Second sight secrets and mechanical magic

by Herman Pinetti

Besides the ushers and assistants we see with the performer at his exhibition he also employs a number of men and women of whom the audience know nothing. They act as assistants to the performer in many ways. Usually one or two of them make a systematic canvass of the town to be played in a week or so in advance of the performer in the ostensible occupation of book-agent or peddler of some sort. Their real mission is, however, to keep their eyes and ears open and gain all the knowledge possible that may be of assistance to their employer. They mail a list made up with index to the performer before they leave the town for the next. On this list they have described subjects of local interest in the town which they have canvassed. The list may contain a description of some local mystery, such as a robbery, murder, fire or wreck, together with a list of names of those persons who are, or are thought to be, implicated in any way. If an election of any sort is soon to take place they send the performer a list of the candidates, with the probable successful candidates, and about how many votes each is expected to carry. If some race or athletic event is soon to occur the favorites are mentioned.

This information the performer’s “advance guard” find out from local papers and by overhearing conversations in the hotels, on the streets, and at the houses and offices at which they call. By using a little diplomacy, they can “pump” a whole lot of local gossip and useful information from the unsuspecting citizens whom they run across, all of which is sent to the performer, who follows along a week or two afterwards. This preliminary work is known by professionals as “planting a town,” and the performer usually reaps the harvest.

Another use of the confederates is to have them scattered through the audience at the performances. They make it their business to see and learn what questions those around them write or have written. They can often overhear one person telling another what question he has written. The confederates or “cappers,” as they are known, make copies of these questions they learn of by spying on those around them and by hearing them talked of. Sometimes they cannot get the person’s name, and in this case they give the number of the seat the person is sitting in or a description of the person. In other cases a person’s name is all they can see or overhear. They write this down, however, for all information, no matter how trivial, can be made use of in the performance. The “cappers” also write down a description of the question, whether written in ink or pencil and the color of same, and a description of what it is written on, whether a large, small or narrow piece of paper, card or envelope.

When the boards and papers are passed around the “cappers” write down all the information they have gathered. This writing by the “cappers” is not noticed by those sitting around them, for they write the questions on one of the boards distributed and at the same time all are writing. When the “cappers” return the boards and pencils to the ushers they pass the slips, containing the information which they have gathered, rolled up in little balls to the ushers, who take them in back of stage to the medium.

A star test is usually worked up by aid of the “cappers,” the medium answering some question which they are supposed to have written, about the past or present, describing the details of what they inquire about in a very tragic manner, the “cappers” announcing that all she tells them is absolutely correct.

The treasurer or ticket seller of the theatre or hall is usually taken into the confidence of the performer, and he can furnish additional information, as he knows the people in town well and by name, and is able to tell the performer what seats they are sitting in. He is also able to draw out from those buying tickets what questions they intend to ask, or they will often volunteer the information, telling the treasurer that they are coming to see the performance to find out who stole their watch or who will be the next mayor, or whatever they may wish to know. The treasurer makes a note of all this, and this information is used in the act. The person, however, who tells the treasurer what he would like to know may not write the question at all. In this case, the medium calling on him and being informed that he has written no question states that he is thinking of such or such a thing, and this adds greatly to the act and makes a number of converts to occultism.

It will be seen now that if at every performance the four or five “cappers” sitting among the audience are all successful in finding out two or three questions which are written at home or outside of the theatre and a description of what they are written upon, together with what information is obtained from the treasurer of the house, and also the questions which the medium obtains from the “fake” boards, the medium has now obtained abundant ammunition of mystery to fire at the audience for about an hour, the solution of which passes over their heads.

This method of employing confederates to find out questions written outside of the theatre is, of course, expensive, and some performers do not like to use it, not only on account of the expense, but because often-times “cappers” or “planters” leave the performers and start a show of their own or give away some of the secrets, so some resort to another method, which is simple and worked very openly, the working of which I will now describe.

When the medium is covered with the sheet an assistant under the stage passes up through a small hole or trap in the floor either a rubber speaking-tube or a small telephone receiver connected by wires. This is either connected to the medium’s ear by a band which passes around her head or is held to her ear by her hand. The rubber speaking-tube or the wires from the telephone, whichever is used, run under the stage to an assistant. The arrangement of theatres being very different, there is no fixed place for the assistant to conceal him or herself, but it is always in the most advantageous position—sometimes at the side of the platform, sometimes in one of the lower boxes, but usually underneath the stage, directly under the footlights or under the runway which runs from the stage out to the auditorium. The sides of this runway being boarded up or covered with rugs or carpets, the assistant is concealed from view of the audience. In one of the steps leading from the runway down to the floor of the auditorium there is a secret opening, by means of which the performer is able to pass, unobserved, slips of paper containing questions and suggestions, which are read by assistant and telephoned to medium sitting under sheet.

The performer usually stands near these steps and walks back and forth, while his assistants or ushers wander over the theatre locating the people whose names are called.