{"collection":"philosophy-ethics","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_61871/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_61871","id":"gutenberg_61871","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61871","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Philosophy & Ethics","Category: Psychiatry/Psychology","Magic tricks","Spiritualism"],"text":"TRANSCRIBER\u2019S NOTE\n\n  Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.\n\n  The right-pointing finger symbol is denoted by ==>.\n\n  Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.\n\n\n\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cThe Spiritualistic S\u00e9ance.\u201d]\n\n\n\n\n  SPIRIT SLATE WRITING\n\n  AND\n\n  KINDRED PHENOMENA\n\n\n  BY\n\n  WILLIAM E. ROBINSON\n\n  Assistant to the late Herrmann\n\n\n  _SIXTY-SIX ILLUSTRATIONS_\n\n\n  MUNN & COMPANY\n  SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN OFFICE\n  NEW YORK CITY\n\n  1898\n\n\n\n\n  COPYRIGHTED, 1898, BY MUNN & COMPANY.\n\n  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\nThe author of the present volume is not an opponent of\nspiritualism--on the contrary, he was brought up from childhood\nin this belief; and though, at the present writing, he does not\nacknowledge the truth of its teachings, nevertheless he respects\nthe feelings of those who are honest in their convictions. At\nthe same time he confidently believes that all rational persons,\nspiritualists as well as others, will heartily indorse this\nendeavor to explain the methods of those who, under the mask of\nmediumship, and possessing all the artifices of the charlatan,\nvictimize those seeking knowledge of their loved ones who have\npassed away. As a great New York lawyer once said, it was not\nspiritualism he was fighting, but fraud under the guise of\nspiritualism.\n\nOwing to the fact that the author has for many years been\nengaged in the practice of the profession of magic, both as a\nprestidigitateur and designer of stage illusions for the late\nAlexander Herrmann, and has also been associated with Prof. Kellar,\nhe feels that he is fitted to treat of clever tricks used by\nmediums. He has attended hundreds of s\u00e9ances both at home and\nabroad, and the present volume is the fruit of his studies.\n\nSome of the means of working these slate tests may appear simple\nand impossible of deceiving, but in the hands of the medium\nthey are entirely successful. It should be remembered it is not\nso much the apparatus employed as it is the shrewd, cunning,\never-observing sharper using it. The devices and methods employed\nby slate writing frauds seem innumerable. No sooner are they caught\nand exposed while employing one system than they immediately set\ntheir wits to work and evolve an entirely different idea. It is\nalmost impossible at the first sitting with a slate writing medium\nto know what method he will employ, and should you, after the\nsitting, go away with the idea that you have discovered his method\nof operation and come a second time ready to expose him, you may\nbe sadly disappointed, for the medium will undoubtedly lead you to\nbelieve he is going to use his former method, and so mislead you.\nHe accomplishes his test by another method, while you are on the\nlookout for something entirely different. The great success of the\nmedium is in disarming the suspicions of the skeptic, and at that\nvery moment the trick is done. Slate writing is of course the great\nstandby of mediums, but there are many other tricks which they\nemploy which are described in the present volume.\n\nThe publishers have added a chapter on \u201cMiscellaneous Tricks\u201d\nwhich may serve as a supplement to their \u201cMagic: Stage Illusions\nand Scientific Diversions, Including Trick Photography,\u201d which has\nalready obtained an enviable position in the literature of magic,\nand has been even translated into Swedish. These tricks are by Mr.\nW. B. Caulk and the author.\n\n  NEW YORK, November, 1898.\n\n\n\n\nTABLE OF CONTENTS.\n\n\n  CHAPTER I.\n                                                   PAGE\n  The Single Slate                                    3\n\n\n  CHAPTER II.\n\n  The Double Slate                                   32\n\n\n  CHAPTER III.\n\n  Miscellaneous Slate Tests                          41\n\n\n  CHAPTER IV.\n\n  Mind Reading and Kindred Phenomena                 51\n\n\n  CHAPTER V.\n\n  Table Lifting and Spirit Rapping                   71\n\n\n  CHAPTER VI.\n\n  Spiritualistic Ties                                82\n\n\n  CHAPTER VII.\n\n  Post Tests, Handcuffs, Spirit Collars, etc.        93\n\n\n  CHAPTER VIII.\n\n  S\u00e9ances and Miscellaneous Spirit Tricks           101\n\n\n  CHAPTER IX.\n\n  Miscellaneous Tricks                              115\n\n\n\n\nSPIRIT SLATE WRITING\n\nAND\n\nKINDRED PHENOMENA.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nTHE SINGLE SLATE.\n\n\nThere has probably been nothing that has made more converts to\nspiritualism than the much talked of \u201cSlate Writing Test,\u201d and\nif we are to believe some of the stories told of the writings\nmysteriously obtained on slates, under what is known as \u201csevere\ntest conditions,\u201d that preclude, beyond any possible doubt, any\nform of deception or trickery, one would think that the day of\nmiracles had certainly returned; but we must not believe half we\nhear nor all that we see, for the chances are that just as you are\nabout to attribute some unaccountable spirit phenomena to an unseen\npower, something turns up to show that you have been tricked by a\nclever device which is absurd in its simplicity.\n\nThere are a large number of methods of producing slate writing,\nbut the writer will describe a few which will be sufficient to\ngive an idea of the working of slate tests in general. First we\nhave the ordinary one in which the writing is placed on the slate\nbeforehand, and then hidden from view by a flap or loose piece of\nslate. (Fig. 1.) After both sides of the slate have been cleaned,\nthe false flap is dropped on the table, the side which is then\nuppermost being covered with cloth similar to the table top, where\nit will remain unnoticed, or the flap is allowed to fall into a\nsecond slate with which the first is covered. In the latter case\nno cloth is pasted on the flap. Sometimes the flap is covered with\na piece of newspaper and is allowed to drop into a newspaper lying\non the table, then the newspaper containing the flap is carelessly\nremoved, thus doing away with any trace of trickery.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 1.--Ordinary Slate with Flap.]\n\nAnother way of utilizing the false flap is as follows: The writing\nis not placed beforehand on the slate, but on the flap, which,\nas before, is covered with the same material as the table top.\nThis is lying on the table writing downward. The slate is handed\naround for inspection, and, on being returned to the performer, he\nstands at the table and cleans the slate on one side, then turns\nit over and cleans the other. As he does so he lifts the flap\ninto the slate. The flap is held in firmly by an edging of thin\npure sheet rubber cemented on the flap between the slate and the\ncloth covering of the slate. This grips the wooden sides of the\nframe hard enough to prevent the false piece from tumbling out\naccidentally.\n\nWe now come to another style, wherein a slate is cleaned on both\nsides, and, while held in the hand facing the audience, becomes\nsuddenly covered with writing, and the slate is immediately given\nfor inspection. The writing is on the slate previous to the\ncleaning, and is hidden from view by a flap of slate colored silk,\nheld firmly in place by a pellet of wax in each of the corners of\nthe silk. Attached to this silk flap or covering (at the end that\nis nearest to the performer\u2019s sleeve) is a stout cord or string,\nwhich is also made fast to a strap around the wrist of the hand\nopposite to that holding the slate. If the arms are now extended\ntheir full length, the piece of silk covering will leave the slate\nand pass rapidly up the sleeve out of the way, and thus leave the\nwriting exposed to view. (Fig. 2.) The slate is found to be still a\nlittle damp from the cleaning with the sponge and water it had been\ngiven previously. This is easily accounted for. The water from the\nsponge penetrates just enough through the cloth to dampen the slate.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 2.--Removing the Silk from the Face of the\nSlate.]\n\nThere is still another slate on which we can make the writing\nappear suddenly. It is composed of a wooden frame, such as all\nwooden-edged slates have, but the slate itself is a sham. It is a\npiece of cloth painted with a kind of paint known as liquid, or\nsilicate slating, which, when dry and hard, is similar to the\nreal article. This cloth is twice the length of the slate and just\nthe exact width. The two ends of the cloth are united with cement,\nso as to make an endless piece or loop. There is a small rod or\nroller in both the top and bottom pieces of the frame, the ends\nbeing made hollow to receive them. Over these rollers runs the\ncloth, stretched firmly and tightly. Just where the cloth is joined\nor cemented is a little black button, or stud of hard rubber or\nleather. This allows the cloth to be pushed up and down, bringing\nthe back to the front; and by doing so quickly, the writing which\nis written on the cloth at the rear of the frame is made to come to\nthe front in plain view. (Fig. 3.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 3.--The Endless Band Silicate Trick Slate.]\n\nStill another idea in a single slate is as follows: An ordinary\nlooking slate is given out for examination, and, on its being\nreturned to the medium, he takes his handkerchief and cleans or\nbrushes both sides of the slate with it; and, upon again showing\nthat side of the slate first cleaned, it is found covered with\nwriting apparently done with chalk. The following is the simple\nexplanation of it: Take a small camel\u2019s hair brush and dip it in\nurine or onion juice, and with it write or trace on the slate\nwhatever you desire, and when it becomes dry, or nearly so, the\nslate can be given for examination without fear of detection. The\nhandkerchief the performer uses to clean the slate with is lightly\nsprinkled with powdered chalk. He makes believe to clean the one\nside devoid of preparation, but the side containing the invisible\nwriting is gently rubbed with the handkerchief, not too hard just\nenough to let the powdered chalk fall on the urine or onion juice,\nwhere it leaves a mark not unlike a chalk mark.\n\nIt will not be out of place to describe a trick by which writing is\nproduced upon an ordinary china plate by a somewhat similar means.\nThe plate is examined and cleaned with a borrowed handkerchief,\nand then the performer requests the loan of a pinch of snuff, or\nuses a little sand or dust, which he places on the plate. He now\ncommences to move the plate around in circles, and while doing so\nthe snuff or sand is seen to gradually form itself into writing.\nThe explanation is simple--whatever writing you desire to appear\non the plate is placed beforehand on it. It is done with a camel\u2019s\nhair brush dipped in the white of an egg and allowed to become\ndry before being handed around for inspection. As the performer\ncleans the plate he breathes on both sides of it, as if to give it\nmoisture enough to help take off any dirt that might be thereon\nwhen rubbed with the handkerchief. In breathing on the front of\nthe plate containing the writing done with the white of the egg,\nhe moistens the writing enough to make the snuff or sand, as the\ncase may be, adhere to it. Of course, in cleaning the front of the\nplate, care must be taken not to brush or disturb the invisible\nwriting.\n\nIt may not be amiss to also mention another method of producing\nwriting, employed by mediums to obtain a message on a blank piece\nof paper which has been placed between two slates, which are held\nby the medium in his hand, high above his head, and, on afterwards\ntaking the slate apart, the paper is covered with writing. This\nagain calls into use the extra or false flap. (Fig. 1.) A piece\nof paper with writing on it is placed face downward on one of the\nslates and covered with the false flap. It then looks like an\nordinary slate. On this is placed the plain piece of paper, and\nover this is laid the second slate. The slates are now held up\nin plain view of the audience, and on being lowered to the table\nthey are turned over, thus bringing the blank piece of paper under\nthe false flap and the one with the writing on it on the top of\nthe flap, which has fallen from the slate, which is now the top,\nbut originally the bottom one, on or into the under one, and, of\ncourse, on the removal of the present top slate, the writing is\nfound on what is supposed to be the original blank paper.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 4.--False Table for Developing Communications\nWritten with Sympathetic Ink.]\n\nIf the paper is to have a private mark put on it by an observer, so\nas to prove the writing really does appear on that identical piece\nof paper, the operation is varied as follows: The false flap is\ndone away with, and the paper, which is furnished by the medium,\nhas written on it the desired communication with ink, which is made\nvisible and brought out black by means of heat. For the invisible\nink you can use sulphuric acid, very much diluted, so as not to\ndestroy the paper. The necessary heat is obtained in the following\nmanner: The table (Fig. 4) on which the slates are resting is\nhollow, and has concealed in it a spirit lamp filled with alcohol.\nThis lamp sits directly under a trap in the table top, which is\ncovered underneath for safety with sheet iron, so it will not\ncatch fire. When the slates are placed on the table they are laid\nover the little trap door, which, in conjuring parlance, is known\nas a \u201ctrap.\u201d This is now opened, and the slates allowed to become\nwell heated and the trap then closed, and the prepared paper, upon\ncoming in contact with the hot slate, is thus covered with writing.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 5.--The Development of Spirit Writing.]\n\nAnother medium employed a somewhat similar method, only the paper\nin this case was placed in a glass vial (Fig. 5) which had been\nlying on the iron trap door. The medium\u2019s hand covered the vial,\nwhich was corked and sealed, while the writing was making its\nappearance. You can also produce writing on the paper in the vial\nwithout resorting to the use of heat by using a vial that has been\nwashed out with ammonia and kept well corked, and writing on the\npaper with a weak solution of copper sulphate, which is invisible\nuntil the paper is placed in the vial, when the two chemicals\nproduce writing in blue. Still another message is produced as\nfollows: The writing is done with iron sulphate on blank cards. Of\ncourse this is invisible. These cards are placed in envelopes and\nsealed up. Upon opening the envelopes shortly afterward the cards\nare covered with the writing which was before invisible, but is\nbrought out by a solution of nut galls with which the inside of the\nenvelopes had been slightly moistened.\n\nThe subject of sympathetic inks is such an interesting one that\nwe give thirty-seven formulas, which include all those which are\nliable to be used by the medium.\n\nThe solutions used should be so nearly colorless that the writing\ncannot be seen till the agent is applied to render it visible.\nSympathetic inks are of three general classes.\n\n\n_Inks that Appear through Heat._\n\n1. Write with a concentrated solution of caustic potash. The\nwriting will appear when the paper is submitted to strong heat.\n\n2. Write with a solution of ammonium hydrochlorate, in the\nproportion of 15 parts to 100. The writing will appear when the\npaper is heated by holding it over a stove or by passing a hot\nsmoothing iron over it.\n\n3. A weak solution of copper nitrate gives an invisible writing,\nwhich becomes red through heat.\n\n4. A very dilute solution of copper perchloride gives invisible\ncharacters that become yellow through heat.\n\n5. A slightly alcoholic solution of copper bromide gives perfectly\ninvisible characters which are made apparent by a gentle heat, and\nwhich disappear again through cold.\n\n6. Write upon rose colored paper with a solution of cobalt\nchloride. The invisible writing will become blue through heat, and\nwill disappear on cooling.\n\n7. Write with a solution of sulphuric acid. The characters will\nappear in black through heat. This ink has the disadvantage of\ndestroying the paper. (See the caution given on page 9.)\n\n8. Write with lemon, onion, leek, cabbage or artichoke juice.\nCharacters written with these juices become very visible when the\npaper is heated.\n\n9. Digest 1 oz. of zaffre, or cobalt oxide, at a gentle heat, with\n4 oz. of nitro-muriatic acid till no more is dissolved, then add 1\noz. common salt and 16 oz. of water. If this be written with and\nthe paper held to the fire, the writing becomes green, unless the\ncobalt should be quite pure, in which case it will be blue. The\naddition of a little iron nitrate will then impart the property of\nbecoming green. It is used in chemical landscapes for the foliage.\n\n10. Put in a vial \u00bd oz. of distilled water, 1 drm. of potassium\nbromide and 1 drm. of pure copper sulphate. The solution is nearly\ncolorless, but becomes brown when heated.\n\n11. Nickel nitrate and nickel chloride in weak solution form\nan invisible ink, which becomes green by heating when the salt\ncontains traces of cobalt, which usually is the case; when pure, it\nbecomes yellow.\n\n12. When the solution of acetate of protoxide of cobalt contains\nnickel or iron, the writing made by it will become green when\nheated; when it is pure and free from these metals, it becomes blue.\n\n13. Milk makes a good invisible ink, and buttermilk answers the\npurpose better. It will not show if written with a clean new pen,\nand ironing with a hot flat iron is the best way of showing it up.\nAll invisible inks will show on glazed paper; therefore unglazed\npaper should be used.\n\n14. Burn flax so that it may be rather smoldered than burned to\nashes, then grind it with a muller on a stone, putting a little\nalcohol to it, then mix it with a little gum water, and what you\nwrite, though it seem clear, may be rubbed or washed out.\n\n15. Boil cobalt oxide in acetic acid. If a little common salt be\nadded, the writing becomes green when heated, but with potassium\nnitrate it becomes a pale rose color.\n\n16. A weak solution of mercury nitrate becomes black by heat.\n\n\n_Inks that Appear under the Influence of Light._\n\n17. Gold chloride serves for forming characters that appear only as\nlong as the paper is exposed to daylight, say for an hour at least.\n\n18. Write with a solution made by dissolving one part of silver\nnitrate in 1,000 parts of distilled water. When submitted to\ndaylight, the writing appears of a slate color or tawny brown.\n\n\n_Inks Appearing through Reagents._\n\n19. If writing be done with a solution of lead acetate in distilled\nwater, the characters will appear in black upon passing a solution\nof an alkaline sulphide over the paper.\n\n20. Characters written with a very weak solution of gold chloride\nwill become dark brown upon passing a solution of tin perchloride\nover them.\n\n21. Characters written with a solution of gallic acid in water will\nbecome black through a solution of iron sulphate and brown through\nthe alkalies.\n\n22. Upon writing on paper that contains but little sizing with a\nvery clear solution of starch, and submitting the dry characters\nto the vapor of iodine, or passing over them a weak solution of\npotassium iodide, the writing becomes blue, and disappears under\nthe action of a solution of sodium hyposulphite in the proportions\nof 1 to 1,000.\n\n23. Characters written with a 10 per cent. solution of nitrate of\nprotoxide of mercury become black when the paper is moistened with\nliquid ammonia, and gray through heat.\n\n24. Characters written with a weak solution of the soluble platinum\nor iridium chloride become black when the paper is submitted to\nmercurial vapor. This ink may be used for marking linen. It is\nindelible.\n\n25. C. Widemann communicates a new method of making an invisible\nink to _Die Natur_. To make the writing or the drawing appear which\nhas been made upon paper with the ink, it is sufficient to dip it\ninto water. On drying, the traces disappear again, and reappear by\neach succeeding immersion. The ink is made by intimately mixing\nlinseed oil, 1 part; water of ammonia, 20 parts; water, 100 parts.\nThe mixture must be agitated each time before the pen is dipped\ninto it, as a little of the oil may separate and float on top,\nwhich would, of course, leave an oily stain upon the paper.\n\n26. Write with a solution of potassium ferro-cyanide, develop by\npressing over the dry, invisible characters a piece of blotting\npaper moistened with a solution of copper sulphate or of iron\nsulphate.\n\n27. Write with pure dilute tincture of iron; develop with a blotter\nmoistened with strong tea.\n\n28. Writing with potassium iodide and starch becomes blue by the\nleast trace of acid vapors in the atmosphere or by the presence\nof ozone. To make it, boil starch, and add a small quantity of\npotassium iodide in solution.\n\n29. Copper sulphate in very dilute solution will produce an\ninvisible writing, which will turn light blue by vapors of ammonia.\n\n30. Soluble compounds of antimony will become red by hydrogen\nsulphide vapor.\n\n31. Soluble compounds of arsenic and of tin peroxide will become\nyellow by the same vapor.\n\n32. An acid solution of iron chloride is diluted till the writing\nis invisible when dry. This writing has the remarkable property of\nbecoming red by sulphocyanide vapors (arising from the action of\nsulphuric acid on potassium sulphocyanide in a long necked flask),\nand it disappears by ammonia, and may alternately be made to appear\nand disappear by these two vapors.\n\n33. Writing executed with rice water is visible when dry, but the\ncharacters become blue by the application of iodine. This ink was\nmuch employed during the Indian mutiny.\n\n34. Write with a solution of paraffin in benzol. When the solvent\nhas evaporated, the paraffin is invisible, but becomes visible on\nbeing dusted with lampblack or powdered graphite, or smoking over\na candle flame.\n\n35. To Write Black Characters with Water.--Mix 10 parts nutgalls,\n2\u00bd parts calcined iron sulphate. Dry thoroughly, and reduce to fine\npowder. Rub this powder over the surface of the paper, and force\ninto the pores by powerful pressure, brush off the loose powder. A\npen dipped in water will write black on paper thus treated.\n\n36. To Write Blue Characters with Water.--Mix iron sesquisulphate\nand potassium ferrocyanide. Prepare the paper in the same manner\nas for writing black characters with water. Write with water, and\nthe characters will appear blue.\n\n37. To Produce Brown Writing with Water.--Mix copper sulphate and\npotassium ferrocyanide. Prepare the paper in the same manner as\nbefore. The characters written with water will be reddish brown.\n\nHere is another trick calling for the use of sympathetic ink. A\nmedium suggests a number of questions to write on a paper, one of\nwhich you select and write on a slip of paper furnished by the\nmedium. Writing is done with pen and ink. You are requested to dry\nit with a blotter, and not to remove the blotter for a time, the\nmedium says, so as to keep the paper in the dark, thus giving the\n\u201cspirits\u201d better conditions under which to work. After a while the\nblotter is removed, and an answer to the question is found on the\nsame paper. The questions suggested were all of such a character\nthat one answer would nearly do for any one. The paper the question\nwas written on had this answer written with invisible ink brought\nout by a reagent on the blotter, with which it was saturated, and\nthus another mystery is easily dispelled.\n\nWe will now take up a few slate tests, in which the slates are\nbrought or furnished by the spectator or investigator. The tests\nin which the slates are brought by skeptics and tied and sealed by\nthem, and still writing is obtained upon them, are the ones that\nare the most convincing and most talked about, and they are offered\nto the unbeliever as proof absolute of spirit power.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 6.--Writing on the Slate with the Pencil\nThimble.]\n\nFirst we will begin with the single slate which has just been\nhanded to the medium, after being thoroughly cleaned by the person\nbringing it. The skeptic holds one end of the slate in one hand and\nthe medium the opposite end in one of his hands, and both persons\nclasp their disengaged hands. In a short time the slate is turned\nover and a few words written in a scrawling style are found. I\nmust acknowledge that when I first witnessed this test it somewhat\nstaggered me, but afterward, on seeing it the second time, I was\nenabled to fathom its mystery. It is patterned somewhat after the\nstyle claimed to have been used by Slade, wherein he used a piece\nof slate pencil fastened to a thimble, and with apparatus attached\nto his forefinger of the same hand holding the slate he did the\nwriting. The thimble (Fig. 6) was fastened to an elastic which\npulled the thimble out of sight up the sleeve or under the coat\nwhen it was done with. But it always required a little scheming\nand maneuvering both to use and conceal the device and get rid of\nit, and there was always the fear of being detected with this bit\nof machinery about the person; so someone of an ingenious turn of\nmind hit upon another method. There are some slate pencils made the\nsame as lead pencils, that is, a very small piece of slate pencil,\nabout the size of a match, is enclosed in the wood after the manner\nof lead pencils. A tiny piece of this pencil is placed at the tip\nof the forefinger and over it is placed a piece of flesh-colored\ncourt plaster well fastened to the finger (Fig. 7) and well blended\nin with aniline dye with the finger, so both are exactly the same\ncolor. After everything becomes dry and hard a little hole is\nmade in the court plaster, so as to allow the point of the piece\nof pencil to come through enough to mark on the slate. The finger\nthus prepared is what does the writing. The message or name must\nbe written backward, so that when the slate is reversed it will\nappear in its correct position. To learn to do this quickly, stand\nin front of a looking-glass with the slate in your hand and watch\nyour writing in the glass as you go along. You do not need to hold\nthe slate underneath the table in this test; hold it in the air\nwith a handkerchief over it, so as to disguise the movement of the\nfinger. The message must necessarily be short, on account of the\nradius through which the medium\u2019s finger can travel.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 7.--The Prepared Finger.]\n\nWe now come to another method of using the single slate. The\nmedium takes the slate and places it on the table and requests the\nspectator to write a question on a piece of paper. He, the medium,\ngains knowledge of the contents of the paper in various ways; one\nis by using a pad of paper which contains underneath the second\nor third layer of paper a carbon sheet made of wax and lampblack.\nWhatever is written on the first sheet of paper will be transferred\nor copied by means of the carbon paper to the sheet underneath it.\nAnother way is by requesting a person to fold the paper and hold\nit against his head, and, under the pretense of showing the person\nhow to hold it, exchange it for a paper of his own folded in like\nmanner. This exchanged paper is then opened and read by the medium\nwhile his hand is below the level of the table top, and while he\nis holding a conversation with the auditor. After it is read, the\npaper is again folded and kept in the performer\u2019s lap until needed.\nAs he now knows the contents of the paper, he can frame in his\nmind a suitable answer. He remarks: \u201cI will ask the spirits first\nto give you a decided answer, through me as an independent trance\nslate writing medium, whether they will answer your question during\nthis sitting.\u201d So the medium takes a pencil in hand and writes on\none side of the slate, apparently under spirit control, and then on\nthe other side. The message is read, and it says the conditions are\nvery favorable, and no doubt, if the skeptic will place the utmost\nconfidence in the medium, there will be satisfactory results. After\nthe slate has been shown with both sides covered with writing, it\nis thoroughly cleaned and placed on the table. The medium now picks\nup the original paper from his lap and asks the person to give him\nthe paper he is holding. This the medium apparently places under\nthe slate; however, he really holds this one back and introduces\nthe one he has had in his hand, which is the one originally written\nupon. He has now his own paper in his hand, and the one with the\nquestion is under the slate. On the slate being turned over in a\nshort time, it is covered with writing, forming a sensible reply to\nthe question on the paper, which is now opened and read to compare\nit with the answer. All that remains to be explained is how the\nwriting on the slate appeared there. The false flap is again used,\nbut in a directly opposite manner to which it has been employed\nheretofore. One side of this flap is covered with a portion of the\nwriting that the medium first wrote under spirit control. Let us\nsay the first half supposed to have been written on the one side\nof the slate, and which he afterward reads off in connection with\nthat written on the last or second side of the slate. What he\nreally wrote on the first half of the slate was a correct answer\nto the question, and after he turns the slate over to write on\nthe opposite side he slips the false flap over the answer on the\nslate. Of course it is what is on this false flap and on the other\nside of the slate that the spectator really reads, and when the\nslate is cleaned it is this flap and the opposite side of the\nslate. The writing, covered by the flap, which is the answer to\nthe question, is never seen or touched until after the flap is\nallowed to drop into the medium\u2019s lap. The slate can be examined;\nand, of course, no trickery can be found in connection with it. The\nmethod described above, in the hands of a calm and cool person, is\na convincing one, and never fails to satisfy the most exacting of\nskeptics.\n\nI wish to remark that, if any person tells you he took two slates\nof his own to a medium, thoroughly well tied or sealed, and that\nthe slates never left his (the skeptic\u2019s) hands, and that there\nwas writing obtained upon the interior surface of the slates\nunder those conditions, he was sadly mistaken, and has failed to\nkeep track of everything that actually took place at the time\nof the sitting. Suppose two slates tied together are brought to\nthe medium. Both he and the stranger sit at a table. The slates\nare held under the table, the medium grasping one corner and the\nskeptic the opposite corner, each with one hand, and the disengaged\nhands clasped together above the table. After a while the slates\nare laid upon the table, the string untied, the slates taken\napart, but no writing is found. The medium states it must have\nbeen because there was no slate pencil between them. So a small\npiece of pencil is placed between the slates, and again they are\ntied with the cord by the medium, and he again passes them under\nthe table, both persons holding the slates as before. Presently\nwriting is heard, and, upon the skeptic bringing the slates from\nunder the table and untying the cord himself, he finds one of the\nslates covered with writing, although but shortly before they were\ndevoid of even a scratch. Here is the explanation: The medium does\nnot pass the slates under the table the first time, but drops them\nin his lap, with the side on which the string is tied or knotted\ndownward, and really passes a set of his own for the skeptic to\nhold; he (the medium) supporting his end by pressing against the\ntable with his knee, which leaves his hand disengaged. There is a\nslate pencil, called the soapstone pencil, which is softer than\nthe ordinary. This is the one used by the medium. He now covers\nthe face of the slate which is uppermost in his lap with writing,\ndoing so very quietly and without any noise. Now, as he brings the\nslates above the table, he leaves his own in his lap and brings up\nthe skeptic\u2019s with the writing side down. The slates are untied and\ntaken apart and shown, devoid of writing upon the inside, which\nhe claims was caused by not having any slate pencil inside. The\nmedium now places the pencil upon the slate which was originally\nthe upper one, and covers this with what was the bottom slate,\nwhich is covered with the writing inside on the back or bottom of\nslate. This maneuver or action brings the slate on top with the\nwriting upon its inside. Nothing could be more simple and natural.\nThe slates are again tied together, and in doing so the slates are\nturned over, bringing the slate containing the writing, still upon\nthe inside, at the bottom instead of the top, and the string tied\nor knotted above the top slate. Of course, when again separated,\nthe writing is found upon the inside of the lower slate. When the\nslates are passed under the table the second time, the spectator\nhimself is allowed to do this, and the medium, with one of his\nfinger nails, while holding his end of the slate, produces a\nscratching noise on the slate closely resembling the tracing of a\npencil. It is not really necessary to pass the slates under the\ntable the second time, but they can be held above it if preferred.\n\nNow, suppose two slates are brought that are riveted or screwed or\nsealed at the four corners. How can writing be obtained upon them\nwithout disturbing any of the above arrangements? The slates are\nheld under the table in the same manner as in previous tests. To\nproduce the writing upon the slates the medium is provided with a\nfew simple, though effective devices, one of which is a little hard\nwood tapering wedge, and a piece of thin steel wire, to one end of\nwhich is fastened a tiny piece of slate pencil. An old umbrella rib\nwill be found to work admirably, because there is a small clasp\nat one end and at its other end a small eye. The pencil is made\nto fit into the end with the clasp. Now take the wooden wedge and\npush it between the wooden frames of the slates at the sides. The\nframes and slates will give enough to allow the wire and pencil to\nbe inserted and the writing be accomplished with it, after which\nthe wire is withdrawn, and then also the wooden wedge, and all is\ndone without leaving any trace or mark behind as to how it is all\nperformed. (Fig. 8.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 8.--Wedging Apart the Slates.]\n\nA well known conjuror at one time made a remark that he could\nduplicate any slate writing test he ever witnessed, he having\npublicly declared, time and time again, the slate writing test to\nbe a fraud. He gave a test in private at his own home and hit upon\na rather unique idea. A slate would be cleaned on both sides and\na private mark placed on it, and the slate allowed to lie flat on\nthe table, and the magician and the committee sat around it and\nplaced their hands upon the slate. Presently writing was heard, and\nupon lifting the slate the side underneath was found covered with\nwriting. The table was a kitchen table with the ordinary hanging\ncloth cover, or table cloth. The table had a double top with room\nenough between the two to conceal a small boy. There was a neatly\nmade trap in both the table cloth and the top of the table; the\ncloth being glued around the opening to keep it in place. The trap\ndoor opened downwards. The boy concealed in the table opened the\ntrap door and did the necessary writing on the slate, and closed\nthe opening. The idea of having the committee hold their hands on\nthe slate was to prevent the slate from being accidentally moved\nby the boy when writing. The above idea was improved upon by doing\naway with the use of the boy and the double top of the table. The\ntrap in the cloth and table top was still used. But the test was\ndone with the lights turned out or down low, and the medium had a\nconfederate sitting at his right hand side. This allowed the medium\nto take away his right hand, introduce it under the table, open the\ntrap, do the writing, shut the trap, replace his hand, and on the\nlights being turned up the writing is found. It should be stated\nthat the medium and committee sat around the table with their hands\nresting on the slate, and each person\u2019s hand touching that of his\nneighbor; so neither could move without the other being aware of\nthe fact, but the medium\u2019s right hand neighbor, being one of his\nconfederates, allows him to take his (the medium\u2019s) hand away\nwithout any one being the wiser.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 9.--The Trick Slate.]\n\nI will now describe how the writing is obtained upon the interior\nof two slates sealed together, and all hands placed on them, and\nwithout the assistance of a confederate. The table is the same as\npreviously described, that is, it contains the trap. The slates\nare two single ones hinged together and sealed around the edges in\nany manner the committee may see fit. One of the slates is a trick\nslate made in this fashion: The slate part itself is made to work\non a pivot or hinge along one of its sides. (Fig. 9.) The side\nopposite to where both slates are hinged together, by touching a\nportion of the hinges that hold the two slates together, a catch\nconcealed in the wooden framework is released, which allows the\nslate part itself to drop down on its own hinge or pivot. So when\nthe slates are placed on the table they are put directly over the\ntrap in the table, and with the hinges of the two slates toward\nthe medium. The medium, as he places the slates over the trap in\nthe table, pushes the hinge releasing the catch, which allows the\nunderneath slate to drop as far as the table. Now, when the trap\nin the table is opened, the slate opens or drops far enough for\nthe medium to write on that part, also on the slate above it. He\ncloses both the slate and the table, and the slates, upon being\nunsealed, are found covered with writing. The only thing that\nremains to be explained is how the medium gets his hand free to\ndo the writing without being detected. The lamp or gas jet is\nclose to the medium\u2019s right hand, where he can reach it. Now, all\nthe persons are seated around the table with their hands on the\nslates, and each other\u2019s hands or fingers touching one another.\nThe medium takes his right hand away to turn down the light, and\nhis next door neighbor, as soon as the light goes out, feels his\n(the medium\u2019s) hand or finger replaced. At least, so he thinks.\nWhat really happens is this: The thumb of the medium\u2019s left hand\nis stretched far enough over to touch the hand or finger of the\nperson sitting on the performer\u2019s right hand side. (Fig. 10.) The\nmedium immediately goes to work and produces the writing, and when\nfinished, just as he goes to relight the gas or lamp, he removes\nthe left thumb to create the impression that he has just taken his\nright hand away again for the light.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 10.--The Medium Holding the Two Skeptics\u2019\nHands.]\n\nHere is a trick I once saw a medium do. He had a number of slates\npiled on top of the table; he would clean these, one at a time,\nshowing each, and after they had been thoroughly examined, he\nplaced them on the floor. He would then pick them all up together\nand replace them on the table, and select two of them, put them\ntogether, holding them in his hand above his head, would shortly\nseparate them and show one covered with writing. The slates were\ndevoid of all trickery, as was easily proved in allowing them to be\nthoroughly examined.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 11.--The Slate under the Carpet.]\n\nThe explanation is as follows: The floor was covered with carpet.\nIn this there was a slit or cut just large enough to pass or draw\na slate through. A slate with writing on one side is previously\nplaced under the carpet, with that side down. (Fig. 11.) The\nslates, as they are cleaned, are laid on the carpet immediately\nover or near this concealed one, and, on lifting the slates from\nthe floor, this one is also carried with them, and all placed on\nthe table.\n\nOf course, it is this slate and one of the prepared ones that are\nafterward used. There is little likelihood of any one taking notice\nof there being one more slate in the pile.\n\nSome mediums use two single slates, and, after cleaning them on\nboth sides, hold one in each hand. They sit a little way from the\ntable and place the right hand, with the slate, under the chair, as\nif to draw the chair closer to the table. What the medium really\naccomplishes is an exchange of slates. There is a little shelf, or\ndrawer, under the seat of the chair. On this lies a slate, one side\nof which is prepared with writing. The medium picks up the slate\nand leaves behind in its place the one held in his right hand as he\nmoves the chair. This is a method used to a considerable extent and\nalways successfully.\n\nThe following is a clever ruse, ofttimes used by mediums to destroy\nall traces of the use of the false flap when it is employed. It is\nthe test where the flap is used to cover the writing on one slate,\nand then that slate is covered with another. Now, if the slates\nare turned over or reversed, the writing is uncovered and the flap\nremains in the opposite or underneath slate. Now, to get rid of\nthat flap, the medium deliberately presses his knee against that\nslate, breaking not only the slate, but also the flap contained in\nit. The broken flap mingles in with the broken slate, and nobody is\nany the wiser. Nobody for a moment thinks of picking up the pieces\nto see if there are one or more slates. Of course, when the slates\nare broken, it is done secretly under the table, and the medium\nremarks: \u201cThe spirit force is so strong it has smashed the slate.\u201d\nA test with a single slate that I once saw done was rather neat in\nits way, and I think it worth describing. The slate was examined\nand cleaned on both sides, and placed on a small table covered\nwith a little fancy cloth. On lifting the slate afterward, its\nunderneath side was found with writing on it. The top of the table\nwas no larger than the slate. When the slate was laid on the table,\nthe medium remarked: \u201cTo convince you there is no trickery about\nthe table, I will remove the cloth;\u201d which he did, with the slate\nstill on or in it, and then replaced the slate and cloth. Now, on\nthis table top was resting another slate covered with writing on\none side, and that side upward, and this covered with the table\ncloth. When the medium picked up the cloth and the slate, which had\njust been cleaned, he also carried along the second slate with it,\nwhich was under the cloth, and in replacing the cloth he simply\nreversed the sides, laying the first slate on the table, where it\nwas covered by the cloth, and the second one was thus brought to\nview. It is astonishing how such barefaced and simple devices will\ndeceive the spectator. It is the boldness and air of conviction of\nhis assertions that carry a medium\u2019s test successfully through.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nTHE DOUBLE SLATE.\n\n\nWe now come to a slate called by the mediums \u201cThe double slate.\u201d\nIt is, to all appearances, two ordinary slates hinged together at\none side and locked with a padlock, the shackle of which passes\nthrough a hole in the sides of the frame of each slate. This slate\nalso contains the false flap or slate, but the slate or flap is\nheld firmly in each frame as follows: The inside edges of both\nends of each frame of the slates are beveled inward a trifle. One\nof these ends of each slate frame is also made to slide or pull\nout about one-quarter of an inch. These are prevented from sliding\nuntil wanted by the medium by a catch in the framework, which is\nconnected with a screw in one of the hinges. This screw stands a\nlittle higher than the rest, so as to be easily found. The hinges\nare on the outside of the frame instead of inside. By pressing\nthis screw it undoes the catch, which allows the ends to be moved\na trifle. The false flap is just large enough to fill in the space\nunder the bevels of the frame, and if, in the top frame, the catch\nis released and the end moved, the flap will drop into the bottom\nslate, where it is held tight and firm by releasing the catch in\nthat frame, moving the end until the flap settles into its place\nand then sending the end back into its original place again. The\nwriting is placed beforehand on one side of the flap and on one\nslate, both the written sides face to face, and after the flap has\nchanged slates it presents two slates with written sides.\n\nThere is still another double slate used with hinges and padlock.\n(Fig. 12.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 12.--The Sliding Trick Slates.]\n\nOne of the ends of the wooden frame of one slate is fastened\nsecurely to its slate, which is made to slide out completely from\nthe groove in the frame. This allows the insides of both slates to\nbe written upon. After that is done the slate is slid back into\nits frame. Care should be taken, in sliding the piece back, not to\nreverse it so as to bring the writing side out. The best way is not\nto pull the slate completely out, and write upon the inside of the\nstationary slate, and then reverse the slates, which will bring the\ninside of the movable slate into view. Write on that and then close\nthe slate.\n\nI have seen a medium use the double or folding slate and get rid of\nthe false flap in this way: He used a pair of small slates. These\nhe opened out with the flat side towards the audience, and while\nin his hand, cleaned those two sides away from the table. He now\nshowed the reverse sides and cleaned them likewise. He now closed\nthe slates, but toward him, instead of away from him, holding them\nclose to his body, and as he does so, the false flap, by this\nmovement, slips easily and unperceived beneath his coat or vest.\n\nI once witnessed a test which, for a time, completely nonplussed\nme, but, after considerable study and experimenting, I solved it.\n\nThis is the effect of the test: A person was allowed to bring two\nslates; he was to wash them himself and securely seal them in the\npresence of the medium, the medium placing, before the slates were\nsealed, a piece of chalk between them. The slates were sealed after\nthis fashion: Around the whole length and width of the slates court\nplaster was stuck, and that was also sealed to the slates with\nsealing wax, making it an utter impossibility to insert a piece\nof wire, or like substance, between the slates. Nevertheless, the\nslates were held under the table and presently removed, unsealed,\nand writing in a very poor hand found upon the inner surface of one\nof the slates. It could hardly be called writing, being hardly more\nthan a scrawl.\n\nNow, how can this be accounted for? By one of the simplest\ndevices imaginable. The medium placed the piece of chalk between\nthe slates. This was composed of pulverized chalk, mixed with a\nlittle water, glue and iron filings, and allowed to become hard.\nThe medium, while under cover of the table, traced with a magnet\nbelow the slate the words found upon the inside, but backward, the\nsame as type is set for printing; if not, the writing on the slate\nwill be in reverse. The chalk, on account of the iron filings it\ncontains, follows the direction of the magnet. (Fig. 13.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 13.--Magnetic Writing.]\n\nWe now come to another idea with two slates. Have two slates made\nwith fairly deep wooden frames, deep enough to hold the slate\nproper and a false flap of slate. One made of silicate book-slate\nstuff is preferable. Your apparatus consists now of two slates and\none false flap. The false flap is made to fit very tightly, so it\nwill not fall out of its own weight. The slates in the frame also\nfit snugly. The frames are mortised out a little thicker than the\nslate, say twice as thick. This allows the slate to work backward\nand forward, from front to back, and _vice versa_. If the slate\nis well pushed down and the flap placed on it, the flap will not\nfall out, but if you press the slate on the back forward, it shoves\nout the flap, and if it is covered with the other or second slate\nduring this operation, it is forced into the second slate, which\nholds it firm and secure.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 14.--The Thimble Carrying False Key and Chalks.]\n\nAnother test, which was supposed to be convincing to skeptics, was\none in which a double slate was used; it was hinged and provided\nwith a lock in the wooden frame. The slates were examined, locked,\nand the key given to the skeptic. The skeptic was allowed to select\nfrom a number of pieces of colored chalk the color that he desired\nthe message to be written in. Upon the slates being unlocked and\nopened, the writing is found in the color selected. While the\nslates are being examined, the medium seizes a duplicate key which\nfits the lock. (Fig. 14.) This key has a thimble attached to it\nwhich fits the performer\u2019s right thumb; also attached lengthwise to\nthe key are several small colored pencils or crayons of different\nlengths. When the slate has been examined, it is placed under the\ntop of the table and held in position by the thumb of the right\nhand, which is underneath, and the fingers above the table. During\nthis manipulation the thimble is placed on the thumb, and the\nperformer, with the key attached to it, opens the slate, using his\nknee to assist or support the slate. One part of the slate opens\ndownward and rests on the knee, which holds it in position, i. e.,\nat an incline, pressing it against the table top. On this part of\nthe slate the writing is now done with the colored crayon selected,\nwhich are usually red, blue, green and white. When the color of\nthe crayon is selected the performer turns the thimble around,\nbringing that color upward. Although not easy to execute, it is,\nnevertheless, a most surprising and effective test.\n\nThe above test was used by a medium very successfully for years in\nEngland and France, and was found out recently.\n\nA test I once received was, I thought, quite clever. I was asked to\nwrite a question on a piece of paper furnished by myself and place\nit between two slates without the wooden frames. The medium said I\nwould in a short time receive an answer. He then opened the slates,\nstating the answer must be there, but none was found. He remarked\nthat perhaps we did not give the spirits time enough. So he\nreplaced the slates together with the paper containing the question\nbetween. Again, on taking the slates apart, they were devoid of\nwriting, but, strange to say, the answer in what looked like lead\npencil was found on the paper containing the question. When the\nslates were removed the first time, the medium got a glimpse of\nthe question on the piece of paper and then gave me one slate to\nexamine, and apparently was looking at the other one himself. What\nhe really was doing was this: On the side of the slate toward him\nhe was writing a brief answer to my question with a pencil composed\nof mutton tallow and lampblack pressed very hard. This pencil was\nattached to his thumb. He held the slate at the ends with both\nhands, thumbs behind and fingers in front, the writing being done\nbackward. When the slates were replaced the writing, being black,\nwas not seen against the black slate, and was placed immediately\nover the paper and the writing transferred to it. This is the\nreason the slates were used without the wooden frame, because with\nthe frame the two slates would not come close together to press\nhard enough to transfer the answer.\n\nA test, using a half dozen or so of slates, is as follows: Two\nslates are cleaned and examined and given to be held together by\na skeptic, and the other slates cleaned on both sides and placed\non the table. The medium now takes the two slates apart, but no\nwriting is found; one slate is given to the skeptic and the other\nis placed on the table by the medium, who picks up another slate\nand places that with the one held by the unbeliever. After a short\ntime the slates are again removed by the medium and no writing is\nfound. As if in despair, the medium takes one slate away, placing\nit on the table, picks up another, showing both sides, places it\nwith the one in the spectator\u2019s hand, and in a little while the\nskeptic himself separates the slates and writing is found on one of\nthem.\n\nThis method brings in use again the slate with a false flap. This\nslate is among the others on the table. The two slates first given\nto the individual to hold are all right when the medium takes one\nslate away and places it on the table the first time and picks\nup another slate to place it with the one held by the skeptic. It\nis the flap slate, and this he places underneath the other slate\nand asks the skeptic to hold them. When the medium again separates\nthe slates he turns them over, bringing the slate with the writing\nuppermost and also allowing the flap to fall into the lower slate,\nwhich is now taken away to be replaced by another taken from the\ntable. Care is taken not to show the underneath side of the upper\nslate during this transaction. The slates the skeptic now holds are\ndevoid of trickery, and when exposed with the writing on will cause\nwonderment.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 15.--Slate with False Hinges.]\n\nThere is still another style of slate made, and used to good\nadvantage. It is two slates hinged together, making a double slate.\nIt has also two holes in the frame opposite to the hinges, through\nwhich tape or cord can be run and tied and sealed to the slates.\n(Fig. 15.) The secret of getting the writing upon the inside lies\nin the fact that at least one-half of each hinge is screwed to\nthe slate; the other half is made fast to a little projecting\npiece in which there is a slight notch. These projections enter\ncorresponding holes in the other slate, in which is concealed a\nspring bolt which engages these catches of the hinge. This bolt is\nshoved back to release the catches by means of a pin pushed through\na hole in the end of the frame.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nMISCELLANEOUS SLATE TESTS.\n\n\nAt a public test or s\u00e9ance given by a medium I saw the following\nclever trick performed: A slate, clean on both sides, to all\nappearances, and, of course, devoid of writing, was given to a\nspectator to hold above his head. The medium then loaded a pistol,\nputting in, instead of a bullet, a piece of chalk, which he rammed\nwell in. He then took careful aim at the slate, fired away, and the\nslate was covered with writing from the chalk that was placed in\nthe pistol. The medium, beforehand, allows any one in the audience\nto choose from a plate containing different colored chalks the\ncolors they desire. The chalk is all right, and is actually placed\nin the pistol and crushed to a powder by the ramrod. The slate has\nbeen written on one side with glycerine. This side of the slate is\nsupposed to be cleaned, so as to keep clear of the glycerine, in\norder that the invisible writing may not be disturbed. It is this\nprepared side that faces the medium when he fires the pistol. The\npowdered chalk adheres to the glycerine, and thus we make clear\nanother slate miracle.\n\nA clever trick employed to deceive me on one occasion was as\nfollows: I was handed a slate and a damp sponge, with a request to\ncleanse the slate. I did so, and handed it back to the medium, who\nheld it in plain view in one hand. In a short time the slate was\ngiven back to me with writing on it that could not be produced by\nany of the methods I was already acquainted with. I witnessed this\ntest a second time, and it was only by accident that I discovered\nit, and all through the breaking of a string, to which the device\nemployed was attached. The apparatus was a strip of narrow wood,\nnearly the length of the slate. Glued on it were raised letters of\ncork (felt would do also). These letters were in reverse, and were\nwell rubbed with soft chalk. This strip of wood was attached to\na cord running up the left sleeve, across the back, and down the\nright arm-hole, and thence under the vest and the end fastened to\na button. The length of the string allowed the wood to hang behind\nthe slate when held in the left hand. To keep the wood up in the\nsleeve until wanted, there was a loop on the string far enough\nup to suit the purpose. This loop was slipped over the button,\nwhere it could be easily detached with the right hand. The sponge\nwas soaked in water containing alum, which makes the chalk adhere\nbetter to the slate. When the slate was handed to the medium, he\nheld it downward in his left hand, and allowed the strip of wood\nto slip down behind it, when it was pressed firmly against the\nsurface of the slate, and then pulled up into the sleeve again out\nof sight. This same idea has been utilized in using a blotter, the\nsame as is used for ink, to dry the slate with. The blotter has the\nwriting done on it with chalk, thus doing away with the strip of\nwood.\n\nTake a slate and cover it with writing on one side. Cover this\nwriting with a piece of slate-colored silk, held in the corners\nlightly with wax. At one end of this silk have a few minute hooks.\nThe slate is now cleaned on both sides, and, placing the slate on\nthe floor, the piece of silk is allowed to attach itself by means\nof the hooks to the medium\u2019s pants, or dress, as the case may be,\nthus leaving the slate devoid of trickery. It is hardly necessary\nto remark that the slate is placed on the floor written-side\ndownward.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 16.--The Caustic Trick Pencil.]\n\nA friend of mine told me of a medium he once went to see, who gave\nhim a most remarkable test. He brought his own slate, and, as he\nafterward said, there could have been no trick about it. The medium\ntook the slate for a moment, and with a pencil covered the slate\nwith writing on both sides, just to see, so he said, if it would\nbe good enough for the test. He then cleaned off the slate on both\nsides and gave it back to my friend, requesting him to hold it\nclose against his breast, and then in a short time remove it, and,\nwhen he did so, he was thunderstruck to find writing on it on the\nside nearest to him. This struck me as being a most astounding\nproof of spirit writing. I had a meeting with the medium, who gave\nme the same test. It seemed strange to me that he should want my\nslate to write on and wash it off again, for the same reason as he\ngave my friend, and that was to see \u201cif it was good enough for the\nspirits to work with.\u201d I received a message on the slate, after\nit was washed, and saw that there was none on there after it was\ncleaned and handed to me. I went home puzzled, and experimented to\nno avail. I had another sitting with the medium, but he did not\ngive me the same test; so I returned home again and tried to fathom\nthe mystery, and was eventually successful. The trick was mainly\nin the pencil. It was pointed at both ends. (Fig. 16.) One end\nwas a genuine slate pencil, the other end was a silver nitrate, or\ncaustic pencil. In writing on the slate he wrote the lines quite\na little distance apart with the slate pencil; in between these\nlines he wrote with the caustic pencil, the writing of which was\ninvisible. The sponge the slate was cleaned with, was dipped in\nsalt water. That part of the slate containing the writing done with\nthe silver nitrate was just lightly tapped with the sponge, the\nrest of the slate was thoroughly cleaned. The salt water, when the\nslate becomes dry, brings out the silver nitrate white like a slate\npencil mark. I consider this trick as ingenious and clever a one as\nit has been my good fortune to witness, and one that caused me much\nmental effort to solve.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 17.--Writing with the Toes.]\n\nHere is another test. A slate just cleaned and marked is placed\nunder the table on the floor. The medium and the skeptic grasp each\nother\u2019s hands across the table. In a few seconds the slate is taken\nup from the floor and is found with writing on it. The solution of\nthis, like all the rest of the slate phenomena, rests in simplicity\nand boldness. The medium wears slippers or low-cut shoes, that he\ncan slip his foot out of easily. His stocking on his right foot is\ncut away so as to leave the toes bare. Now, attached to his great\ntoe is a bit of pencil, and with this the writing is done. (Fig.\n17.) Sometimes the test is varied. Five or six pieces of chalk of\ndifferent colors are on the table, and the investigator is allowed\nto select one, place it on the slate. In this case the chalk is\nheld between the great and adjoining toe, and the writing is thus\nproduced. It is surprising to see, with a little practice, what\nyou can educate the foot to do. I myself can easily pick a pin off\nthe floor and write quite well. Sometimes, by way of variation,\ninstead of the medium or investigator lifting the slate from the\nfloor, it is seen to mysteriously make its appearance above the\nedge of the table, being lifted there by means of the toes of\nthe medium\u2019s foot. Another method used is that of scratching the\nwriting on the slate with any metal instrument and then wash the\nslate on both sides, being careful not to show the scratched side\nuntil it is wet from the washing. In this condition a casual glance\nwill reveal nothing, but as soon as the slate becomes dry the\nwriting or scratching appears. Writing has also been made to appear\non a slate on the table while the medium and investigator sit with\nboth hands clasped across the table. The medium accomplished this\nby the simple means of a pencil concealed in his mouth. At the\nproper moment he holds it between his teeth, leans his head over\nand writes on the slate. Of course this is all done in the dark,\nand the writing is not very good, but it answers the purpose, and\nthat is all that is necessary.\n\nHere is still another test. A person writes a question on the slate\nand places it, written side down, on the table. All this when the\nmedium is not looking. The medium takes his seat at the table,\nplaces one hand on the slate (so does the skeptic, the other hand\non the medium\u2019s forehead). With the disengaged hand the medium\nnow proceeds to write on the upper surface of the slate. When he\nhas finished, the communication is read, and it is found to be a\ncorrect answer to the question on the opposite side of the slate.\nTo perform this seeming impossibility the medium has to employ a\ntable containing a trap smaller than the frame of the slate. When\nthe slate is placed on the table, the medium shifts it over this\ntrap. The trap is then opened, and by means of mirrors, 3, 4,\n5, placed at angles of 45 degrees in the body of the table, the\nwriting is reflected to the very place where the medium is sitting,\nand the image is reversed to normal by the third mirror, and it is\neasy then to give an answer to it. (Fig. 18.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 18.--Reading the Questions by Means of Mirrors.]\n\nThe following is how writing can be made to appear on a slate on\nwhich a person has placed his initials in one corner of it, which\nis then placed with that side downward on the table, and shortly\nafterward, on turning it over, it is found completely covered with\nwriting, and the signature of the visitor proves there has been no\nexchange of the slate. The secret of obtaining this effect is both\na unique and quite original method.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 19.--The Interrupted Flap.]\n\nThe writing is already on the slate and is hidden from view by the\nfalse flap, which has a corner missing from it. This missing corner\nis where the clever idea comes in. After the medium cleans both\nsides of the slate, he says: \u201cI will just draw a chalk mark down\nin this corner of the slate wherein the gentleman is to place his\nsignature.\u201d He really draws the chalk mark on the slate proper,\nbut close to the edge of the missing corner of the flap, thus\ndisguising the joint, and after the flap is dropped out of the\nslate of course this mark and signature still remains. (Fig. 19.)\n\nHere is still another. The medium cleans a slate on both sides and\nhands it to a skeptic to place his mark on it. It is then placed\non the table, face downward, and in a short time, on being turned\nover, it is found with a spirit message on it. This is performed as\nfollows: Let the message be written on the slate and then sponged\nout with alcohol, and when the slate dries, the writing will be as\nplain as ever.\n\nHere is another slate writing secret. Dissolve in hydrochloric acid\nsome small pieces of pure zinc, about one-half ounce to an ounce\nof acid. With this solution write upon the slate with a quill or\na small camel\u2019s hair brush the desired communication. When dry\nit closely resembles writing done with a slate pencil. When the\ntime arrives for the test, wash the slate, and it appears to be\nperfectly clean; allow any one to examine it and hold it until it\nbecomes dry, but with the prepared side down. On the slate being\nturned over it is found to be covered with writing while in the\nspectator\u2019s hand.\n\nHere is still another idea. The medium has a number of slates in\nhis arms, say four. He hands the investigator the top one to clean.\nWhen he has done so, the medium receives it back and places it\nat the bottom of the pile of slates and hands him another again\nfrom the top to be cleaned, and repeats this operation until all\nfour slates have been cleaned. He now takes two of the slates,\nplaces them together, and, on removing them again, writing is\nfound on one of them. Here is the method of procedure: Prepare\nyour communication on one of the slates, and let it be the bottom\nof the pile, with the writing side down. Have your visitor seated,\nstand by his side just a trifle behind him, hand him the top\nslate to clean; after he has done so, hand him the second one and\nreceive the first one back, placing it at the bottom of all the\nslates, and repeat until the third slate. While this one is being\ncleaned, slip the fourth, now the top slate, to the bottom again.\nWhen the third slate is received, place it on the bottom and hand\nthe fourth, really the first one over again; it is, of course, the\ntop one and dry by this time, and the investigator is none the\nwiser. Of course, the two slates placed together afterward are the\none prepared with writing and one of the blank ones. Instead of\nslipping the top slate to the bottom, sometimes another dodge is\nused. The medium simply turns the three slates over by a twist of\nthe hand. This brings the prepared slate at the bottom and the last\nslate cleaned at the top, and he says he will clean this one, thus\nsaving time; really, however, to disguise the fact that it is still\nwet from the last cleaning. He says, however, to the visitor, \u201cYou\ncan clean it also, if you desire.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nMIND READING AND KINDRED PHENOMENA.\n\n\nHaving now described the principal slate tricks which mediums\nuse to entangle the unwary for their own ends, we come to other\ntricks which are used from time to time to impress the credulous\nwith the idea that the medium is imbued with supernatural power\nand can perform what are, in effect, miracles. These tricks are\nlegion, and they vary from clumsy attempts at mystification to the\nuse of elaborate pieces of magical apparatus which call for rare\nmechanical genius in their design and construction. The present\nchapter will deal more particularly with what might be termed\nmind reading tricks and the reading of concealed writing. Of\nthese tricks one of the most perplexing is that of reading sealed\ncommunications, or answering questions placed in an envelope which\nis well sealed.\n\nIf I were to tell you that I could read whatever was written on\na card inclosed in an envelope, and that envelope not only well\nsealed, but also stitched or sewn through with a thread and needle\nor machine, and the thread sealed to the envelope also, without\nremoving the seal, stitches, etc., you would hardly credit the\nassertion. It is nevertheless true, and is easily and readily\naccomplished by very simple means.\n\nPrepare a sponge with alcohol. With this you rub or brush the\nenvelope, which immediately becomes transparent as glass, thus\nenabling you to see through it and read what is written on the\ncard. It takes but a few seconds for the alcohol to evaporate and\nleave the envelope in the same condition as before, without leaving\na trace as to what or how it has done. This test was used most\nsuccessfully for years by a celebrated Philadelphia medium.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 20.--The Thumb Pencil Carrier.]\n\nWe now come to a test often employed. A card is given by the medium\nto a skeptic with the request to write a question on it. The medium\nnow holds the card in his hand against his forehead. Presently he\nhands the card back to the spectator, and on it, in writing, is\nfound an answer to the question. The medium accomplishes the above\nfeat by means of a little apparatus which is easily attached to\nthe tip of the thumb. Part of it goes under the thumb nail and the\nlower part has a small needle point which embeds itself in the\nflesh. In the center of this little apparatus is a tiny piece of\nlead pencil. With this clever bit of mechanism the medium does the\nwriting with the thumb of the hand holding the card. (Fig. 20.)\n\nFour or five persons are seated around a table. They are given\npaper and pencil and requested to write questions, then fold their\npapers up and place them in their pockets. The medium will give\nthem replies to their questions; in fact, can tell them the full\ntext of the questions they asked, and, what is more mysterious,\nhe has been out of the room all the time the writing has been\ngoing on. To produce this effect, you are provided with a table\ncontaining a hollow leg. Now, spread a piece of thin white silk\non top of table, then on the top of that a piece of carbon, or\nduplicating paper, or cloth. Now, over all, a thin table cover,\nfastened around the edges, so it cannot be raised up and looked\nunder by the inquisitive.\n\nTo the white piece of silk is fastened a string leading down the\nhollow leg, through a hole in the flooring, to the cellar or room\nbelow. Whatever writing is placed on the papers is transferred\nby the carbon paper to the silk below it. The medium pulls the\nstring, down comes the silk. One corner of the silk has a mark\ncorresponding with a certain corner of the table, and by this\nmethod not only does the medium know what is written, but who wrote\nit, as he has simply to see the position the writing occupies on\nthe silk, and it will have been done by the party occupying the\nsame position at the table. Another way is by using a pad of soft\npaper and hard pencils, and, after the writing, remove the pads.\nIt will be found that the hard pencil has caused an imprint, or\nindenture, of the writing on the page below, not readily seen by a\ncasual glance, but easily seen by the skilled eye of the medium.\n\nA test sometimes offered is as follows: A card is offered to a\nperson to write a request. It is then placed in an envelope and\nsealed by the medium and placed on the table sealed side up. The\nmedium now takes a pencil and slate and writes something on it. It\nis given to the skeptic who wrote the question, and it is found\nto be an answer to his query. The medium now opens the envelope\nby tearing it at one end, and takes out the card containing the\nquestion and hands it to the spectator. This is another humbug,\nand is accomplished by exceedingly simple but bold means. It will\nbe observed that the medium places the card in the envelope, also\ntakes it out. The skeptic never sees it. This is the secret: The\nenvelope, on its face, has a slit cut in it a little lower down\nthan the opening on the other side of the envelope. This side, the\nface of the envelope, is never shown. The card, in being placed\nin the envelope, is deliberately pushed through the slit in the\nenvelope into the medium\u2019s hand and palmed by him and read. Of\ncourse, it is an easy matter to write some kind of a sensible\nanswer when the question is known. The card is inserted in the\nenvelope in the same manner as it is taken out.\n\nAnother trick is to have an answer appear written upon the\ninside of the body of the envelope in which is enclosed the\nquestion. The envelope is closed and sealed with sealing wax.\nThis is accomplished without disturbing the seal. In the ordinary\nmanufacture of an envelope, three of the flaps are stuck together\nwith adhesive gum of far less strength than the fourth flap, which\nis to be moistened and closed by the user. It is generally an easy\nmatter to insert the blade of a penknife behind the bottom flap,\nthat is, between it and one of the end flaps, and separate them a\ntrifle. Then, if you insert into this a wooden skewer, or hard,\nround-pointed stick, like a pencil, in fact, a lead pencil will do,\nbut look out it does not leave marks behind; and by pushing this\nalong, and giving it a rolling motion, you will separate the flaps\nup as far as the seal, and, if done carefully, without tearing or\nmutilating the envelope. Now, on a slip of paper write the answer\nor suitable message, but in reverse or backward writing, as the\nwords would appear in a looking-glass, with a carbon or copying\npencil. Pass this slip through the opening in the envelope, shake\nit into the desired position, now rub the envelope over this spot\nuntil you think the envelope has taken the impression. Then remove\nthe slip of paper by the same way it came in, moisten and gum the\nopening, and the trick is done. In rubbing the envelope, it is a\ngood plan to place a piece of paper over it to keep the envelope\nclean of marks, which would be liable to appear from damp or moist\nfingers during the rubbing.\n\nThe following is from the experiments of a German scientist. He\ndiscovered, by the use of an embryoscope, or egg-glass, that the\nshells of eggs were of very unequal thickness.\n\nIt occurred to him to make experiments in order to ascertain how\nmany leaves of ordinary letter or official paper must be laid above\nand below a written leaf, in order to make it illegible to a highly\nsensitive eye in the direct sunlight. He found that after he had\nrested his eye in a dark room for ten or fifteen minutes, he could\nread a piece of writing over the mirror of the embryoscope that\nhad been covered with eight layers of paper. He called in other\nobservers to confirm this. The letters, however, that could be\nthus deciphered were written in dark ink on one side of the paper\nonly. If four written sides were folded together, and especially\nif there had been crossing, it was hard to make out the drift\nof the writing; and there are some kinds of writing which, when\nfolded thrice or twice, admit too little light for the purpose of\ndecipherment.\n\nIn this way, possibly, many of the performances of \u201cclairvoyants\u201d\nmay be explained. By means of the egg-glass it is, as a rule,\neasier to make out the contents of a letter or telegram without\nthe slightest tampering with the envelope than it is to detect the\nmovements of the embryo in the egg.\n\nSuppose the writer of a billet, the contents of which are known\nonly to himself, lets it out of his hands and loses sight of it\nfor five minutes, it may be carried either in the direct sunlight,\nor into electric or magnesium light, and be read by the aid of\nthe egg-glass. The placing of a piece of cartridge paper in the\nenvelope, or the coloring of it black, is a means of defense at\nhand. In their present form, telegrams cannot be protected from\nperusal, unless delivered at once into the hands of the addressees.\n\nA few tests employed by mind readers and clairvoyants, so called\nfrom their presumed ability to read other people\u2019s minds, will, I\nthink, prove interesting. Let us suppose the performer, as a means\nof proving his ability to cause his subject to read his mind from\na distance, or by mental telegraphy, execute the following feat.\nHis subject, let us say his wife, is at home. The professor is in\na public place, a store, or banking house, etc. He requests some\none to write a question; he hands this person a fountain pen and\na pad of paper. After the person has done so, he is requested to\nfold the communication up, place it in an envelope and seal it, and\nthen put it in his pocket. He is now asked to write a letter or\nnote to the professor\u2019s assistant, asking her to inform him what\nit was that he had asked on the paper inclosed in the envelope in\nhis pocket. This note, and the pen also, for fear the lady has no\nwriting utensils, is carried by the gentleman himself to the lady.\nShe reads the request, and, turning the paper over, she writes\nthe answer correctly on the other side. Sometimes, instead of the\ngentleman himself going with the note, a messenger boy is sent with\nit and the answer brought back by him. In either case the paper and\npen are sent along. The pen is an ordinary fountain pen, and it is\nby means of it that the lady receives the desired information of\nwhat has been written. First the professor has to know what has\nbeen written. He simply says to the gentleman: \u201cYou must allow\nme to read the question; for, if I do not see it, how can my\nassistant see it, for it is through me she is enabled to know? What\nI see I convey to her by mental telegraphy, and thus convey the\ncommunication.\u201d After the professor sees the communication he goes\nto a desk and gets an envelope, or takes one out of his pocket,\nand gives it to the gentleman to place his question in and seal it.\nWhile this is being done he stealthily writes on a piece of fine,\nthin paper an exact copy of the question. This he makes into a\nlittle pellet and places it in the little cap or end that is made\nto cover the point of the pen for protection. Of course it is now\neasy to see the method by which the question is made known to the\nassistant. She has simply to remove the pellet of paper, unfold it\nand read it. Sometimes a pad of paper is used that has cunningly\nconcealed between two of its leaves, near the top, a piece of\ncarbon duplicating paper. These two sheets are pasted around the\nedges so as to appear as one, and when the person writes a question\nit is duplicated on the sheet of paper following the one wherein\nis concealed the carbon paper. The professor has simply to tear\nout this sheet and inclose it in the cap of the fountain pen. The\nname of Foster is almost invariably coupled with any test wherein\nthere is reading of sealed letters, pellets, etc., just the same as\nSlade\u2019s is connected with the slate writing tests.\n\nFoster was an inveterate smoker, anywhere and everywhere,\nespecially at his s\u00e9ance, and it was all for a purpose. The\nvisitor who desired a sitting with Foster was asked to write a few\nquestions on small pieces of paper, fold them up separately, and\npress them into small balls or pellets. Foster would pick one of\nthese up and hold it to his head, as if to try and penetrate it.\nApparently failing to do so, he would place it back on the table.\nThis he would repeat with others. Finally, he hands one of them to\nthe visitor, after holding it against his forehead, requesting\nhim to hold it himself. Foster then took a pencil and paper, and\nscribbled something on it, and then bared one of his arms, and\nshowed it devoid of any preparation. He then rubbed this arm with\nhis hand, and, on removing it, a name was seen. On reading what\nFoster scribbled on the paper, the visitor finds an answer to one\nof his questions, and the name in blood red on Foster\u2019s arm is\nfound to be the name of a person addressed by the visitor in the\nnote. Foster had a pellet of paper of his own concealed between his\nfinger tips, and, at some convenient moment, instead of placing\nback on the table one of the pellets he has just taken up, he\nsubstitutes one of his own, keeping the bona fide one in his hand,\nwhich he lowers into his lap and unfolds. Holding it in the palm of\nhis hand, he strikes a match and lights his cigar, and while doing\nso he is deliberately reading the note, which he afterward crumples\ninto a ball and conceals in his hand. He now takes up another\npellet and tries to see through it by holding it to his forehead.\nHe, however, fails, and gives it to the visitor to hold, really\nexchanging it for the one he has just read. He now has his own and\nthe visitor has his. He now allows his hands to lie carelessly in\nhis lap, and, while conversing with the visitor, he pushes one of\nhis coat sleeves up a short distance, and, with a sharp-pointed\nstick, writes the desired name on his arm, pressing down hard. In a\nsecond or two he writes the answer to the visitor\u2019s question, minus\nthe name he has just placed on his arm. He now shows his arm bare,\nand rubs the spot where he has written, with his fingers slightly\nmoistened, whereupon the name appears in bright pink writing. If\nit is desired to make it disappear, hold the hand above the head\na few seconds. To make it appear again, rub once more with the\nfingers.\n\nHere is another trick which apparently calls for mind reading.\nThe performer\u2019s assistant is sent out of the room. Now, a sum of\nfigures in addition is placed on the slate by a spectator. When he\nhas concluded, the performer takes the chalk and draws a line under\nthe numbers, turns the slate downward on a table, so nothing can\nbe seen, places chalk on the slate, and retires into a corner of\nthe room. His assistant is now called into the room, steps up to\nthe table and seizes the chalk and marks down the correct answer\nto the sum of figures which is on the other side. Like all the\ntricks that appear the most incomprehensible, this is one of the\nmost simple. The performer stands watching the person as he places\ndown the numbers on the slate, he mentally adds them, and, with his\nhands behind his back or under his coat-tails, with a lead pencil\nin one hand, he writes on a piece of chalk held in the other hand\nthe correct answer. It is needless to say that it is this piece\nof chalk he places on the slate, and not the one used. The chalk\nis scraped or filed flat a trifle lengthwise. This is to keep it\nfrom rolling on the slate, thus avoiding accidental exposure of the\nwriting on it, and also give it a flat surface to write on.\n\nHere is an effect I produced as a stage illusion some years ago,\nsomewhat resembling a spiritualistic effect. Hanging up against the\nscene, at the rear of the stage, was a large blackboard. On this\nblackboard writing appeared gradually, done in chalk, as though\nsome unseen hand were actually at work. The blackboard was really\nnothing but fine wire slate-colored netting. There was a large\nhole cut in the scene immediately behind the blackboard. This hole\nwas completely boxed in by curtains or woodwork, so as to make it\nas dark as night. A man was in this space, and he was dressed in\na complete suit of black; also a black mask and gloves. He was\nprovided with a pot of white paint, composed of whiting, water and\nglue, and a brush. Now, the man can see through this netting, but\nthe spectators are unable to see him behind this screen of netting.\nWith the brush and paint he traces on the wire netting whatever is\ndesired. The paint comes through the meshes of the netting, and,\nadhering to it, makes a very good imitation of a chalk mark. It\nshould be remembered the person doing the writing does so backward;\nso it will be in correct position when seen by the audience.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 21.--The Board Facing the Audience.]\n\nThe following is somewhat in the same line, and is called the\n\u201cEducated Fly.\u201d When the curtain rises a large mirror, in a gilt\nframe, is seen resting against an easel. (Fig. 21.) The magician\ntakes the mirror in its frame from the easel and rests it on the\nfloor, showing both sides to the audience. He also removes the\nglass from the frame, and rests the glass against the easel while\nhe exhibits the frame to the audience. The frame has a solid wooden\nback. The mirror is about four and a half feet wide and three feet\nhigh, and after it has been inspected, the magician replaces it\nin the frame. He now takes a piece of soap and marks the glass\noff into twenty-eight even squares, which he numbers from one to\ntwenty-six, and letters from A to Z; one of the remaining squares\nis zero, and the other is left, as the prestidigitateur says, for a\nstarting point. He now takes a large fly from the table and places\nit on a little shelf which projects from the empty square. He then\nasks that a letter or number be called. As soon as this is done,\nthe fly is seen to travel across the mirror and stop at the desired\nsquare. This is repeated time and time again, the fly every time\nreturning to the starting point.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 22.--The Mystery Explained.]\n\nThe reason for having the mirror separate from its frame, and\nexhibiting it separately, is this: It will be remembered that the\nmirror is rested against the easel as the frame is shown, and that\nthis frame has a wooden back. In addition to the wooden back, it\nhas a cloth back, which is firmly fastened to the frame, and then\ncomes the wooden back. This back is hinged to the frame at the\nbottom. Now, when the frame is placed on the easel and the mirror\nrested on the floor, the space behind the easel from the floor up\nis concealed by the mirror, and this gives an opportunity for a boy\nto get through a trap in the floor and pull down the back of the\nframe, to make a shelf on which he sits. (Fig. 22.) Of course, the\ncloth back is still in the frame; so the boy cannot be seen. The\nmirror is taken up and replaced in the frame; then it is marked off\ninto squares, as already mentioned. The black cloth is previously\nmarked off into squares which exactly duplicate those which have\nbeen made on the face of the mirror. The fly is made of cork, with\nan iron core which is set flat against the glass. The boy behind\nthe mirror is provided with a strong electro-magnet attached to a\nwire running down the leg of the easel and under the stage, where\nit is connected to a powerful battery. He brings up the magnet\nand several feet of wire with him while the mirror is resting on\nthe stage. When the boy hears the numbers called, he applies his\nmagnet to the corner where the fly is resting on the little shelf,\nand the magnetic attraction, working through the glass, draws it\nsuccessively over the squares until it comes to the desired spot,\nwhich the boy can see on his chart; and, of course, the proper\nletter or figure is indicated where the fly stops.\n\nThe most sphinx-like problem ever presented to the public for\nsolution was the second-sight mystery. There have been many expos\u00e9s\nof \u201cmental magic,\u201d and some of the best of them are described in\n\u201cMagic: Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions, Including Trick\nPhotography.\u201d\n\nWe have now to concern ourselves with \u201cmental magic\u201d where the\nresults are obtained by clever tricks. There have appeared, from\ntime to time, before the public, individuals who generally work\nin couples, termed \u201coperators\u201d and \u201csubjects,\u201d who have given\nperformances which were termed mental wonders, silent second-sight,\netc. The operator invariably tries to impose on the public with\nthe idea that he possesses some mysterious power over the \u201csubject\u201d\nby which he is enabled to communicate information to her by his\nwill power over her mind, without a word being spoken. There are,\nof course, various methods of performing this trick, as by a code\nof predetermined signals in which sentences like the following are\nused: \u201cSay the number. Well? Speak out. Say what it is.\u201d But these\nmethods are not comparable with the mechanical means which we are\nabout to describe.\n\nThe \u201coperator,\u201d after informing the audience of the wonderful\npowers of divination which the subject possesses, introduces the\n\u201csubject,\u201d who is invariably a lady. She is seated on a chair near\nthe front of the stage, in plain view of the audience. Her eyes\nare heavily bandaged, so she cannot see. A committee is invited to\ngo upon the stage to see that the lady has had her eyes properly\nblindfolded, and also, ostensibly, to help the operator. A large\nblackboard is placed at one side of the stage, behind the lady.\nOne of the committee is requested to step to this blackboard and\nwrite on it, with chalk, some figures, usually up to four or more\ndecimal places; and after he has done so he resumes his seat. The\nlady immediately appears to add up the number mentally, calling out\nthe numbers and giving the results of the addition. Each member\nof the committee is invited to step to the blackboard and touch\na figure. No sooner has he done so than the lady calls out the\nnumber. Other tests of a similar nature are given, such as the\nextraction of square and cube root, etc. They all prove that the\nlady has a thorough knowledge of the numbers on the blackboard\nand the relative position which they occupy. It is, of course,\nproved beyond a doubt that the lady cannot see the blackboard.\nThe question then arises, How does she obtain the information?\nThere are two methods of performing this trick. In either case\nher information is obtained from a confederate, who is generally\nconcealed under the stage, who has the blackboard in sight, and who\ntransmits to the lady the desired information.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 23.--The Foot Telegraph.]\n\nIn one method the lady has a hole, one and a half inches in\ndiameter, cut out of the sole of one of her slippers. (Fig. 23.)\nShe places this foot over a hole in the stage, through which a\nsmall piston is worked pneumatically by the assistant. The piston\nis connected with a rubber tube, which runs to where the assistant\nis concealed. The assistant looks at the blackboard and manipulates\nthe bulb, thus causing the piston rod to strike the sole of the\nfoot, giving signals which can be readily understood by the\nsubject. Robert Heller used a system somewhat similar, only an\nelectro-magnet was used instead of the pneumatic piston.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 24.--The Speaking Tube.]\n\nAnother and bolder method of conveying information is the speaking\ntube. In this case a Vienna bent-wood chair is used. The chair is\nspecially prepared for the trick. One leg of the chair is hollow,\nand the air passage is continued to the very top. The lady usually\nhas a long braid of hair hanging down her back, and, if not blessed\nby nature with this hirsute adornment, she wears a wig. In either\ncase, concealed in the hair is a rubber tube, one end being close\nto the ear and the other hanging down with the braid, so that when\nthe lady is seated on the chair the operator can easily connect it\nwith the tube in the chair. (Fig. 24.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 25.--The Head Telegraph.]\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 26.--The Signaling Instrument.]\n\nThere is still a third method, which is so absurdly simple that\nit deceives even a very knowing committee. The committee places a\nchair on any part of the stage they may see fit, and the subject\nseats herself and is blindfolded as before. A thread runs from the\nside of the subject through a small ring attached to a chandelier\noverhead. (Fig. 25.) One end of this thread is held by an assistant\nand the other end is fastened to a hammer working on a pivot\nsecured to a metal plate concealed in the hair of the lady, her\nhair being dressed high. When she walks on the stage, the assistant\npulls in the slack of the thread, and when she is seated on the\nchair, the assistant pulls the thread taut, so that he is able to\ncommunicate signals to her by a very slight motion of the thread,\nwhich causes the hammer to work on the plate, which is resting very\nclose to the skull, so that the signals are easily felt at every\nstroke of the hammer. (Fig. 26.) Predetermined signals may be used,\nor the regular Morse alphabet, as in telegraphing. There are a\nnumber of other ways of convey conveying information, but the three\nmethods we have described are perhaps the best.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nTABLE LIFTING AND SPIRIT RAPPING.\n\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 27.--Table Lifting Trick.]\n\nSo much has been heard about table tipping and floating tables, it\nwill, I think, prove interesting to explain a few of the clever\ndevices employed to produce the above phenomena. Small, light\ntables are lifted by the mere \u201claying on of hands.\u201d The arms are\nraised in the air and the table is seen to cling to the hands and\nfollow every motion. This is accomplished by a pin driven well into\nthe table, and a ring with a slot in it (Fig. 27) worn on one of\nthe medium\u2019s fingers. The body of the pin easily enters the slot in\nthe ring, but the head of the pin, being larger, prevents the table\nfrom falling away from the hand. After the table has been floated\nsuccessfully, an extra strong upward pressure of the hand pulls the\npin out, and the table can be examined. Another test on somewhat\nsimilar lines is the lifting of a bowl of water by immersing the\nhand in the basin of water. In this case a pin is fastened firmly\ninto a leather or rubber sucker, and the finger ring again does\nthe work. (Fig. 28.) This can also be used to lift anything that\nis not of a porous nature. A table with a well polished top can\nbe easily lifted. In lifting large tables the medium is assisted\nby a confederate among the assembled guests. It is his duty to\nget as near opposite the medium as possible. The medium and the\nconfederate have fastened to their wrists, by means of a leather\ncuff and straps, a bent hook. (Fig. 29.) Their hands rest on top\nand the hooks under the table. By this means it is a simple task\nto raise the table. Sometimes the above device is varied; instead\nof hooks fastened to their wrists they use hooks from under their\nvests, hanging by a loop from their necks. (Fig. 30.) I have seen a\nsquare table lifted without the use of either of the above devices.\nThe medium and his confederate simply got the linen cuffs of their\nright hands well under the corner of the table, and with their\nhands on top they found no difficulty in raising the table by this\nimprovised means.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 28.--The Sucker.]\n\nAlthough spiritualists claim they have, and can, make pianos float\nin the air, I have never seen it accomplished, and I could never\nget a medium who was able to produce the effect, and I sincerely\ndoubt if any one can honestly and truthfully acknowledge they have\nwitnessed it.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 29.--The Leather Cuff and Hook.]\n\nI saw a small, round table once floated in the air without the\nmedium touching it. It was accomplished by means of two threads\nrunning across the room and worked by two confederates. The threads\nwere on the floor and lifted up and allowed to catch under the\ntable.\n\nI have also seen a letter raised from a table and float in the air\ninto the medium\u2019s hand. This was done also with a thread, one end\nfastened in the wall above the table the letter rested on, the\nother near the medium. The letter is not sealed. This allows the\nthread to go between the flap and letter, or envelope, and when the\nmedium pulled the thread taut, it made an incline for the envelope\nto travel on, right up to the outstretched hand.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 30.--The Loop and Hook for Table Raising.]\n\nYears ago Robert-Houdin, the celebrated French conjurer, produced,\nat his pretty little theater in Paris, an illusion which, for\nstartling effects, has not since that time been excelled; and the\nmeans which he employed for operating the stage machinery have\nbeen employed in many stage tricks of more recent date. The stage\nis set to represent a drawing-room, and, in stage parlance, would\nbe called a \u201cbox set.\u201d There are side scenes, as well as a \u201cdrop\u201d\nor back piece. In the center of the room is a large door, and a\ngrand piano rests against one of the side scenes, a small table\nbeing placed near the door. When the illusion is to be performed,\na lady enters carrying a bouquet, which she leaves on the table\nand advances to the piano. (See Frontispiece.) She seats herself,\nopens the cover of the piano and plays a short piece; then, closing\ndown the cover, remarks that she does not feel in the humor to\nplay. She extends her hand toward the bouquet on the table, which\nmysteriously rises and falls through the air into her hand; and, at\nthe same time, she is seen to rise upward in the air still seated\nupon the piano stool. When she reaches a point midway between the\nceiling and the floor she glides toward the opposite sides of the\nroom, and the piano, which seems as if it will not be outdone,\nrises also and follows her through the air. This is usually\nreceived with great applause by the audience, and the curtain\nfalls. The explanation of the phenomena is the following (Fig.\n31): In the first place, the piano case is cleverly made out of\n_papier mach\u00e9_, and is really a mere shell containing no keyboard\nor action. The back of the piano is open; immediately behind it, in\nthe side scene, is a trap, and at the back of this scene is a real\npiano mounted on a truck, so that it can be easily moved backward\nand forward. Our engraving shows both the piano and the trap. When\nthe real piano is run into the _papier mach\u00e9_ case the keyboard is\nin its normal position, so that the lady can play upon it. When the\nlady finishes playing she closes the lid of the false piano. As\nsoon as this is done an assistant behind the scene moves the piano\nback, thus leaving the empty shell, and the trap in the scene is\nclosed. The false piano is, of course, very light, and to it are\nfastened fine wires, which are invisible at a short distance; one\nis secured to each corner. These wires run up over pulleys on a\ntruck overhead, which can be run backward and forward immediately\nover the scene. Each wire is terminated by a bag of sand or shot,\nwhich counter-balances the weight of the piano. It will be noticed\nthat there is a fifth wire secured to the false case. It is run\nup also over the pulley in the truck, and then off to the side of\nthe stage beyond the side scenes. By pulling this wire the piano\nis raised or lowered to any desired distance. Counterweights hold\nthe instrument at any position. There is a rope attached to the\noverhead truck, so that it can be pulled back and forth, thus\ncausing the piano to move across the stage. There are, of course,\nslits in the ceiling of the mimic stage which allow the wires to\npass through.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 31.--The Mystery Explained.]\n\nThe lady is raised by a curious device. There is attached to the\npiano stool a clear piece of plate glass, which comes up through a\nslot in the stage technically known as a \u201cslider.\u201d This glass is\nmade to raise or lower by means of a windlass. The glass rests on a\ncross-piece of wood and works up and down in a grooved frame, which\nis secured to a movable truck under the stage. The slot in the\nstage is continued in the direction in which the glass is to move,\nand the carpet is of a marked design which will cover the narrow\nopening.\n\nThe bouquet is secured with a thread attached to the piano, and it\nthen goes through the door, where an assistant holds the loose end.\nA small loop of wire is attached to the bouquet, and a thread runs\nthrough it. When the lady enters the room and lays the bouquet on\nthe table, this thread is passed through the loop of wire. When the\nbouquet is desired to travel to the lady, the assistant has only to\nraise the end of the thread high enough and the bouquet slides down\nthe incline into the lady\u2019s hand.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 32.--The Telegraph Set.]\n\nA medium in Detroit, Mich., has lately been hoodwinking the public\nand coining money with an idea that was quite original. He employed\na small, shallow box, composed of wooden sides and ends and slate\ntop and bottom. The box and its lid were about of even height, and\nwere hinged together. (Fig. 32.) The box contained a telegraph\nkey connected up to a sounder and a dry battery sitting outside\nof the box on the table. The medium allowed everything to be well\nexamined. It was proved that the battery on the table was the\nonly means of operating the sounder whenever the key was worked.\nIf one of the wires were disconnected, or the box were closed and\nthe key thus out of the way of manipulation, the sounder would\nnot work. After everything was satisfactorily explained, notes\nwere written on pieces of paper, which were folded and placed\nupon the table. These are taken, one at a time, and placed in the\nbox and the lid closed. If conditions are favorable, the spirits\nwill be enabled to read one of the inclosed notes, and will send\na telegraphic reply over the sounder; and such is ofttimes the\nresult. Of course, we know spirits do nothing of the sort; it is\nthe medium who accomplishes all of this. How does he know the\ncontents of the note? How does he cause the ticker to work with\nthe key inclosed in the box? The visitor is placed on one side of\nthe table, generally facing a window, so as to have the light shine\ninto his or her eyes. The medium sits opposite with his back toward\nthe window; the box containing the key is at his side of the table,\nwith the hinges, or the back of the box, toward the visitor. Now,\nif the lid of this box is opened and a paper taken off the table\nand placed in the box and the lid closed, you could not tell for\ncertain if the paper was actually placed in or not, for the simple\nreason that the cover of the box, when up, completely masked the\noperation. It is by the above scheme that the medium obtains the\nnotes on the paper. The first one or two are actually placed in the\nbox; then the next one is deliberately dropped into the medium\u2019s\nlap instead of the box. He unfolds it, reads it, refolds it, and,\non opening the box, apparently takes it from there and places it\nback on the table and does not lose track of it. Two or three other\npapers are placed in it by the visitor, and again taken out by him.\nAgain the visitor is asked to place in it the one the medium knows\nthe contents of. Now the ticker commences to work. With his left\nhand carelessly resting on the corner of the closed box, the medium\nwrites with his right hand, with a pencil, on a pad of paper, the\ncommunication received over the ticker. The visitor removes the\npaper from the box, and the answer just written by the medium on\nthe pad is found to be a reasonable one to the written request.\n\nAll that remains to be explained is the working of the sounder. It\nis very simple. In the first place, the lid and box are hinged so\nas to be hinge bound; that is, they will not, of their own weight,\nquite touch each other, possibly about an eighth of an inch, or\nless, apart. But by the pressure or weight of the hand they will\ncome together. Now, the telegraph key, like all such instruments,\nis provided with a tension screw, which can be screwed one way\nor the other. When the medium desires his instrument to work, he\nraises this tension screw, to which is fastened the button of the\nkey, just high enough to touch the lid on the inside of the box\nwhen it is closed of its own weight. Now, when the hand is resting\non the box, he proceeds to make the sounder \u201cspeak\u201d at will, with\nno perceptible movement of his hand. A simple muscular contraction\nof the palm of the hand, which cannot be detected, is sufficient\nto control the sensitive key, by pressure of the box cover on it.\nThe whole thing is so simple, and at the same time puzzling, that\nit makes one laugh to think how little it takes to make a fool of\na man.\n\nIn the case of this medium, the head of the tension screw was\nbrass, and left a brassy mark on the slate top. He soon observed\nthis, and changed it for a hard rubber one, which left no telltale\nmarks behind. Sometimes he did not raise the tension screw, but\nlaid the folded paper the question was written on on top of\nit. This made up the required height. Other mediums improved\non the above method by working the key through the box by an\nelectro-magnet concealed in the table top. The current to the\nmagnets was turned on and off, or broken, as the line is used, by\nmeans of a small button in the body of the table, pressed by the\nmedium\u2019s leg. This method allowed him to keep his hand off the box.\n\nThe raps, or noises, are produced in various manners. Press your\nboot heel gently against a table leg. The slipping of the leather\nagainst the wood makes perfect spirit raps, wood being a good\nconductor of sound. The raps apparently come from the table top if\nattention is directed in that direction. Some mediums, with the\ntips of their fingers pressed firmly on a table top, slip them,\nby a dexterous movement, along the varnished surface, thus making\nvery fair examples of raps or thuds. Some mediums, in their own\nhomes, have tables provided with electro-magnets concealed in them,\nby which the knocks are accomplished. Medical experts claim that\na very good result can be obtained by the mere displacement of\nthe tendons of the muscle called _peroneus longus_, in the sheath\nin which it slides behind the external _malleolus_. Others again\nproduce it by snapping the toe or knee joints. Watch a boy some\nday as he snaps his finger joints, and if he were to rest his\nelbows on the table while doing so, the sound would be intensely\nstrengthened.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nSPIRITUALISTIC TIES.\n\n\n\u201cTies\u201d have always been one of the great standbys of mediums,\nsecond only to slate writing.\n\nThe following is a simple test with a rope or piece of string: A\nlong piece of rope is given for inspection, and, on its return to\nthe medium, he coils it up and lays it on the table; the two ends\nare tied together and sealed fast to the table. The coils of the\nrope are now allowed to drop on the floor. Lights are lowered, and,\nin a few minutes, when the lights are relighted, the coil of rope\nis found with numerous knots tied in it that could not naturally\nhave been accomplished without the ends being untied and unsealed.\nThis mystery is accomplished by simple means. When the medium\nreceives the rope back he does not coil it up as a person would, in\nthe ordinary fashion, but makes the coils so they really form half\nhitches, and, as he lays them on the table, he runs one of the free\nends through all the coils, then ties the two ends together. Each\ncoil will now form an overhand knot. An easy manner of manipulating\nthe rope is as follows: The rope is held in the hands, with palms\nupward; now, to form the coil, or half hitch, the right hand is\ngiven a half twist; this brings the palm facing the person\u2019s breast\nand back of hand outward, and leaves the rope as seen in Fig.\n33; this loop is transferred to the left hand (Fig. 34), and the\noperation repeated until the supply of the rope is exhausted. Now,\nto make the knots, one end of the rope has simply to be passed\nthrough all the loops.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 33.--First Position.]\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 34.--Second Position.]\n\nI have seen the above test worked also as follows: Two skeptics\nwere used. One end of the rope was fastened to one of the skeptic\u2019s\nwrists and the other end to the wrist of the second skeptic. The\nknots were sealed. The rope in this case was quite long, about\ntwenty feet. The medium now makes the rope up into a few coils; out\ngo the lights, and, in a few minutes, on the lights being turned\nup, the rope is found with knots. This is what happens: When the\nlights went out, the medium went up to one of the skeptics, and,\nwhile talking to him and moving him two or three feet further away\nfrom the other skeptic, he has passed the coils over this one man\u2019s\nhead, and allowed the coils to drop to the floor. As soon as the\nskeptic steps out of these, the job is done.\n\nThere is another test on somewhat similar lines. A short piece\nof rope is examined and the performer holds it in one hand and\nthen tosses it into the cabinet, which is empty. On opening the\ncurtain in a few seconds the rope is found with a knot on it. The\nperformer himself actually ties the knot with one hand in the act\nof tossing the rope into the cabinet. The rope is held in the hand\npalm upward, very near one end, the short end in the hand being\nwith the long end hanging down, the shorter part being between the\nthumb and the forefinger. The hand and arm are given a kind of half\ncircular sweep in tossing the rope into the cabinet; this causes\nthe long portion of the rope to swing under, then over the wrist,\nand across the fingers of the hand. This end is then seized between\nthe fingers and drawn through the loop just made; at the same time\nthe loop is dropped off the wrist as the rope is tossed into the\ncabinet. In reading the above description it seems like four or\nfive different movements, but with practice they all blend into one.\n\nHere is another test. A single knot is tied in the center of a\npiece of string; now the ends are tied together and knots sealed.\nThe lights turned down; on their again being turned up, the knot\nfrom the center of the cord has disappeared. The moment there was\ndarkness the medium started to work, and kept slipping the knot\nalong the string until it joined the rest at the top of the string,\nwhere there is not much fear of its being seen. To further protect\nhimself he uses the following plan: He chews gum colored the same\nas the sealing wax used. Now in the dark, when he has the single\nknot up against the others at the end of the string, he covers this\nknot with part of the chewing gum and blends it in with the sealing\nwax.\n\nI will now explain a few ties, rope and otherwise, by which the\nmediums allow themselves to be tied. It is almost invariably the\nrule for the medium to suggest to the investigator the general way\nhe wishes to be tied. They must have certain conditions, so they\nsay, or the spirits will not work. It is safe to say the conditions\nare very strict and always in favor of the medium. The female\nmedium has a preference for ties in which tape or muslin, or cotton\ncloth torn into strips, is utilized. The male performer, as a rule,\nuses rope and wire. I will first describe what is known as the\nbraid or tape test. Take a piece of tape about three-quarters of\nan inch wide. Have one end of this securely tied around the wrist;\nnow the person who is conducting the test seats himself in a chair\nwith his hands behind the back of the chair; now have the loose end\nof the tape passed between the uprights forming the back of the\nchair; have the other end fastened around the remaining hand. The\nmoment you are in the dark, or hidden from view, you can produce\nany manifestation that requires the use of one or both hands, by\nfollowing these instructions. The first hand can be tied as the\ninvestigator pleases. Now, when the second hand is to be tied,\nkeep a strain on the tape enough to keep it taut. By so doing a\nsquare knot cannot be tied on the tape, but simply a running knot,\nor a knot around the strand of the tape--a knot that can be slid\nbackward and forward.\n\nHere is what is known as the cotton bandage test. A ring staple\nor ring screw eye, the ring being about two inches in diameter,\nis wound around with unbleached muslin of the same color as used\nto tie the medium\u2019s wrists with. This ring is fastened securely\ninto the door jamb or any stationary wooden support by one of the\ninvestigators. Two strips of muslin about three feet long are\ngiven to the investigator; one of each is tied around one of the\nmedium\u2019s wrists and the knots sewed and sealed. Her (for the medium\nis supposed, in this case, to be a lady) hands are now placed\nbehind her, and the ends of the strips from each wrist are now\ntied together and the knots tied and also sewed; and what ends are\nleft are evenly cut off near the knots. Another strip of muslin,\nabout the same width and length as the others, is now produced,\nand one of the committee ties this strip around the knots between\nher wrists, leaving the ends of equal length. The medium now takes\nher seat on a small stool, with her back toward the ring in the\ndoor jamb. One end of the last muslin strip is passed through the\nring and several knots are tied. After tying several knots, the\nends of the strips are tacked securely to the woodwork of the door.\nAnother strip is procured and tied around the medium\u2019s neck, and\nthen tacked also to the door jamb. Two more strips are now used,\none passed around each arm, not tied, and the ends of each tacked\nto the door. The committee, having done all the work themselves, of\ncourse, are thoroughly satisfied as to its genuineness. They now\nretire from the cabinet, which has been simply made by a curtain\nacross one corner of the room, forming a triangular space. No\nsooner is the curtain closed than the usual manifestations occur,\nsuch as ringing of bells, tooting of horns, banging of tambourine,\netc. Immediately the curtain is opened and the medium found\nsecurely bound and not a bandage disturbed. Finally a pocket knife\nis placed upon her lap, the curtain is closed, and in a few seconds\nthe medium comes forward with her bonds cut, but only the wrists\nseparated; this has been done, she claims, by the spirits, with the\nuse of the knife which was placed in her lap. Now to explain away\nthe mystery. In a convenient pocket in her belt she has concealed\na small, sharp, open knife, with which she cuts through the bands\nbetween the wrists. She cuts this band between the knot on her\nright wrist and the knot in the middle made by tying the ends of\nthe wrist bands together. She now slips the loop which was tied\naround off, leaving it whole and still tied around the ring. She\nis now free to use both hands, and, as the last strips around\nher arm were not tied, they are easily managed. She makes what\nmanifestations she chooses, and by placing her wrists one each side\nof the ring, and clasping her hands together, pressing all tightly\ntogether, she is ready for examination. The ring being wound with\nmuslin, one cannot see that anything has been changed; and this\nis the reason it is wound. Another thing to notice is that the\nspirit cutting is the last test. The reason of this is, if the\ninvestigators were to release her, they would discover the secret.\nMale performers use the same idea for rope ties from which they\nfind it impossible to release themselves. They have a knife blade\nsoldered firmly on to a brass plate, which is riveted or sewed on\nthe back of the performer\u2019s trousers, the edge of the knife blade\nbeing outward. He has simply to run the rope up and down over this\ncontrivance, and he soon gains his liberty.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 35.--The Davenport Tie.]\n\nI will next illustrate a tie made famous by the Davenport Brothers.\n(Fig. 35.) The rope used is what is known in trade as a sash\nrope. Silver Lake or Sampson brand is the best. This is a stiff,\npolished or smooth, hard finished rope. With this style of rope\nit is an almost utter impossibility to be tied but what you can\nfree yourself. The Davenports, on first being secured, would try\nand induce or lead the committee who did the tying to do so in\na way which would be advantageous to the medium. See Barnum\u2019s\n\u201cHumbugs of the World,\u201d page 136: \u201cThe brothers saw they could not\nwriggle out of the knots. They therefore refused to let the tying\nbe finished.\u201d Of course, they did not make the request pointed, or\napparent, but, in the coolest natural way, and not suggestive of\nany conceived plan. Their method was as follows:\n\nOne of the committee, holding a piece of rope, about twelve feet\nlong, as near the center as possible, would be requested to tie\nfirst one of the medium\u2019s left hands, tying two or three good,\nhard, square knots about the wrist, the knots coming to the inside\nof the wrist or palm side of the hand. The medium, during this\npart of the tie, faces the audience. He now explains to the person\nwho does the tying that when he, the medium, places his left hand\nbehind his back, he will place his right hand close against it,\nand requests the skeptic to tie a few or as many knots on top of\nthat hand as he may see fit. The medium, after this explanation,\nplaces his hands behind his back, and then turns around, with his\nback toward the audience. The committeeman now secures the right\nhand against the left. The medium now enters the cabinet, is seated\nin a chair, or on a bench, in which two holes are bored. The ends\nof the ropes are now passed through these holes, and knots tied in\nthe rope close to the seat of the chair, and thence carried to the\nfront legs of the chair, where it is fastened. Two other smaller\nropes are used to tie the medium\u2019s legs to the chair. The usual\nmanifestations, such as ringing of bells, tooting of a horn, hands\nat cabinet window, etc., take place. After this is repeated a few\ntimes, the medium comes forth entirely free from the ropes, which\nhe now holds in his hands devoid of knots. Of course, the medium\nis really the cause of all the demonstrations, and to accomplish\nthe results he must free himself. Now, let us see how it is done.\nThe first hand is tied fair and square, but when he places his\ntwo hands behind his back, that\u2019s the time the trick is done. In\nplacing his hands behind his back, and before turning around, with\nback toward the audience, he catches up a little slack of the rope,\nand, pressing the two hands together, manages not to lose that\nslack as the two hands are tied together. Another plan is employed\nso as to be certain not to allow this slack to get away from the\nmedium. In the act of placing the hands behind the back, one part\nof the rope is allowed to go around the middle finger. The ends are\nthen crossed, A going behind B, before the right hand is placed\nagainst left. Of course, the right hand covers the rope, or false\ntie, completely. When the hand is to be released, the finger has\nsimply to bend down, and off drops the slack part of the rope, and\ngives plenty of room to draw the hand from the loop. With one hand\nfree, it is easy to produce the desired manifestations, also to\nrelease the other hand, and then completely untie the rope. Now,\nwhenever the committee cannot be influenced to tie in the above\nmanner, they are allowed to proceed as they wish. Very few persons\ncan tie a medium securely with the stiff rope furnished. The medium\nwill manage, by slight contortion of his body, to secure a little\nslack rope, by which agency square knots can be easily upset into\na slip or running knot, and, when he fails in this, the rope is\ndeliberately cut with the little knife blade on belt, as described\npreviously. This destroyed rope is now concealed on the medium, and\nhe takes also from his clothes a similar rope and walks out of the\ncabinet with it, stating the spirits had released him. He again\nretires to the cabinet, and, in a short time, he is found retied,\nwith his hands behind his back, securely fastened. Here is the\nexplanation:\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 36.--The First Knot.]\n\nWhen he enters the cabinet, he allows both ends of the rope to hang\ndown, holding the rope in center; the rope now, in its doubled\ncondition, has a knot tied near its double end, leaving a knot\nand loop. (Fig. 36.) Then a single knot, tied in each portion of\nthe rope, each side of this loop knot, far enough away so as to\ngive length enough for the ropes to encircle the wrists, and these\nsingle knots come up hard against the loop knot. The ends of the\nrope are now run through the loop knot, and two loops are thus\nformed, which can be made larger, as desired, to slip the hands\nout. (Fig. 37.) The ends of the rope are now run down through\nholes in the chair seat, and ends fastened, and the medium inserts\nhis wrists in the loop and pulls up taut, and he is ready for an\ninvestigation. It will readily be seen the medium can now do as he\npleases, remove his coat, place on a borrowed one, etc.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 37.--The Double Loop.]\n\nAnother tie frequently used is that in which the medium seats\nhimself in a chair, takes the rope, and ties it around his legs at\nthe knees, with the single knot on top. On this he places his two\nhands, close together, and has the committee tie his hands with\nas many knots as they please, from which he nevertheless frees\nhimself. The whole scheme lies in the fact that the medium tied but\none knot around the legs, but did not pull it deep into the flesh.\nWhen the knots are tied over his hands, he keeps the legs a trifle\napart. Now, to release himself, he simply has to draw his legs\ntogether, and strain on the ropes, so they sink into the legs a\ntrifle, and let all the slack go above the single knot, thus giving\nroom for the hands to be withdrawn. By forcing the hands apart, the\ndesired slack is easily taken up.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nPOST TESTS, HANDCUFFS, COLLARS, ETC.\n\n\nThe \u201cSpiritualistic Post Test\u201d is one of the latest and most\nsuccessful of mechanical fastenings used by mediums. The most\ncommon form is made of what appears to be a piece of joist. This is\ngiven to the committee, one of whose members bores a hole through\nit, near its upper end, and then passes an ordinary rope through\nthe hole, a knot being tied in the rope on each side of the post.\nThe knots are pressed against the post, so that the rope cannot be\ndrawn through the post. The ends of the rope are now unraveled, and\nthe post is fastened to the floor with spikes. The medium is tied\nto the post by the unraveled ends of the rope. A nail is driven in\nthe top of the post, and a rope is secured to it. This second rope\nis held by the committee; after the curtains are drawn, bells are\nrung, etc., showing that the medium has the use of his hands. The\ntrick consists in boring a hole in the center of the end of the\njoist; a chisel is then inserted in the hole, and the opening is\nclosed with glue and saw-dust tinted with water color. The medium\nstarts the bit, so that there is no danger of the committee boring\nthe hole too low, or so high that it will strike the chisel. When\nthe nail is driven in, it forces the chisel down and cuts the rope.\nThe medium may now ring bells, etc. After he is through ringing the\nbells, he puts back the ends of the rope in the post.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 38.--The Trick Post.\n\n  1. Lead weight with notch.\n\n  2. Spring catch.\n\n  3. Hole in catch by which cord is secured.\n\n  4. Roller over which cord, 5, runs; cord is attached at one end,\n  3, to spring catch, and at other end at 6 to bolt in angle piece.]\n\nThere is another very good rope and mechanical post test sometimes\nused by mediums. A post in an upright position is securely fastened\nto the floor. In the upper part of the post a hole is bored clear\nthrough, to allow of two small ropes being passed through the\nopening from side to side. The medium passes the ropes through\nthe post, then invites the committee to tie his hands fast against\nthe post, and then to tie or nail the ends of the rope down on the\nfloor. All the usual manifestations take place. The medium is also\ninstantaneously released, and rope and knots are found undisturbed.\nBy glancing at Fig. 38 the mystery will be cleared up. The post\nis hollow, and carries a leaden or iron weight. This weight has\na horizontally extending passage to correspond with the channel\nin the post. This weight is held in the top part of the post by a\ncatch, which is released by a projecting bolt-head at the bottom of\nthe post. It will be remembered that the post is made fast to the\nfloor by screws passing through angle irons fastened by bolts to\nthe post. It is one of these bolt-heads that releases the catch. At\nthe bottom of the post is another catch, which will also hold the\nweight at the bottom. The one bolt will release both catches. The\nmedium runs the ropes through the post, releases the catch, which\nallows weight to drop, carrying ropes with it; and the catch locks\nthe weight at the bottom of the post. They can now tie the medium.\nAll he has to do is to release the weight; he can then pull the\nrope up and get as large a slack as he desires, allowing the weight\nto drop back again. There is a chair--an ordinary-looking wooden\nkitchen chair--worked on somewhat the same style. There is a hole\nbored through each rear leg or upright of the back. The medium sits\non the chair, facing the back of it, and has a hand tied to each\nupright. The slack is obtained the same as in the post, with the\nexception that a spring instead of a weight is used, and it is\nlocked or released by the backward or forward sliding of a portion\nof the chair-seat.\n\nA convincing trick often employed is the iron ring test. The medium\nand investigator sit opposite each other, clasping their hands. An\niron ring is now placed on the medium\u2019s lap, and the cabinet door\nis closed; in a few moments the door is opened again, and the ring\nis found on the investigator\u2019s arm, although he has never released\nhis hold of the medium\u2019s hand. The medium has concealed in his\ncoat sleeve a duplicate of the ring used. When the cabinet door is\nclosed, the medium spreads his legs apart, allowing the ring to\ndrop on the seat of his chair, the bottom of which should be of\ncane or of cloth, in order to avoid the noise due to the dropping\nof the ring. He now replaces his legs, and, of course, this ring\nis hidden merely by his sitting on it. The ring in his sleeve he\ntosses on to the skeptic\u2019s arm, and, of course, without the hands\nbeing unclasped.\n\nThe handcuff trick is always a great favorite with the medium. He\nhas no objection to placing his hands in any pair of handcuffs\nfurnished by the audience. A few moments after he has entered the\ncabinet, he begins throwing out various articles of clothing; but,\non examination, the handcuffs are found to be still on his wrists.\nIt is impossible to see how he could have taken off his coat.\nAs a final test the medium comes out of the cabinet holding the\nhandcuffs in his hand still locked. There are only a few styles\nof handcuffs made, and all the medium has to do is to secure the\nproper key for each style. He conceals these keys on his person,\nand by the aid of his fingers and teeth the proper key can be\nfitted to the handcuffs. It is impossible, with some types of\nhandcuffs, to get the fingers to the keyhole. If such a pair are\nplaced on the performer, and he cannot use his teeth to hold the\nkey, he slips the key into a convenient crack in the cabinet or in\nthe chair. The lock of the handcuffs being forced on to the key,\nthe handcuffs can then be readily unlocked.\n\nThe spirit collar is also a favorite instrument of the medium. It\nconsists of a brass collar which fits closely about the performer\u2019s\nneck. Through the openings in the end of the collar, is placed a\nchain. After the collar is on the performer\u2019s neck, the chain is\nplaced around a post and carried back and through the padlock used\nto lock the collar. By this arrangement the performer is securely\nfastened to a post; but after he is concealed by the use of any\nconvenient means, he suddenly appears before the audience minus\nthe collar, while the collar will be found locked, as before. The\ntrick depends for its success on the series of bolts with which the\ncollar is studded. The bolts, with one exception, are all false,\nbeing pieces of metal simply screwed into the top and bottom of the\ncollar, and not penetrating through them. One bolt, however, passes\nthrough the collar and engages the two parts thereof; the parts\nterminate in a tongue which fits in the socket in the other half\nof the collar. The bolt passes through this tongue so accurately\nthat there is no danger of its being removed with the fingers. The\nperformer uses a small wrench to remove the bolt.\n\nThere are numerous other devices, such as trick bolts, which are\ninserted by a spectator through a post and screwed up tight, the\nmedium being fastened to the bolt. He has simply to give the bolt a\nhalf twist, usually toward the right, and the bolt comes apart. The\njoint is invisible to the eye, and, in fact, is made more so just\nbefore it is used each time by being rubbed with sandpaper, which\nslightly roughens the bolt, making the joint imperceptible to the\nnaked eye. There are staples, ordinary looking staple-plates, which\nare apparently screwed fast into the bench on which the medium is\nseated. The hands of the medium are fastened to the staples by\nwire. The staples are not fastened to the plates by riveting them,\nas is ordinarily done, but are held by a spring catch, concealed\nunder the plate, and working in a notch in the staple. This is\nreleased by the medium\u2019s pushing the catch back by the insertion\nof a piece of clock spring between the staple plate and the bench.\nAfter releasing himself he performs the stereotyped manifestations,\nand at the finish has simply to jam the staples back into their\nplate, whereupon they are locked or held fast by the spring catch\nor bolt. This was a device used by a Boston medium.\n\nThere are also trick bags in which the medium is bound up or tied.\nIn one style of bag there is a string running in the selvage, or\nturned-over portion of the bag at the top. As the string is about\nto be drawn taut the medium inserts one of his fingers into a\nportion of this selvage not sewn, and pulls down enough slack of\nthe cord to allow him, after the tying, either to place his arm\nthrough or to get out entirely. Another style is this: The medium\nhas a round wooden plug, covered with cloth like the bag. This\nhe has concealed about him. As the mouth of the bag is gathered\ntogether to tie the string, the medium inserts this plug, and bag\nand plug are both tied. After the tying he has simply to remove the\nplug and he can then place his hand through and release the cord,\nor shove it off the bag completely. Still another way is to have\na duplicate bag concealed down one trousers leg and coming up at\nthe back of the neck under the coat, the mouth of the bag being\nupward. When the medium gets in, his manager or the director of\nthe s\u00e9ance gathers the mouth of the bag together, and, at the same\ntime, pulls the duplicate bag out from under the medium\u2019s coat. He\npulls this up four or five inches higher than the original bag and\nties his handkerchief around where the two bags are joined, so the\ntrick will not be detected. He then allows a committee to tie, and\neven sew, the bag together--of course, the duplicate, not the first\none. The medium has simply to pull the first bag down around him,\nget out of it and conceal it on his body. A \u201cdodge\u201d used sometimes\nis to borrow one of the investigators\u2019 handkerchiefs and drop it\ninto the duplicate bag; and, after the medium has escaped and the\nbag is given for inspection, the bag is opened and the handkerchief\nfound inside. This strengthens the effect of the trick, inasmuch\nas it convinces the onlookers that the medium certainly must have\nbeen got out by the aid of spirits, as the handkerchief--a very\nsmall article, in comparison to the body of the medium--could not\nbe removed until the string had been released from the bag.\n\nMediums are great judges of human nature; they know full well the\nusual action of the human mind, the direction the thoughts are\nliable to travel in. This is part of their stock-in-trade--to try\nto do just such things as the handkerchief \u201cdodge,\u201d in order to\nconvince the skeptic of the truth of the wonders witnessed.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nS\u00c9ANCES AND MISCELLANEOUS SPIRIT TRICKS.\n\n\nA test which made the Eddy Brothers famous was their \u201clight\u201d and\n\u201cdark\u201d s\u00e9ances. Horatio Eddy gave what he termed a \u201clight s\u00e9ance,\u201d\nand William was famous for the \u201cdark s\u00e9ance.\u201d Instead of using a\ncabinet of wood, Horatio formed one simply by stretching a couple\nof shawls or curtains across a corner of the room, thus making\na triangular inclosure. A table containing the usual musical\ninstruments, bells, tambourine, guitar, etc., is placed in this\nspace. The medium sits on a chair in front of this curtain, to\nthe left hand side. Next to him, on his right, sits a gentleman\nselected from the audience, and to the right of this gentleman, a\nlady similarly chosen. William Eddy now pins across the breasts of\nthe two gentlemen a third shawl, attaching the ends to the curtain.\n(Fig. 39.) Previously to this, however, Horatio has grasped with\nboth his hands the gentleman\u2019s left arm; the lady is requested\nto grasp the gentleman\u2019s right arm. In this position neither can\nmake a movement but what one of the others would be immediately\ncognizant of it. Presently there is a commotion among the articles\non the table behind the screen; they appear floating in the air\nabove the top of the curtains, some coming through and tapping the\ntrio on the head. A hand comes through the curtain and writes a\nmessage on the slate held by William Eddy. Numerous other tests\nare performed--all in subdued light, not darkness. Now, to raise\nthe veil from this mystery: In grasping the left arm of the person\nin the center, the medium first grasps the gentleman\u2019s left arm\nwith his, the medium\u2019s, left hand, fingers being spread apart as\nfar as possible. With this hand he presses quite hard, and takes a\nlight hold of the same arm, but above the left hand. If the medium\ngently and carefully removes the right hand, the action cannot, by\nsense of touch, be detected. Sometimes, so as to enable him to use\nboth hands, another ruse is also employed. A piece of heavy sheet\nlead is cut in the shape of the medium\u2019s hand. This is placed in\nhis left hand. With this hand he grasps the skeptic\u2019s arm. Being\nmade of lead, the hand easily conforms or bends to the shape of the\narm, and, what is more, if the real hand of the medium be quietly\nremoved, the leaden hand remains behind, giving the same sense\nof touch as if the actual hand were there. (Fig. 40.) Of course,\nwith the hands free, the medium can stealthily glide between the\ncurtains, grasp and manipulate the instruments, and throw them to\nthe floor, immediately replacing his hands gently.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 39.--The Light S\u00e9ance.]\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 40.--The Mystery Explained.]\n\nA rather clever test used in a dark s\u00e9ance, given by Miss Annie\nEva Fay, is one in which the hands are not bound. Miss Fay made\ncotton, bandage and tape-ties a success, and sometimes varied her\ns\u00e9ance by not using a tie, but by continually clapping her hands\ntogether during the darkness. She also had her mouth filled with\nwater. Nevertheless, the usual manifestations occurred. The horn\n\u201ctooted,\u201d the tambourine and guitar floated, bells rang, etc.\nThe dodge she employed was this: Instead of clapping her hands\ntogether, she slapped one against her forehead, which gave the same\nsound, and gave her one hand at liberty. She also swallowed the\nwater. She was now at liberty to blow the horn, ring bells or the\nlike. When she was finished, she refilled her mouth with water from\na bottle concealed on her person, and again resumed, clapping her\nhands together instead of striking one hand against her forehead.\nAn investigator suspected the idea of the water and once came\nprepared with a glass of milk, which he requested the medium to\nuse instead. She consented. The horn tooted just the same, and the\nmedium\u2019s mouth still contained the milk. She had simply inserted\nthe end of the horn in one of her nostrils. Another time she merely\nemptied the liquid into one of the hand bells on the table and held\nit upside down in her lap. Still another \u201cwrinkle\u201d is the use of a\nrubber ball with a hole in it. This can readily be attached to the\nhorn, and squeezing the ball does the tooting.\n\nDr. Henry Slade was, of course, identified and recognized as the\nprincipal slate-writing medium, but at various times he presented\nother phenomena, one of which was the playing of an accordion\nwhile held in one hand under the table. The accordion was taken\nby him from the table with his right hand, at the end containing\nthe strap, the keys or notes at the other end being away from him.\nHe thus held the accordion beneath the table, and his left hand\nwas laid on top of the table, where it was always in plain view.\nNevertheless, the accordion was heard to give forth melodious\ntunes, and at the conclusion was brought up on top of the table\nas held originally; the whole dodge consisting in turning the\naccordion end for end as it went under the table. The strap end\nbeing now downward, and held between the legs, the medium\u2019s hand\ngrasped the keyboard end, and worked the bellows and keys, holding\nthe accordion firmly with the legs and working the hand, not with\nan arm movement, but mostly by a simple wrist movement. Of course,\nat the conclusion, the hand grasped the accordion at the strap\nend, and brought it up in this condition. Sometimes an accordion\nis tied with strings and sealed so the bellows cannot be worked.\nThis is for the dark s\u00e9ance. Even in this condition the accordion\nis played by inserting a tube in the air-hole or valve and by the\nmedium\u2019s using his lungs as bellows.\n\nIn regard to dark s\u00e9ances and materializations, I would state that\nthey are so barefaced and bold it is hardly worth while to worry\nabout them. What cannot be done in the dark? Spirit costumes,\nto be donned later by the medium to impersonate people from the\nother world, are concealed in strange places under the very eyes\nof the investigators--in the body of the guitar, in a drum, about\nthe person of one of the circle of skeptics, who is really a\nconfederate, or behind the surface of a wall. Time and place make\nall the difference in the method of work used by mediums. In their\nhomes mediums have any number of accomplices, who enter the room\nunder cover of darkness by various means--one way, by means of a\ntrap in the floor. This opens upwardly; the carpet does not have\nto be cut, and can also be well tacked down. The trap is not cut\nsquare, but triangularly, across the two sides of the room in one\ncorner. Through this trap the confederates, disguised as spirits,\nenter from the cellar below and vanish. Another method is to gain\nadmittance from an adjoining room. Between the two rooms are\nsliding doors, misnamed \u201cfolding\u201d doors. The space in one of the\nwalls is not only large enough to receive its own single door, but\nalso a portion of the other. Before commencing the s\u00e9ance, the\ndoors are locked and the key kept by a committee. The doors are\nalso sealed with court plaster across their joints, and said court\nplaster sealed with sealing-wax. The confederates are not obliged\nto push the doors apart; they simply slide both at the same time\ntoward the side previously mentioned. This side receives one door\nand a portion of the other, thus leaving an opening for a person\nslyly to creep through.\n\nSometimes, in the circle of investigators, there are five or six\nconfederates. Three of these are placed or seated together. Now,\nif all in the circle join hands, it seems no one could assist the\nmedium without the fact being discovered; but in the center, one\nof three confederates, sitting together, releases the hands of his\ncompanions, and, in the dark, \u201ccuts up\u201d all the tricks he wishes\nand returns to the circle again, no one being any the wiser. Of\ncourse, if one confederate were seated between two of the skeptics,\nhe would not dare let go his hands; but when a friend is placed\neach side of him, it makes no difference. A test often used, when\neverybody, medium included, is sitting at a table, is the wire\ntest. A copper wire is threaded through the shirt sleeve of every\nmale member present, and through the sleeve of the ladies\u2019 dresses,\nthe wire being fastened to the table by staples. When the lights\nare put out, the spirits \u201craise Cain\u201d again. It is the medium\nagain. The wire did not go through his shirt sleeves, but through\ntwo short extra shirt sleeves, or cuffs, which he wears over the\nreal sleeves. All he has to do is to slip out of these, produce the\nmanifestations, and slip back into the cuffs again.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 41.--Ground Plan of Cabinet.]\n\nA test that caused more talk and wonderment than all the rest of\nthe cabinet tricks combined is the chair and net test. The medium\nenters a very small cabinet, just large enough to contain him when\nsitting down in a chair. The cabinet is closed by a single door,\nlocked with a padlock, the keyhole of which is sealed; the door is\nalso sealed all around the edges. A fish-net so finely meshed that\neven the finger of the medium could not be pushed through, is now\nplaced over this cabinet and tacked to it all around the bottom.\nThis miniature cabinet is set in the cabinet proper, and a chair,\nwith the usual bell, tambourine, etc., placed beside it. Doors are\nclosed, and immediately the fun begins. Bells, tambourine, and\nhorns all play together. A sudden fall of the chair and instruments\nis heard, and the cabinet doors being opened, everything is found\nstrewn about; the smaller cabinet is, however, still found as it\nwas left, with the netting over it and seals undisturbed. Again\nthe large cabinet is closed, and almost immediately it is opened\nfrom the inside, and out walks the medium; and the netting on the\nsmaller cabinet is examined once more, and likewise the padlock\nand seals, everything is found intact. The whole trick depends\nupon the construction of the smaller cabinet. Fig. 41 represents a\nground plan of the apparatus. The floor is not nailed or fastened\nto the sides. There are four battens or strengthening pieces, one\nin each corner of the cabinet, running from top to bottom; these\nare securely fastened to the floor, but not to the sides of the\ncabinet. Over these battens is laid a strip of wood that is really\nmade fast to the cabinet. This leaves in each corner a socket or\npocket the height of the cabinet, and in these work, telescopic\nfashion, the four battens which are made fast to the bottom. The\nbottom is set inside of the cabinet, not on the outside. It is\nonly tacked to the sides of the bottom of cabinet. It will now be\nreadily observed that the medium has only to stand up in order\nto raise the main part of the cabinet quite a height above the\nbottom, as seen at Fig. 42. It is held in the above position by a\nconcealed catch. The medium can now produce manifestations, and,\nas he is about to drop the cabinet back into the bottom, he gives\nthe leg of the chair a jerk and over it goes, and down drops the\ncabinet. There is also a catch that automatically locks the bottom\nfirm to the cabinet, so as to allow inspection of the same.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 42.--The Trick Cabinet.]\n\nThe above manifestation was in use long before the wire cage test,\nand is considered by some mediums more convincing than the latter.\nWhile speaking about the wire cage test, I may as well describe\none form of it. There are numerous makes, but the one explained\nwill serve as a sample of the rest. A cage composed of uprights\nand cross-bars of iron is made fast to an iron frame containing a\nsmall door through which the medium enters. Sometimes the door is\ndone away with and the bottom of the cage is separated from it. The\nmedium sits on this bottom, and the cage is lifted and placed over\nhim. The bottom and cage are padlocked together or bound with wires\nand sealed.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 43.--The Wire Cage.]\n\nNo matter what method is used, the results are the same; the medium\ncan play the instruments or escape, as he may see fit. The wire\ncage is, we shall say, of a design similar to that shown in Fig.\n43. There is no door to it, and the cage being secured by a wire\nbottom padlocked on or nailed fast to the floor. A close inspection\nof Fig. 44 will help to expose the fraud. The lower cross-bar is\nnot riveted through the frame at its end, but ends square against\nit, and a false rivet head, having no connection with it, is\nriveted on the frame where this cross-bar is supposed to emerge.\nAll of the upright rods are made fast only to this cross-bar. In\nthe other cross-bars they simply go through holes, not closely,\nbut loosely, to ensure then to be slid up and down. The tops of\nthese rods are riveted, but not made fast to the frame at the top.\nThe center rod is not made permanent in the lower cross-bar, but\nis fastened so it can be turned around one way or the other. Now,\nwhere all these rods are supposed to come through the lower part\nof the iron frame are rivet-heads representing the heads of the\nrods, should they have come through. The bottom frame is drilled\nhalf way through for the end of each rod to enter a little, the\nmiddle rod is tapped with a thread like a screw on its end, and its\ncorresponding hole is also tapped. It will now be seen why this\nrod was left to turn. By pulling cross-bar down and then screwing\nthis middle rod tight, everything is solid; but unscrew the rod and\nraise the cross-bar, and all the upright rods will travel with it\nand the medium is at liberty. And we have another spirit mystery\nlaid bare. I could describe numerous other tricks and devices of a\nlike nature, but a few are as good as a quantity; sufficient, in\nfact, to place the investigator on his guard against being duped by\nlike contrivances.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 44.--The Cage Opened.]\n\nI believe a few words in regard to spirit photography will not be\namiss. These are made or produced in various ways: First, a glass\nwith an image on it of the desired spirit form could be placed in\nthe plate holder, in front of the sensitive plate, so that the\nimage on the glass would act on the sensitive plate. The size and\ndistinctness of the resulting spirit form would vary according to\nthe distance between the two plates. Second, a figure clothed in\nwhite can be introduced for a moment behind the sitter and then be\nwithdrawn before the sitting is over, leaving a shadowy image on\nthe plate. Third, a microscopic picture of the spirit form can be\ninserted in the camera box alongside of the lens, and by a small\nmagnifying lens its image can be thrown on the sensitive plate with\nthat of the sitter. This is the trick used when the skeptic brings\nhis own plate for the negative. Fourth, a glass with the spirit\nimage can be placed behind the sensitive plate after the sitting\nis completed, and afterward, by a feeble light, the image can be\nimpressed upon the plate with that of the sitter. Fifth, the silver\nnitrate bath could have a glass side, and the image impressed by a\nsecret light while the glass plate apparently was being coated with\nthe sensitive film. Sixth, the spirit form can be printed first on\nthe negative and then the living sitter by a second printing, or\nthe spirit can be printed on the paper and the sitter\u2019s portrait\nprinted over it. Seventh, a sensitive plate can be prepared by\nwhat is known as the dry process, the spirit form being impressed\non it; and then, at a subsequent time, the portrait of the living\nsitter can be taken on this same plate, so that the two will\ndevelop together. Eighth, take a solution of sulphate of quinine\nand paint on the background screen a picture of any one; when it\ndries it is invisible to the naked eye. Still, when the picture\nis taken, the painted picture is very plainly seen on the glass\nnegative. Ninth, small pictures are taken on thin, transparent\ncelluloid and fastened against the front lens of the camera, and\nwhen the photograph is taken the picture appears. Of course, the\nabove are by no means all the methods, but enough to illustrate the\npossibilities of obtaining two pictures on the same plate or at one\nsitting.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nMISCELLANEOUS TRICKS.\n\n\nThe \u201cMagician\u2019s Omelette.\u201d\n\nThe magician has never proved himself an adept at the art of\ncooking, from an epicure\u2019s standpoint; yet the ease with which he\ncan bake cakes in borrowed hats and cook omelettes in empty pans\nhas long been a source of wonder to the economical housewife, as\nwell as to the professional cook.\n\nTo see the magician hold a small, shallow, empty pan over the\nblaze of a spirit lamp for a few moments, when an omelette, done\nto a turn, appears in the pan and is cut up and distributed to the\naudience, one is almost convinced that at least one person has\nsolved that most perplexing of all problems--how to live without\nwork.\n\nBut has he solved it? No! my friend, no more than you or I. He has\nmerely deceived you; but most cleverly, you must admit.\n\nThe pan is without any preparation whatever; but as much cannot be\nsaid of the wand, which he is continually stirring around in the\npan. This wand is hollow, with an opening at one end only; and in\nthe wand, previous to the trick, of course, are placed the properly\nseasoned ingredients of an omelette, after which the end is closed\nwith a metal plug that is turned and enameled to correspond with\nthe opposite end of the wand.\n\nWhen the pan is being examined the performer is holding the wand\nin his hand, and such an innocent-appearing black stick is never\nsuspected of being in any way connected with the trick.\n\nJust before holding the pan over the lamp the performer finds it a\nmost easy matter to remove the plug from the end of the wand, when,\nby holding the wand by the closed end, he can empty the contents\ninto the pan in the mere act of passing the open end of the wand\naround the inside of the pan. (Fig. 45.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 45.--The \u201cMagician\u2019s Omelette.\u201d]\n\nThe metal of which the pan is made being thin, and there not being\na great quantity of the omelette, assisted by a large flame from\nthe lamp, it only requires a few moments to cook the omelette, when\nit is turned out on a plate and carried down to the audience.\n\nIt is hardly necessary to say that when the cooked omelette is\ncarried down, the wand is left on the stand, which prevents any\ninquisitive person asking to see it.\n\n\nSpinning and Balancing Tricks.\n\nThe spinning handkerchief is a great favorite with jugglers. A\nhandkerchief is borrowed, thrown in the air and caught on the end\nof a whirling stick held by the juggler, when the handkerchief\nspreads out to its full size and commences to spin around rapidly.\nThe secret is that in the end of the stick a needle is inserted\nabout one-quarter of an inch, leaving the sharp end out. When the\nhandkerchief is caught on the end of the whirling stick the needle\npoint passes through it, thus preventing its falling off the stick,\nwhich is rapidly whirled around, and the handkerchief will spread\nout and spin about on the end of the stick.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 46.--The Spinning Handkerchief.]\n\nJugglers are very partial to tricks performed with eggs, and\nspinning an egg on its smaller end is a trick they are almost sure\nto perform. It is impossible to spin a raw egg; so our juggler\nuses a hard-boiled one, and spins it on its small end in a shallow\njapanned tray. If the tray is kept gently moving in a small circle\nin the opposite direction to that in which the egg is spinning, the\nlatter will continue to spin as long as desired. (Fig. 47.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 47.--Spinning an Egg.]\n\nThe egg spinning trick is usually followed by a balancing trick in\nwhich a playing card is balanced upon a small wand, and an egg is\nthen balanced on a corner of the card. This trick usually calls\nforth a great pretension of skill on the part of the performer,\nwhen, in reality, no skill whatever is required.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 48.--Balancing Card and Egg on Wand.]\n\nThe wand is of ebony, or some dark wood, and about three inches\nfrom one end is a small hole. The egg is made of wood, painted\nwhite, and with a small hole in one end. The card is composed of\ntwo cards glued together, with a fine steel wire between them,\nrunning diagonally from corner to corner of the card, with the ends\nof the wire projecting about a quarter of an inch. The prepared egg\nis on a plate with several ordinary eggs, and the card is placed\non a pack of common cards. The wand is held in one hand, the card\ntaken in the other and apparently balanced on one corner on the\nwand; but in reality the wire point is placed in the hole in the\nwand. Now the assistant passes the prepared egg to the juggler, who\ncarefully balances it upon the corner of the card; that is, slips\nthe hole in the end of the egg over the wire point projecting from\nthe card.\n\nA fitting finale to such a juggling act is that in which a potato\nis placed on the hand of the assistant and cut in two with a sharp\nsword, without leaving any mark upon the skin. As a general thing,\na second potato is then cut upon the throat of the assistant. This\napparently marvelous mastery of the sword always brings forth great\napplause.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 49.--Cutting a Potato on the Hand.]\n\nAmong the several medium-sized sound potatoes on a tray are placed\ntwo potatoes prepared as follows: Insert a needle crosswise of\nthe potato near the bottom. After showing the sword to be really\nsharp, by cutting paper and slicing one or two of the potatoes, the\nperformer picks up one of the prepared potatoes and places it on\nthe assistant\u2019s hand; but apparently it does not lie to suit him,\nso he slices off one side of it, using care to cut away the side\njust under the needle and as close to it as possible, then places\nthe potato once again on the assistant\u2019s hand. After making a few\nflourishes with the sword, he cuts through the potato, dividing it\nin half. (Fig. 49.)\n\nIn striking the potato with the sword he makes sure that the sword\nwill come exactly crosswise on the needle; consequently, when the\nsword reaches the needle it can go no farther, and the brittle\nnature of the potato will cause it to fall apart, the very thin\nportion below the needle offering no resistance to the separation.\nThe second potato is then cut in the same manner on the assistant\u2019s\nneck. There are many other false juggling tricks, but the above\nwill suffice to show that \u201cthere are tricks in all trades but\nyours.\u201d\n\n\nThe Blindfolded Juggler.\n\nWhile watching the clever manner in which a good juggler passes\nvarious articles from hand to hand, how many people ever give a\nthought to the many hours of practice devoted to even the simplest\ntrick that he performs? To become even a passable juggler, many\nweary months of constant practice are necessary. There are tricks\nin all trades, and some of the most successful entertainers in\nthis line can scarcely do a half dozen genuine feats of juggling,\nyet they are great favorites with the public. It has been truly\nsaid that \u201cthe tricks that require the most practice are the least\nappreciated by the average spectator.\u201d It is our intention merely\nto show how a simple trick has won fame for several well-known\njugglers.\n\nThis is the trick of juggling blindfolded. An assistant tightly\nbinds a heavy handkerchief over the juggler\u2019s eyes, and then,\nto make sure that he cannot see, there is placed over his head\nand shoulders a sort of bag, made of heavy goods, which should\nexclude all light, even if his eyes were not tightly bound with the\nhandkerchief. Regardless of this, the juggler performs the usual\npasses with balls and knives. Yet, when the bag is removed, the\nbandage over his eyes is found undisturbed. (Fig. 50.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 50.--The Blindfolded Juggler.]\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 51.--The Illusion Explained.]\n\nThe explanation is simple. The bag is made of the usual coarse\nbagging, and a few threads are pulled out of the part that will\ncome in front of the juggler\u2019s face when the bag is over his head,\nthus allowing him to see between the remaining threads as though\nlooking through a coarse screen. (Fig. 51.)\n\nWhen the bag is being placed over his head, and during the seeming\neffort of passing the arms through the armholes in the bag, the\nperformer or assistant has no trouble in pushing the handkerchief\nup from the eyes to the forehead, thus allowing him to see through\nthe open work of the bag. In removing the bag after the act, there\nis no trouble in pulling the handkerchief down over the eyes.\n\n\nThe Chinese Rods and Cords.\n\nNothing excites curiosity in the public mind more than a simple and\nclever puzzle, and the \u201cFifteen Puzzle\u201d and \u201cPigs in Clover\u201d have\ngiven enjoyment to hundreds of thousands. The Chinese rods and\ncords, which forms the subject of our engravings, is in the line of\ningenious inventions, and is really more in the nature of a trick\nthan a toy. (Fig. 52.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 52.--Chinese Rods and Cords.]\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 53.--The Illusion Explained.]\n\nIt is of Chinese origin, and the example shown in our engraving was\npurchased in Chinatown, San Francisco, Cal. The puzzle consists\nof eight pieces of bamboo or hollow ivory tubes, each containing\nseven holes spaced equidistantly. Through these holes are seen to\npass seven silken cords, each with a bead at the top and a tassel\nat the bottom. The toy is held by the loop at the top, which serves\nto hold the upper rod. When it is first picked up, its condition is\nshown in our first engraving at the left. There are seven of the\nrods at the top and one at the bottom. Now the lower bar of the\nupper set is moved down to the bar at the bottom; the two lower\nbars will appear to be supported by three cords at the center,\nas shown in our engraving, four of the cords having vanished. If\nthe next bar is brought down, another change is observed, only\nthe two outer cords being seen. This is shown to the right of our\nengraving. If the next bar is brought down, the end cords have\napproached the center, and five of the seven cords have vanished.\nThe next rod brought down brings five cords into view, the two end\nones and the center one being visible. When the next bar is pulled\ndown, the center and the outer cords only remain; so that, if all\nthe bars between the top and bottom bars are brought together, the\nseven cords appear to pass entirely through them. Fig. 53 gives a\nclew to the mystery. The rods are all hollow, and each contains\nseven holes; and our engraving shows the course of the silk cords.\nIt will be noticed that where a number of cords pass through a\nsingle hole, the strand which is formed is much thicker than are\nthe single cords; as they are of different colors, the effect\nis most pleasing. It will be observed that the strings go clear\nthrough the top bar; but in the next bar, although they enter the\nseven holes at the top, they emerge from three holes at the bottom,\nthree of the strands going through the center hole and two through\neach of the end holes, and so on throughout the entire number of\nbars, the strings changing their course, as is clearly shown in our\nengraving, thus causing the increase and decrease in their number.\n\n\nThe \u201cSurprise\u201d Pen.\n\nOur engraving shows a very clever trick pen which would tend to\ncreate great surprise among the uninitiated. Let us suppose that\na gentleman is seated at his desk and is busily writing when a\nneighbor comes in, and he jokingly challenges the latter to try\nand forge his signature. He hands the pen to his friend, who\nattempts to write. Immediately there is an explosion, and the paper\nreceives a big ink blot. The writer is apt to be surprised by the\nreport, which is like a pistol shot, and, if a timid person, is\napt to be frightened. The noise comes from the pen itself, as it\nis so constructed that it can be loaded and shot off at will. The\nperson in the secret can handle the pen with safety, but the poor\nunfortunate will experience a rather unexpected shock to his nerves\nwhen he attempts to write with it.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 54.--The \u201cSurprise\u201d Pen.]\n\nThe upper part of the penholder, into which an ordinary writing pen\nis thrust, works on a pivot about half way down its length. This\nseparate part is provided with only one-half a bottom, in order\nthat it may engage the conical head of a piston rod, which ends\nin a plunger, which sets off the cap secured in the bottom of the\npenholder. The normal position of the plunger is against the cap\nof the holder; but it can be raised by means of a projecting pin\nriveted to the rod and passing through a slot cut in the side of\nthe lower part of the holder. Now, the closed half of the bottom of\nthe pivoted end enters a notch caused by the conical head of the\nplunger; and the plunger, with its spring, is cocked, as it were,\nby means of the projecting pin, and is held in place by the bottom\nof the pivoted section. When the pen is pressed to the paper the\npivoted section swings on the pivot, releasing the plunger, which\nis forced down on the explosive cap by the spring.\n\nThe lower end of the penholder is threaded, so that it can secure\nthe end cap firmly in place. The explosive cap is put in the end\ncap, and it is screwed on the bottom of the holder. Ordinary paper\ncaps for children\u2019s pistols are used. As long as the plunger simply\nrests on the cap there is no danger of an explosion; but, just\nbefore the joker wishes to give his friend a scare, he cocks it by\npushing the plunger up with the pin, until the pivoted top engages\nit.\n\n\nThe \u201cMiraculous Wineglasses.\u201d\n\nAs a rule, magicians are very generous fellows, always ready to\ngive their audiences something, such as coins and handkerchiefs,\nbut, just when one thinks they have the gift safely in their grasp,\nit mysteriously vanishes. However, there are a few exceptions to\nthis rule, one of whom is a very popular English performer.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 55.--The \u201cMiraculous Wineglass.\u201d]\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 56.--The Glass Covered with Rubber.]\n\nThis magician goes among the audience and borrows a gentleman\u2019s\nhandkerchief, and immediately produces from it a glass filled\nwith sherry. This he offers to the ladies, then, shaking the\nhandkerchief, he produces a second glass full of port for the\ngentlemen, next one of ginger beer for the younger members, and\none of milk for the very young, but there being present one or two\nteetotalers, he next produces a glass of water, and lastly a glass\nof stout for himself. All of these are pronounced by the audience\nto be excellent.\n\nThe glasses are of the small stem wineglass pattern. On both sides\nof the magician\u2019s coat, inside, of course, are large pockets,\nand in each pocket is placed in a prearranged form three of the\nglasses. To prevent a possible spilling of their contents (and, as\neach glass is filled to the brim, this would be very difficult),\nthere is fastened over the mouth of each glass a thin soft rubber\ncap or cover, as shown in the small engraving.\n\nTo produce the glass, the performer spreads the borrowed\nhandkerchief, which should be a large one, over his breast in\nsuch a manner that one hand is concealed under it; and with this\nhand he reaches in the pocket and brings forth the proper glass,\nremoving the rubber cover and leaving it in the pocket. This move\nis repeated until all the glasses have been brought out. After\nproducing three of the glasses with, say, the left hand, he must\nspread the handkerchief so as to cover the right hand, leaving the\nleft one free to manipulate the handkerchief, as it would be most\nawkward to try and produce the glasses from both sides of the coat\nwith the same hand.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 57.--The Miraculous Wine Bottle.]\n\nThis trick is a most effective one, as the spectators cannot\nunderstand how it would be possible for the performer to conceal a\nglass filled to the brim, as these are, about his person.\n\nAfter distributing the glasses, and offering an apology for his\ninability to treat all present, he pretends to overhear a remark\nthat his audience is not satisfied, and that many think they have\nbeen slighted. He states that he will endeavor to comply with the\ndemands of his thirsty audience, and retires to fetch a bottle.\nOff the stage he removes his coat and places under his right arm a\nrubber bag filled with wine. To the bag is attached a rubber pipe\nwith a small metal point, which pipe he holds next to his right arm\nand replaces his coat, leaving the metal end just within the cuff.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 58.--The Miraculous Wine Bottle.]\n\nThe bottle has a small hole in the side, near the bottom, of such\na size as to fit the metal point on the rubber pipe. In rinsing\nthe bottle the performer keeps one finger over the hole, thus\npreventing the audience discovering that the bottle differs from an\nordinary one. In rinsing the bottle the outside has become wet, and\nin drying it with a cloth the performer places the metal point on\nthe rubber pipe in the hole in the side of the bottle, thus making\nconnections with the bag of wine. By holding the bottle well down\ntoward the neck, and close to his wrist, he can venture among the\naudience without fear of detection.\n\nBy pressing the right arm against his side the bag is compressed,\nforcing the wine through the pipe into the bottle.\n\nThe glasses are of special make and of very thick glass, making\nquite a bulky appearance, but of very limited capacity. An\nassistant carries a tray containing one hundred of the glasses.\n\n\nThe \u201cMysterious Vase.\u201d\n\nTricks performed with ink and water have always been favorites with\nmagicians, and they have devised means of keeping this trick fully\nabreast of the times, thus retaining its popularity. The manner\nof performing the latest ink trick involves such novel principles\nas to puzzle even those who are well posted on modern magic. The\n\u201cMysterious Vase\u201d has been presented by but few prestidigitateurs,\nand the secret so well guarded that comparatively few people know\nhow it is done. (Fig. 59.)\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 59.--The \u201cMysterious Vase.\u201d]\n\nThe attention of the audience is called to a glass vase that is\nfilled with water which is resting on a light stand. This vase\nresembles a large octagon celery glass. In the vase there are a\nfew cut flowers, which the performer removes as he calls attention\nto the vase and the clear water it contains. The flowers are given\nto the ladies in the audience, as they have no further connection\nwith the trick.\n\nA lady\u2019s handkerchief is borrowed and the vase covered with it\nfor a moment. On removing the handkerchief, the water that was\nseen in the vase appears to have changed to ink. While this rapid\ntransformation is very startling, yet the most marvelous part of\nthe trick is to come. The magician bares his forearm, that the\naudience may see that his sleeves have no connection with the\ntrick, and then proceeds to remove from the ink in the vase six\nsilk handkerchiefs and two lighted candles, each article being\nperfectly dry.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 60.--The Illusion Explained.]\n\nThe means by which this seeming impossibility is performed are as\nsimple as the trick is mysterious, as the following will show. In\nthe center of the vase, reaching from side to side and from the\nbottom to within a half inch of the top, is a piece of polished\nmirror. The side edges of the mirror rest in the angles of the\nvase, and as the vase is only seen from the front, the edges are\nnot seen. The front half of the vase being reflected in the mirror\nleaves the impression that one is looking directly through the\nvase, when in reality you only see one-half of the inside. (Fig.\n60.)\n\nTo the back of this mirror is attached a watertight tin box, in\nwhich are placed six small silk handkerchiefs and two candles. The\nexterior of the box and back of the mirror are painted a dead black\ncolor. Enough water is poured into the vase to reach the top edge\nof the mirror. In the water is dissolved a small portion of iron\nprotosulphate. A few cut flowers are placed in the vase, which is\nthen placed on the stand with the mirror side to the audience, and\nthe candles lighted.\n\nAfter the flowers are removed and a handkerchief borrowed, the\nmagician secures possession of and palms between his fingers a\nsmall lozenge made of pyrogallic acid, which he drops in the water\nin front of the mirror in the act of covering the vase with the\nhandkerchief. In a very few moments the lozenge dissolves, and the\npyrogallic acid of which it is composed causes the water, which\nholds in solution the iron protosulphate, to change to a good black\nink.\n\nOn removing the handkerchief with which the vase was covered, ink\nis seen to have taken the place of the water, and from the center\nof the vase the performer removes the silk handkerchiefs and\ncandles.\n\nOur first engraving shows the vase of water on the stand; the\nsecond shows the vase after the water has changed to ink, with\nthe magician removing one of the silk handkerchiefs. The third\nillustration represents the vase with one side broken away, showing\nattached to the back of the mirror the tin receptacle that contains\nthe handkerchiefs and candles.\n\n\nThe \u201cMermaid\u2019s Head.\u201d\n\nM. Alber, the prestidigitateur, describes in _La Nature_ a variant\nof a trick which, although old in principle, has recently been\nbrought out in a new and attractive form.\n\nUpon a light tripod placed in an alcove or recess hung with some\nsort of a red fabric, such as cotton velvet, stands an aquarium in\nwhich gold fish are observed swimming about, and in the center of\nwhich is seen a living female head that moves, smiles, and seems to\nbe absolutely at its ease, although deprived of a body and immersed\nin water. A reference to the figure will show how the apparatus is\narranged.\n\nThe tripod consists of three gilded copper rods fixed at the\nbottom to a triangular platform and supporting at the top another\nplatform of nickel-plated metal. At their point of union the three\nrods, which are firmly brazed to each other, seem to be united by\na simple ribbon tied with a bow knot.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 61.--The \u201cMermaid\u2019s Head.\u201d]\n\nFrom the base to the ribbon there is an empty space, but above\nthe latter there are fixed between the rods three triangular\nglass mirrors backed with thin and resistant steel plate. The\nnickel-plated top is movable. Previous to the entrance of the\nspectators, the woman whose head is to appear, places herself\nbetween the mirrors, crosses her legs and rests upon her heels.\nIt is impossible for the apparatus to topple over, since it is\nfirmly screwed to the floor. The nickel-plated top, which is in two\npieces, embraces the neck so closely, when put in place, that the\njoint can scarcely be seen at a short distance. Since the mirrors\nreflect the floor, which is covered like the walls, it seems as if\nit were the back of the alcove that is visible between the rods at\nthe upper part; and the entire apparatus appears to be absolutely\nopen.\n\nAs for the aquarium trick, that is simple. The aquarium is an\nadaptation of one that has long been found in the market, and in\nwhich are perceived birds that seem to be flying about in the water\namid fishes.\n\nThe crystal glass aquarium, which is manufactured especially for\nthe purpose, consists of two receptacles. The central one of these\nis open at the bottom to receive the head, while the outer one is\nopen at the top and contains the water and fishes. As the glass\nis exceedingly transparent, it is almost impossible to detect the\nempty space in the center.\n\nThe aquarium is placed upon four small nickel-plated supports that\npermit of the introduction of air into the internal receptacle. The\nposition of the decapitated woman is an exceedingly cramped one,\nand it is therefore necessary for her to make her exit from the\ntripod between each exhibition in order to take a well-earned rest.\n\n\n\u201cCard Cricket.\u201d\n\nOne of the most effective and pretty tricks performed by the\ncelebrated English magician Mr. Devant is known as \u201cCard Cricket.\u201d\nIn this trick the performer shows his hands empty, and takes a\npack of cards and requests three ladies to take one card each, and\nto remember what the cards are. The cards are then replaced in\nthe pack, which is well shuffled and cut by one of the audience.\nThe performer then passes for inspection an ordinary cricket bat,\nwhich, on its return, he places on a table in full sight of all.\nHe then asks if any one in the audience can bowl, and requests the\ngentleman who can, to come and have a game of cricket.\n\nThe performer now asks the gentleman to take the pack of cards and\nbowl at him, and he will be the player or one at the wicket. The\nperformer picks up the bat and says \u201cPlay.\u201d The cards are bowled at\nhim, and he hits the pack with the bat as the cards are in the air,\nand, to the astonishment of the audience, the chosen cards are seen\nsticking to the bat. This very pretty card trick is quite simple to\nwork.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 62.--\u201cCard Cricket.\u201d]\n\nIn selecting the cards the ladies were under the impression that\nthey exercised their own free will, but such was not the case. The\npack of cards was what is known to magicians as a forcing pack,\nthat is, consisting of only three cards, which, for convenience\nsake, we will say are the ace of clubs, five of hearts, and nine\nof spades, one-third of the pack being composed of only one of\nthese cards. The pack being thus made up, it is very easy for a\nskillful performer to present to the first lady the portion of the\npack containing only ace of clubs, to the second lady the part\nconsisting solely of five of hearts, and to the third lady the part\nthat contains only nine of spades. By using such a forcing pack\nthe performer is sure to have the proper cards selected. While the\nladies are examining their cards the performer steps to his table\non some pretense and slyly changes the forcing pack for an ordinary\none consisting of the usual cards, with the exception of the five\nof hearts, ace of clubs, and nine of spades. This pack he hands to\nsome member of the audience and requests them to have replaced the\nselected cards and shuffled.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 63.--\u201cCard Cricket.\u201d]\n\nThe cricket bat is an ordinary one, which, after being examined\nby the audience, is laid on a table until the performer finds a\ngentleman who will bowl the pack at him.\n\nIn this simple act of laying the bat on the table we find the\nprincipal secret of the trick.\n\nPrevious to beginning the performance the magician has placed face\ndown on the table, in a line with each other, an ace of clubs, five\nof hearts, and nine of spades. The back of each of these cards\nis lined with cloth similar to the covering of the table, thus\npreventing any one noticing the cards when placed face down on the\ntable. On the cloth covering of each of the cards is smeared a dab\nof soft adhesive wax. In placing the bat on the table, care is\ntaken to lay it directly over the three cards, the wax on the backs\nadhering tightly to the bat.\n\nAfter the gentleman who has consented to bowl the pack of cards at\nthe performer is in place, the performer picks up the bat, steps\nback a few feet, and says \u201cPlay.\u201d The instant the flying cards\ntouch the bat the performer turns it over, bringing into view the\nside of the bat to which the three cards are sticking, which appear\nto have been caught on the bat from the flying cards.\n\nUntil the pack of cards are thrown against the bat, the magician\nexercises the greatest care not to turn the side of the bat to\nwhich the cards are sticking toward the spectators. Properly\npresented, this trick has proved most illusive.\n\n\n\u201cCupid Lighter than a Butterfly.\u201d\n\nThe pleasing trick which forms the subject of our engravings owes\nits success to the ingenious application of mechanical principles.\nThe magician presents for inspection to the audience a large pair\nof balance scales. The audience is allowed to examine the various\nparts of the balance before it is erected on the stage. It consists\nof a central column and a beam resting on a knife-edge, and two\npans suspended by cords or chains. After the column has been put\nin position, the beam is put on and a pin inserted, thus making a\ncenter for the beam to work on. A gentleman is asked to stand in\none of the scale pans, and then weights are gradually placed in the\nother pan until his exact weight is ascertained. The weights are\nremoved, and the gentleman steps down off the stage. The audience\nis now convinced that the scale is to all intents and purposes\nlike the ordinary balance which is so much used in groceries for\nweighing tea, coffee, etc., although, of course, in the present\ninstance, it is built on a mammoth scale.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 64.--\u201cCupid Lighter than a Butterfly.\u201d]\n\nThe magician now goes on to say that he will prove the old\nassertion that \u201clove is lighter than a butterfly\u201d to be absolutely\ntrue. He introduces a little boy dressed as Cupid, with wings and a\nbow and a quiver of arrows. When the child steps on the scale pan,\nit immediately sinks to the floor by his weight. The conjurer now\ntakes a butterfly, and, asking all to direct their attention to the\nscale, drops it on the opposite pan, which immediately descends to\nthe floor, at the same time raising the pan with the Cupid high in\nthe air. If he takes the butterfly off, the Cupid descends, and\nevery time the prestidigitateur replaces the butterfly, Cupid is\nraised off the floor.\n\n[Illustration: Fig. 65.--The Illusion Explained.]\n\nThe trick depends for success upon a carefully devised and\nconcealed mechanism. The balance beam is devoid of any preparation,\nbut the mechanism is cleverly concealed in the column, and motion\nis imparted to the beam by means of a shaft and bevel gears. The\nhole in the beam is not perfectly round; it is slightly oval, but\nnot enough so to be easily seen by a casual glance. The pin is\nalso oval, instead of round, and it is made to fit tightly. It\nwill be seen that, when this pin is rocked or tilted, the beam\nis moved, carrying one scale pan up and the other down. The top\nof the column is of considerable size, and one side of it is cut\naway to admit of a bevel gear, which also has an oval hole the\nsame as the beam. When the balance is put together and the beam is\nplaced in position, the oval pin passes through the bevel gear and\nthe beam, forming a horizontal shaft. This vertical wheel meshes\nwith a horizontal gear wheel, which is also secured in the head\nof the pedestal. A shaft runs through it to the space below the\nfloor, where it terminates in a lever secured at right angles.\nThe magician\u2019s assistant, under the stage, grasps the lever, and,\npulling it back and forth, transmits a seesaw motion to the beam\nthrough the medium of the shaft, the two bevel gears, and the oval\npin.\n\nThe trick depends very largely for success upon the apparent\nwillingness of the prestidigitateur to allow all parts of the\napparatus to be examined, and, as the gear wheels are very cleverly\nconcealed, there is almost no chance of the trick being discovered.\n\n\n\n\nINDEX.\n\n\n                                              PAGE\n\n  Bags, trick,                                  98\n\n  Balance illusion,                            143\n\n  Balancing tricks,                            117\n\n  Bandage test,                                 86\n\n  Blindfolded juggler,                         121\n\n  Blotter trick,                                17\n\n  Bottle, miraculous,                          130\n\n\n  Cabinet test,                                108\n\n  Cabinet, the trick,                          109\n\n  Card balancing,                              119\n\n  Carpet, slitted,                              29\n\n  Chair and net test,                          108\n\n  Chalk, writing on,                            60\n\n  Chalks, writing with colored,                 36\n\n  Confederates,                                107\n\n  Cricket, card,                               139\n\n  Cuff, leather,                                73\n\n  Cupid lighter than a butterfly,              143\n\n\n  Davenport tie,                                88\n\n  Double slate,                              32-41\n\n\n  Eddy Brothers, s\u00e9ances,                      101\n\n  Egg glass, use of,                            55\n\n  Eggs, spinning,                              118\n\n\n  Fay\u2019s s\u00e9ances,                               103\n\n  Finger, prepared,                             19\n\n  Flap, false,                               21-38\n\n  Flap, interrupted,                            48\n\n  Fly, educated,                                62\n\n  Folding slate,                                33\n\n\n  Hands, holding,                               28\n\n  Handcuff test,                                96\n\n  Head, mermaid\u2019s,                             136\n\n  Hinges, false,                                39\n\n  Hook for table raising,                       74\n\n\n  Inks, sympathetic,                         11-17\n\n  Interrupted flap,                             48\n\n\n  Juggler, blindfolded,                        121\n\n\n  Light s\u00e9ances,                               101\n\n  Loop, double,                                 92\n\n\n  Magician\u2019s omelette,                         115\n\n  Magnetic writing,                             34\n\n  Mind reading and kindred phenomena,        51-71\n\n  Mirrors, reading writing by,                  47\n\n  Miscellaneous slate tests,                 41-51\n\n  Miscellaneous tricks,                    115-146\n\n\n  Omelette, magician\u2019s,                        115\n\n\n  Pad, transferring to,                         20\n\n  Pen, surprise,                               125\n\n  Pencil carrier, thumb,                        52\n\n  Pencil, silver nitrate,                       44\n\n  Pencil thimble,                               18\n\n  Photography, spirit,                         113\n\n  Pistol loaded with chalk,                     41\n\n  Post tests, etc,                          93-100\n\n  Post test, mechanical,                        94\n\n  Post test, ordinary,                          93\n\n  Potato cutting,                              120\n\n\n  Raps, spirit,                                 81\n\n  Ring test,                                    96\n\n  Rods and cords, Chinese,                     123\n\n  Rope test,                                    82\n\n\n  S\u00e9ance, spiritualistic,                       76\n\n  S\u00e9ances,                                 101-114\n\n  Silica slate,                                  6\n\n  Silk flap,                                     5\n\n  Silver nitrate pencil,                        44\n\n  Single slate,                               3-32\n\n  Slade, Dr.,                                  105\n\n  Slate, double,                             32-41\n\n  Slates exchanged,                             30\n\n  Slate, folding,                               33\n\n  Slate writing on china,                        8\n\n  Slates, locked,                               36\n\n  Slate tests, multiple,                        38\n\n  Slates, padlocked,                            32\n\n  Slates, pivot,                                26\n\n  Slates, riveted,                              24\n\n  Slates, screwed,                              24\n\n  Slates, scaled,                               34\n\n  Slates, sliding,                              33\n\n  Slates, tied,                                 22\n\n  Slates, transferring,                         37\n\n  Slates, wedging,                              24\n\n  Slates with false hinges,                     39\n\n  Sliding slates,                               33\n\n  Spinning tricks,                             117\n\n  Spirit collar,                                97\n\n  Stencil, wood,                                42\n\n  Sucker for table lifting,                     72\n\n  Sympathetic ink writing,                       9\n\n\n  Table, false,                                 10\n\n  Table lifting and spirit rapping,          71-82\n\n  Table, traps in,                          25, 26\n\n  Table trick,                                  47\n\n  Telegraph,                                    77\n\n  Telegraph, foot,                              66\n\n  Telegraph head,                               68\n\n  Thimble key,                                  36\n\n  Thimble pencil,                               18\n\n  Thumb pencil carrier,                         52\n\n  Tie, Davenport,                               88\n\n  Ties, rope,                                   85\n\n  Ties, spiritualistic,                      82-92\n\n  Toes, writing with the,                       45\n\n  Traps,                                       106\n\n  Tube, speaking,                               67\n\n\n  Vase, miraculous,                            132\n\n\n  Wine glass, miraculous,                      128\n\n  Wire cage test,                              110\n\n  Wire, cloth,                                  61\n\n  Writing, reading concealed,                51-58\n\n\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\nMAGIC\n\nStage Illusions and Scientific Diversions, Including Trick\nPhotography.\n\nBY A. A. HOPKINS.\n\nWith an Introduction by H. R. EVANS.\n\n568 pages. 420 illustrations. Price, $2.50 postpaid.\n\n[Illustration: (the book cover)]\n\nThis work appeals to old and young alike, and it is one of the most\nattractive holiday books of the year. The illusions are illustrated\nby the highest class of engravings, and the expos\u00e9s of the tricks\nand spiritualistic phenomena are, in many cases, furnished by the\nprestidigitateurs themselves. Conjuring, large stage illusions,\nfire-eating, sword-swallowing, ventriloquism, mental magic, ancient\nmagic, automata, curious toys, stage effects, photographic tricks,\nand the projection of moving photographs are all well described and\nillustrated, making a handsome volume. It is tastefully printed and\nbound.\n\nAcknowledged by the profession to be the\n\n  Standard Work on Magic\n\n==> Circular of Contents and sample illustrations with testimonials\nfrom W. E. Robinson, M. Trewey, W. B. Caulk, Harry Rouclere,\nJewett, Clivette, etc., free upon request.\n\n  MUNN & CO., Publishers,\n\n  SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN OFFICE\n\n  361 BROADWAY,       NEW YORK CITY.\n\n\n\n\nThe Scientific American\n\n\nThis unrivaled publication is now in its fifty-fourth year, and\nis acknowledged to be the foremost and most popular scientific\njournal published. The excellence and variety of the reading matter\nrender it one of the most interesting and widely read journals in\nthe world. Each issue is fully illustrated and no topic of popular\ninterest germane to science or industry is neglected. The latest\ntricks of the greatest modern conjurers are published from time to\ntime. Those who are not familiar with the\n\n  Scientific American\n\nmay send for a free sample copy. Subscription price, $3.00 per\nannum.\n\n\n  MUNN & CO., Publishers,\n\n  Scientific American Office,\n\n  361 Broadway,       New York City.\n\n\n[Illustration: (the magazine cover)\n\nTHE EDISON MAGNETIC CONCENTRATING WORKS. THE GIANT ROLLS.]\n\n  MUNN & CO., Publishers,\n\n  361 BROADWAY,       NEW YORK.\n\n\n\n\n1898 EDITION\n\n--OF--\n\nExperimental Science\n\nBY GEO. M. HOPKINS.\n\n20th Edition Revised and Enlarged.\n\n914 Pages, 820 Illustrations.\n\nPrice $4.00 in cloth; $5.00 in half morocco, postpaid\n\nTHE MOST POPULAR SCIENTIFIC BOOK OF THE DAY\n\n[Illustration: (the book cover)]\n\nThis is a book full of interest and value for Teachers, Students,\nand others who desire to impart or obtain a practical knowledge of\nPhysics. This splendid work gives young and old something worthy\nof thought. It has influenced thousands of men in the choice of a\ncareer. It will give anyone, young or old, information that will\nenable him to comprehend the great improvements of the day. It\nfurnishes suggestions for hours of instructive recreation. This new\nedition is now ready. It contains a large amount of new matter,\nbringing it up to date. Such subjects as the X-rays and liquefied\nair being fully treated.\n\nSend for large Illustrated Circular and complete Table of Contents.\n\n  MUNN & CO., Publishers,\n\n  OFFICE OF THE\n\n  SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN,\n\n  361 BROADWAY,       NEW YORK.\n\n\n\n\n  TRANSCRIBER\u2019S NOTE\n\n  Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been\n  corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within\n  the text and consultation of external sources.\n\n  Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,\n  and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.\n\n  Pg 61: \u2018are nable to see\u2019 replaced by \u2018are unable to see\u2019.\n  Pg 82: \u2018great standbies\u2019 replaced by \u2018great standbys\u2019.\n  Pg 129: \u2018handerchief, and\u2019 replaced by \u2018handkerchief, and\u2019.\n  Pg 147; Index entry \u2018Post tests\u2019: \u201893-1 0\u2019 replaced by \u201893-100\u2019.\n  Pg 147; Index entry \u2018Slates, padlocked\u2019: \u20183\u2019 replaced by \u201832\u2019.","title":"Spirit Slate Writing and Kindred Phenomena","tradition":"philosophy-ethics","translated_text":null,"word_count":33418}