magic and real detectives-第39节

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which　time　the　blindfolded　medium　in　the　rear　gave　the　test。



There　was　a　simple　little　move　that　escaped　the　eyes　of　the

spectators　in　this　instance。　　The　spectators　did　not　know　what　was

to　happen；　neither　did　the　boy。　　The　move　was　executed　as　follows：

Just　as　the　boy　came　on　the　stage　with　the　hat　the　manager　received

the　hat　in　his　right　hand　and　in　a　natural　manner。　　Nothing　was

thought　of　this；　as　there　was　nothing　suspicious　in　the　act。

Meanwhile　the　manager　directed　the　boy　to　take　a　chair　that　sat　to

the　left　of　the　front　of　the　stage；　and　to　place　it　to　the　right

side　in　front；　facing　the　audience；　and　to　take　his　seat　thereon。

Now；　this　conversation　with　the　boy　naturally　occupied　the

attention　of　the　spectators；　and　while　the　boy　was　executing　the

directions　the　manager　turned　to　the　table；　which　was　somewhat　back

on　the　stage；　and　apparently　took　a　large　handkerchief　from　it；　and

with　the　hat　still　apparently　in　his　hand；　he　stepped　to　the　boy；

giving　him　the　hat　of　envelopes　and　the　handkerchief；　at　the　same

time　instructing　him　how　to　cover　the　hat；　and　how　to　deliver　the

envelopes　one　at　a　time。　　All　of　this　maneuvering　seemed　so　natural

that　the　audience　thought　nothing　whatever　of　it。



Now；　as　the　manager　turned　to　the　table　to　get　the　handkerchief；

and　while　most　eyes　were　on　the　boy　as　he　placed　his　chair　and　took

his　seat；　the　manager　deftly　exchanged　the　hat　in　his　right　hand

for　another　hat　just　like　it；　that　was　filled　with　〃dummy〃

envelopes　and　which　was　behind　the　flowers；　music　box；　etc。；　on　the

table。　　As　he　immediately　turned　with　the　hat　apparently　still　in

his　hand；　but　with　a　large　handkerchief　in　his　other　hand；

everything　seemed　natural　and　the　audience　thought　nothing　of　the

incident。



The　manager　now；　after　giving　the　boy　the　hat　and　handkerchief；

invited　a　committee　to　come　forward　and　blindfold　the　medium　who

had　been　seated　at　the　left　of　the　stage。　　The　committee　first

placed　a　lady's　glove　on　the　eyes　of　the　medium　as　an　additional

precaution；　and　then　placed　a　handkerchief　over　this　and　tied　it

behind　his　head。　　This　method　of　blindfolding　is　the　one　usually

employed　by　most　mediums。　　If　the　face　of　the　medium　be　properly

formed；　he　can　easily　shift　such　a　bandage　with　his　eyebrows；

sufficiently　to　see　directly　under　his　eyes；　by　looking　down

alongside　his　nose。　　The　committee　now　retired　to　the　audience；　and

the　performer　led　the　medium　to　a　seat　behind　the　table。



Now；　while　the　manager　delivered　the　lengthy　lecture；　the　medium

quietly　tilted　over　the　hat　of　envelopes　behind　the　objects　on　the

table；　and　then　taking　one　at　a　time；　opened　the　envelopes　and

removed　the　cards；　arranging　the　cards　on　top　of　each　other　like　a

pack　of　playing　cards。　　The　lecture　lasted　long　enough　for　the

medium　to　complete　this　task；　and　as　he　held　the　cards　in　his　left

hand；　he　could　now　move　slightly　to　the　right　so　that　he　was　pretty

well　in　view　of　the　spectators。　　However；　his　left　hand　did　not

come　into　view。



By　the　time　the　lecture　was　completed；　the　spectators　had　entirely

forgotten　the　fact　that　the　manager　ever　received　the　hat　from　the

boy　at　all。　　In　fact；　next　day　I　noticed　from　the　talk　of　the

spectators；　that　they　invariably　asserted　that　the　hat　never　left

the　boy's　hands　or　their　sight。



Now；　while　the　manager　held　each　envelope　aloft；　the　medium　had　but

to　read　the　top　card　in　his　left　hand　and　give　the　tests　in　a

dramatic　manner。　　After　the　tests；　when　the　tables　were　set　to　one

side　and　a　cabinet　erected；　an　assistant　out　of　view　received　the

cards　from　the　medium's　left　hand；　and　then　while　behind　the

scenes；　replaced　them　in　envelopes；　sealed　them；　and　then　exchanged

these　for　the　〃dummy〃　envelopes　on　the　small　table。　　After　the

entertainment　the　manager　placed　the　originals　（now　again　sealed）

near　the　front　of　the　stage　for　the　writers　to　take　and　keep　as

souvenirs　if　they　should　so　desire。



It　is　evident　that　this　method　could　be　varied　a　little。　　For

instance；　when　the　manager　holds　the　envelope　aloft；　the　medium

could　first　read　it　and　carefully　describe　the　writing。　　He　could

then　ask　for　the　envelope；　so　as　to　become　en　rapport　with　the

writer；　in　order　that　he　may　give　the　correct　answer。　　In　this　case

he　could　leave　the　surplus　cards　on　the　back　of　the　table　behind

the　music　box；　and　have　in　his　left　palm　only　the　single　card　he　is

reading。　　When　he　receives　the　envelope　he　should　place　it　in　his

left　hand　directly　over　the　card　and　tear　off　the　end　of　the

envelope。　　He　should　then　apparently　take　out　the　card　from　the

envelope；　but　in　reality　take　the　original　card　from　the　rear　of

the　envelope　with　his　right　hand。　　He　should　then　with　his　right

hand　press　this　card　on　top　of　his　head　and　give　the　answer；　while

his　left　hand　lays　the　opened　envelope　on　the　table　or　music　box。

In　this　case；　as　soon　as　he　answers　the　question；　he　should　return

the　card　to　the　manager　with　his　right　hand　and　ask　the　manager　to

have　some　boy　run　with　it　to　its　writer。　　After　it　is　returned　to

its　writer；　the　manager　can　hold　aloft　another　envelope　and　the

medium　continue　with　the　tests。　　After　the　tests；　the　manager

should　remove　the　torn　envelopes；　as　they　contain　〃dummy〃　cards。



I　will　now　explain　the　method　pursued　on　the　second　evening。　　After

the　questions　were　written　and　sealed；　the　manager　went　among　the

spectators　collecting　the　envelopes　in　a　cloth　bag。　　He　first

numbered　the　envelopes；　at　the　same　time　instructing　each　spectator

to　remember　his　number；　after　which　the　envelopes　were　dropped　into

the　bag。　　When　all　the　envelopes　were　collected；　the　manager　lifted

the　bag　in　the　tips　of　his　fingers　and　ascended　to　the　stage　with

it　in　plain　view。　　He　quickly　attached　it　to　the　cord　and　drew　it

up　to　the　ceiling。　　So　far　all　was　fair；　but　just　at　this　moment　a

person　in　the　rear　of　the　hall　made　the　statement　that　he　desired

to　place　his　envelope　in　the　bag　also。　　The　performer　asked　a

gentleman　on　the　floor　to　take　the　bag；　which　he　now　lowered　and

detached；　and　to　kindly　go　to　the　gentleman　and　get　his　envelope。

While　he　was　doing　this　the　manager　held　the　audience　by　his

discourse。　　The　two　gentlemen　were；　of　course；　paid　confederates；

and　when　they　met　behind　the　spectators；　they　merely　exchanged　the

first　bag　for　a　duplicate　under　the　coat　of　the　rear　confederate；

who　then　slipped　around　behind　the　stage　with　the　original。



When　the　other　confederate　returned　to　the　stage　with　the　duplicate

bag　and　handed　it　to　the　manager　he　ran　this　one　up　to　the　ceiling。

This　method　can　be　varied　by　the　manager　making　the　exchange　under

his　own　coat　in　the　first　place　when　in　the　rear　of　the　hall　after

collecting　the　envelopes。



Meanwhile　an　assistant　behind　the　scenes　opened　and　copied　the

questions　neatly　on　a　sheet　of　paper；　and　NUMBERED　EACH　ONE。　　As　he

did　this　he　slipped　each　one　into　a　duplicate　envelope；　which　was

also　numbered　by　the　manager　with　a　ring　drawn　around　the　figure。

This　he　sealed。　　As　soon　as　all　were　copied　this　assistant

carefully　drew　the　medium's　Bible　just　out　of　sight　from　the　table

near　the　flies　where　it　rested；　inserted　the　sheet　containing　the

copied　questions；　and　pushed　it　back　into　view　again。



During　this　time　the　medium　was　walking　slowly　about　at　the　front

of　the　stage　while　the　manager　delivered　his　lecture。　　At　the　close

of　the　lecture　the　medium　stepped　back　to　the　table　where　he　had

laid　his　Bible　a　short　time　before；　picked　it　up　and　came　forward

taking　a　seat　facing　the　audience。　　He　next　opened　the　Bible　and

turned　the　leaves　over　slowly；　passing　the　sheet　of　paper　and

reading　and　memorizing　the　first　question　quickly。　　He　then　turned

the　leaves　beyond　this　sheet　of　paper　and　finally　selected　a　verse

and　began　reading　it　impressively。　　As　he　read　this　verse　he

allowed　the　Bible　to　tilt　forward　sufficiently　for　the　spectators

to　see　that　there　was　nothing　like　a　loose　sheet　in　it；　should　such

an　idea　occur　to　anyone。



As　he　had　turned　over　other　pages　after　secretly　reading　the

question；　the　sheet　was　hidden　from　view。　　After　reading　the　verse

he　allowed　the　Bible　to　close；　and　then　closing　his　eyes　gave　the

test　for　number　one。　　After　this　he　again　opened　the　Bible　and

turned　the　leaves　through　it　slowly；　read　the　second　question

secretly；　and　finally　found　a　second　verse；　which　he　proceeded　to

read　in　a　solemn　tone；　he　then　gave　a　second　test；　and　so　continued

until　all　the　tests　were　given。　　He　then　lay　down　very　much

exhausted；　and　the　manager　lowered　the　cloth　bag　containing　the

dummy　envelopes；　and　emptied　them　upon　a　small　table　near　the　front

of　the　stage。　　He　then　stepped　to　the　rear　of　the　stage　and　picked

up　a　little　wicker　basket；　into　which　he　scooped　the　dummy

envelopes　from　the　small　table　where　they　lay　in　full　view。　　He　now

descended　and　rapidly　returned　the　unopened　envelopes　to　their

respective