Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

by Professor Hoffmann

Fig. 161. Fig. 162.

It is obvious that in this form of the apparatus the two pillars, being joined by the cords at the points b c, cannot be completely separated, and the fact of their always being kept close together at the lower end is quite sufficient to betray to an acute observer the principle of the trick. There is, however, an improved form of the same apparatus, in which, after the apparent cutting of the cord, the two pillars are held wide apart, one in each hand of the performer, and yet, when they are again placed side by side, the string runs backwards and forwards merrily as ever. The pillars are, in this instance, of the form shown in [Fig. 161]. They are about six inches in length, of light and elegant shape, having at each end a ball or knob of about an inch and a quarter in diameter, flattened on one face to allow of the pillars being laid closely side by side. The cord, as in the former case, passes down the first pillar from a to b, but instead of passing out at b, it is rolled round a little pulley working in the lower knob of that pillar. (See [Fig. 162], which gives a sectional view of the lower portion of each pillar.) A similar cord is passed down from d in the second pillar to c, and is there rolled round a second pulley, but in the opposite direction to that of the first cord; so that, if both pulleys move in the same direction, the cord on the one will be wound, and the cord on the other unwound. Each pulley is of one piece with its axis, the axis of the one terminating in a little square tenon or nut, and that of the other in a corresponding mortice or hollow, so that when the two pillars are placed side by side, their axes fit the one into the other, and whichever of the two pulleys is set in motion, the like movement is communicated to the other. The effect of this is as follows: If the cord at a be pulled, it unwinds that portion of the cord which is wound on the pulley at b, and by the same movement winds up the cord on the other pulley; and vice versâ. We have omitted to mention that there is glued into a little hole on the flat side of each of the upper knobs, exactly opposite the points a and b, a very minute piece, say an eighth of an inch in length, of similar cord; these greatly heightening the appearance of reality upon the apparent cutting of the cord.

The pillars are brought forward side by side, the nut of the one pulley fitting strictly into the hollow of the other. The performer shows, by drawing the cord backwards and forwards, that it fairly traverses the two pillars from side to side. Taking a knife, he passes it between the two pillars, and to all appearance cuts the cord, immediately taking the pillars one in each hand, and showing the cut ends (really the short bits on the inside) to prove that it is fairly cut through. Again bringing the pillars together, taking care that the mortice and the nut correspond as before, he commands the cord to be restored, and again pulls it backwards and forwards as at first.

Some little fun may be created by placing the upper knobs of the pillars pincer-fashion, one on each side of a person’s nose, the cord being thus apparently made to run right through the nose. An air of greater probability may be given to this curious effect by first piercing the nose with the magic bradawl. This is in appearance an ordinary bradawl, but the blade is so arranged as to recede into the handle on the slightest pressure, again reappearing (being, in fact, forced forward by a spiral spring in the handle) as soon as the pressure is removed. A duplicate bradawl of ordinary make is first handed round for examination, and the trick bradawl being adroitly substituted, the performer proceeds therewith to bore a hole through the nose of any juvenile volunteer who will submit to the operation. Holding a piece of cork on one side of the nose, he apparently thrusts the awl through the nose, the sinking of the blade into the handle exactly simulating the effect of a genuine perforation. (Some performers make use of a sponge moistened with some liquid resembling blood, which by a little pressure is made to trickle down from the imaginary wound; but this is a piece of realism which we think is better omitted.) The nose being thus apparently pierced, the imagination of the spectators is in a measure prepared to accept the phenomenon of the restored cord running through it as already described.

Fig. 163.

The Magic Coffers.—These are round tin boxes, japanned to taste, and made generally about five inches in depth by three in diameter, though they are sometimes larger. (See [Fig. 163].) The only speciality about them is a moveable portion a, which may either be removed with the lid or left upon the box, according as the lid is lifted with or without lateral pressure. This moveable portion is bottomed with a grating of parallel wires, an eighth of an inch apart. The coffers are generally worked in pairs, the effect produced by them being the apparent transmission of the contents of the one to the other, and vice versâ. They may be worked with various articles. For our present purpose we will suppose that the performer desires to change white haricot beans to coffee-berries, both of which suit the apparatus very well. He beforehand fills the one coffer with beans, and the moveable compartment belonging to it with coffee-berries, doing exactly the reverse as to the second coffer. The coffers are now brought forward, and the performer, removing the lids (with the moveable compartments), allows the spectators to satisfy themselves that each coffer is full to the bottom, and that the contents are nothing more or less than what they appear to be. This being established, he returns to his table, and again puts the lids on the coffers, taking care that that which contains the beans shall be placed on the coffer containing the coffee-berries, and vice versâ. He now requests two of the younger spectators to step forward, and assist him with the trick. A couple of volunteers having been procured, they are made to salute the audience, and are then seated upon chairs at each side of the stage, each being entrusted with one of the coffers, which, that all may see, they are requested to hold with both hands above their heads. The performer, standing between them, says, “Now, young gentlemen, I must caution you to hold tight, or the electrical forces which are rapidly generating in these magic coffers will carry them clean away, and possibly you along with them. Now, first please tell me, just to start fair, which coffer is it that you have got, sir, the one with the beans, or the one with the coffee-berries?” The chances are ten to one against the extempore assistants remembering which was which, and the majority of the audience will be equally uncertain. The professor pretends surprise and disappointment. “Ladies and gentlemen, you cannot possibly appreciate the beauty of these philosophical experiments unless you follow them carefully from the commencement. I will open the coffers once more.” So saying, he opens first the one coffer and then the other, taking care, however, to lift the lids only, so that the one which really contains the coffee-berries shows the layer of beans, and that which contains the beans the layer of coffee-berries. In each case he takes up a handful, and lets them flow back from his hand into the coffer, the better to impress upon the audience the contents of each, finally placing a bean in the hands of the youth who holds the supposed coffer of beans, and a berry in the hands of the holder of the supposed coffee-berries. Again closing the lids, he requests the person holding the bean to throw it into the closed coffer held by the other. The juvenile, looking foolish, replies that it can’t be done; and a similar reply is received from the youth holding the other coffer. The performer, addressing the company, asks some one else to make the attempt, but equally without success. He continues, “Gentlemen, among this large and brilliant audience not one person can be found who will undertake to throw this little bean into one of those coffers. Imagine, then, the difficulty of passing the whole of the beans which this coffer contains into the other, not dropping even one on the way, and at the same moment transferring the whole of the berries in this coffer into that which, a moment before, was full to the brim with the beans. But it must be done. Young gentlemen, will you be kind enough to repeat with me, One, two, three! At the word ‘three,’ by the way, you had better close your eyes, or they might possibly be injured by the shower of beans and berries. Are you ready, Mr. Beans? Are you ready, Mr. Berries? Now, then, One! two! three!!! Did you feel them pass? I hope they did not hurt you. Now let us once more open the coffers. I have kept my word, you see—Mr. Beans has the coffee-berries, and Mr. Berries has the beans. Will you please step forward, and show the company that the coffers are, as at first, full to the very bottom.” The lids, containing the moveable compartments, he meanwhile places carelessly upon his table.

Some performers make the change more than once, and it is obvious that the contents of the coffers may be made to apparently change places any number of times. If this is done, however, the secret of the false tops is apt to be suspected; whereas, in the method above described, the audience have, as they believe, proved the coffers full to the bottom, both before and after the trick; and this greatly increases the difficulty of accounting for the transposition.

The object of having the false tops bottomed with open wirework, instead of with tin, is to be prepared for the expression of a suspicion on the part of the audience as to the existence of a false top. In such case the performer, borrowing a penknife, passes it well down through the upper layer of beans, etc., and through the wirework, thus proving (apparently) that the coffer is open to the bottom. In the trick as above described, however, the expression of such a suspicion is a very remote contingency.

The trick is sometimes performed with sweetmeats in one or both of the coffers, and in this form has an added charm for a juvenile audience, who complete the trick by swallowing that portion of the apparatus.