the left hand covering the open
end. The right hand riffles the pages. The maga5ine is rolled into
a tue# and held with the compartment to the rear# so that the
audience ma! look through the opening. Two silks are produced#
the maga5ine is unrolled# shown# rerolled# then the production
continues.
Sil+er "n% Co55er
B) P"'l N2 1)l"n%er
Three copper coins magicall! change places with three silver
coins. The coins pass one at a time in the fairest possile
manner. There are no suspicious moves for the sleights are
covered ! the necessar! act of picking up the coins.
This routine will m!stif!# for it is done sufficientl! slowl! for the
audience to think aout it# !et no clue to the solution will e
apparent.
Three half dollars are placed in a row on the left side of the tale
and three English pennies are placed parallel on the right. The
coins form two lines e+tending from the magician to the
spectators. @nknown to the audience# the magician has a
gimmicked coin palmed in his right hand. This coin is a silver half
dollar on one side and a copper English penn! on the other. The
coin is palmed with the half dollar side against the palm.
To egin the trick the magician uses his right forefinger to draw a
m!stic circle around the si+ coins. Then# using oth hands# he
slowl! turns each coin over. 8ith his left forefinger he traces
another m!stic circle around the coins in the opposite direction.
This convinces the most oservant spectator that faked coins#
such as he has secretl! palmed in his right hand# are not used.
The coin in the right hand is dropped to finger palm position in
readiness for the ke! sleight upon which this feat is ased. The
left hand is e+tended# palm facing the audience# to receive the
three coins which the right hand is aout to place there.
The right hand# ack to the audience# picks up a half dollar
etween the thum and first finger and apparentl! la!s it on the
palm of the left hand. In realit! it is switched for the gimmicked
coin ! ending the right forefinger a trifle to raise the half dollar
aove the gimmicked coin so that the! will not clink as the!
pass. The fingers are tilted downward and# with a slight throwing
motion not more than an inch or two# the gimmicked coin is slid
off the fingers onto the left palm.
The right forefinger immediatel! lowers and the right thum
pushes the coin inward to the finger palm position. 4ll this is the
work of a second. It should look as if the half dollar were merel!
picked up and placed in the left palm.
Aerhaps it is not e+actl! correct to sa! that the coin is in finger
palm position. It reall! lies further forward on the fingers
etween the first and second joints. The further forward# the less
motion is re9uired in changing it.
The other two half dollars are put in the left palm in e+actl! the
same manner e+cept that the! are not e+changed. The three
coins. over(lapping in a row# are fairl! shown on the left palm.
then the hand is closed slowl! and turned over.
8ith the ordinar! half dollar still l!ing on the tips of the fingers of
the right hand# pick up the three copper coins with the forefinger
and thum. These are dropped on the half dollar so that when
the hand is closed into a fist a copper coin is ne+t to the palm
read! to e palmed.
The two fists are knocked on the tale. 8ithout turning over the
hands# open and push the coins onto the tale# one from each
hand simultaneousl!. If the left hand la!s down its coins from the
spectator to the performer# while the right hand la!s the coins
down in the opposite direction# each silver coin will have a copper
coin opposite it# two copper and one silver coin on the left and
two silver and one copper on the right. 4 copper coin is retained
in the right palm.
The copper coin is dropped to finger palm position and once
more the coins on the left are picked up. The gimmicked coin#
copper side showing# is picked up first and switched for the
ordinar! copper coin as descried earlier. It is well to have an
identif!ing mark on oth sides of the gimmicked coin so that it
ma! e picked up without hesitation.
%e+t a silver coin is picked up and actuall! put in the left palm.
The last silver coin is picked up and switched for the gimmicked
coin ! the aove sleight. This time# however# it is necessar! to
reverse the gimmicked coin as it slides off the fingers. It is easil!
done ! slanting the fingers of oth the left and right hands a
little more downward and tossing the coin with a trifle more
force. The coin reverses when it hits the left fingers. The right
hand completel! hides the turnover. This move must not look an!
different than the other# and# indeed# if it is correctl! done it does
not. The copper coin# the gimmicked silver and the ordinar!
silver coins are freel! displa!ed. The hand closes and reverses.
The right hand. carr!ing a silver coin fingerpalmed# picks up the
silver and two copper coins on the right with a copper coin on top
so that it ma! e palmed when the hand is closed. The fists are
knocked on the tale# the fingers are opened and the coins slide
onto the tale two coins at a time# one from each hand. The
spectators now see that there are two copper and one silver on
the left and two silver and one copper on the right.
There is now ut one copper and one silver to change places.
The copper# palmed in the right hand# is dropped to finger palm
position. The right hand picks up the gimmicked copper and# in
pretending to place it in the left hand# switches it for the ordinar!
copper coin. Then an ordinar! copper in picked up and placed in
the left hand. ?inall! the silver coin is picked up and switched for
the gimmicked coin using the turn(over move. The coins in the
left hand are stacked with the silver coin on top and held on the
fingers. The hand remains open. The coins on the right are
picked up so that the copper coin is on top. The pile is stacked
evenl! and hold in the slightl! cupped right fingers. %ow comes a
old move. The right hand opens and turns over and displa!s the
coins resting on the fingers. The coins are held as if the! were
aout to he ack palmed. 4lthough there are three silver coins in
this hand the audience cannot see them due to the slightl!
cupped position of the fingers. 0oth stacks of coins should e
hold in the same manner.
The performer e+tends his hands with a remark to the effect that
there is ut one copper and one silver left to change places. The
hands are closed and turned over. The copper in the right hand in
palmed and after the m!stic pass# the coins are laid down
showing all the copper now on the left and all the silver on the
right.
T!e Hilli"r% 1isin# C"r%s
B) .illi" J2 Hilli"r
This in m! original method for causing selected cards to rise
from the deck in the left hand to the right hand hold aove it. I
can stand in a drawing room with spectators all around me and
move m! position as often as desired.
The motive power is the piece of apparatus illustrated. It is a
metal tue aout eighteen inches long. 0! pulling the thread
through the minute hole at the top# the weight rises naturall!#
ut will fall again when the thread is loosened.
The weight should e aout four times the weight of a pla!ing
card. The thread should e of the finest silk and should protrude
from the apparatus aout two feet when the weight rests at the
ottom.
The apparatus must e pinned under !our shirt# the hole on a
level with !our center shirt utton hole# through which the thread
is passed. To the end of the thread is attached a small pellet of
wa+# which in stuck on a vest utton until read! for use.
Three cards are selected# returned and rought to the top of !our
pack. The wa+ed end of the thread is secretl! attached to the
ack card. The right hand now passes all around the pack and#
catching the thread etween the first and second fingers# raises
upwards.
The performer asks the name of the first card# and# upon eing
told# releases his left thum pressure from the ack card# which
ascends immediatel! to the right hand. The fall of the weight in
the tue causes this to happen.
The card is then placed on the front of the pack. In so doing# the
wa+ed thread is secretl! removed and attached to the ack card.
The e+periment is repeated with the two other selected cards.
0! reading the foregoing carefull! m! readers will appreciate the
superiorit! of this method. as the cards rise without the slightest
movement of the performer and the thread is asolutel! invisile
even at close 9uarters.
A M"#ici"n0s Ho5e C!est
B) U2 F2 Gr"nt
The magician calls attention to a o+ which he sa!s is his )Hope
Chest.) The front and top doors are opened and it is ovious that
the o+ is empt!. The doors are closed. The performer sa!s that
he carries his toilet articles in the o+ when he travels. He opens
the top door and produces a com# rush# ra5or# shaving mug#
shoe horn# necktie# collars# etc.
The o+ is shown empt! again. The magician states that on his
most recent trip around the world he saw a eautiful meadow
with a rook running through it in England. He liked it so well
that he put it in his Hope Chest and rought it home with him.
He closes the o+# then opens the top# reaches in and produces a
picture of a meadow and a rook.
The magician continues that he has a pint of the onded stuff in
the o+# ut it is 9uite invisile. 0efore removing the li9uid he
passes the o+ out for e+amination. >n its return he pours li9uid
out of the o+ into a ottle.
There is a mirror in the o+
running from the strip of
wood 4 to the ottom of the
ack of the o+ 0. 4 thin
piece of nickel(plated rass
makes the est mirror. The
edges will not show if the o+
has a mahogan! finish. Aaste
the picture to the ack of the
mirror with a strip of passe
partout around the outside edge to form a frame. 0oth doors of
the o+ should e opened at right angles. The reflection of the
front door and hinges in the mirror makes it appear that !ou are
seeing the ack of the o+# top door and hinges. The production
articles are ehind the mirror# and onl! the top door is open
when the! are produced. 8hen the picture is produced# the ack
of the o+ is turned toward the audience. 4fter this the o+ ma!
he passed for e+amination.
To pour li9uid from the o+# use a ottle with a doule funnel in
the neck. Tilt the closed o+# and apparentl! the li9uid runs from
the o+ through the funnel and into the ottle.
T!e Tennis 1"cket C"r%
B) H2 S)ril *'sen('r)
This trick suggested itself to me when I was thinking of a wa! to
improve the old fashioned card sword. Its effect is similar to that
of the card sword# namel!# a card is selected from the pack ! a
spectator who notes what it is and returns it to the pack. The
performer e+hiits an ordinar! looking tennis rac9uet and freel!
shows oth sides to the audience. He re9uests the spectator who
selected the card to throw the pack s9uarel! at the rac9uet.
8hen he does# all the cards ut one fall to the floor. The chosen
card is seen clinging to the strings of the rac9uet.
?irst of all# the card was forced. 4 duplicate is prepared like the
old )card in the ottle) card. It is cut in three parts and mounted
on ruer hinges so that the card ma! e folded as shown in the
illustration. The instant it is released it opens out flat.
The rac9uet must have a slot in the handle as shown at C. This is
large enough to contain the folded card. 4 ruer cord# marked
4# is fastened# as shown# to oth the rac9uet and the card. This
pulls the card from its hiding place at the proper time# and is
invisile against the regular strings of the rac9uet. It is also
necessar! to fasten the ottom of the card to a piece of strong
thread# as shown at 0. The length should e gauged so that the
card will e held in the center of the rac9uet. The card is folded
and forced into the handle. It ma! e held ! pressure over it# or
a pin at the opening. 4fter the card is forced and replaced# the
deck is tossed and the rac9uet and the duplicate is permitted to
jump into view as shown in the illustration.
A M"tter of 1ecor%
B) J'%son Bro/
(Doutless !ou have heard people remark# 34s a matter of
record# this is what I think I3 or 3I think I should like to go on
record as sa!ing such and such.3 >f course the! don3t reall! sa!
3such and such#3 ut !ou got the idea# and proal! never having
seen an!one put an! thing on record# for all !ou3ve heard them
talk aout it# !ou wonder how it3s done. I3ll show !ou. ?irst# we
must have a record# and to make it even etter we3ll use two of
them.)
4 couple of flat phonograph records are shown. <Readers will
please omit jokes aout flat phonographs.=
)0ut we must have something to go on record. Here is a deck of
cards((suppose we use one of them. 8ill !ou# sir# kindl! select
oneC 8hile I am shuffling it ack in the pack# I would like the
records to e e+amined.
The performer passes out the records# making jokes aout the
titles of the selections if he is that t!pe of performer. Eventuall!
the records are placed together and a pencil is run through the
holes in the center of the records. The! are then tied together
and given to a spectator# who holds the pencil at either end# thus
suspending the records etween his hands. 4nother spectator
holds the pack of cards. 4t command# a transposition takes
place. The selected card vanishes from the deck and appears
etween the two records# impaled upon the pencil.
%o duplicates are emplo!ed hence a free selection of the cards is
allowed and the selected card ma! e marked to prove the
transposition is real as well as apparent.
The preparation consists in smearing some wa+ on the center of
one side of one record. This is not put on as a pellet ut spread
on thin# and polished down# in which condition the record ma! e
passed for e+amination without an! danger of the wa+ eing
detected.
The card is selected and replaced. 8hile the performer is usil!
engaged in recklessl! shuffling the cards# while making sure the
selected card remains on top# the records are passed for
e+amination. The deck is put on the tale. 8hen the records are
returned# the performer places them together so that the wa+ed
side of the prepared record is on the outside# facing down. He
la!s the records on the tale((and on the deck((while he orrows
a pencil. 8hen he picks up the records# he first presses down#
which causes the top card to adhere to the wa+. The records ma!
e shown casuall!# as ma9icians show slates# then the! are
placed together with the card etween the two. The! are tied to
prevent the card from eing prematurel! e+posed to view. 4
sharp pencil is thrust through the holes# and the card# and then
the spectator holds the ends of the pencil.
4ll properties are out of control of the performer. In spite of this
he can still cause the transposition to take place# chiefl! ecause
it has alread! done so. The person who drew the card names it#
the magician commands the passage to e made magicall!. The
spectator with the pack finds that the chosen card has vanished.
The records are separated and there on the pencil is the proper#
marked# card.
I5ro+e% <=t! Cent'r) Silk
B) M"n#er
flag is knotted to a red silk. The flag is then folded# leaving
the red striped corner of the flag out. The folds are held together
with a piece of silk thread. The prepared red silk# a lue silk# an
envelope# a pencil and a duplicate flag are on !our tale.
The performer picks up the prepared red silk in his left hand#
maskin9 the secret undle# and the lue silk in his right hand. He
ties the lue to the red((reall! to the red corner of the concealed
flag. The two silks are held at the point of knotting in the left
hand. He asks a spectator to e+amine the envelope and to push
a hole through the center of it with the pencil. He now puts the
knotted silks in the envelopes# and shoves a corner of the lue
silk out through one hole# a corner of the red out through the
other.
The performer seals the envelope. The e+tending silks are pulled
out further and a spectator holds them etween his hands. The
magician vanishes the duplicate flag ! a od! pull or some
other piece of apparatus. The spectator is told to pull on the ends
of the silks e+tending from the envelope. He does and the flag
appears knotted etween the two silks. There is no clue to the
m!ster! in the envelope. Ever!thing ma! e e+amined.
The illustration makes the handling clear. ?igure 6 shows how the
flag and red silk are prepared. ; illustrates how the red silk is
held for the t!ing# F shows how the silks protrude from the
envelope# , shows the clima+ as the flag appears.
T!e Fi+e C"r% Trick
B) To Os(orne
Long Tack *am showed me this trick !ears ago. He admitted
that it wasn3t his. so# after keeping the secret for these man!
!ears# I would like to pass it on.
The performer hands a deck to someone# and tells him to shuffle
the cards and la! five cards# face down on the tale. The deck is
returned to the performer. %ow the magician invites a spectator
to lift up one card# rememer it# and replace it in its original
position# all while the performer turns his head awa!.
The performer turns awa! for two reasons. ?irst# it gives him an
opportunit! to wet the all of his left thum secretl! with saliva.
*econdl!# it conve!s the impression that the performer isn3t
looking when the spectator sights the card. 4ctuall! the
performer peeks so that he will know the position of the selected
card.
>nce the card in replaced# the performer swings around and
gathers up the group. *uppose the middle card was lifted# then
the magician picks up two of the other cards and puts them face
down in his left hand as indicated in ?igure 6. 4s he rings the
third card# the chosen one# with his right hand from the tale to
his left hand the left thum moves across the present top card in
his left hand# wetting the ack. 8hen the chosen card is put on
the wet pack# onl! a firm pressure is necessar! to make the two
cards stick together.
8hen all five cards are in the left hand# hold !our hand as in
?igure ;. 8ith the right hand# reach up and withdraw the card
nearest to the left thum# the rear card# that is. 4sk if that is the
selected card. >n eing assured that it is not# drop it to the floor.
Repeat with the ne+t card. The ne+t card will reall! e two cards
stuck together# the selected card with its face out of view against
the ack of an indifferent card. E+ercise a little care so that the
two cards don3t ecome separated. /rop the two as one on the
floor cis !ou did the others. Repeat the withdrawing and the
9uestion. )Is this !our cardC) with the last card.
*till holding !our hand cupped as though it contained the fifth
card# sa!. )8ell# what was !our cardC) >n eing told# sa!.
)That3s what I thought.) 0rush oth hands together. 4pparentl!
the selected card vanishes in thin air.
This vanish is an astonishing one for a la! audience. 4fter !ou
have acknowledged the audience3s ama5ement# casuall! pick up
the cards and go on with another trick.
Pi5 of " Pi5e
B) Geor#e An%re/
'hile the stunt of touching a piece of palmed flash paper on
!our cigarette is ver! good# it is far more effective with a pipe#
when done as follows.
Aack !our pipe lightl! with a rather dr!# cruml! toacco. 4fter it
is urning well# palm a piece of crumpled lack flash paper into
the owl. The paper should e ig enough so that it doesn3t fall
down on the fire. The palming can e done in a ver! natural wa!
as !ou grasp the owl. %ow !ou are read! to set it off at an!
time !ou wish ! simpl! lowing into the pipe through the stem.
0low strongl! enough to raise a few hot ashes and sparks up to
the paper.
%ot onl! will !ou find this ver! effective when the hands are
nowhere near the pipe at the time of the flash# ut the flash is
not screened ! the hand and is thus more startling.
It is ver! funn! to use this at odd moments during an evening
with some friends. Aretend to notice nothing out of the ordinar!
when the flashes occur.

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THE SPHINX

GOLDEN JUBILEE BOOK OF MAGIC

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