magic and real detectives-第42节

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be　examined　by　anyone　desirous　of　doing　so。　　When　this　part　of　the

performance　is　finished；　the　medium　and　his　sitter　then　join　or

clasp　their　right　hands　（as　in　handshaking）；　and　the　sitter　is

instructed　not　to　release　the　hand　for　a　single　instant。　　To　〃make

assurance　doubly　sure；〃　however；　the　hands　are　fastened　together　in

any　way　the　sitters　may　desire；　the　hands　being　tied　together　with

tape；　e。　g。；　and　the　ends　of　this　tape　tied　and　the　knots　sealed。

The　tape　connects　the　wrists　and　the　hands　of　the　medium　and　his

sitter；　and　this　tying　may　be　made　as　secure　as　possible。　　A　piece

of　thick　cloth　is　now　thrown　over　the　two　hands　and　the　lower　part

of　the　arms；　concealing　them　from　view。　　With　his　disengaged　hand

the　medium　now　takes　the　iron　ring　and　passes　it　up　under　the

cloth；　so　as　to　bring　it　in　contact　with　his　own　arm。　　He　holds　it

there　for　some　time；　but　ultimately　snatches　off　the　covering

cloth；　and　reveals　to　the　eyes　of　the　astonished　audience　the　ring…

…now　encircling　his　own　armin　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　ties　are

still　in　statu　quo；　and　the　sitter　never　let　go　his　hold　for　an

instant。　　The　ties　and　the　ring　may　again　be　examined；　if　desired；

before　the　hands　are　separated。



This　is　an　exceedingly　effective　test；　and　has　every　appearance　of

being　genuineindeed；　it　is　hard　to　see　where　trickery　can　come

in。　　The　trick　is　one　of　the　simplest　imaginable；　however；　and　is

performed　in　the　following　manner：



The　medium　has　provided　himself　with　TWO　rings　exactly　alike；　one

of　these　the　audience　is　free　to　examine；　the　other　the　medium　is

wearing　on　his　right　arm；　under　his　coat。　　When　the　two　hands　are

clasped　together；　therefore；　it　is　a　simple　thing　for　the　medium；

under　cover　of　the　enveloping　cloth；　to　slip　the　duplicate　ring

down　his　sleeve；　and　on　to　his　own　hand；　and　that　part　of　the

〃miracle〃　is　accomplished！　　It　remains　only　to　explain　what　becomes

of　the　first　ring。　　The　cloth　thrown　over　the　arms　is　very　thick

and　stiff；　as　stated；　and　the　inner　side　of　this　contains　a　double

partition；　or　sort　of　bag；　into　which　the　medium　slips　the

duplicate　ring。　　The　cloth　may　now　be　shown　on　both　sides；　without

disclosing　the　ring；　and　the　medium　makes　away　with　it　as　soon　as

possible；　in　order　to　avoid　detection。







DECEPTION　EXPLAINED　BY　THE　SCIENCE　OF　PSYCHOLOGY





The　object　＇of　this　passage＇　is　to　enable　the　reader　to　see；　more

easily；　how　it　is　that　the　watchful　observer　is　deceived　into

believing　that　a　thing　is　so；　when　in　reality　it　is　not；　and　vice

versa；　and　also　to　give　an　idea　of　the　various　methods　employed　by

the　medium　in　order　to　accomplish　his　results。



I　must　first　of　all　call　the　reader's　attention　to　one　or　two　rules

which　every　conjurer　learns　at　the　commencement　of　his　study；　and

which　he　learns　to　apply　so　constantly　that　it　becomes　second

nature　to　him。　　The　first　is：　Never　let　the　eyes　rest　on　the　hand

that　is　performing　the　〃sleight；〃　but　always　on　the　other　hand；　or

on　some　object　on　the　table　or　elsewhere；　as　this　will　have　a

tendency　to　draw　the　eyes　of　the　audience　to　that　point　also。　　The

sitters　or　audience　will　always　look　at　the　point　closely　watched

by　the　magiciantheir　eyes　have　a　tendency　to　follow　his；　and

wherever　he　looks；　there　will　the　onlooker　look　also。　　Needless　to

say；　the　magician　makes　use　of　this　fact；　and　many　tricks　and

illusions　are　dependent　upon　it　for　their　successful　ac…

complishment。　　Whenever　the　magician　or　medium　looks　intently　at

one　hand；　therefore；　the　OTHER　hand　should　be　watched；　as　it　is　a

sure　sign　that　THAT　is　the　hand　which　is　performing　the　trick。



Another　fundamental　rule　that　is　observed　by　all　sleight…of…hand

performers　is：　Never　to　let　an　audience　know　beforehand　what　is　to

be　done；　i。　e。；　the　nature　of　the　trick　that　it　is　intended　to

perform。　　If　the　spectator　knew　what　was　forthcoming；　he　would　be

on　the　lookout　for　movements　of　the　performer　at　certain　critical

timesjust　at　the　periods　when　close　observation　is　least　wanted

and　would　quite　possibly　detect　the　performer　in　the　act　of

executing　certain　movements　which　would　show　how　the　trick　was

performed。　　But　not　knowing　what　is　coming；　the　spectator　is　unable

to　watch　closely　at　the　critical　momentnot　knowing　what　that

moment　isand　so　is　unable　to　detect　the　trick；　his　attention

being　diverted　by　the　performer；　just　before　this　movement　is　made；

to　some　other　object　or　movement。



The　methods　of　diverting　the　spectator's　attention　are　various。

There　is　the　use　of　the　eyes；　as　before　shown。　　Then　there　is　the

spoken　word；　the　performer　telling　the　onlookers　to　observe　some

certain　object　or　action；　and　the　effect　is　to　cause　them　to　watch

it；　as　they　are　told。　　They　follow　the　line　of　least　resistance。

The　combined　effect　upon　the　spectator　of　the　spoken　word　and　the

eyes　together　is　generally　irresistible。



Another　important　factor　is　this：　A　performer　should　always　let　any

suggestion；　right　or　wrong；　soak　well　into　the　spectator's　mind

before　attempting　to　change　it。　　This　is　for　two　reasons。　　In　the

first　place；　if　the　suggestion　is　correct；　if；　e。　g。；　the　performer

really　DOES　place　an　object　in　his　left　hand；　and　it　is　shortly

found　to　have　vanished　from　that　hand；　he　is　annoyed　by　hearing

some　one　say　that　he　was　not　really　sure　it　was　there　in　the　first

place；　as　〃it　was　covered　up　so　quickly。〃　　If；　on　the　other　hand；

the　suggestion　given　was　a　false　one；　if；　e。　g。；　the　performer　says

he　has　placed　an　object　in　his　left　hand；　when；　in　reality；　he　has

not　done　so　but　has　palmed　it　in　the　right；　then　it　is　still

necessary　to　allow　a　certain　time…interval　to　elapse　between　the

performing　of　the　action　which　apparently　placed　the　object　in　the

hand；　and　the　showing　of　the　hand　empty；　for　this　reason。　　If　the

hand　into　which　the　object　is　supposedly　placed　is　IMMEDIATELY

shown　empty；　the　natural　conclusion　of　the　sitter　is　that　the

object　was　not　in　reality　placed　there　at　all；　but　was　retained　in

the　other　hand；　which　would　be　the　fact。　　If；　however；　the

performer　allowed　some　time　to　elapse；　between　the　action　of

placing　the　object　in　that　hand　（supposedly）　and　the　showing　of　the

hand　empty；　he；　meanwhile；　keeping　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　hand；

suggesting　to　the　sitters　that　the　object　IS　there；　and　in　every

way　acting　as　if　it　WERE　there；　the　idea　will　gradually　gain　a　firm

hold　on　the　minds　of　the　spectators　that　the　object　is　there；　in

reality；　and　they　are　correspondingly　surprised　to　find　it

ultimately　vanished。　　It　is　just　such　a　knowledge　of　〃the　way

people's　minds　work；〃　as　a　friend　once　said　to　me；　which　enables

the　conjurer　to　deceive　the　public；　and　it　is　precisely　the　same

cast　of　mind　that　the　medium　possesses。　　He　is；　in　fact；　a　good

judge　of　human　nature。



Another　fact　that　must　be　borne　in　mind　is　that；　when　once　a

spectator　has　seen　a　movement　made　two　or　three　times　in　the　same

manner；　he　frequently　〃sees〃　the　performer　make　that　movement　on

another　occasion；　when　the　performer　had；　in　reality；　only　STARTED

to　make　the　movement；　and　suggested　the　rest。　　Thus；　if　the

performer　throws　a　ball　up　into　the　air　two　or　three　times　in

succession；　and　on　the　fourth　occasion　merely　pretends　to　throw　it

up；　really　retaining　it　in　the　other　hand；　the　great　majority　of

the　spectators　will　really　〃see〃　the　ball　ascend　into　the　air　on

the　fourth　occasion；　and　will　so　state；　on　being　asked。　　We　here

depend　upon　association　and　habit。＇1＇





＇1＇　A　very　similar　illusion　is　mentioned　by　Professor　Hyslop；　v。

Borderland　of　Psychical　Research；　Pp。　228…9；　in　which　pellets　were

apparently　placed　in　a　box；　really　being　palmed　in　the　medium's

hand。





Professor　Jastrow　summed　up　this　portion　of　the　psychology　of

deception　very　well　when　he　said：＇1＇





＇1＇　Fact　and　Fable　in　Psychology；　pp。　124…5。





〃He　（the　conjurer）　must　dissociate　the　natural　factors　of　his

habits；　actually　attending　to　one　thing　while　seemingly　attending

to　another；　at　the　same　time　his　eyes　and　his　gestures　and　his

'patter'　misdirect　the　attention　to　what　is　apparently　the

essential　field　of　operation；　but　really　only　a　blind　to　distract

attention　away　from　the　true　scene　of　action。　　The　conjurer　directs

your　attention　to　what　he　does　not　do；　he　does　not　do　what　he

pretends　to　do；　and　to　what　he　actually　does；　he　is　careful　neither

to　appear　to　direct　his　own　attention　nor　to　arouse　yours。〃



Prof。　Max　Dessoir；　in　a　very　fine　article　on　〃The　Psychology　of

Conjuring；〃　writes　as　follows：　〃By　awakening　interest　in　some

unimportant　detail；　the　conjurer　concentrates　that　attention　on

some　false　point；　or　negatively；　diverts　it　from　the　main　object；

and　we　all　know　the　senses　of　an　inattentive　person　are　pretty

dull。　。　。　。　　When　causing　the　disappearance　of　some　object；　the

conjurer　counts　one；　two；　three；　the　object　must　really　disappear

before　three；　not　at　three；