Front matter
/ 1 <7
COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT
Books on Conjuring and Magic
Preface
IN producing yet another volume on Magic, I have to offer my best thanks to the many conjurers, professional and otherwise, who have kindly communi¬ cated to me good things of their own, and given me permission to use them. To my friends Hartz and David Devant, and, among amateurs, to Mr. C. 0. Williams, of Cardiff, I owe a special debt of gratitude in this particular.
I have further to record my great obligation to Messrs. Hamley Brothers, the oldest and best-known firm of London dealers, for much useful information, and for valuable assistance in the way of lending apparatus for illustration.
The editors of Mahatma and Die Zaubenvelt kindly placed the contents of their columns at my disposal, and I have freely availed myself of their courtesy. Where the author of a given trick is known, I have given him the credit of the invention, but the discovery in such cases of the real Simon Pure is not always an easy matter. Till a conjuring trick has become a suc¬ cess, nobody cares who invented it, but let it once “catch on,” and there are half a dozen claimants for the honour. If, therefore, I have unwittingly wronged any one in this particular, I trust he will accept my apology.
IV
Preface
My original idea was to make this work cover the whole field of conjuring, but I speedily found that it would be unwise to attempt to do so. Magical material has accumulated to such an enormous extent during the last few years as to make it impossible to deal with it adequately within the compass of a single volume.1 No doubt a trick may be described, after a fashion, in half a page. Indeed, this is too often done in magazine articles, wherein a trick is explained just far enough to gratify the curiosity of the reader, — and to spoil his enjoyment of it for the future. But a conjuring trick so described is like an air picked out with one finger on the piaho. To give it artistic value it needs harmoni¬ ous setting (in other words, a carefully arranged mise en scene), and a suitable accompaniment, represented by the “patter” of the performer. To pursue the simile still further, there are often several variations on the same theme, each of which is equally deserving of being recorded. To do full justice to a single trick, therefore, instead of half a page, half a dozen may be needed.
Having therefore to elect between dealing with the whole subject superficially or a part thoroughly, I finally decided for the latter alternative. I have no intention, however, of leaving my work incomplete. The present volume has taken over two years to com¬ pile; but some months of that time were devoted to the classification and indexing of material, much of
1 When Modern Magic was written, the price-list of Messrs. Hamley (who were then, as now, the principal English makers of conjuring apparatus) consisted of a single slip of paper about fourteen inches long. At the present day their catalogue com¬ prises over a hundred double-column pages, and contains more than a thousand items.
Preface v which I have not been able to make^any present use of. If life and health permit, I hope to make an early be¬ ginning upon a further volume, dealing with the sub¬ jects unavoidably omitted in this one.
Louis Hoffmann.
Preface To. New Edition
WHEN Later Magic first saw the light, it was, as stated in the Preface, my hope and intention to follow it up with a further volume on similar lines. In due course I began the work, but advancing age and the pressure of other engagements have compelled me to abandon it.
The first part of this new matter (Chapter XIII.; is devoted to the description of a few items (all, I venture to think, of some special interest) which would other¬ wise have found a place in the work now laid aside. In the second part (Chapter XIV.) I have reproduced, in more permanent shape, my articles on the many ingenious inventions of my old friend Hartz, which have hitherto only been accessible in serial form.
Louis Hoffmann.
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE.
THE new material referred to by Professor Hoff¬ mann is added to this new edition of Later Magic as supplementary chapters on “New Mis¬ cellaneous Tricks” and “Recollections of Hartz the Wizard.”
PAGE
Preface .......... iii
Introduction . xvii
CHAPTER I'
THE CONJURER’S DRESS, AND CONTRIVANCES IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
The Trousers . . . ... . . . . 5
Removable Pochettes ....... 6
The Shirt-Cuffs ......... 8
A Trick with the Ordinary Shirt-Cuff . . . .10
Chapter II Appliances And Expedients Of General Utility
Various Forms of the Servante . . . . . .16
Bag Servantes . . . . . . . 17
Methods of Fixing . . . . . . .18
A New Form of Portable Servante . . . . 19
The “Premier” Servante . . . . . .20
The Revolving Servante . . . . . .24
The Vest Servante . . . . . . .25
The Conjurer’s Cigar-box . . . . . . .28
A Special “Trap” ........ 30
Improved “Pulls” ....... 33
Willmann’s Vanisher . . . . . . *33
The Flying Ring . 35
The “ Lightning ” Vanisher . . . . . -37
Improvements in the Direct, or Non-Mechanical, Pull . 39
Guides, for Use with Pulls ...... 40
vii viii Contents
PAGE
The Glass with Mirror Partition . . . . . • 42
Different Forms of the Glass . . . . .46
Illustrations of its Uses . . . • • -47
Contrivances for “ Passing Off ” ...... 49
The Hartz Bottle ........ 5°
The Hartz Matchbox . 5°
The Hartz Pistol ........ 52
Another Form of Pistol for the Same Purpose . . 53
The “Excelsior” Clip . . . . . • • -54
The Smoke Apparatus . . . . . . . *55
A Magical Explosive ........ 60
Suggestions for its Use . . . . . . . 61
The “ Multum-in Parvo ” Vanisher . . . .67
The Hartz “Hook,” for Working Mechanical Pieces . . 68
The Magic Bell . . . . . . . 71
The Crystal Cash-box . . . . . . -73
The Bird-Cage ........ 74
Change (or Load) from Back of Assistant . . . -77
The Pneumatic Sucker . . . . . . -78
The Ball Clip . 81
The Velvet Changing Bag . . . . . .81
Chapter III A Special Table, And Some Tricks Performed By Its Aid
The Heller and De Vere Table . . . . . .85
The Bottomless Tumbler . 92
Tricks Performed by the Aid of the Above Table
Concatenation Extraordinary ..... 94
A Simpler Method, with the Mirror Glass . . 98
Devant’s Method ....... 99
The Rose in the Glass . . . . . . . ioo
Chapter IV The Magic Wand, And Tricks Therewith
The Production of the Wand
From the Sleeve .
From the Purse .......
From Decanter on Table
The Self-supporting Wand .
Introductory Patter .
Various Methods of Suspension
The Wand Supported without any Mechanical Aid
The Rapping Wand .
The Auto-gravity Wand .....
The Climbing Ring ......
The Rising and Falling Wand ....
Various Methods ......
Special Wands for Various Purposes
Wands for the Production of Handkerchiefs .
How to Change the Wand into a Handkerchief
A Wand for the Production of Cigars
The “Swallowing” Wand ....
CHAPTER V ix
PAGE
TRICKS WITH WATCHES
Methods for Obtaining Secret Possession of a Watch
The Paper Bag (Various Kinds) . 134
Wrapping in Paper . . . . . . .138
The Alpaca Bag ........ 140
“ Exchanging” a Watch (Various Methods) .... 142
The American Vanisher . . . . . . .145
A New “ Palm” for Watches ...... 146
The Noisy Watch-winder ....... 148
An Improved “Repeater” . . . . . . .149
To Reproduce a Borrowed Watch in Any One Selected of a
Number of Boxes . . . . . . .150
A Lost Watch Found in Performer’s Purse . . . .152
Another Method . . . . . . . .154
A Borrowed Watch Changed to a Lemon . . . .156
A Borrowed Watch Reproduced from a Glass of Milk . . 157
A Watch Fired from a Pistol, Attaching Itself to a Borrowed
A Novel Watch Trick . . . . . . . .163
Another Method . . . . . . . .167
The Locked and Corded Boxes . . . . . .172
The Old Method . . . . . . . 173
The Writer’s Own Method . . 174
The Hartz Method . . . . . . ,176
X
PAGE
The De Vere Method . . . . . • • l&°
The Flight of Time . . . . • • .183
Chapter VI Tricks With Rings
Exchanging the Ring . . . . . • . .189
To Catch Rings on the Wand . . . . • * • I9I
A Borrowed Ring Found in a Potato . . . . *94
The Ring and the Card . . . . . • .196
The Mystic Glove and Rings . . . . . .198
The Old Method . . . . . . • • 1 99
The Hartz Method . . . . . . • 199
The Wedding Ring and Flag ...... 204
Chapter VII Tricks With Handkerchiefs
The Recommendations of the Handkerchief for Magical Pur¬ poses ......... 207
Section I THE MAGICAL PRODUCTION OF HANDKERCHIEFS
The False Finger .
The False Thumb .
The Finger Shell and False Palm The Rubber Band Production from Bend of Elbow Production from the Trouser-Leg The Hand-Box The Cache ....
The Hamley Handkerchief Ball Production from the Wand .
Production from a Match-Box The “Monarch” Handkerchief Producer Clips for Handkerchiefs A Novel Method of Production
220 222
Contents xi
Section II THE MULTIPLICATION OP HANDKERCHIEFS
PAGE
From the Sleeve . 226
Conradi’s Multiplying Tube . . . . . . .227
A Simple Appliance for Handkerchief Multiplication . .228
Black, Red, and White . . . . , . .229
Handkerchief Multiplication on a Larger Scale . . .232
Stillwell’s Handkerchief Act . . . . . .234
Simultaneous Production of a Desired Number of Handker¬ chiefs . . . . . . . . . 238
Handkerchiefs Increasing in Size as well as Number . . 239
A Special Method of Producing the First Handkerchief . 240
Section III COLOUR-CHANGING TRICKS
The Inventors of the Colour-Change . . . . .241
Various Methods of Colour-Changing ..... 242
The Conradi Tube ........ 242
Sundry Appliances for Colour- Changing ... 242
Roterberg’s Colour-Change . . . . . .244
Marcellin’s Colour-Change . . . . . .246
Colour-Changing by the Aid of a Paper Tube . . .247
The Elementary Method ...... 248
Willmann’s Colour-Change . . . . . .252
A Six-fold Colour-Change . . . . . . .256
To Change the Colour of a Handkerchief by Merely
Drawing it Through the Hand . . . .258
The Brass Tube, with Sliding Cup, for Colour-Changing . 260
Willmann’s “Metropolitan Railway” Trick .... 262
Section IV METHODS OF “VANISHING” A HANDKERCHIEF
The Rubber Ring . 268
A New Handkerchief Vanisher . 269
Roterberg’s Vanisher, and Passes Therewith . . .270
Another Method of Using the Vanisher . . . .273
The “ Eau de Cologne ” Bottle ...... 275
PAGE xii
A Handkerchief Changed to a Billiard-Ball . . . • 277
An Ingenious Device to Facilitate the Palming and Vanishing
of a Handkerchief . . . . . . .278
The Glass Ball, for Changing a Handkerchief to a Billiard-Ball 279 The Nickel Tube for Vanishing a Handkerchief . . • 279
Improved form . . . . . . . .281
The Nickel Tube with Pull . . . . . . .283
The Vanish from a Paper Cylinder ..... 284
The “ Lamp-Chimney ” Vanish ...... 284
To Vanish Four Handkerchiefs Simultaneously . . .287
Section V METHODS OF REPRODUCING A VANISHED HANDKERCHIEF
Reproduction Beneath a Soup-Plate ..... 290
Reproduction from a Sealed Envelope . . . . .292
Two Vanished Handkerchiefs Reproduced from a Nest of
Three Envelopes . . . . . . .294
The Drum-Head Tube . . .297
Reproduction from a Candle . 299
Buatier de Kolta’s Method . . . . . .299
The Glass Box, for Reproducing a Handkerchief . . .302
Section VI MISCELLANEOUS HANDKERCHIEF TRICKS
Devant’s Handkerchief Trick .....
The Hat and Handkerchief .....
The Closed Glass Tube ( L' Etui en Crista l)
The Handkerchief Cut and Restored (Modern Method) The “Marvellous Metamorphosis” Silver Cylinder A Handkerchief Changed to Paper Ribbons .
A Handkerchief Transformed into Paper Shavings The Egg and Handkerchief Trick (Modern Methods) . D’Alvini’s Egg and Handkerchief Trick Egg, Handkerchief, and Onion ....
The very Latest Egg and Handkerchief Trick Handkerchiefs Turned into a Snake ....
Hartz’s Method ......
The Dancing Handkerchief
Parlour Method ....
Stage Method .
327 329 xiii
PAGE
Right and Left .
• 338
The Flying Handkerchiefs ....
.
The Shower of Sweets (Improved Method)
• 344
A Postscript .
• 345
Chapter VIII Flag Tricks
Bertram’s Flag Trick . . .
• 349
Flags and Paper Shavings ....
Flags Converted into Silken Streamers .
• 352
The Production of Flags on Staves Complete
• 353
The Flag and Worsted Ball .
• 357
Devant’s “ Transvaal Flag” Trick
•
. 361
Chapter IX Tricks With Gloves
“ Vanishing ” the Gloves ....
.. 366
The Glove Passed into the Wand .
. 368
A White Glove Changed to a Black One
. .
* 369
Glove-Dyeing by Magic ....
•
The Damaged Glove and Lady’s Stocking
•
. 376
A Glove Conjured into a Nut, Egg, Lemon, and Orange
• 378
Dr. Avon’s Glove Trick ....
•
• 385
Chapter X Tricks With Eggs
The Celluloid Egg .
• 39°
The Self-Balancing Egg ....
The Egg-cup, for Vanishing an Egg
• 392
An Improved Egg- Holder ....
• 394
The Magical Production of Eggs .
• 396
Production of Eggs from the Mouth
• 399
Bellachini’s Method ....
. 401
A Smashed Egg Vanished from a Handkerchief
• •
• 403
The Diminishing Egg .....
To Vanish an Egg from the Hand
• 40 5
A Special Egg Vanisher ....
. 407
XIV
PAGE
The Wandering Eggs . . . . . • • • 4° 9
Another Method . . . . . • • .412
New Egg and Tumbler Trick . . . . . 4*7
An Illustration of Free-Trade Principles . . . • 4*8
Eggs from Nowhere, and Back Again . . . . 425
An Egg-Laying Hat ........ 426
A Novel Egg-Bag Trick ....... 429
The Ribbon- Producing Egg . . . - . • • 43 2
The Bewitched Orange ....... 434
Chapter XI Tricks With Hats
To Cut a Piece out of a Hat, and Restore it .
A Glass of Wine in a Hat ......
The Mesmerized Hat .......
A Billiard Cue Produced from a Hat ....
Methods of Loading a Hat ......
Various Productions from Hat
Half a Dozen Babies ......
Alarm Clocks .......
Flower-Balls ........
Bouquets ........
The Garland of Oak-leaves .....
A Cake Baked in a Hat (Improved Method)
The Wandering Oranges ......
A Glass of Wine Passed Visibly through the Crown of a Hat The Vanished Cannon-Ball ......
456 459 463 468
Chapter XII Miscellaneous Tricks
The Afghan Bands ......
The Chinese Paper-Tearing Trick ....
The Original Form of the Trick Various Methods of Performing it .
Ellis Stanyon’s Method .....
Maurice Garland’s Method, with Colour-Change The Melting Coin (Improved) ....
The Great Dictionary Trick .....
My Friend in Thibet ......
475 478
484 490 497 xv
PAGE
The Flying Thimble
The Original Trick . . . . . . .502
The Thimble and Paper Cone . . . . .506
The Patriotic Thimble . . . . . . .506
The Multiplying Thimble . . . . . .508
The Vanishing Thimbles . . . . . *513
The Changing Dice . . . . . . . . 514
Improved Methods . . . . . . *515
Chameleon Water . . . . . . . *519
Rainbow Water ......... 522
The Magic Organ Pipes ( Le Souper du Diable ) . . . 525
Devant’s Jar of Water and Hat . . 538
Devant’s Bag of Mystery . . . . . .544
CHAPTER XIII NEW MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS The Rice and Water Trick ....... 557
The Vanishing Rice . . . . . . . 566
Tao Li Tao, The Chinese Mystery ...... 568
Balloons from a Hat ........ 571
To Discover and Pocket (before Asking any Question) the Card
Thought of by a Spectator . . . . . -573
A New Purse Trick ........ 574
A Silk Handkerchief Changed into a Flag . . . -576
The Changing Handkerchief Boxes ..... 578
The Demon Digits ........ 581
The Acrobatic Cards . . . . . . . -583
The Ball of Wool Trick (Improved) ..... 585
The New Card Frame . . . . . . . 591
Outwitting the Conjurer ....... 595
The Great Book Mystery ....... 598
The Crystal Balls (Improved Method) . 602
Chapter XIV Recollections Of Hartz The Wizard
Biographical Notice . . . . • • • .614
A Devil of a Hat . 625
The Inexhaustible Handkerchief ...... 648
XVI
The Improved Money Column
.
.
PAGE
• 655
The Multiplication of Money
• 659
The Mysterious Addition ....
. 662
The Inverted Glass of Water ....
. 666
The Multiplying Billiard Ball
The Dematerialized Glass of Water
. 672
Card, Coin, and Candle .....
. 686
The Wine and Water Trick ....
• 695
The Witches’ Kettle and Magic Punch-Bowl .
The Automatic Rising Cards ....
• 703
The Portfolio Trick .....
. 712
The Second-Sight Trick ....
• 715
The Pocket- Picking Trick ....
. •
. 719
The Aerial Walking-Cane ....
• 725
The Egg and Rings Trick ....
• 733
l’envoi
Introduction
‘IME flies! The remark is scarcely original, but it
1 forces itself upon me when I realize that over five and twenty years have passed away since I first took pen in hand to discourse of Modern Magic , and more than ten since its sequel, More Magic , was written.
And while Time has been flying, Magic has not lagged behind. The Art of Deception, like other arts, has made vast strides during the last quarter of the dead century. Indeed, probably at no time in the world’s history has so much thought and ingenuity been brought to bear upon this subject. New and brilliant illusions have been devised, new sleights and improved methods have been invented, and old tricks have been so rejuvenated as to be practically new. The present volume is designed to give a brief account of the latest novelties and the most up-to-date meth¬ ods in some of the leading departments of. Magic, and, so far as those departments are concerned, to enable the conjurer of the twentieth century to start fully equipped, in point of knowledge, in the race for celeb¬ rity.
I have availed myself of this opportunity to meet in some degree the wishes of the many correspondents who have from time to time begged for “more patter.” It is a request with which I am not in complete symxvn
Introduction pathy, for I hold that a conjurer, if he has the true artistic spirit, will not be content to wear borrowed plumes. The technique of his art he may well acquire from others, but there his indebtedness should end. No mere copy, even of the most perfect original, can ever claim first rank as a work of art. The outline of the trick the wizard may fairly borrow, but the mise en scene should be all his own.
Originality in this respect is the more desirable, be¬ cause the same form of words which comes easily and gracefully from one man may be utterly out of character in the mouth of another. We have it on the authority of Shakespeare that a giant’s robe sits uncomfortably on a dwarfish thief, and the giant would scarcely ,be more at his ease in the garments of the dwarf. Bor¬ rowed patter is like a borrowed dress-suit, — more than likely to be a misfit.
I find, however, that many beginners, and some even of the more advanced, though they may be able to master the mechanical requirements of a given feat, find it difficult to supply the needful dramatic element ; they lack the creative power which clothes the dry bones, and gives them life. As an assistance to such weak brethren, I have set down in full the patter adopted by myself or others in connection with sundry tricks of special interest. Several varieties of style will be found here illustrated.
Chapter I
IN commencing a new book on Magic, I find myself constrained to go once more to some extent over ground I have already trodden. But though the ground is the same, the landscape is altered. As in cities, so in conjuring, the vacant spaces are gradually built upon. There are many regions which formerly might have been disposed of in a few words, but which now afford abundant material for description. The reader will forgive me, therefore, if I hark back for a brief space to a subject already discussed in my earlier volumes, viz. :
THE CONJURER’S DRESS
AND CONTRIVANCES IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.
It is one of the consequences of having a reputation as a conjurer, that one must be prepared to support it, so to speak, in season and out of season. The amateur in particular is liable to be called upon to “show a few tricks” at a moment’s notice, and it may be on occa¬ sions when his often repeated boast of “no prepara¬ tion” is a painful reality. Fortunately, such calls most frequently arise at festive gatherings, where even¬ ing dress is the prevailing costume, and evening dress is the proof armour of the modern conjurer. Sundry special features of a conjurer’s dress-suit were noted in Modern Magic , and so far as it goes, the description is still correct. But the magician of the twentieth century in this, as in many other directions, has im¬ proved considerably upon his predecessor of the last generation.
To give the reader an idea of the extent to which the wizard’s war-paint may be “faked” for the purpose of his art, his attention is invited to the accompanying diagrams (Figs, i, 2, 3), which illustrate some of the numerous possibilities in this particular.
THE COAT.
Every conjurer is familiar with the ordinary loading-pocket within the breast of the coat. In a (Fig. 1) We have another form. The pocket (which may be dupli¬ cated on the opposite side) is in this case made to extend downwards to the waist, or even further, tapering as it goes. Its object is to hold a folding bouquet, a plume of feathers, or other article of greater length than breadth. In some cases the mouth of the pocket is enlarged by laying it open down one side for a few inches, to facilitate the production of the object, b b are the usual profondes , and c c are pochettes (of rather doubtful utility) under the tail of the coat, one on each side, and having vertical openings. In addition to these are the regular tail-pockets, opening on the out¬ side and used without disguise for the ordinary pur¬ poses of pockets.
The letters d d represent a special pocket, opening under the armpit, a little above the breast pocket, and continued downwards through the whole length of the coat, being in fact a mere tube of silk, discharging at the bottom into the profonde, so that any object of suit¬ able size and weight, say a watch, placed ostensibly in the breast pocket, at once secretly slips down into the profonde. Some performers have the upper openings of these pockets made on the outside of the coat, under the armpits, the article being in this case secretly slipped into the pocket under cover of the act of draw¬ ing back the coat sleeve.
Even the coat collar has its magical uses. The outer edge of the upper part (the portion which goes round the neck) is sewn to the coat, forming a tubular pocket designed for the reception of a silk handkerchief. The ends, e e} are open, and an inch length of black silk thread, attached to the corner of the handkerchief, with a black bead at the free end, enables the performer to draw it out when desired, this being done under cover of his own body, while his back is turned to the audience. Under each lapel may be a minute pochette, / /, very handy for receiving a coin, a small glass ball, or a pack of “diminishing” cards. A “clip,” sus¬ pended on either side, may be used, either in substitu¬ tion for the little pochette, or as auxiliary thereto. Two additional pockets of small size are sometimes inserted at the points g g. These may either open vertically, or have the mouth downward, in which latter case they conceal a clip for holding a coin.
THE VEST.
From the coat we pass to the vest. This offers, from its smaller size, less scope for adaptation, but its magical uses are still considerable. In addition to the everyday pockets on the outside, and the customary elastic band sewn round the inside of the waist 1 to facilitate what is known as “vesting” (*.*., concealing articles under the front edge), sundry special pockets may be introduced. Thus a a (see Fig. 2) are two
1 Many experts dispense with the elastic band, substituting for it three elastic gussets, shaped like an inverted A. one over each semi-circular pockets, just within the breast, adapted for the reception of small fish-bowls or the like. Out¬ side, at the back, on a flap suspended from the waist, may be a couple of similar pockets. Inside the breast are two smaller pockets, b b , opening vertically. (Simi¬ lar pockets may be placed outside, but in such case the opening is brought somewhat nearer to the armpit.) And in front, just inside and above the waistband, may hang two or more clips for the reception of cards or coins.
THE TROUSERS.
These naturally have their share in the general so¬ phistication. A leather sheath, a (see Fig. 3), down either leg, provides a resting-place for the staff of a flag, a Japanese sunshade, or other lengthy object. A loose-mouthed pocket, b, on either hip, placed some¬ what farther forward than the customary pistol-pocket, forms a capital receptacle for articles to be vanished. Some per¬ formers use a single pocket, about nine inches in width and seven in depth, lying over the central portion of the loins, with a vertical opening on each side. A pocket of this kind will be found extremely useful for many tricks. For card-conjuring, this may be replaced by a couple of oblong pockets, opening vertically at the side, and designed each to hold a prepared pack of cards in a
hip and one in centre of back. The lowermost button and button¬ hole should in any case be brought as low down as possible, and a hook and eye may be added at the extreme bottom corners.
Fig. 3.
horizontal position, about an inch of the cards projecting.
Further, the outer seam down either leg, a little above the knee, is frequently opened for about an inch in two or three places ; the openings (which are invisible when the performer stands up) being in fact the mouths of tiny pockets destined for the reception of small silk handkerchiefs, fitted as described on page 3, to be produced, as the doctors say, pro re natd. A couple of rubber bands, attached inside the trouser-leg, just above the boot, may form a temporary abiding-place for half a dozen playing cards, to be “passed” there in the course of a performance h la Thurston.
With the pochettes situate behind the leg at c, the reader is doubtless already acquainted, these having formed part of the equipment of the conjurer ever since the days of Robert-Houdin. They may be larger or smaller, according to the particular purpose they are intended to serve, and it is feasible (and sometimes very useful) to have a small pocket sewn on the outside of a larger one.
Apropos of pochettes, by the way, I must not omit to note a little appliance of recent invention, in the shape of a removable pochette. This is in appearance as shown in Fig. 4. It is of black cloth, stretched on a wire frame which keeps its mouth always open, and is hooked to the back of the trouser-leg, or elsewhere as may be desirable, by means of bent pins, soldered to the frame. It is large enough to receive a pack of cards, a watch, or a small-sized billiard ball.
Fig. 4.
These pochettes are more particularly designed for the use of the amateur, who, performing only occa¬ sionally, may not care to encumber his dress suit with the regular pochettes of the professional conjurer.
Reverting to pockets proper, i. e., forming part of the actual garment, I may mention a somewhat exceptional pocket which, where circumstances admit of its use, will be found extremely valuable. It is only available where the performer has the command of a stage of his own, with an accessible space below it, and its object is to secretly “pass off” borrowed articles to an assistant below. Opening on the right or left hip, just above the ordinary pochette, it consists of a simple flat tube of silk, two and a half inches wide, open at each end, and extending right down the trouser-leg. To use it, an opening, three inches long and one and a half wide, must be cut in the stage, and hidden from the view of the spectators by the foot of a small round table or gueridon , placed just in front of it. Below the opening is suspended a small net. Obviously, if the performer stands in a suitable position beside or be¬ hind the table, and drops, say, a watch, into the mouth of the pocket, it will travel down the tube, through the hole, and into the net. It is, however, essential that the position of the foot be absolutely correct, as otherwise the watch might fall on the stage instead of through it, with results unpleasant to all parties. The right position is secured by having three wire nails driven into the floor, with the last half -inch (or less) of their length projecting above it, one for the back of the heel, the others for the outer edge of the boot to rest against. With these as guides, the performer can in a moment ascertain by feel the exact position for the due working of the arrangement. If it is desired after¬ wards to move the table, the hole can be closed by the assistant from below by a hinged trap, secured by a turn-button. The best form for the net is conical, as by adopting this shape the shock of the fall (in any case very slight) is reduced to a minimum.
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