Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1885 — SLEIGHT-OF-HAND. [ARTICLE]

SLEIGHT-OF-HAND.

The Way a Prestidigitator Fooled a Party of Loungers—Something Very Much Like Mind-Heading. “How much can you influence any one?” “I will show you the whole extent of my power, or any other man’s, in this respect,” said the professor, taking a pencil from his pocket. He borrowed a visiting eard from one of the party, held it under the table and wrote a figure on it. Then he folded it up until it was like a ball and tossed it across the table to the writer. “Put that piece of paper in your pocket, please, and button your coat over it. Now I’ll tell you what I propose to do. Give Hie another card. Observe, I write on this card a series of numbers. It doesn’t make much difference how many. They are: 5,1, 3,0, 2,4, 7,9, 8. “Now, I propose, by an effort of my mind, to make you select the number i from this list which is written on the folded card in your pocket, and which you have not seen. Take the pencil and card," tossing them across the table, “and cross out one of those numbers. Look me in the eye for a moment. Now I" The writer deliberately chose tlia figure 4, and was about to cross it out when he suddenly resolved to take Vlio 7. He changod his mind again, end abruptly drew the penoil through She figure 2. “Take the card out of your pocket, please, and open it.” When the card was unfolded the figure 2 was written in the middle. “I don’t claim that I can do that every time,” said the professor, taking no notice of the amazement of tho others, “but it. seldom fails. Sometimes I have the subject cross out three figures at a time. This dono twice, and leaves three more if nine are written. Then let him cross out two more, and the one left standing is the one in his pocket. There is small trickery about it.” He then, at their request, tried the experiment on the other five members of the party. He was successful in everv instance. “That is all there is of spiritualism or mind-reading,” said he; “the rest is simple trickery like this,” As he spoko he stretched one hand across the table, gently took as 2 bill.from the hand of a waiter who was handing it in change to one of the party, and crumpled it up in his hand, which he still hold over the table. Then he showed it to the man, and it was changed to a S2O bill. Goldberg tossed it to hiin, and he at onco thrust it into his pocket with the remark that he was $lB winner. “Are you'sure?” asked the professor. “Of course. I know when I put a S2O bill in my pocket.” “It’s a $1 bill,” said the professor, quietly. “The original $2 bill is in the celery glass.” The man pulled out the bill, found it was sl, threw it across to the professor, pulled the $2 out of the celery glass, and gasped: “Where’s that twenty?” “Here in my hand.” “Well, motion is quicker than sight.” “Wrong again. Motion cannot be quicker than sight. The reason yon don’t see me substitute one of those bills for another is because I distracted your attention at the instant I made the change. Show us a poker hand if you’ve got cards with you.” “I haven’t any. I left mine at the club.” A pack was procured by the waiter, who regarded the magician with awe, as he said: “Very many poker players, men of the world at that, do not believe that one expert card sharp could go into a party of four or five honest players and cheat them without discovery. Now I’ll deal four hands.” He shuffled the cards in a number of ways, but always, so far as appearance went, very honestly. He then asked the men on his right to cut them, and had them cut once more “for purity’s sake” by another player. Then he dealt them around, one at a time, to four players, including himself, and the other players picked up their cards. “Gad! I’d like to play this hand,” muttered the first man. * I could down you,” said tho second man, with an important scowl. The third was the expression of a man who looks down upon lii3 fellows, as he remarked : “I’d bet everything I could win on this,” Meanwhile the professor had slipped into his top coat and was drawing on his gloves. The first had three ki n ß 3 and a pair of queens, the second four aces and a king, and a third a straight flush, nine high, an almost invincible hand. “What’s yours, professor ?” The magisian turned up the winning band ® ten high straight flush.