CHAPTER IX.

MENTAL MAGIC.

BY HENRY RIDGELY EVANS.

The most sphinx-like problem ever presented to the public for solution was the “second-sight” mystery. As has been stated in the Introduction, the idea was an old one, having originated with the Chevalier Pinetti, a conjurer of the eighteenth century. On this subject the “Encyclopædia Britannica” says:

“In 1783 Pinetti had an automatic figure about eighteen inches in height, named the Grand Sultan or Wise Little Turk, which answered questions as to chosen cards and many other things by striking upon a bell, intelligence being communicated to a confederate by an ingenious ordering of the words, syllables, or vowels in the questions put. The teaching of Mesmer and feats of alleged clairvoyance suggested to Pinetti a more remarkable performance in 1785, when Signora Pinetti, sitting blindfold in a front box of a theater, replied to questions and displayed her knowledge of articles in the possession of the audience.”

Robert-Houdin invented a “second-sight” system under the following circumstances:

“My two children,” he says, in his memoirs, “were playing one day in the drawing-room at a game they had invented for their own amusement. The younger had bandaged his elder brother’s eyes, and made him guess the objects he touched, and when the latter happened to guess right, they changed places. This simple game suggested to me the most complicated idea that ever crossed my mind--‘second sight.’

“On the 12th of February, 1846, I printed in the center of my bill the following singular announcement:

“_In this programme M. Robert-Houdin’s son, who is gifted with a marvelous second sight, after his eyes have been covered with a thick bandage, will designate every object presented to him by the audience._”

Houdin never revealed the secret of this remarkable trick, but plainly indicated in his autobiography that it was the result of an ingenious combination of questions that gave the clue to the supposed clairvoyant on the stage. One of the first to come forward with an _exposé_ was F. A. Gandon, who wrote a work entitled _La Seconde vue dévoilée_, Paris, 1849. Robert Heller saw Houdin give an exhibition of “second sight” in London. It was the idea of people at the time that the experiment was the result of animal magnetism, but the acute Heller thought otherwise, and he went to work to perfect a system that far exceeded any of his predecessors in the art, adding certain subtle improvements that made the trick all but supernatural.

Briefly stated, the effect is as follows: A lady is introduced to the audience as possessed of clairvoyant powers. She is blindfolded and seated on the stage. The magician, going down among the spectators, receives from them various articles which the supposed seeress accurately describes; for example, in the case of a coin, not only telling what the object is, but the country where it was coined, its denomination and date. In the case of a watch, she gives the metal, maker’s name, what kind and how many jewels in the works, and, lastly, the time to a dot. And the same with other objects, no matter what they may be. Nothing offered by a spectator seemed to baffle Houdin and Heller. Half-obliterated Roman, Grecian, and Oriental coins were described with wonderful ease and accuracy by the assistant on the stage; also secret society emblems and inscriptions thereon, numbers on bank-notes, surgical instruments, etc.

At a performance in Boston, described by Henry Hermon in his work, “Hellerism,” a coin was handed to Heller. He glanced at it for a moment and asked his assistant to name the object.

“A coin,” she quickly replied.

“Here, see if you can tell the name of the country, and all about it,” he next inquired.

Without a second’s hesitation she answered, “It is a large copper coin--a coin of Africa, I think. Yes, it is of Tripoli. The inscriptions on it are in Arabic; one side reads, ‘Coined at Tripoli;’ the other side, ‘Sultan of two lands, Sultan of two seas, Sultan by inheritance, and the Son of a Sultan.’”

“Very well,” said Heller, “that is correct. But look, what is the date, now?”

“The date is 1-2-2-0, one thousand two hundred and twenty of the Hegira, or Mohammedan year, which corresponds to 1805 of the Christian era.”

Salvos of applause greeted the performers at the conclusion of the scene.

Mr. Fred Hunt, Jr., who was Robert Heller’s assistant for many years, wrote the following _exposé_ of the trick for the London _Times_, soon after Heller’s death:

“In the years we were together, Heller was constantly enlarging and perfecting his system. He is now gone and has solved a greater mystery than that which puzzled so many thousands while he was on earth, and I believe that his sister, Haidee Heller, and myself are the only living persons in whom Robert Heller’s second sight is vested. Heller had so simplified this system as to embrace every variety of article classified in sets; one question, with a word or two added, sufficing to elicit a correct answer for ten different articles.

“The student must be first posted in a new alphabetical arrangement, with which he must familiarize himself as thoroughly as a boy in learning his primer. This is the most difficult part of the business, but when mastered thoroughly, it comes as easy as if the question were plainly propounded.

“This alphabet is as follows:

A is H B is T C is S D is G E is F F is E G is A H is I I is B J is L K is Pray L is C M is O N is D O is V P is J Q is W R is M S is N T is P U is Look V is Y W is R X is See this Y is Q Z is Hurry.

Hurry up--repeat last letter.

“For example, you want the initials or name in a ring. Say it is ‘Anna.’ By the alphabetical arrangement H stands for A, D for N. The explanation ‘Hurry up’ always means a repetition of the last letter, and again H will give the answer when put as follows:

“‘Here is a name? Do you see it? Hurry up. Have you got it?’

“Attention is paid only to the first letter of every sentence, and it will be perceived that the name of Anna is spelled.

“Again, take ‘Gazette,’ which is abbreviated in a phonographic manner in order to simplify the question. G is A, A is H, Z is ‘Hurry’ (not ‘Hurry up’), E is F, T is P. The question would be:

“‘Are you able to tell the name? Here it is. Hurry. Find the name. Please be quick.’

“Here you have ‘Gazet’ in short meter. The letters K, U, X, and Z being difficult wherewith to commence an interrogative sentence, the words ‘pray,’ ‘look,’ ‘see this,’ and ‘hurry,’ are used, as will be seen in the table. Care must be taken not to begin a sentence with either of these words unless applicable to the word to be spelled. For instance, if ‘Xenia’ is required, X is ‘See this,’ E is F, N is D, I is B, and A is H. Thus the question:

“‘See this? Find it quick. Do hurry. Be quick. How is it spelled?’

“Again, for the initials U. S. you will say:

“‘Look. Now, then.’

“U is ‘Look,’ and S is N.

“If you want Kentucky named, thus the question:

“‘Pray name the State. Quick.’

“Pray is K, and Q is Y.

“After the alphabet we have the numbers, which, it will be seen, are easily understood after a little practice.

NUMBERS.

1 is Say or Speak. 2 is Be, Look, or Let. 3 is Can or Can’t. 4 is Do or Don’t. 5 is Will or Won’t. 6 is What. 7 is Please or Pray. 8 is Are or Ain’t. 9 is Now. 10 is Tell. 0 is Hurry or Come.

“‘Well’ is to repeat the last figure.

“Example: The number 1,234 is required; attention must only be paid to the first word of a sentence, thus:

“‘Say the number. Look at it. Can you see it? Do you know?’

“Or say the number is 100:

“‘Tell me the number. Hurry!’

“A rather difficult number would be 1,111. The question would be put in this wise:

“‘Say the number. Well? Speak out. Say what it is.’

“On a watch or greenback there are sometimes eight or nine numbers, which can be followed as easily as the above.

“The table of colors is as follows:

COLORS.

1 is White. 2 is Black. 3 is Blue. 4 is Brown. 5 is Red. 6 is Green. 7 is Yellow. 8 is Gray.

“The solution of the numbers, as I have explained, will furnish the key. For example, the article presented is green; the question will be:

“‘What is the color?’ green being the sixth color in the list.

“Blue is wanted, and, as it stands third in the list, the word would be:

“‘Can you tell the color?’

“White is wanted, and, as it stands first in the list, the question is:

“‘Say the color.’

“Understand that the words explaining the numbers, as given in the list, are applied to the articles enumerated in each of the subjoined tables.

THE METALS.

1. Gold. 2. Silver. 3. Brass. 4. Copper. 5. Lead. 6. Iron. 7. Tin. 8. Platina. 9. Steel.

THE SETTING.

1. Diamond. 2. Ruby. 3. Pearl. 4. Amethyst. 5. Onyx. 6. Garnet. 7. Emerald. 8. Turquoise. 9. Carbuncle. 10. Topaz.

The stone--opal.

“Take the metals, for instance. The metal presented is copper, which is fourth in the list. The question would be:

“‘Do you know the metal?’

“If steel, which is ninth in the list:

“‘Now, what is the metal?’

“Sex, countries, materials, fabrics, watches, are as follows:

OF WHAT.

[This set to describe the sex, etc., of the pictures.]

1. Lady. 2. Gentleman. 3. Boy. 4. Girl. 5. Child. 6. Group. 7. Animal. 8. Drawing. 9. Sketch.

COUNTRIES.

1. America. 2. England. 3. France. 4. Germany. 5. Russia. 6. Italy. 7. Spain. 8. Canada. 9. Foreign. 10. Mexico.

THE MATERIAL.

1. Wood. 2. Stone. 3. Marble. 4. Bronze. 5. Lava. 6. Rubber. 7. Glass. 8. Bone. 9. Ivory. 10. China.

THE FABRIC.

1. Silk. 2. Wool. 3. Cotton. 4. Linen. 5. Leather. 6. Kid. 7. Buckskin. 8. Lace.

WATCHES.

_The maker’s name?_

_Of what company’s make?_

[This is to tell the maker’s name of watches.]

1. American Watch Co. 2. Waltham Watch Co. 3. Elgin Watch Co. 4. Dueber Watch Co. 5. Tobias. 6. Johnson. 7. Swiss. 8. 9. 10.

“Miscellaneous articles are divided into nineteen sets, thus:

FIRST SET.

_What article is this?_

1. Handkerchief. 2. Neckerchief. 3. Bag. 4. Glove. 5. Purse. 6. Basket. 7. Beet. 8. Comforter. 9. Headdress. 10. Fan.

SECOND SET.

_What is this?_

1. Watch. 2. Bracelet. 3. Guard. 4. Chain. 5. Breastpin. 6. Necklace. 7. Ring. 8. Rosary. 9. Cross. 10. Charm.

THIRD SET.

_What may this be?_

1. Hat. 2. Cap. 3. Bonnet. 4. Cuff. 5. Collar. 6. Muff. 7. Cape. 8. Boa. 9. Inkstand. 10. Mucilage.

FOURTH SET.

_What is here?_

1. Pipe. 2. Cigar. 3. Cigar-holder. 4. Cigarette. 5. Tobacco. 6. Tobacco box. 7. Tobacco pouch. 8. Match. 9. Matchbox. 10. Cigar-lighter.

FIFTH SET.

_What have I here?_

1. Spectacles. 2. Spectacle case. 3. Eyeglass. 4. Eyeglass case. 5. Opera glass. 6. Opera-glass case. 7. Magnifying glass. 8. Telescope. 9. Compass. 10. Corkscrew.

SIXTH SET.

_Can you see this?_

1. Knife. 2. Scissors. 3. Pin. 4. Needle. 5. Cushion. 6. Toothpick. 7. Comb. 8. Brush. 9. Thimble. 10. Looking-glass.

SEVENTH SET.

_Do you know what this is?_

1. Book. 2. Pocketbook. 3. Needlebook. 4. Paper. 5. Newspaper. 6. Pamphlet. 7. Programme. 8. Bill. 9. Letter. 10. Envelope.

EIGHTH SET.

_Look at this._

1. Bank bill. 2. Treasury note. 3. Currency. 4. Coin. 5. Gold piece. 6. Piece of money. 7. Bank check. 8. Bond. 9. Silver dollar. 10. Postage stamp.

NINTH SET.

_Now, what is this?_

1. Stick. 2. Whip. 3. Parasol. 4. Umbrella. 5. Umbrella cover. 6. Picture. 7. Shoe. 8. Boot. 9. Button. 10. Stud.

TENTH SET.

_Tell me this._

1. Earring. 2. Locket. 3. Sleeve button. 4. Hairpin. 5. Clothespin. 6. Fork. 7. Spoon. 8. Armlet. 9. Ornament. 10. Check.

ELEVENTH SET.

_I want to know this._

1. Apple. 2. Nut. 3. Cake. 4. Orange. 5. Lemon. 6. Candy. 7. Popcorn. 8. Lozenge. 9. Grain. 10. Wax.

TWELFTH SET.

_Pray, what is this?_

1. Screw. 2. Hinge. 3. Tool. 4. Nail. 5. Tack. 6. Knob. 7. Rule. 8. Lock. 9. Buckle. 10. Key.

THIRTEENTH SET.

_You know what this is?_

1. Shot. 2. Powder. 3. Bullet. 4. Gun. 5. Pistol. 6. Percussion cap. 7. Cartridge. 8. Surgical instrument. 9. Musical instrument. 10. Tuning fork.

FOURTEENTH SET.

_Quick! This article._

1. Bouquet. 2. Bouquet holder. 3. Flower. 4. Wreath. 5. Leaf. 6. Toy. 7. Flag. 8. Bottle. 9. Game. 10. Doll.

FIFTEENTH SET.

_Name this article._

1. Pen. 2. Penholder. 3. Pencil. 4. Eraser. 5. Rubber. 6. Case. 7. Spool. 8. Soap. 9. Perfumery. 10. Cup.

SIXTEENTH SET.

_Say, what is this?_

1. Card. 2. Cardcase. 3. Playing card. 4. Button-hook. 5. Key ring. 6. Bunch keys. 7. Tablet. 8. Cord. 9. Tweezers. 10. Cork.

SEVENTEENTH SET.

_This article?_

1. Bible. 2. Testament. 3. Tract. 4. Bookmark. 5. Prayer book. 6. Hymn-book. 7. Music. 8. Smelling bottle. 9. Vinaigrette. 10. Strap.

EIGHTEENTH SET.

_Playing cards._

1. Diamonds. 2. Hearts. 3. Clubs. 4. Spades. “Right”--Ace. “That’s right”--King. “Good”--Queen. “Very good”--Jack.

NINETEENTH SET.

_Devices._

1. Masonic. 2. Odd Fellows. 3. Knights of Pythias. 4. Druids. 5. Musical.

ARTICLES IN SETS.

“It will be seen that the different articles are arranged in sets, numbering no more than ten. Each set has at the head a different question, worded very nearly alike, so as to make the audience believe that the same question is being constantly asked. The question at the head of the set, which is always asked first, is the clue to the set which contains the article to be described. Each set is numbered, as in the cases of the colors and metals, and the word conveys each particular article.

“For the first set the question is:

“‘What article is this?’

“This gives the clue to ten distinct articles. The next demand may be:

“‘Can you tell?’

“Which would be solution for ‘bag,’ it being the third in the list.

“‘Say the fabric.’

“The reply would be, ‘Silk,’ that being the first in the line of fabrics, and, as I have before stated, ‘say’ representing No. 1. If a leather bag, it would be: ‘Will you tell the fabric?’ ‘will’ standing for No. 5.

“A handkerchief is presented, and the question is:

“‘What article is this? Say;’ which explains that it is a handkerchief, as that is the first article in the list.

“‘Can you tell the fabric?’

“‘Cotton,’ cotton standing third in the list of fabrics.

“Then, again, if you want the color--say it is blue--

“‘Can’t you tell the color?’

“‘Blue,’ which stands third on the list of colors.

“A watch embodies a greater number of questions than almost any other article. If you want to describe it fully, it is first in the second set, the key of which is:

“‘What is this?’

“We will say that it is a lady’s watch, gold, double case, three hands, made by Tobias, No. 9,725, the initials ‘From B. C. to C. H.’ engraved on the case, the year ‘1860,’ and blue enameled, set with five diamonds. This is a complex question, and must be put and answered as follows:

“_Question._ ‘What is this? Say.’

“_Answer._ ‘A watch.’

“_Q._ ‘Say the metal.’

“_A._ ‘Gold.’

“_Q._ ‘Say to whom it belongs.’

“_A._ ‘A lady.’

“_Q._ ‘Yes.’

“_A._ ‘A double case.’

“_Q._ ‘Can you tell the number of hands?’

“_A._ ‘Three.’

“_Q._ ‘Will you tell the maker.’

“_A._ ‘Tobias.’

“_Q._ ‘Now the number. Please tell me. Be quick. Won’t you?’

“_A._ ‘9,725.’

“_Q._ ‘Can you tell me the color of this enamel?’

“_A._ ‘Blue.’

“_Q._ ‘Tell the initials. Say.’

“_A._ ‘B. C.’

“_Q._ ‘Say to whom. I want to know.’

“_A._ ‘C. H.’

“_Q._ ‘Say these stones.’

“_A._ ‘Diamonds.’

“_Q._ ‘Will you tell how many?’

“_A._ ‘Five.’

“If it is a double case, the simple word ‘yes’ conveys the intelligence after ‘to whom it belongs.’ If an open case, the word ‘well’ is used.

PLAYING CARDS.

“These will be found in the sixteenth set, and the order of suits in the eighteenth. We will take the nine of spades as having been presented. The question will be:

“‘Say, what is this? Can you tell?’

“‘A playing card.’

“‘Do you know the suit? Now, then.’

“‘Do’ is four, which means spades, and ‘now’ is nine. The cards are told as follows: First, the ‘playing card;’ second, the suit; third, the number or picture. If, after the preliminary question is put and answered, it is an ace, the interlocutor says ‘Right;’ if a king, ‘That’s right;’ if a queen, ‘Good;’ if a jack, ‘Very good.’

MONEY.

“This will be found classed in the eighth set, the key to which is, ‘Look at this.’

“No. 6 of the set is described as ‘a piece of money,’ and is always of a less value than a dollar. We will take a silver quarter of the date of 1820. The question is:

“‘Look at this. What is it?’

“_A._ ‘A piece of money.’

“_Q._ ‘Let me know the amount. Will you?’

“_A._ ‘Twenty-five cents;’ as we know that ‘let’ is 2 and ‘will’ 5.

“If the coin is of this century, only the last two figures are asked; if of a prior date, the last three. The request therefore is:

“‘Look at the date. Hurry!’ which would bring the answer, ‘1820.’

“A foreign coin is furnished, say of Rome. The request would be:

“‘Look at this. Do you know what it is?’

“The answer is, ‘A coin.’

“‘What country?’

“‘Italy;’ as Italy stands sixth in the list of countries, as will be seen by referring to the table.

“A Mexican dollar will elicit the remark:

“‘Look at this, now.’

“‘A silver dollar.’

“‘Tell me the country.’

“The reply will be, ‘Mexico,’ as that country stands tenth on the list.

“A treasury note is presented of the value of fifty dollars; the cue is:

“‘Look at this. Be quick.’

“_Answer._ ‘A treasury note.’

“‘Will you tell me the amount? Come;’ which means 5 and 0, or $50; ‘come’ being a substitute for ‘hurry.’

“Again, a $2.50 gold piece is presented, and the question is as before:

“‘Look at this. Will you?’

“_Answer._ ‘A gold piece.’

“‘Let me know the amount. Won’t you? Come.’ ‘Let,’ ‘won’t,’ and ‘come’ standing for ‘250.’

OTHER EXAMPLES.

“‘Pray, what is this? Tell me.’

“The answer is. ‘A key,’ ‘key’ being the tenth article of the set. Now, in order to tell what kind of a key, these simple words will explain:

“‘Yes,’ a watch key; ‘well,’ a door key; ‘good,’ a safe key.

“‘What is here? Say.’

“The answer is ‘pipe.’

“Now, to ascertain what kind of a pipe, the same words as above:

“‘Yes,’ a meerschaum pipe; ‘well,’ a wooden pipe; ‘good,’ a clay pipe.

“‘Can you see this? Please say.’

“Answer is ‘comb.’

“‘Yes,’ a pocket comb; ‘well,’ a toilet comb; ‘good,’ a curry comb.

“‘Can you see this? Are you going to tell?’

“The answer is ‘brush.’

“‘Yes,’ hair brush; ‘well,’ clothes brush; ‘good,’ paint brush.

“If an article is presented which is not down in the sets, the alphabet will have to be resorted to and the article spelled out.

“This concludes the ‘second-sight’ mystery which so perplexed the world, and which I never would have exposed but for the death of my lamented friend, Robert Heller.”

The perfect memorization of the preceding system will enable two ambitious amateurs or professionals to perform the “second-sight” mystery, but it will not enable them to produce _all_ of the effects exhibited by Heller. Robert Heller had another system of conveying information to his blindfolded assistant on the stage--a system that permitted him to give a minute description of an object _without speaking a word_. It was this artistic effect that so puzzled every one. It was accomplished by means of electricity. A confederate sat among the spectators, near the center aisle of the theater, and the wires of an electric battery were connected with his chair, the electric push button being under the front part of the seat. Heller gave the cue to the set in which the article was, its number, etc., by some natural movement of his body or arms; and the confederate, rapidly interpreting the secret signals, telegraphed them to the clairvoyante on the stage. Mr. Hermon thus describes the receiving instrument in his clever little book, “Hellerism”:

“It will be remembered by all whoever witnessed Mr. and Miss Heller’s ‘second-sight’ act that when he came on the stage to begin this part of his performance, he rolled forward to the center of the stage a sofa. This sofa had no back to it, thus enabling Miss Heller to sit with her back to the audience. As the sofa was rolled forward it was so placed that one of the hind legs rested on a little brass plate screwed to the floor of the stage. On the foot of the leg there were two more, thus connecting and making a complete electric communication between his secret partner and Miss Heller.

“In the sofa there was a little machine so arranged that when the button was pressed a slight tap was the result. This tap could only be heard by Miss Heller, for it struck against a thin piece of board covered by the haircloth of the sofa, and sitting, as she was, directly on it, it could be easily felt.”

The verbal system and the silent system were used interchangeably during Heller’s performances, to the complete bewilderment of the spectators. Even magicians were mystified. When the former system was employed, Heller was enabled to go to any part of the theater; but in the latter, he was compelled, for obvious reasons, to confine himself to the center aisle, just below where the confederate was seated. The connecting wires were concealed beneath the carpeting.

Other magicians, notably Kellar, have worked up the “second-sight” trick in an ingenious way, by the use of apparatus. The clairvoyante sits on a chair placed upon a raised platform, and, after her eyes have been carefully bandaged, she tells the names of playing cards, the numbers on bank notes, and adds columns of figures written on a blackboard by people in the audience. The explanation is as follows: A rubber tube runs from behind the scenes, underneath the stage, and up through a hollow foot of the platform and the leg of the chair, terminating at the back of the chair. In the back of the lady’s dress is a small tube which reaches her ear, being cleverly concealed by the curly wig which she wears. When she has taken her seat, the magician pretends to mesmerize her, and, under cover of the passes, connects the tubing in the chair with the tubing in her dress. An assistant behind the scenes reads the numbers on the bank notes with a strong spyglass, and conveys the information to the lady through the speaking-tube. To facilitate the assistant’s work, the magician holds the bank note against the blackboard, which is turned slightly to one side. The clairvoyante calls out the numbers in a loud voice, whereupon the magician proceeds to chalk them upon the board. The squaring and the cubing of numbers are performed by the assistant behind the scenes, with the aid of logarithmic tables. When the “second-sight” séance is concluded, the magician removes the bandage from the lady’s eyes, and pretends to awaken her from the hypnotic state, taking advantage of the little comedy to disconnect the speaking tube. She rises, bows herself off the stage, taking particular care not to show her back to the audience.

A very clever exhibition of “second sight” is given by Professor and Mrs. Baldwin. Professor Baldwin calls himself the “White Mahatma,” and his entertainment is a curious hodge-podge of pretended mediumship, clairvoyance, and vaudeville. Slips of paper and pencils, and small pads of millboard to serve as writing desks, are distributed among the audience by assistants; the recipients of the writing materials are requested to write questions on the slips, fold them up, and secrete them in their pockets. The “White Mahatma” disclaims any preparation about the millboards, remarking that they are given to the spectators to obviate the inconvenience of writing on the knee, and may be discarded if desired. When the questions have been prepared, the assistants collect the pads and place them on the stage, near the footlights, in full view of the audience. After this there is some dancing and singing by the vaudeville artists connected with the company, and then Mrs. Baldwin, the clairvoyante, makes her appearance; she is carefully blindfolded and “mesmerized” by the Professor. Her communications to the audience are made after the following manner: “I see a lady in the orchestra, to the right. She wants to know something about a ring that was lost.” Professor Baldwin, who stands in the center aisle of the theater, near the stage, exclaims: “Will the lady who wrote that question kindly hold up the slip of paper and acknowledge the correctness of Mrs. Baldwin’s statement?” The lady complies, and a thrill of astonishment pervades the audience. An assistant goes to the lady, takes the slip, and hands it to Professor Baldwin, who reads it, exclaiming: “Mrs. Baldwin is correct; but let us see if she cannot give us more detailed information concerning the ring which is lost.” He mounts the stage, and, standing behind the clairvoyante, makes violent mesmeric passes over her head, the piano in the orchestra accompanying the operation with several loud chords and cadenzas. Then the “White Mahatma” advances to the footlights and commands his wife to speak. “The ring is of gold with a pearl setting,” she says, “and has the initials ‘M. B.’ engraved within. It was lost about January 1, 18--,” etc. The lady in the audience had only written: “I have lost my ring; can you describe it?” Consequently, when she hears this accurate description by Mrs. Baldwin, she is very much impressed.

The trick is an ingenious one. It is worked up with great dramatic effect by the Baldwins. The secret lies in the pads of millboard, some of which contain carbon sheets under two layers of brown paper. The writing of the spectators is thereby transferred by means of the carbon paper to sheets of writing paper placed under the carbon sheets. The genuine millboard pads which are distributed among the audience are laid on the stage, while the prepared pads are carried off behind the scenes to Mrs. Baldwin, who has ample time to post herself with the desired information before coming on the stage.

Of course, the spectators who get the genuine pads do not receive any clairvoyant communications, nor do those who discard the genuine pads. The surprising part of the feat is the extraneous information imparted by Mrs. Baldwin, which seems to preclude any possibility of trickery. This information is obtained from the spectators by the assistants when they go to collect the slips of paper, and is whispered by them to Professor Baldwin. Under cover of the pretended magnetizing, Professor Baldwin gives his wife this information, the chords from the piano preventing any one from hearing what he says. It is all done very rapidly, the spectators being completely deluded. The people who have been pumped by the assistants seem to forget the fact in their interest in the main part of the trick, viz., the reading of the slips by Mrs. Baldwin. One reason of this self-deception is, perhaps, the fact that they do not suspect the integrity of the innocent-looking ushers, or regard them as a part of the experiment.

Where numbers are to be conveyed, the Baldwins use a verbal code of signals. This obviates the necessity of Mr. Baldwin going upon the stage to remagnetize his wife.

SILENT THOUGHT TRANSFERENCE, NO. 1.

In this ingenious trick the clairvoyante, while blindfolded, tells “the suit and value of any number of selected cards, solves arithmetical problems, gives numbers on borrowed bank notes, indicates time by any watch, describes borrowed coins, and many other tests.” All this is accomplished in silence, the medium being surrounded by a committee from the audience, if desired. The trick can be given in a private parlor, and requires no electrical apparatus, speaking tubes, etc. I am indebted for an explanation of “silent thought transference” to Mr. H. J. Burlingame. In his little _brochure_, “Tricks in Magic, Illusions, and Mental Phenomena,” he writes as follows: “By means of the silent code all the usual effects generally exhibited at thought-reading séances can be reproduced. It consists in both medium and performer counting mentally and together. It is a known fact that the beats for ‘common time’ are always the same in music; therefore, with little practice, it is easy for two persons, starting on a given signal, to count at the same time and rate, and when another signal is given, to stop. Of course both will have arrived at the same number. This then is the actual method employed in this code, and from it you will see that any number from 0 to 9 can be transmitted by the performer to the medium. It is best to experiment and find out what rate of counting best suits the two persons employing this code, but the following suggestions are offered: It may, perhaps, be best to begin counting at a slow rate, gradually increasing until you find it advisable to go no faster. Say you have in the room, when first practicing, a loud-ticking clock, with a fairly slow beat. On the given beat or signal you both start counting at the same rate as the clock. Of course the clock must be removed when the rate has been well learned. If preferred, count at the rate of ‘common time,’ viz.: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, and so on, or practice with a ‘metronome,’ such as is used during piano practice for the purpose of setting time. A very good rate to finally adopt is about 70 to 75 per minute. Whatever rate is found to suit best must be adhered to. You will find at the rate mentioned that any number up to 9 can be transmitted with absolute certainty, after an hour or so of practice.

“Now that the principle has been explained, the next items are the signals to give the medium the cue when to start and when to stop counting mentally.

“Say the performer has borrowed a coin, the date of which is 1862. The first figure of the coin 1 and 8 are generally understood, as most coins in use are 18 something or other; if of date 18, in the hundreds. The performer must advise the medium of this by his manner of thanking the person who lent the coin, which can easily be arranged to suit one’s fancy. The 6 and 2 have therefore to be transmitted. The performer stands away from the medium or among the audience. The medium being on the stage, securely blindfolded, the performer takes his position, with chalk in right hand, in front of a blackboard, holding coin in his left hand. He does not speak a word, but simply looks at the coin. After a pause the medium calls out: ‘The first figure I picture is a one,’ or words to that effect. Immediately the lady stops speaking, they both begin to count mentally at the rate agreed upon by practice. In this case the number to be transmitted is 6. As the last word of the sentence is spoken they commence mentally 1-2-3-4-5-6; during this short period the performer glances down at the coin as if to verify what the lady has called out. As soon as they reach the figure 6 the signal ‘stop’ has to be transmitted. This is done by the performer putting down on the blackboard sharply the figure called out by the lady, viz.: ‘One’ (1). It will be seen by this method that the signal is quite easy to transmit, and it is perfectly natural to put down the figure on the board quickly and sharply. The third figure of the coin is now known to the medium. The last figure, 2, is transmitted in the same manner as the previous figure. The lady says, ‘The second figure I see is 8.’ As soon as she ceases speaking, they begin the counting again, 1-2; on the arrival at the figure 2 the performer puts down the 8, previously called out, sharply on the board, which is the signal for ‘stop.’ The lady now knows the full date of the coin. The metal of the coin must be indicated to the medium previously by the wording of the reply to the owner of the coin after it has been handed to the performer. This can easily be arranged. The value of the coin or its equivalent number is indicated in the same way as the previous figure; and between the 6 and the 2, that is, after the lady has called out the 6, they commence to count for the value. When an 0 occurs in the date, no pause is made. The performer puts down the figure on the board for the ‘stop’ signal immediately the lady stops speaking. This if followed carefully will be found quite easy and natural in practice.

“Any other system that one may adopt for giving the starting and stopping signals can, of course, be applied, but the method here proposed will be found to answer the purpose, and cannot be detected.”

The bank-note, card, and other tests are arranged on similar lines.

SILENT THOUGHT TRANSFERENCE, NO. 2.

This clever trick was introduced to the theater-goers of marvel-loving Paris by Professor Verbeck and Mademoiselle Mathilde. Guibal and Marie Gréville performed it in England and America, creating a great sensation. It is based on a very simple principle. Abbreviated somewhat from Burlingame’s _brochure_, the effect is as follows: “The pretended mesmerist announces to the spectators the marvelous intuitive powers of his subject, Miss Venus, remarking: ‘Miss Venus shall be hypnotized by me, and, when launched into the hypnotic sleep, can and will perform any rational act that the spectators desire, despite the fact that I will not speak one word during the séance. While in the trance state, she will walk among you and comply with your requests. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the _trance-it_ of Venus. When I have her under control and in the hypnotic trance, I will move about among you, and you can convey to me by whisper what you would desire the medium to do.’

“Miss Venus is now introduced by the professor. She bows and seats herself on a chair, facing the spectators. The professor, by means of any of the pantomimic gestures, pretends to hypnotize her, after which dramatic scene, he goes among the audience, asking here and there what the spectators would like the lady marvel to do. Having spoken to some twelve or twenty persons, he solemnly enjoins the strictest silence. With serious mien he advances toward the medium, without going on the stage, and motions or waves his right hand in a downward movement in front of her. She slowly rises and goes through each desired performance, finally returning to her chair and allowing herself to be dehypnotized. The professor recapitulates for the benefit of all what each spectator desired, and how Miss Venus was successful in each and every crucial test.

EXPLANATION.

“In this trick a code of signs and things to be done must be learned by the alleged mesmerist. These he forces adroitly into the minds of the people. The following is the forcing code:

“1. Pull a gentleman’s hair.

“2. Turn up his trousers.

“3. Tie a number of knots in his handkerchief.

“4. Take a watch out of a gentleman’s pocket and place it in another pocket.

“5. Open a lady’s reticule; take out her purse, or anything she may desire.

“6. From out of a number of coins placed in a hat, pick out the special one which has been selected.

“7. Write any number selected on a card.

“8. Take a gentleman’s cane or umbrella and put it in the hands of another gentleman.

“9. Take glasses off a person and place on own nose.

“10. Take off lady’s or gentleman’s gloves.

“11. Write autograph on programme gentleman holds.

“13. Take a handkerchief out of some person’s pocket and tie it on his neck or arm.

“14. Tie a knot in a watch chain, and so on.

“This can be varied indefinitely.

“How to force these requests: The professor first pretends to hypnotize the subject; then moving among the audience, he goes to number one, or first person, and asks him what he would like the medium to do. ‘Let her tell me what I have in my pocket,’ suggests the spectator. ‘Oh,’ says the professor, ‘you forget that she is hypnotized and we cannot have her speak. Get her to do so and so, or this, or that,’ and so the professor rapidly shoots out a volley of suggestions from his learned code. As a natural result, the person selects one of these suggestions.

“Going to the next, he forces the questions differently, saying, ‘What shall she do for you--turn up your trousers? Pull your hair? Tie a knot in your handkerchief?’ etc. In this case a volley of queries is fired before the gentleman has time to make any suggestions not mentioned by the professor. Seeing a lady sitting near with a bag, the ‘mesmerist’ remarks: ‘Madam, have you a purse in it? Yes? Shall the lady remove it, or something from it?’ and so on. Again he beholds a gentleman with glasses on, and suggests that the medium remove the spectacles, etc. If, however, the gentleman does not wish this done, the professor suggests some of the other tests. In going through the audience the professor asks each individual his or her request in whispers only, and he generally has each person whom he asks a couple of yards apart.

“Again it is better, when forcing questions, to force only three at a time, and force them in rotation. To do this, suggest three questions, but emphasize or force only one of the three. The professor has to keep his wits about him. Having gone to a sufficient number in the audience, he must keep mental track of the gentleman who selected No. 1 of code, of him who selected No. 2, and so on. When he returns to the stage to wave down Miss Venus, all she has to do is to follow him in front or at his side. The first person he stops at (by signal), she merely does first on code; the second he stops at, she does second on code; and so on right through. The professor must remember where each chooser is seated.

“He directs the medium to the spectator in question by the movements of his hands. He first shows her the rows in which the persons are seated, all the time waving his hands as if making mesmeric passes. As soon as the medium reaches No. 1 the professor drops his left hand at his side, whereupon she stops and pulls the gentleman’s hair.

“The professor then directs her to No. 2. She stops and turns up the gentleman’s trousers. When she gets to No. 3 the man of mystery tells her how many knots to tie in the handkerchief, by the number of downward waves of left hand, at the same time making passes with the right. To select any special coin out of a hat, or other receptacle, Miss Venus pours the coins from the hat into her right hand, letting them drop one by one into the left hand. When she reaches the proper article, the professor turns to the audience, as if silencing them, and says ‘hist!’

“The lady, however, continues pouring the coins into her left hand, and when all are in, picks out the one she knows is correct.

“These methods may be readily varied to suit the taste of the performers.

“The medium’s eyes appear to be closed all the time, but in fact are open sufficiently for her to see all the movements of the professor. After becoming expert it will not be necessary to use the forcing code often, because all requests can be whispered to the medium by the so-called mesmerist, without the audience becoming aware of it. He can do this when he escorts her from the stage to the audience, or as he occasionally passes her in the aisles. The waving of his hands and arms in his different ‘passes’ will partly tell her what she is expected to do.

“This ‘hypnotic demonstration’ is one of the most puzzling effects in the whole domain of mental magic.”