C A R D

M Y S T E R I E S

S e c o n d E d it io n

BY

T. Page Wright and William Larsen

H ERE is no branch of magic in which it is more difficult to make a safe claim of originality than in card magic. At best, the majority of new feats can be but variations upon those that have gone before, and it is far from infrequent to find two or more men independently stumbling upon an identical

idea. The literature upon this subject is so voluminous that it is to be doubted if any individual can claim knowledge of all the card problems that have ever appeared in print. Yet we feel no need to apologize for the publication of another card manuscript; voluminous though the literature upon this subject is, new contributions to it are always welcomed by magicians, and to the best of our belief the effects contained herein have been hitherto unknown. Most of them are admittedly adaptations of standard principles, but we have included only such items as seemed to us to possess sufficient originality, in effect or in handling, to make them of interest to even the well informed magician. Many of the feats contained herein will be found to require no manipulative ability whatever; all of them are within easy reach of the performer of ordinary dexterity. The wise expert, however, will not disdain them because they are subtle rather than difficult, for he will recognize that, in common with all magic,

if they are to be effective they require the highest type of magical skill skill in presentation. Whether each effect that fol

lows will appear to a spectator as just another card trick or as an apparent miracle of magic will depend

entirely upon the individual performer.

The majority o f card effects will probably always consist o f having a card selected in some manner, and discovering what it is. The problems that follow in this section employ only ordinary cards, and require practically no skill, and with but one exception they may be performed impromptu, making them useful additions to the repertoire of any magician.

Sympathetic LocationSPECTATOR shuffles a deck, which may have been borrowed, and cutting it into two portions retains one and hands the other to the performer. The top card of each portion is taken off, and the spectator looks at and remembers both, the performer seeing the face of neither card. The halves of the deck are placed back together. The performer places his card on the deck, and buries it by cutting. The spectator likewise places his card on the

____ _______ deck and buries it by giving the deck a cut, thus making it obvious that the two cards mustbe at different, and unknown, positions. The whole deck is then squared up and given an additional cut by the spectator, to make sure that the performer could not be keeping track of the position of either card. The deck is now dealt into two face down packets, a card at a time to each. So far, the magician points out, the two cards have been treated in exactly the same manner. Each was taken from the top of a cut heap. Each was cut back into the deck. As a result a certain sympathy between the two cards has been created that will cause them to continue to act in the same way, so that if one is dealt, the other will always be dealt at the same time. So saying, the magician takes a packet in either hand and rapidly deals the cards face up onto the table, dealing a card from each packet alternately. As was foretold, as soon as one card is dealt, the other noted card is dealt upon it, from the other packet!

Though this little feat was suggested by one of the problems of C. T. Jordan, not only the effect butthe method of utilizing the principle is considerably different.

The spectator shufHes the deck and gives half to the performer. When the performer apparently lifts off the top card of his portion, he actually lifts off the two top cards as one. The spectator actually lifts off his top card, and remembers the names of both cards. The performer puts the two halves of the deck back together, and places his cardreally twoon top. He then appears to cut the deck, thus bringing the top card to the center. This cut is made as follows: the deck is held by the sides at the ends between fingersand thumbs of both hands, the left first finger pressing on the top card. The right hand draws off the upper half of the deck, but the pressure of the left forefinger retains the top card, which remains on the left hand portion. The right hand packet is then slapped onto the left hand packet. Apparently the deck has been cut. Actually the cards are in the same order as before, except that the top card has been brought to the center. The sleight will be found fully described in Erdnase Expert At The Card Table. Though the spectator may note that the cut is not an ordinary one, he will think nothing of it, for it is obvious that the top card, which he assumes to be the one he noted, is genuinely buried in the center of the deck by this mode of cutting. Actually the card he noted is now on top of the deck, so that when he places the other noted card on top and cuts in the ordinary fashion the two noted cards are together, and further cutting will not alter this.

Now when the deck is dealt into two packets, a card at a time to each, one of the noted cards will be in each packet, and if a packet is taken in each hand and the cards dealt rapidly face up onto the table from each packet alternately the two cards will necessarily come out together. Before dealing, the performer requests the names of the two cards, so that he will know when he deals them, and may stop at that point, with proper dramatic effect. Cards are dealt from either packet alternately, rather than dealing the packets face up simultaneously, because the performer does not know from which packet he will deal the first noted card. The dealing is done by pushing the cards off one at a time with the thumb, turning the hand over so that the cards will fall face up. The more rapid the deal, the more effective.

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SECOND METHODThis is intended, not as an alternative method, but as a follow-up. The effect is apparently repeated.

The spectator watches as closely as he wishes; there are no false moves, yet the effect is again successful.Though the principle employed in this version is daring, experience has proven that it is most effective.

Though the application of it to this experiment is our own, the principle is not, but we have been unable to discover the originator.

The performer riffle-shuffles the deck, and in so doing secretly gets the name of the card second from the top. Placing the deck on the table, the spectator is invited to take half. He naturally gets the top half. The spectator is told to do with his packet just as the performer does with his; two-thirds of the packet is lifted off and cut over to the right, and then the rop half of this cut to the right again, so that performer and spectator have three packets each. The performer peeks a the top card of his right hand packet and names it; the spectator does likewise with the top card of the packet he last cut off. The performer turns his back and requests the spectator to gather up the packets in any order, then square up the deck and give it a cut. The experiment is then finished as before.

The secret is very simple. The card which the spectator peeks at will be the card which was originally at the top of the deck. The card the performer names is not the card he is looking at, at the top of his packet, but the card he previously noted as being second from the top of the pack, and hence the card which is now below the one the spectator is looking at! As a result, no matter in what order the packets are assembled the two cards will be together, and the feat will succeed! The performer urges the spectator to speed as he assembles the packets, so that there is no danger he will look at the top cards. In this version the misdirection is everything, but the secret is so simple that it is quite baffling.

THIRD METHODThough we can hardly recommend repeating this effect indefinitely, a spectator will sometimes request

another repetition in hopes of discovering the working. Should this ever occur, here is still another method. The spectator is requested to shuffle the deck as in the first method, but instead of cutting it he deals it into two portions, a card at a time to each. The performer turns up the top card of his portion, the spectator taking the top card of the other. The magician drops his card back on his portion and buries it in the deck by dropping the other half onto it. The spectator places his card on top of the deck, and cuts the deck as often as he desires. The performer deals the pack into two heaps, but instead of dealing a card at a time to each he rapidly deals off the top twenty-six into one packet, dealing down the remainder one at a time to make the second packet. The experiment is concluded as usual. The working in this case is automatic; the fact that the deck was dealt into two equal heaps at the start causing the two cards when replaced in the deck after this manner to lie just twenty-six cards apart, and dealing the two packets as described causes the cards to lie at similar positions in the packets. Though the least subtle of the three methods, as a repetition it merely increases the mystery.

SPECTATOR is invited to shuffle a pack, cut it into halves and hand either half to the performer, cutting his half into as many packets as he wishes. The performer deals a card onto each of these packets from the bottom of his half, throwing out the next card from the bottom with a request to note it, and drop it on any packet while the performers back is turned, gathering up the packets in any order. The rest of the deck is tossed on top and the spectator is invited to cut the cards in any manner; he may shuffle them if he wishes,

takes the deck and rapidly running through the cards face up remarks, "Since you mixed your card in with the others it is of course quite impossible for me to know that this is your card! at the same time tossing out onto the table a card which the spectator must admit is the one he noted.

Though this not-very-novel effect would never puzzle a magician, the rapid fire of instructions completely misdirects a layman from the simple method actually employed.

The performer

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lhe performer is handed half the pack. While the spectator is engaged in cutting his half into as many jackets as he wishes, the performer has ample opportunity to secretly glimpse the card at the bottom of these he holds. When he deals a card from the bottom of his portion onto each packet on the table, he really deals each time the card next to the bottom, by means of the old "glide sleight, as described in Modern Magic, so that when he then tosses another card from the bottom to be noted and dropped on any packet, it is the card he already knows, and consequently he will have no difficulty discovering it later.

A Face Down DetectionHE spectator is handed a shuffled pack, and is instructed that while the performer has his

back turned or is out of the room he is to deal a row of cards on the table, from left to right, and look at the card at the right end, which will be the last dealt. As he may deal any number of cards in the row the performer cannot, of course, know beforehand what this card will be. Then he is to deal across the row again, a card at a time across on each card originally dealt, as many times as he wishes. Finally he is to assemble the packets by

dropping the one at the right end on the one next to it, those two together on the one next and so on across. The rest of the pack has been discarded; this assembled packet is to be squared up and given a single cut.

The performer now comes back into the room. He points out that not knowing how many cards were Jealt into a row he cannot know what the card is; not knowing how many times the row was dealt across ifterwards he cannot discover by counting how many cards were in that row, and since the packets were assembled and the resulting packet cut he certainly cannot guess where the card is now. The problem is so find it. Taking the packet he deals out the cards face up, one at a time, throwing out one card face down Juring the dealing without ever glancing at its face. This proves to have been the noted card!

We regret that we cannot give credit for this clever effect, which was shown us many years ago, but we snow not by whom. Due to the subtle principle, it is as puzzling to a magician as a layman. Every magician is familiar with the principle of locating a card by knowing its distance from a known key card, but in this jase it is obvious the noted card will be an indeterminate distance.from any one card which may have been previously noted. The secret lies in the remembering of two key cards.

The magician first explains what he wishes the spectator to do. As the instructions are rather involved, his is best done by illustrating the whole procedure with the cards. Gathering them up, the magician casually gives them an additional shuffle, in the course of which he notes the two cards at the top of the pack and remembers them. These will of course be the two cards first dealt out.

It will be seen that if the spectator follows instructions, when the assembled packet is cut the two key cards will be brought above the noted card, and that the distance between the first and second key cards will be equal to the distance between the second key card and the noted card. Therefore in dealing face up the performer waits until the first key card falls and then begins counting with the next card dealt, counting until rhe second key card falls. Say this falls at number five. The performer recommences mentally counting one with the next card and continues to count, but when he comes to number five, instead of turning it face up, he tosses it to one side still face down, knowing that it is the card noted. That is all.

A Prophecied DiscoveryHE magician, after the manner of card magicians, writes something upon a slip of paper and places it to one side, writing down. A pack of cards is then introduced and given a genuine shuffle. Explaining that for the experiment it is necessary to have the colors separated, the cards are rapidly sorted into reds and blacks, and the spectator invited to indicate either color. From this packet the performer deals a number of small heaps onto the table, a different number of cards to each, dealing first one card separately, then a heap of two, a

heap of three, a heap of four and one of five. Any one of these is freely selected by the spectator. The others are picked up, the cards being casually shown to be all different. The spectator is invited to add the

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pips on the cards of his packet, and when he has the total to count down to the card at that number in the black cards. He does, and finds, that card to be, say, the ace of clubs. Whereupon he turns over the slip of paper and, unless his opinion of the performer is very low, is probably not very surprised to find that the magician has previously written thereon the name of that card, the ace of clubs.

This effect depends, of course, upon a simple arrangement of the cards. Red and black cards are separated. Red cards are arranged, from face toward back of packet, 10-9-1-3-1-6-4-K-2-4-J-2-5-Q-3, suit being immaterial. The tenth card from the face of the black packet is then noted, as that is to be prophecied. Say it is the ace of clubs. Now the colors are placed together, one on the other. When the feat is introduced the performer cuts the deck at thg color division and riffle shuffles the red cards into the black. As he immediately separates the colors again, this shuffle affects the arrangement not at all, save that in separating the colors the cards are dealt out one at a time, with the result that both packets are reversed, so that now the arrangement is from back toward face of packet.

Having the spectator select either color is merely for misdirection. If he points to the red packet, the performer grasps it and proceeds to deal from it. If he points to the black, the performer says: "Thenwe shall have a card selected from that packet. In order to determine what it will be, I shall and continuing he takes the red packet and deals from it as he wishes.

One card is dealt off first, then two in a heap, then three, then four and then five. It is this different number of cards in each heap that differentiates this experiment from similar ideas and adds a subtle touch of misdirection. The spectator selects any heap freely. The others are picked up, and casually fanned to show the cards all different, as they will appear well mixed, particularly if not picked up in order.

The spectator is invited to add the pips on the cards he holds. If he has picked any of the first three heaps he is told to count any court cards he may have as tena good piece of misdirection, as the performer knows he has no court cards. If, however, he has picked the fourth or fifth heaps, he is told to add the pips, ignoring court cards, and counting only spot cards. In either case, his total will come to ten, and consequently he will count to the ace of clubs as prophecied, when he counts in the black heap.

NYONE shuffles a deck and gives it to the performer. A spectator glimpses a card in the center of the pack. The performer then fans out a number of cards, inviting the spectator to indicate any one and turn up the corner of it enough to enable him to see what it is. Instantly the fan is closed up, and the spectator himself squares up the deck and gives it a cut to make sure that the location of that card is lost. The performer then rapidly deals the deck into a number of heaps, pointing out as he does that since he has seen the face of

no card, he cannot know what either card is, neither can he know where either card is. (The spectator may doubt him; as a matter of fact, both these things are true.) Yet he will find the first noted card by the simple expedient of sending the second one in search of it. He has finished dealing, and the spectator is invited to assemble the heaps in any order while the performers back is turned. The spectator names the cards, and upon going through the deck they are found to now be together.

This represents a different utilization of a known principle.The first card noted must be brought to the top of the deck, or preferably to second from the top, in

which case the performer may show top and bottom cards as a casual guarantee of fair play. The easiest way to accomplish this is to insert the left little finger above the card, temporarily holding the break, and a few seconds later to cut at that point for a riffle shuffle. The top eight or ten cards are now fanned, and the spectator permitted to select and note any one of them, without removing it. The performer secretly counts the number of cards from the card first noted to the second one. As they are fanned this can be done instantaneously. Suppose it to be five. The fan is closed up and the spectator cuts the pack. The performer then rapidly deals the pack into five heaps, a card at a time; the number of heaps corresponding to the number of cards from the first one noted to the second. This brings the two cards together. As they will fall together near the center of one of the heaps, the order in which the heaps are assembled is of no importance. When the pack is run through, it is found that the feat has been accomplished.

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The possibilities of prepared cards are something unrealized by many performers. Let us admit that the indiscriminate use o f faked cards as a substitute for sleight-of-hand makes for bad performing. But the occasional employment o f prepared cards serves to vary the usual methods of the performer in a manner that makes for the bewilderment o f spectators, and enables most startling effects.

HIS is an excellent experiment for club or similar audiences. Most men, remarks the performer, enjoy betting on horse races, trying to guess the winner, or trying to guess who willwin a football game or a boxing bout. But it is no fun for him, because he can always guesscorrectly; more than that, he can give anyone else the power of guessing correctly, as he can prove.

While saying this he has been casually shuffling a deck of cards. Now he brings it forward, and invites anyone to cut it, guessing before they do which color they will cut. He declares that he will give them the power of guessing correctly. A man guesses, say, that he will cut at a red card; he cuts the deck and no matter where he cuts the card proves to be red. The next man may guess black; if he doeshe will certainly cut at a black card, at the will of the performer. At any time the magician may reverse theproceedings by declaring that a certain person will guess wrongly; then as surely as that person guesses that he will cut red his card will be black, and vice versa.

Since only one deck is used, and the spectators themselves do the cutting, trickery would seem to be almost impossible, but as a matter of fact the method is perfectly simple.

A deck is prepared by cutting all the black cards short, and the red cards narrow. The portion cut is only about one sixteenth of an inch, so the alteration in shape produced is hardly noticeable. This is best done on a regular card cutting machine, as then the rerounding of the corners is perfect.

At start red and black are separate. The performer cuts at the division and shuffles the two colors together, as evenly as possible. He then knocks side and end of the cards on the table to square them up. Now he brings the pack forward, holding the cards face down from above in his right hand. Anyone guesses a color. As they do he shifts the pack to his left hand, grasping it in such a position that they must cut at a card of the color they wish, and with the left hand offers the pack to be cut. If the pack is cut by the ends, since the red cards are long a red card must be cut. If the pack is cut by the sides, since the black cards are wide a black card must be cut. If the performer holds the pack in the left hand by the sides, the spectator will have to grasp it by the ends in order to cut it, while if the performer in offering it grasps it by the ends the spectator will have to grasp the sides to cut, and thus the performer can force the spectator to cut either color, at will. As soon as this is done, and the cut portion replaced, the performer retakes the pack from above in his right hand and moves on to another spectator, ready to repeat the maneuver.

Readers particularly interested in this experiment will find in the third section of this manuscript another method of producing this effect, for which only ordinary cards are required. Since we are here concerned with prepared cards, however, we will continue with:

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A Self working MysteryCARD is freely selected from a deck, and replaced. A number of cards are fanned, and any one of these also freely selected. The number indicated by the pips on this second card is counted down to, and the card at that number proves to be the first selected card.

The deck used is a stripper deck. Before beginning the top ten cards have been arranged ace to ten, ten on top of deck, and reversed so they can be instantly cut off by touch.

At start the deck is shuffled. Holding the pack with the backs of the cards squarely to the audience, so that the disparity in the size of the packets is not visible, the ten top cards are cut off and riffle-shuffled into the rest of the deck. Then the deck is apparenly cutactually the ten reversed cards are stripped out and replaced on top, which leaves the deck in exactly the same order as it originally was! This principle, using a stripper deck in conjunction with prearrangements to permit a genuine shuffle and yet enable the arrangement to be regained, does not seem well known, and is of general utility.

Now the cards are fanned, and a card freely selected from the center of the pack. While the spectator is looking at it the fan is closed; then the performer cuts off a portion of the deck to have the chosen card replaced. He actually cuts off the top ten cards, so that the chosen one is replaced eleventh. And again the deck is squared up. At this point it helps to give the deck a false cut, which will leave the cards in the same order as before. Now the performer lifts a number of cards from the deck. He actually cuts off the top ten cards. The remainder of the pack is placed upon the table. The ten cardsno attention is called to the number, the performer appearing to have merely cut off a small portion at randomare fanned with the aid of both hands. The spectator selects any one of these. When he does the hands separate the fan at this point, the left hand getting all the cards below that taken, while the right hand takes all those above. The left hand drops to the table, dropping its cards onto the deck, which is then picked up and dropped onto the cards held in the right hand. This procedure automatically places the selected card at the number in the deck indicated by the pips on the second card selected, due to the original arrangement. Counting off must of course be done face down.

This feat can be done with any deck, provided the ace is some sort of key card which can be instantly cut at. The performer will have no difficulty retaining his top stock on the preliminary shuffle.

A Dark TestN ORDINARY DECK is thoroughly shuffled. The performer requests one of the spec

tators to put out the light. He hands half the deck to each of two spectators, requesting that they thoroughly shuffle the cards they hold, then select one and place it in their pocket, handing the remainder to the performer, who tosses them onto the table. All this of course is done in the dark. The lights are once more turned on. The performer never touches the cards on the table again, nor even looks at them; under such conditions it would seem

he could discover what cards have been selected, yet he can name them before they are even removed from their own pockets by the spectators themselves.

Everything may be thoroughly examined. Done with proper dramatic effect this problem seems almost spiritualistic in its nature.

Like all good secrets this one is exceedingly simple. Two packs are required. One is ordinary. The other is a forcing pack, half being all one card and half another. The duplicates of these two cards have been removed from the ordinary pack.

Half the forcing pack rests in each side coat pocket. The performer has the ordinary pack thoroughly shuffled. He has a spectator stand at either side of him, near the table. He takes back the shuffled pack in his right hand. The left hand may rest casually in the coat pocket. The trouser pockets will of course serve quite as well if preferred.

impossible that

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The lights are turned out. The performer says: "I am going to cut this pack in half and give half toeach of you. This has given him time to get half the forcing pack from the left pocket with the left hand, and this is given to the spectator on the left. The right hand, still holding the ordinary pack, dives into the right pocket and gets the other half of the forcing pack, between first finger and thumb. This is brought out and given to the spectator on the right. Each spectator following instructions given by the performer shuffles his cards, selects one and pockets it. The performer gathers up these two packets with his left hand. The right hand drops the ordinary deck on the table while the left hand pockets all the forcing cards. Now the lights may be turned on. The performer will have no trouble naming the card of each man, and since he is left with an ordinary complete pack, without duplicates, everything may be examined as much as desired.

While on the subject of dark tests we are reminded of another one we have been performing. We have not heard of anyone else doing this problem, but so much has been written recently concerning the properties of luminous paint that it seems improbable that others have not been experimenting along the same lines. A pack is prepared by coating the surface of each card with luminous paint. This pack is brought forward in its case, and the cards are spread out face downward on the table, which is preferably under a fairly strong light. The performer, after instructing what is to be done, leaves the room. Any card is turned face upward, and a sketch made of it on a slip of paper. The paper is then burned. The card is turned face down again, and shuffled in among the others, and all replaced in the case. The deck is carried in to the performer, who excuses himself with it for a moment, and returning is enabled to name the card. When the deck is carried into the dark this particular card of course will shine, usually with sufficient strength to enable its denomination to be distinguished in the dark. The test is even better with a medium, the performer supervising the preliminary portion of the experiment, the deck being then carried in to the medium by anyone. The cards are coated evenly all over their faces with the aid of a cotton swab. The paint gives them a slight yellowish tinge, and makes them a little sticky, but if a deck not too new be used this appears perfectly natural.

HE PREPARATION of the cards used in this experiment is open and admitted, every card having a hole, about the size of a dollar, punched through the center of it.

Since a version of this experiment appeared in a booklet a year or so ago it may be well to point out that the original version of this experiment was described by one of us in the Magical Bulletin for December, 1924; the present version, which was devised shortly afterward, is included herein because it is considerably better than any which has appeared in

print.The deck is introduced in a stiff case, tied about with narrow silken ribbon. The ribbon is removed

and draped about the neck of the performer, and the cards slid from the case and shown. If the conjurer wishes, he may explain the hole through the cards by confessing that the last time he went to buy cards he asked for cards with a linen finish, but instead they gave him cards with a woolen finish and the moths got in them. Now that he has them, he must use them, and so he will employ them to illustrate the old medieval tale of the prisoners escape.

Two of the cards will represent the prisoners, but they will need help, so two members of the audience are allowed to decide which of the prisoners they would prefer to assist. Or, in plain English, they each select a card. These are returned, and the performer goes back to his table. He explains that after the prisoners were captured by the wicked knight who is villain of the tale they were strung up by the thumbs while being transported to the dungeon. As the cards have no thumbs, the effect loses a little in realism, but nothing in security of fastening, for the performer strings the ribbon which he has had about his neck through the hole in the center of the cards, so that they are all on it. None the less, one prisoner escaped, and it is suggested that the card who plays the prisoner will show how it was done. What he needs is moral support, so the lady who selected the first card is requested to smile at the deck encouragingly. As soon as she does the card comes free from the ribbon. The other cards, however, among which is the second selected one, still remain securely strung upon the ribbon. These prisoners were, alas, actually transported

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into the dungeon, represented by the card case; a very difficult place to escape from. Owing to the fact, however, that the person aiding this second prisoner has blown his breath into the dungeon, the air pressure generated enables the second prisoner to rise superior to his position, and escape, a remark illustrated by the fact that the second selected card visibly rises from the case free of the ribbon and is removed. The ends of the ribbon are taken and the other cards pulled from the case still strung upon it. If desired, all may be passed for examination.

This feat involves no apparatus save for that openly used. The magician can have the holes punched through the cards in almost any printing establishment. The case is of the stiff variety, which comes in two sections, sliding into each other, but we use only the outer section, as the cards fit more loosely into thisa feature desirable in the rising effect. The ribbon is narrow silken ribbon, a yard or a yard and a half in length. Bright scarlet ribbon and a blue backed deck of cards provides a pleasing color effect.

The performer brings the deck down to the audience in the case; sliding out the cards, he hands the case to some spectator to hold. The cards are selected and returned, one above the other. In turning toward the spectator who holds the case the performer has ample opportunity to make the pass and bring the cards to the top. The whole deck is dropped back into the case and so carried to the table.

Now apparently the cards are slid from the case once more into the left hand. Actually the left fingers check the top card of the pack, which will be the second selected card, so that it remains in the case, as this is dropped onto the table, mouth of course away from audience.

Now while talking the ribbon is apparently strung through the whole deck. The deck lies on the left palm, faces of cards to spectators. An end of the ribbon is laid across the face of the pack and held in position by the left thumb. The right first and second fingers come up behind the deck and are apparently inserted through the holes in all the cards; actually they pass in front of the rearmost card, through all the other cards, gripping the end of the ribbon and dragging it back through the hole in the deck to about half the length of the ribbon. Apparently all the cards are strung upon it; but the first selected card, the top card of the deck, in reality is not. The performer makes a half turn to the right, so that the back of the left hand is to the audience, at the same time turning the deck over sideways in the left hand, so the face of the cards is now to the palm, flicking over the ends of the ribbon so they drape over the back of the left hand. Now as the magician steps forward he makes a slip pass, slipping the top card to the center of the deck, and it is forced even with the rest of the cards. The pack can now be taken in the right hand and shown freely from all angles, the ribbon appearing to pass through all the cards. Moreover, under pretense of getting the ends of the ribbon even, it is pulled back and forth through the holes in the cards. The right hand is holding the deck by the ends; the first finger prevents the selected card from being pushed upward by this. Now the deck is rested on the right palm, the faces of the cards to the audience, and the left hand grasps the ends of the ribbons. At the proper moment the left hand lifts the ribbons and the deck is pulled off the right palm with the exception of the chosen card, which remains there, freed of the ribbon.

As soon as the card has appeared the performer names it, and then gets the spectator to verify it as the selected card. The reason for this is that it is sometimes hard for the spectator to tell, at a distance at which he cannot see the index, whether the card is or is not his, as the cutting of the center from the card makes a two like a three, etc., unless the index be noted.

Now it is demonstrated that the remaining cards are genuinely strung upon the ribbon. The deck is then taken by one end, so that the ribbon hangs from the other, and inserted in the case, taking care in so doing that the card already in the case is thereby forced into the center of the deck, facing the same way as the others, and pushing up the ribbon as it goes flush with the other cards. The performer explains that the second card will be enabled to escape because he who drew it has blown in the casebut just then he remembers that he forgot to have the drawer blow into the case. So the deck is removed while this is done, after which the deck is replaced in the case, but this time the other end up. Now by holding one end of the ribbon against the case with the hand that holds the case, and gently pulling the other end of the ribbon with the other handor better still holding that end of ribbon stationary while the case is moved away from it the second selected card can be caused to rise from the case free of the ribbon, and all is ready for examination.

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Though this is the version of this effect which we prefer, we have another which may be of interest to some, in which the deck is strung upon the ribbon not once but many times and yet the whole deck is removed, with the exception of one card, which was probably chosen long before. The ribbon is strung once genuinely through the cards, from back to front. Then this front end of the ribbon is brought up behind the cards and over, and passed through the holes once more from front to back, which results in the deck being looped on the ribbon in the familiar fashion from which it can so easily be taken while the ends of the ribbon are being held. The second time the ribbon is passed through the holes of the cards, however, it is not passed through the top card of the deck, so that that one is genuinely strung upon the ribbon at finish. Spectators may hold the ends of the ribbon, the removing being done under cover of a handkerchief.

HIS IS A VERSION of the experiment in which a chosen card is revealed by being made to turn over in the deck, but it is one of the most effective of such experiments, and certainly one of the easiest.

Two cards are selected. They are replaced in the deck separately, and obviously facing the same way as the rest of the cards, though no particular attention is called to this. The deck is squared up and given a cut. The magician throughout handles the cards at the tips

of his fingers in such a way that it can be seen he indulges in no manipulative movements whatever, yet when he fans out the deck one of the chosen cards is found reversed. The fanning is continued that it may be seen that all the other cards are still face down. The reversed card is replaced so that it faces the same way as the rest of the cards. Once more the deck is fanned out, and this time the second chosen card is found reversed!

Here is a case where the use of prepared cards makes for apparent fairness in handling. If proper dramatic effect be employed, in apparently causing the cards to magically turn over, the feat is both amusing and puzzling.

The secret lies in the employment of a double-faced card, which represents on one side, say, a jack of clubs and on the other the ten of hearts. This is placed in the deck second from the bottom. Jack and ten which match it are placed at the top of the deck. These must be forced. This is most easily done for this particular experiment by riffling the ends of the cards with the right fingers, having the spectator stop this at any point, after which the right hand lifts off all the cards above this point, the top card of the deck being slipped by the left fingers onto the top of the lower portion from whence it is pushed into the hands of the spectator. This is repeated. Any other force which will leave the fake card in the same position will of course serve equally well.

The selected cards are now replaced in the fanned upper portion of the deck. The deck is squared up and given a cut, taking care to cut below the point at which the cards were returned, that neither may be brought to the bottom. This brings the fake card to the center. After a mystic pass the cards are fanned out and one of the chosen cards is seen to have apparently reversed itself. This is shifted to the top of the deck, still face up, of course, and the deck squared up. Then the right hand holds this fake card while the left hand turns the whole deck over. Into the center of this the fake card is shoved. Now apparently all the cards face the same way again, but it will be realized that when the deck is turned once more face down and fanned out, the other side of the fake card will be revealed, so that apparently the other chosen card has reversed itself in the deck.

Few magicians seem to know the proper way to make double-faced or double-backed cards; a few practical hints may prove welcome. The cards are soaked in cold water. Three or four hours is quite long enough. Faces and backs can then be pulled apart, starting at one corner and splitting the card. The faces from the two cards are then placed together, and put between blotters, under a pile of books or similar weight. No paste or adhesive of any sort is necessary if the card faces are placed together while still wet and left under the weight until dry. The result is a double-faced card to match the pack and of the thickness of a single card.

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In the third section of this manuscript the reader will find another version of this Double Reverse experiment, using only ordinary cards. It is a little more difficult, but it has the advantage of being suitable for impromtu use.

IS SOMETHING of a novelty among reverse card effects; the climax is distinctly surprising.

As usual, a card is replaced and returned, and the deck squared up. The magician enquires its name. "Oh, dear, he says, upon being told. "You have taken the most disturbing card in the pack! It always has an upsetting effect; frequently it even upsets all the cards near it. So saying the pack is turned face up and fanned. On either side of the

chosen card in the face-up pack is a card face down; presumably the chosen card upset them.Two double-backed cards are employed in this effect. At start they are at the top of the deck. After

the card has been chosen the deck is cut and then fanned, the magician keeping track of the double-backed cards so that he can split the fan to cause the chosen card to be replaced between them. All is now set for the effect. Afterwards the double-backed cards are slid out onto the table while the deck is squared up and turned face down, and then placed on top of the deck, to be palmed off or thumbed into a pocket at earliest opportunity.

This same effect may also be worked with only one double-backed card. This rests on top of the deck, the bottom card of the deck being secretly reversed. A card is selected. The performer appears to cut the deck; actually the right hand carries off the lower portion while the left hand holds out the former upper portion for the chosen card to be placed upon. Then the right hand cards are dropped on top and the deck squared up. Now after the effect has been realized, the two reversed cards are slid out of the deck, squared up together, and turned over, to be dropped on the face of the deck. The fact that a face shows when the cards are turned over suggests that both cards are equally ordinary, and serves to misdirect attention from the real method.

HE EFFECT of this experiment is not entirely new, something similar having been brought out by C. T. Jordan, but the method is original.

A card-say the jack of diamondsis placed endwise in the side of a deck, which is being held back of cards to audience, so that a portion of the face projects above the side of the deck. It is slowly pushed downward; though the jack is face to audience the portion which appears below the deck is seen to be back outward! That it may be seen that the jack

has really turned over the deck is shown on both sides with jack projecting, face of jack showing on one side and back on the other. The deck is restored to its former position and the effect repeated; the jack, being pushed upward, appears above the deck face outward, while being pushed downward, appears back outward. Finally the jack is pulled on through and thrown out for examination, when it proves to be ordinary.

In addition to a half card to match the jack, we will require a special faked card. Take two court cards, and cut from one of them the margin along the side of the card. Glue this onto the other card, making a card which is of double thickness along one edge, on the face of the card.

The back of the half jack is smeared with wax, and it is thus attached to the back of the real jack.The deck rests face up on the table, jack at the face and beneath it the faked card, double edge to the

left. The jack is picked up and shown. As the half card is waxed to the back, the jack can be handled freely. Finally the jack is transferred to the left hand, which holds it at the upper endthe same end as half cardbetween first finger and thumb. The right hand turns over the deck sideways so it is face down.

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cuts it into two sections and takes the lowermostat the face of which is the faked cardand brings it up back outward in front of the jack. As it momentarily hides the face of the jack in this maneuver the left second finger is transferred to the face of the jack and the card gripped between first and second fingers, which causes jack to make a half turn, so that its back is now to the audience. The half of the pack in front of it, however, hides the lower portion of the jack, and the half card waxed on the upper portion of the back makes it appear to still be face outward. The jack of course is held upright while the half pack is with its long side parallel to the floor. The double edge of faked cardwhich is the card in immediate contact with the jackis downward. The right hand holds the half pack and jack behind it while the left hand gets the remainder of the cards from the table and places them, facing the same way as the rest of the cards, behind the jack, so that it is now in the center of the deck.

The right hand holds the deck by the ends, thumb at one end and fingers at the other. Back of deck is to the audience, long sides of deck being parallel to the floor. The upright jack projects above the pack, appearing to face the audience. Slowly it is pushed downward through the pack, and the portion which appears below the deck is back to audience, making it appear that the jack is turning over as it passes through the deck. When all the projecting portion is below the deck, the cards may be shown from both sides, so that it can be seen that this is really the jack coming through reversed. Returning the deck to its former position, the jack can be pushed upward again, and will appear to reverse once more. Then it is pushed downward, finally the portion below being grasped, and the jack is pulled free from the deck and thrown out for examination. As the jack is pulled out the right hand holds the deck with thumb at one end, second and third fingers at the other, little finger below and first finger behind. The double edge of the faked card makes a ledge which scrapes off the half card from the back of the jack as it is pulled downward from the deck, leaving the half card in the deck. The right little finger keeps the faked card from being pulled out of position; the right first finger makes sure that the jack is pressed against the faked card as it is pulled from deck. The fact that the half card is waxed in position makes necessary this device to remove it.

Little practice is required, and for a close-up program few effects are more startling. The throwing or passing out of the jack at finish is essential to make the feat convincing, as the audience is inclined to suspect that some weird mechanical card is needed, to turn over as this one does.

HIS EFFECT is included by the permission of the inventor, Mr. Jack McMillen of Los Angeles.

A deck is slid from its case, the guarantee card discarded and the cards shuffled. A spectator cuts the deck into two sections and makes a selection of one of them. This is placed back in the case. The performer writes a prophecy upon a slip of paper, placing it to one side, while the spectator shuffles the remaining portion of the deck. The magician takes

this part of the deck, and the spectator selects a card from it by thrusting the guarantee card into it anywhere and noting the card below, the cards being held face-up. He may also note the card next, so that he knows che location of the selected card in its packet. The spectator takes these cards and retains them in his own possession. The magician declares his intention of making the selected card pass from the packet held by the spectator into the packet in the case. The mystic command is given. The spectator deals out his cards one at a time and finds that the card he selected has vanished from his packet while still in his own possession. He picks up the prophecy, and reads it: "You will select the six of hearts, which will at the command of the magician vanish from your packet and pass to the seventh position in the other half of the deck! He removes this other portion of the deck from the case, counts down to the seventh card, and there finds the six of hearts!

Few effects could be more startling than this vanish of a selected card from among a number held by the spectator himself.

The whole problem depends upon the guarantee card, which is faked. A duplicate of some cardin the above case the six of heartsis required. One end of this is cut off, so that its length is just equal to the width of a card. It is then glued by this cut end to the guarantee card, along the side, so that its side lies

The L. W. Card Mysteries P a g e T w e l v e

flush with the end of the guarantee card, and in such position that when the gurantee card is face up with the glued side toward the performer the six will be at the right end of the guarantee card. The face of the six lies against the back of the guarantee.

This card is placed on the face of the deck, and the six of hearts is arranged seventh from the top. The deck is placed in its case. When it is removed the guarantee card is casually slid onto the table, and the deck is given a shuffle which will not disturb the cards at its top. The spectator cuts the pack and selects a packet. As both packets are to be used, the performer interprets the choice to suit himself. The former top half of the pack is replaced in the case, and the other shuffled by the spectator while the performer writes his prophecy.

Now the performer takes the shuffled packet and holds it in his left hand face up. His right hand picks up the guarantee card, the face of which is kept to the spectator, and the spectator is invited to thrust this into the packet. In offering it to him, however, the performer holds the card so far down that the spectator can only grasp it by the corner, at the unfaked end, and the performer keeps hold of the other end, loosely, thus making sure that all is safe. In picking up the card he has satisfied himself that the glued edge is toward him. The left thumb riffles the packet and the spectator thrusts the guarantee card in anywhere, crosswise to the rest of the cards. Instantly the performer takes packet and guarantee card and squares that card flush with the rest of the cards, though still crosswise. This brings the six on the back of the guarantee card square with the cards in the packet. The performer grips the packet by about the center and holding it away from him so that he will not be able to see the face of the card he invites the spectator to lift the guarantee card and peer at the card beneath it. He sees, of course, the six of hearts. If desired he may also be invited to note the card next to it, so that he may be sure of is position in the packet.

Now the performer slides the guarantee card from the packet and drops it face up on the table, handing the packet to the spectator to hold. All is set for the finale; when he spectator deals out his packet a card at a time he will find the six of hearts to have vanished, and it will be discovered in the other packet at the position declared by the prophecy. When this half deck has been slid from the case, the performer casually picks up the empty case and inserting the guarantee card in it drops it into his pocket, thereby disposing of all evidence.

A further touch of misdirection can be added as follows: When the deck has been cut in the earlyportion of the experiment, the performer picks up the packet from which the card is to be selected and counts the cards "to see if it is large enough. He makes one miscount, so that apparently the packet contains one more card than it really does. Then at the finish when the spectator deals out his cards he can be invited to count them as well, and one card appears to have actually vanished.

This faked card can of course be adapted to use in any experiment in which it is desired to force a card which is later to be made to vanish. If the performer fears to let the spectator handle the faked card he may retain it himself and invite the spectator to guide his hand, but the other is the more natural handling.

A Quick ChangeHIS IS A PROBLEM using only two cards and an envelope. The envelope is one of the

small Manilla evelopes, 4% by 2 / 2 , opening at one end, thus being just about large enough to hold a playing card. One of the lower corners of it has been cut off.

The two cards are freely shown. One is sealed in the envelop. Because of the cut off corner, its index is clearly visible. The other card is dropped onto the floor face down and a spectator holds his foot upon it. Under these conditions it would seem impossible to

cause the two cards to change places, yet that is what happens, arid everything may be examined.The method is simple and easy. Let us suppose the cards to be the four of spades and the ace of

diamonds. We will need another four of spades index. This is cut just large enough to include the figure and pipabout % of an inch wide by % of an inch in length. The portion cut from the envelope corner is slightly less each way than this. This extra four of spades index is waxed on over one of the indices of the ace of diamonds.

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The cards are shown, this extra index being concealed by the fingers. Then the cards are dropped face down onto the table, ace of diamonds uppermost, though no attention is called to the positions of the cards. The envelop is shown. The performer remarks: "I shall separate the cards, inserting into this envelope the four of spades. As he starts to speak he takes the uppermost cardreally the aceand keeping it face downward slides it into the envelope. The speech is so timed that as he reaches the words "four of spades the card is within the envelop and the envelope is turned over, revealing through the cut corner the index of the four of spades. This is of course the extra index on the ace, but as the spectators think that they can see the card they will not question its identity. The other card is quickly dropped face down upon the floor with the request: "Place your foot upon the ace, sir! The envelope is turned over after being sealed, sothat only the back of the card is visible through the corner, and the waxed extra index secretly slid out the corner by the fingers of the right hand. It is so small that concealing it provides no problem, and the performer has little difficulty in causing the cards to assume positions that in reality they have been in from he beginning.

The L. W. Card Mysteries P a g e F o u r t e e n

I I I . S o m e N o v e l C a r d C r e a t io n sThe problems that follow have little in common in point of effect, but at least two elements

they do have in common: they are all worked with unprepared cards, and they are all practical, as experience has proven.

INCE the effect has already been given in the preceding section, it only remains to describe the method of working with unprepared cards.

The deck used is one with a reversible back pattern. All the reds are arranged with back patterns one way, and black cards the other. The reds and blacks are then arranged alternately throughout the deck.

can only be false shuffled, but they may be cut as many times as desired. By a glance at the bottom card after the cut, the color of the top card will become known, for it will be opposite in color.

Anyone guesses a color. He is told to thrust a paper knife into the deck anywhere he wishes. As he does the performer slides the cards above the knife to one side enough to give him a glimpse of the back pattern of the card below the knife. If it points the same way as the pattern on the top card, it is of the same color, and vice versa.

Suppose the man guessed red, and the performer can tell that the card below the knife is red. Then the man is requested to turn up this top card of the lower cut, and it of course proves to be the required color. Should the performer know that that card is black, however, he simply shows the man the bottom card of the upper cut, which is, of course, red.

This method is most suitable for fairly large audiences, where the performer can work to spectators far enough apart to make it impossible for anyone to tell he is not always showing the cut card in the same manner. Under these conditions the method is quite as perfect as the other, and makes an excellent introductory to any other experiments that can be done with an unprepared deck.

The cards

HE EFFECT has been given in Section I I . ; here is the sleight-of-hand method.The cards are selected freely. The first card is returned, and the performer holds the

break below the selected card. Now the right hand cuts the pack by the ends, lifting off all the cards to the break, so that the first card selected is the bottom card of the right hand packet. The second card selected is replaced on the left hand packet. Then the right hand portion is brought down so that the extended left fingers touch the face card of that portion.

The left hand turns over, bringing its packet face up, but as it does the left fingers press against the first card selected, slipping it from the bottom of the right packet, and the left hand portion is turned over onto it, bringing it reversed beneath the now face-up left hand cards. The right hand turns over, bringing its cards also face up, and the left hand portion is dropped onto them, assembling the pack all one way with the second card selected in the center, and next to it the first card selected reversed.

This reversing sleight takes but a second to perform, and with a little practice is indetectible.Now when the deck is fanned out the first card selected is found reversed. The deck is cut to bring

the reversed card to the top, and squared up. The two top cards are lifted off, as one, and the pack turned over. These two cardssupposedly oneare then shoved into the center of the now face up deck. Now when the deck is fanned out again, face down, the second selected card will be found turned over in turn.

In this version the two cards could be marked, to prove that it is really the selected cards that turn over.

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his back.

HOUGH based upon a familiar principle, the presentation of this little item makes it most effective.

A deck is fanned behind the performers back. Anyone freely selects a card, replacing it in the deck while that is still held behind the performers back and shuffling it in if desired. Yet without apparently having had the opportunity to see the face of a single card, the performer discovers the name of the one selected while it is still buried in the deck behind

The secret lies simply in the employment of a prearranged deck. A rapid series of cuts while bringing it forward give a deceptive appearance of a shuffle. Now it is fanned behind the performers back and a card selected. The magician splits the fan at that point, and turning slightly toward the spectator says: "Look at the card, please, but give me no opportunity to see it. This takes the cards, which remain behind the performers back, out of the range of the spectators vision momentarily, and gives the performer the opportunity to get into the right hand the card that was above the selected card, from the point where the fan is broken. Then as his back is turned squarely toward the spectator again the right hand with the card is brough around in front of the body. There is no need to palm it neatly in the right hand, as the body can always be kept between the spectator and the card. A glance at the card in front of him will tell the performer the name of the selected card, which is next in arrangement. This card is dropped into one of the vest pockets, and the rest is showmanship. If the fact that the chosen card is always kept behind the performers back is well emphasized, the effect upon the layman is sensational.

HOUGH this has points of similarity to the preceding problem, it is capable of impromptu presentation. It may be used as an effective sequel to Out of Sight.

The performer holds the deck behind his back and requests someone to shuffle the cards thoroughly. They then select a card, replace it, square up the pack and give it a cut. Through all this the cards remain continuously behind the back of the performer. Now he brings the deck around in front of him and runs through the cards one at a time, face up,

requesting the spectator to think "Stop! when he sees his card. He doesand the performer infallibly stops at that point.

This feat involves a principle, to the best of our knowledge original, of very general utility.The performer notes the top card of the pack, which he holds in his left hand. He places both hands

behind him. The top card he palms off with his right hand. Then the back of the left hand is placed upon the right palm, completely concealing the palmed card between the hands. A trial will show what a natural position this is for the hands to assume, behind the back. This has taken but a second, while the performer tells the spectator to thoroughly shuffle the deck. Then he turns his back to the spectator, who shuffles the cards and replaces them in the left hand of the performer. He is now instructed to cut off about half the deck. As he does this the performer turns slightly toward him, saying, "I am going to have you select any one of those cards. This takes the cards behind the back out of range of the spectators vision long enough for the palmed card to be replaced on the others, and the hands to resume their former position. Following instructions, the spectator takes a card, remembers it, and drops it onto the cards held in the left hand, dropping the rest of the deck on top. This brings it above the previously noted card. The deck is squared up and cut. The performer brings the cards around in front of him and rapidly runs them through in front of the eyes of the spectator, face up, with the request to think "Stop when he sees the card. When the performer sees his key card, he of course knows that the next will be the selected one, and stops.

This move can also be used to effect a force behind the back. After the deck has been shuffled the performer has a portion cut off. He turns toward the spectator momentarily to ask if he cut off a large

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portion, then he once again turns his back squarely to the spectator with a request to take and remember the next card. Of course the turn has given him the opportunity to add the palmed card to those on the left hand. In this case the chosen card may be shuffled into the deck, and the experiment finished as before. It is a matter of personal preference which presentation is adopted.

Again, the move can be utilized to effect a revelation of a selected card. A card is drawn and returned and secretly brought to the top. The performer puts the deck behind him, and turns his back to the spectator with a request that the deck be shuffled behind his back. Now he turns once more to face the spectator, deck out of sight behind him, and "locates the chosen card in the shuffled deck apparently by sense of touch. Explanation is superfluous.

HIS is a very surprising and easy little effect.The spectator is handed a small blank card, about two inches square, to examine. The

performer places the deck behind him and turning his back to the spectator requests that he push the little card part way into the deck anywhere he wishes. Then the deck is brought out in front of the performer again and the spectator requested to look at the card above the blank card, remember it, and shove the blank card in until it is flush with the end of the

pack. The problem, of course, is to find what this card is. The performer cannot know it; he has not seenit. But he has an idea; the little blank card should know it, for it has been next to it. Therefore he will makethe little card come out and tell them what it was. The end of the deck is riffled sharply by the right fingersthe little card jumps out of the deck and upon being picked up and examined now proves to have the name of the selected card written upon it.

The secret lies, of course, in a switch of these little cards. Two are used. One has written, along one end, say, Ace of Hearts. This is thrust into the pack about half way, just below the ace of hearts, which should be at about the center of the pack. The deck is thus brought forward, being held at this end from above by the right hand, right palm concealing the projecting small card. The other blank card is given for examination. Then the deck is placed behind the back and the spectator requested to thrust his card part way in. He thrusts it, of course, into the other end of the pack from the duplicate card. The card being square, it does not matter which way he puts it in. Now the performer faces the spectator, deck still behind his back. The left hand takes the pack and brings it forward, reversing it in so doing; as it does, the right hand grasps the projecting edge of the small card just thrust in by the spectator, draws it out and palms it, to be pocketed at earliest opportunity. Since the spectator sees a small card projecting part way from the pack he assumes it to be the one he just thrust in. Though he does not know it, the feat is accomplished. Looking at the card above the small one, it proves to be the ace of hearts. The small card is thrust in flush with the end of the deck. Now if the cards are held by the other end, and the end where small card is is riffled sharply by the right fingers, the little card will jump completely out of the pack in a startling manner, and the surprise of the spectator will be complete when he picks up this card and finds it has the name, Ace of Hearts, now written upon it.

N ENVELOPE is shown, of a size to just contain a playing card. Into it a card is placed. Now a needle threaded with a ribbon is picked up and thrust through the envelope, the ribbon being drawn through until it hangs evenly down on both sides. It is demonstrated that if the card is in the envelope (as it is) it must be pierced by the ribbon, as there is not room enough in the envelope for a card to lie without the ribbon passing through it. Yet the card is drawn forth from the envelope unharmed and tossed out for examination to show

that it has not been folded out of harms way. The ribbon is drawn forth from the envelope, the innocence of which is demonstrated by tearing it open and throwing out the pieces.

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Some may prefer to use a card with a hole already punched in it, such as a card from the Holy Deck, as in that case it will appear that the card was actually strung upon the ribbon and in some manner removed,while with an ordinary card it is obvious that for some mysterious reason it was never pierced by the needleand ribbon.

The secret lies in a slight preparation of the envelope. Not being able to buy envelopes of the exactproper size, we have had to make our own. The plan of this envelope is shown in Figure I. Section A is 4

inches by 3 inches, being half an inch larger each way than a playing card. Flaps CC are 3 by / 2 inches. Flap B is 1 Vz by 4 inches. D is 2 % inches in height. Its length where it joins A is of course full 4 inches, but this tapers to 3% inches at the other width. This is merely for appearance. For the same reason the corners of B and D, and the upper corners of CC, are rounded. To make the envelope, flaps CC are folded over onto A and then D is folded up so as to cover them and glued along its sides to CC. B is folded along the line where it joins A so that it can be folded over onto either side of the envelope. This is made from a good grade of heavy linen paper, and results in an envelope which appears quite ordinary. The dotted line across A represents a slit cut with a razor blade on what would be the address side of the envelope. This is 3 % inches long, and }/s o f an inch from the upper edge of the envelope.

The performer picks up the envelope and a playing card. The card is held across the address side of the envelope, somewhat diagonally so as to completely hide the slit, and the envelope is shown casually from both

sides. Attention is called to the fact that it is of a size to just nicely hold a playing card. Slit side of envelope toward performer, the flap is opened and the card inserted. The right hand holds the envelope, the left hand pushing in the card. As it starts in, the second and third fingers push it home, the left first finger and thumb going behind the flap of the envelope. Then as the card is completely inside, the left first finger is inserted through the slit in the rear side of the envelope and draws the card half out again, but through the slit and so behind the flap. Figure II. shows the position of the card at this stage. The left thumb, of course, helps get the card in place. As the audience can see the mouth of the envelope and no portion of the card is in view they naturally assume it to still be completely inside the envelope. Now the envelope and card are held by the left hand, and the right hand picks up the needle upon which is threaded the ribbon and thrusts it through the center of the envelope. As the card is only half in the envelope, naturally it is not pierced. As soon as the ribbon is through the envelope so that it hangs fairly evenly on both sides, the left fingers push the card back down through the slit into the envelope. It naturally carries a portion of the ribbon in with it. To give a little slack so that the ribbon will not offer so much resistance to this operation, mouth of envelope is pulled wide open so there is a portion of ribbon in envelope. Now the flap of the envelope is folded down, but instead of being folded down onto the side it normally would be, it is folded back onto the address side of the envelope. The point is too minor a one to be noted by the audience, but in this position the flap covers the slit, and the envelope may be shown from either side. This is done, ^nd the ribbon may even be pulled back and forth, provided all pulling is done in an upward direction, and the fingers keep the card from being forced out of the envelope. Another card is picked up and held against the envelope to demonstrate that it would be impossible for a card to lie inside in any position where it would be out of the way of the ribbon. It seems certain that if the card is in the envelope the ribbon must be running through it. Finally the card is pulled out of the envelope, shown "restored and tossed out for examination. The ribbon is pulled free of the envelope. Then "to demonstrate the innocent construction of the envelope and the fact that there is nothing else in it the envelope is torn to pieces. Incidentally this destroys all traces of trickery.

F lE u r * I . F ig u re I I .

The L. IV. Card Mysteries *4^

P a g e E ig h t e e n

The essential point upon which this whole problem dependsthat the flap of the envelope is still open when the needle is run through itis so seemingly unimportant that it is scarcely noticed and immediately forgotten, with the result that this is the most baffling of card, envelope and ribbon tests.

ERE AGAIN selected cards are discovered, but the problem has several points of difference from the conventional.

The performer comes forward shuffling a deck, and places it upon the table. He then retires to the other side of the room, directing operations from there. First someone cuts the deck, thus insuring that the exact location of any card or cards cannot be known to the performer. Next a portion is cut off, and from the top of the lower cut three persons each

take a card. They note their cards, replacing them anywhere in the deck and shuffling them in if desired The pack is laid to one side. It is never approached again by the performer, who remains a rooms length from it.

First the magician points out that he cannot possibly know what the selected cards are, for he has never seen the face of a single card since he laid the deck upon the table, and he obviously could not know where they were going to cut, or anything of the sort. Secondly he cannot learn the information from the cards, inasmuch as he will not look at or touch them. The only method that remains to learn the names of the cards, then, is by mindreading. He will endeavor to write the names of the cards one at a time.

Taking out a small pocket notebook, which he casually shows, and a pencil, he prepares to write. To perfectly read minds under these circumstances, though, is a little too difficult, or so he declares, and he will have to ask the person who took the first card to give him the suit, only, of it, whereupon he will be able to determine the value from their eyes. They name the suit, and after a moments concentration the performer writes a name in his notebook. The second person similarly tells the suit of his card, and the magician writes the name of a card. The third person tells the suit of his card, and after a little more concentration the magician is similarly enabled to write the name of that card, immediately reading out the names he has written, for verification, and tearing out and bringing forward the slip upon which he has written them that the skeptical may see that he really wrote these names and no others.

The secret lies in a prearrangement of the cards. This arrangement is such that at no point in the deck is the suit order of any three consecutive cards repeated.

Only about a quarter of the back page of the notebook is left in, and upon this is written the arrangement, the suit being noted below each card on a separate line:

9S 2H 7C 2S 6D 10H QC 9H 10D 7S 3C 2D KH 8S AC QH 6S 9D AS 4D 2C 6H 5C 4C 9C 4H S H C S D H C H D S C D H S C ' H S D S D C H C C C H

3H 8H 10S KS 5S 3D 7D 8D IOC 6C 3S QS 5H AH QD KD J S 4S J C 8C J D 5D 7H J H KC AD H H S S S D D D C C S S H H D D S S C C D D H H C D

For neatness in our case we typewrote this upon a slip of paper and pasted it into the notebook. To condense it into the smallest space no dashes or spaces were left between the initials of the cards.

The performer brings forward the deck, false shuffling it or submitting it to a quick series of cuts. It is placed upon the table and anyone cuts it, squares it up and cutting off a portion takes the top card of the lower cut. Someone else takes the card below this, and a third the card below this. Having the cards shuffled back in is merely misdirective.

Explaining that he will find the names by mindreading, and write them, the magician brings out the notebook and a pencil, casually opening the notbook at the front that the front page may be seen blank. Closing it again, before he reopens it he turns it over, so that this time he opens it at the back, unknown to the spectators, and has the arrangement in full view. Just enough room is left on this back sheet to hold the arrangement, the rest being cut away, so that the performer has ample room to write upon the sheet beneath-

The L. W. Card Mysteries ISP

P a g e N i n e t e e n ---------------

The first spectator names the suit of his card. Let us suppose that it is a spade. The performer appears to concentrate, and pretends to write the name of the card, but actually all he writes is "of spades leaving room in front to fill in the value later. The second spectator names his suit, which we will assume is a club. The performer repeats the business of pretending to write, actually writing "of clubs . The performer hesitates each time, and takes a great deal of time in the writing, so that there may be no great disparity in time in the writing of these first two cards and of the third. For when the suit of the third card is named, the performer must rapidly run his eye along the suit line of the arrangement until he comes to this order of suits, whereupon he instantly knows the card. Suppose, for example, the third card was a club. Locating this order of suits toward the end of the arrangement, the performer would look at the line above and note that the three cards were the four of spades, the jack of clubs and the eight of clubs. He must pretend to have a little trouble writing this third card, hesitating, giving him time to fill in "four before the "of spades ; "jack before the "of clubs and actually write the name of the third card. Then the performer tears this sheet from the notebook, which is dropped into the pocket, and he reads off the names of the three cards, bringing forward the sheet from the notebook to prove that he has really written these names.

The conjurer who wishes to play extra safe may have this order typed upon a card which he holds in place inside the notebook. Then after the notebook has been dropped into the pocket it may be pulled out again, as an apparent after thought, and also tossed out for.examination, the card, of course, remaining in the pocket.

For simplicity we have described the feat with three selected cards, that being the minimum number that can be employed, but it will be obvious that having four or five taken will not increase the difficulties; in fact, in some ways it simplifies the working. With fourth and fifth card it is not necessary to ask the suit, as the performer knows they will be the next cards in the arrangement. Instead he asks the: spectator to merely think of the suit, whereupon he gets the name of the card anywaya most impressive touch. M oreover in this case it is not necessary to write the names of all the cards while writing the third name; part can be written while ostensibly writing the third name and part while writing the fourth name, making the maneuver even less liable to detection.

Though our repertoire is not yet exhausted, we must bring this collection, of card mysteries to a close. Let us hope that to the reader all has been clear, but tha't to the layman ail will prove a deep, dark mystery.

THE THAYER MANUFACTURING COMPANY 334 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, California

I S I N P O S I T I O N T O S U P P L Y A L U O F T H E P O P U L A R L A R S E N A N D W R I G H T E F F E C T S N O W A P P E A R I N G I N T H E S P H I N X M A G A Z I N E

A N D I N T H E I R S E V E R A L M A N U S C R I P T S .

T h e C o n r a d S t u d i o s o r T y p o g r a p h yP a s a d e n a , C a l i f o r n i a

M.I.M.C. (LO N D O N )