Part 2

I am indebted to my esteemed brother magicians, Messrs. T. HAYES, W. G. MALVERN, and J. HEMPSTEAD, for the description of the following original and novel experiments:--

A NEW HANDKERCHIEF COMBINATION.

BY W. G. MALVERN, COIN AND CARD MANIPULATOR.

The requirements for this excellent trick are as follows:--A glass gas chimney, four silk handkerchiefs--one red, one blue, and two white. A small _fêke_--consisting of a brass tube about two inches long and just large enough to slip over the forefinger of the right hand. There must be soldered at the top of the _fêke_ on the outside, a piece of wire forming a small hook. The _fêke_ should, for obvious reasons, be covered with flesh-coloured silk.

A sheet of cartridge paper rolled up to form a tube and of such a size as to fit over the glass cylinder is also required.

The presentation of the trick is as follows:--The performer commences by showing an ordinary glass cylinder to be unprepared and free from deception. The three handkerchiefs are next shown, and in placing them on the table the blue handkerchief is casually dropped over the _fêke_ which is lying there loaded with a duplicate white handkerchief. The red handkerchief is then picked up along with the cylinder and placed in one end; then the blue handkerchief (and with it the _fêke_) is inserted in the other end of the cylinder. The hook on the fêke engages the rim of the cylinder, which prevents it from slipping down. The performer now covers the cylinder with the tube of paper, and in doing so the forefinger is pushed through the _fêke_, which action causes the concealed handkerchief to appear between the blue and red handkerchiefs, and when withdrawing the finger, the _fêke_ is brought away on it, which, of course, cannot be seen owing to the flesh-coloured silk.

The trick is now practically finished; all the performer has to do is to vanish the white handkerchief into the _fêke_, which is removed from the finger, and command the white handkerchief to appear between the red and blue handkerchiefs in the cylinder. On removing the paper tube this is seen to have been done.

THE "PHANTOM" COIN TRICK.

BY J. HEMPSTEAD, MAGICIAN.

The coin trick I am about to describe is most suitable for performing in a room, and has the advantage of being easily mastered by anybody after five minutes' practice. This sleight has perplexed many of the world's leading magicians, amongst whom may be mentioned Mr. Horace Goldin.

The effect of the trick is as follows:--The performer rolls up his right sleeve to the elbow, and then sits down at a table. One of the spectators is requested to sit down opposite him, and having obtained the loan of a sixpence, he places the coin in his palm in full view of everybody. The performer then closes his hand on the table, knuckles upwards, and asks the spectator sitting opposite him to place his hand on his (performer's), which he does, and then the performer, saying "One! two! three! Pass!!" asks the spectator if he felt the coin leave the hand and pass through _his_ (spectator's), to which, of course, the answer is "No"; but, nevertheless, on the spectator removing his hand, and the performer opening his, the coin is found to have completely vanished. The hands are shown absolutely empty, fingers wide apart, no palming being employed.

The effect of this little trick cannot be sufficiently judged by a description in print, but must be put into actual practice to be thoroughly appreciated.

_To perform._--When the performer (with right arm bared to elbow) asks the spectator to place his hand on his (performer's), he brings his left elbow on to the table and rests his head on his left hand--quite a natural position--and when the spectator puts his hand on the performer's (which in nine cases out of ten will be in the form of a fist like performer's), the conjurer exclaims, "No, no! not that way; put your hand _flat_ on mine," on saying which the spectator will naturally remove his hand for an instant--and now comes the conjuring part of the experiment. As the spectator removes his hand performer raises his fist with a quick up-and-down motion, and as his hand descends the coin is thrown through the bottom of fist into left sleeve. This motion must be done very smartly and at the right moment, but with a little practice will be found quite easy of accomplishment.

It will now be clear that when the spectator again puts his hand on top of the performer's, the trick is done, and it does not take much of a magician to cause the disappearance of the coin. Of course, should the spectator at first place his hand _flat_ on your fist, the same formula is gone through as before, only _vice versâ_.

AN ORIGINAL "EGGSTRA" SPECIAL COMBINATION.

BY T. HAYES, CONJURER AND ILLUSIONIST.

_Effect._--Appear with wand in hand, and after usual introductory patter lay wand on table and pick up a piece of white tissue paper--size, say, 6 by 4 inches. Roll this up into a ball and place on the palm of the left hand; then, shaking it to and fro, it gradually assumes the form of an egg. Lay this on the table while you light a candle (ready in candlestick); pick up the egg again and hold it over the candle to harden it. In a minute show the egg and have the same examined. Make a few passes--limited only by the skill of the performer--eventually placing it in the left hand (back to audience) and command it to pass; show empty hand, at the same time point to candle on table, when the audience see the egg balanced on top of same. Take it off and bring forward with candle and show. Replace the candle and pick up a handkerchief. Cover egg with handkerchief and taking hold of egg through same, gather up the four loose ends and give to someone to hold. Take up your pistol and fire at same, and laying down pistol, pick up plate and ask assistant to place the handkerchief on it; then open out handkerchief, and in centre in place of the egg he finds original piece of paper (initialed previously if desired).

Now take piece of paper, and laying down plate and handkerchief, make a fist of left hand and push paper in at top, draw it out at bottom of hand, when it is seen to have changed to a white silk handkerchief. Show this both sides, holding it at two top corners; then roll it up rope fashion, and pulling hands apart, a handkerchief is seen in both hands--one white and one yellow (here you may remark "The white and yolk; simply a question of colour"). Now roll these two together in the hands, and hold in right hand over candle, saying, "I will hard-boil it," and show the egg again. Pass for examination, asking if it is a good one; on reply of "Yes," say "Well, I have my doubts, but we will test it." Throw it in the air two or three times and the egg disappears, you remarking, "I was afraid there might be a chicken in it."

_Explanation._--When you pick up piece of paper at first, you take up with it a "skin" egg, neatly folded, with a thin strip of paper round it to prevent it prematurely expanding. It is this that is placed in palm of left hand, and paper strip torn loose. Lay gently on table and light candle, and as you lay down matchbox with right hand (right side to audience), palm egg in left hand from hip pocket or vest. Pick up "skin" egg and hold over candle, presently remarking "It's getting hot"; suddenly place it apparently in the left hand (really crushing it up and finger palming), and show palmed egg in left hand. After sundry "passes" "vanish" to candle. This is worked on same principle as "Card in Candle," or "Card on Ale Bottle," using a half shell (cut lengthwise). When you go to take egg, remove with left hand and place in right, in which is original egg still palmed. The shell fits on this, so only one egg appears. Pick up the candlestick in left hand, and bring it forward to show it quite unprepared, allowing the _fêke_ to fall forward flat on table.

Replace the candle and pick up the handkerchief. This has an oval wire shape in centre covered by a piece of the same material as the handkerchief--this fits over egg, which presses out handkerchief into proper shape. When you pretend to take hold of the egg through handkerchief, you really seize this--allowing egg to drop into right palm out of sight. Gather up the four ends of the handkerchief with this hand, which adds cover for egg. Let go top (egg?) with left hand and ask assistant to hold handkerchief for you. In handing it to him first take it in your left hand and let your right fall naturally to side, and either "vest" or "_profonde_" egg. Now take up pistol and fire at egg (?) in handkerchief, and picking up the plate or tray, lay down pistol and ask assistant to lay handkerchief with the egg gently on it. With your other hand open out handkerchief--when he sees roll of paper on same. (This is original piece, palmed in when pretending to place egg in. The wire frame holds it in position.) Let your assistant open out the paper and verify mark (if one was made). Meanwhile, lay down the plate and handkerchief on the table, at the same time palming small _fêke_ containing white silk handkerchief in left hand. Now take back piece of paper from assistant and thank him; then make left hand into a fist and push the paper in at top till all is in. This pushes out handkerchief from the _fêke_ into the palm; then secretly remove _fêke_ on finger, continuing the pushing with another finger (old idea). Now draw out silk handkerchief from bottom of left hand--show it by holding it at the top corners, in front of you--gradually raise right hand and lower left; as you do so, seize the corner of the yellow handkerchief which protrudes through one of waistcoat buttonholes. (I have a small black bead sewn to the corner to make this easy.) As soon as yellow handkerchief is clear, the left hand should have reached buttonhole and now seizes last corner; then a quick turn (ropewise) rolls up the yellow in the white. Pull hands apart gently, retaining end of yellow handkerchief in one hand and the end of white in the other, and let the audience see both, one in each hand. Now roll these up in the hands, "balling" them well, and hold over candle (or a Stodare egg can be used, making all safe). After a minute, show egg, saying, "It's getting hot!"--change from hand to hand, thus changing for real original egg, which you had just before palmed from vest or pocket, and hand for examination. The final vanish is, of course, into the _profonde_ and needs no explanation.

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Transcriber's Notes

Italicized text is shown within _underscores_.

Bold text is shown within =equal signs=.

End of Project Gutenberg's Peerless Prestidigitation, by Herbert De Caston