22

JULY 1936

Here is one of those rare effects that have an anticlimax but

become greater because of it. The base of the trick, or the addition
part, is not, by any means, a new idea. Around this, however, Mr
Baker has woven a bit of chicanery which dresses the problem in
a not soon to be forgotten guise.
A spectator is chosen for the problem, and is handed a folded paper upon
which the performer has scribbled something. Showing a large size slate,
the performer hands him a chalk with the request that he write down a line
of figures as they come to mind. Immediately under this row the performer
jots a row and the spectator follows with a third. Then the performer finishes
quickly by writing a fourth and fifth line. Drawing a line underneath, the
spectator is handed the slate for adding. The total is read aloud and shown.
Opening the folded paper, the spectator finds prophecied the correct total as
was reached ! So far nothing original has happened but wait. The performer
shows the back of the slate on which has been inscribed the letters of the
alphabet, each letter followed by a numeral from 1 to 0 (set-up on page
xx). The spectator is asked his first or last name. Substituting letters for the
figures of the problem’s total, this spectator’s name is found to be revealed
by that row of figures !!!

It will be realized immediately by many of my readers that this also makes a

valuable effect as a publicity trick with a pad of paper.
Although it will puzzle a mathematician, and it will confound magicians who
know only the addition effect, the mechanics are so simple that it practically
becomes an impromptu stunt.

First you must know the name of the person with whom you are going to
work the effect. It may be either his first or last name, so long as it isn’t more
than six letters long, in which case another name is secured. On the back of
the slate or pad have the alphabet and numerals written as per the chart.

Before the test, write down the name of the person, and with the chart,
substitute the letters for figures. If the name were HARRY, the letters would
mean 81885. This is all you need to know before starting. On a piece of
paper write the five figures and place a 2 in front of them making a number
prophecy of 281885 for the spectator to hold. Now add 2 to the last figure
of the number representing the name of the person, in this case changing the
number to 81887. This number is your key number to be remembered. If
the last figure of the original name number is an 8 or 9, this rule holds good
although adding 2 affects the last two figures of the number instead of the
last only. If the number were 71288 it would change to 71290 by adding 2.

Present the problem by handing the correct person the folded slip to pocket.
Without showing the chart side of the slate or the pad, have him write a row
of five figures. Have him put down the same number of figures in the row
as there are letters in his name, although you don’t tell him this. Thus, in
this case, you have him write a row of five figures. If the name were John,
he would be told to write four. You quickly put down the second row under
his, and write the key number you have memorized. He writes the third row
and you write the last two. The rule that governs the writing of the last two
rows is the ‘nine’ rule relating to the top and the third lines. Thus, in writing
the fourth line, you watch the first line and put down figures which, added
to the figures directly above each one, total nine. If the top row is 63052, the
fourth line will be 36947. The fifth row is written while watching the third
row and the same rule applies. Then the line is drawn and the spectator adds
the problem.

The resulting sum will be exactly what you have prophecied on the folded
slip he has pocketed. That’s the first climax. Now explain that you will
go further and that there is an unknown force or power at work when the
spectator jots down his numbers at random.

2
 Ask him his first or last name as the case may be. Then
turn over the slate or pad. On it is the list of letters and
figures as listed here.

You may remark that you have numbered the letters over
and over, somewhat as is done by numerologists. Don’t
say “as done (exactly) by them” because numerologists
leave out the zero in their computations. There will be,
in each case, one more figure in the total than there are letters in the name.
Say, therefore, that you will use only the correct number of figures as they
were written down in the total. Counting from right to left you cross out the
first figure. He names the first letter. H. The figure after the letter is 8, so you
write H under the 8 in the total. He names the second letter. A. The figure
after A is 1, so A is written under the second figure in total. This continues
until finished and the name of the spectator assisting is seen to coincide
exactly with the total of the problem he helped assemble !!

The presentation of this effective idea may be varied by using two slates.
One contains the chart, while the other is used for the problem. Start by
having the spectator who assists put the chart slate (without it being shown)
under his chair, or in a safe place. Now you write something on one side
of the slate and say it is a prophecy. Don’t show it but continue by having
the problem written on the other side. When the total is read aloud, turn the
slate over to show your prognostication is correct. Now have the spectator
take his slate and show the chart. Ask him the first letter of his name. He
says H. Ask him what figure is after the letter on the slate. He says 8. Then
you openly write H under the first 8 on your slate. Continue in this manner,
which is very effective to the audience, as they don’t realize you know the
name beforehand and it is fascinating to watch the name build up under the
total.

Although, at the start, this stunt may appear a bit complicated, I doubt if
anyone will have trouble understanding and making it work if they will just
try it out on a piece of paper to get the idea clearly in their minds. Many who
know the nine principle of the addition are thrown off still because even that
part is not done in the same order as the old trick. The smart ones generally
look for adjoining lines to total nine, disregarding separated lines.

There are but two operations before presenting it; changing the name to
figures, followed by memorizing the key number. Try to use the last name
whenever possible.
 Now that convention time is over I can rest (as if I don’t do enough of
that !) again and glory in the memories. Out in Batavia, N.Y., the I.B.M.
bought up the town as usual and received more newspaper space and more
pictures in the city dailies of Buffalo and Rochester than ever obtained
by any other magical organization or club. I can’t understand why
more of the eastern and New York boys don’t take in these events. The high
mogul of an eastern club told me that he wouldn’t go because he didn’t like the
class of people there. From all I know, perhaps it is just as well he didn’t go. They
wouldn’t have liked his tricks !

Few weeks pass without it being evident that one good trick can ‘make’ a
magician. Seldom is this trick a new one, the magus having dug out an old
timer that the “what’s new” boys pass over with a deprecating turn of the page.
However, once such an effect is rediscovered by a magus with acumen and a
head on his shoulders, the dealers are besieged by buyers. Not often, though,
do the copyists get anywhere at all. No one has created the talk nor commanded
the prices of Cardini with his type of act. Tommy Martin put together a varied
routine but the egg and fan gets him the work and reputation. Incidentally, I’ve
seen no one who could come near him in the way he handles the fan. All others
are comparatively unimpressive with their nervous bouncing. The bills in the
lemon was to be remembered in Jarrow’s routine; Jud Cole and Kling Klang
are synonymous; the bird-cage made Keating quite famous; the baby chicks
under the cups caused Galli Galli to become a drawing card; Mogul came to
New York night clubs with a single sitter billet reading test; and Russell Swann’s
piece de resistance is the Sun and Moon tragedy. Not that these old time effects
alone made these performers worth their prices, personality and presentation,
most important requisites, had much to do, but the fact remains that all those
who have gotten into lights during the present era have featured one ‘to be talked
about’ mystery culled from the limbo of long forgotten magic. Delve into some
of the magic literature from 1900 to 1920. Then use your head. Others have made
it pay good dividends, and they haven’t scratched the surface.

If you can use a candle in the act, try this for a simple interlude. Have one of the
old metal fakes with a taper that you finger palm in your right hand. Pick up the
candle with your left hand. Pick up a match with your right, picking up the feke
at the same time. Light the candle and as the wick lights also light the taper. Blow
out the candle, pass your hand in front of it and it relights. Repeat this once and
the right thumb puts the taper out and drops the feke as you pick up the tube to
cover or paper to wrap. It’s one of those little things.

John Mulholland took me to task in Batavia re the paragraph about Sphinx

dealers in issue N°20. I am thus informed that he has a letter from the dealer
in question which says The Sphinx will be sold only to magicians and persons
known to be truly and sincerely interested. That clears that up.

4
Letter of interest to dealers :

April 13, 1936

Dear Ted;
Here is the information you requested re the proceedings which I brought to halt the
unauthorized reprinting of the Calostro Mind Reading Act.

Ralph Read complained to me that Mr Smith (this name is fictitious inasmuch as

I do not think it necessary to publicize his name any further) was mimeographing
copies of the act and selling them at about two or three dollars a copy. I contacted
the United States Attorney’s office and also the Department of Justice with reference
to this matter and as a result I was able to have the person who was selling the
mimeographed copies contacted by a government man. As a result of the contact
and threat that there would be an arrest and other penalties if the practice was
not discontinued, I have been able to keep the field entirely clear of unauthorized
publications of this book.

In my opinion, and you can quote me, if this procedure were followed in other cases
where there have been violations of a man’s right to realize the benefits of his own
writings, the filthy practice that is being followed now would be quickly cleaned up
with dire results to the violators.

Sincerely,
Jacob L. Steisel
Counsellor at Law

Bob Gysel, “the burglar from Toledo”, was offered the key to the city at Batavia.
Showing the Mayor a bent button hook, he said “I don’t need a key as long as
I have this.” Practically all my laughs came from watching this example of
‘loco boy makes good’. His pastime (at 4 A.M.) was to pound on doors. When
ignored, he’d pick the lock, push it open, and walk away with the brontosaurus
yell “I could come in if I wanted to.” The highlight came when a group watching
privately shown tricks couldn’t keep him out despite the lock and the bolt. With
a stethoscope dangling from his ears and a specially built lock opening jiggle
gun in hand, he came through the formidable obstruction twice. Max Holden
hasn’t been seen to laugh so hard and long in well over ten years. If he reads
this, here’s a good line for the new stationery; “When better locks are made,
Gysel will pick them.” — Hardeen (brother of Houdini), Martin Sunshine and
Jim Collins have left for Fort Worth, Texas, intending to make the fair-goers
Svengali deck conscious. — An interloper named Kondo plays vaude houses
with a complete steal of Jack Gwynne’s act. Reports are that it can’t last because
of no comparison. As if there could be ! — Francis Finneran, the local nite
clubbing magus, lost his whole act in the subway one night. Police are looking
for a kleptomagicak. — And dealers at the conventions always suffer a loss from
counter picker uppers. Somebody must be making good use of lightning pulls,
profondes and vesting principles. — Being politically conscious this year, I’ll
present The Jinx Platform in the forthcoming Extra issue due about July 15th.

5
Philip Foxwell has one of the most effective folders I’ve ever seen. His layout
of new clips and illustrations tells the story at a glance and you are sold at that
moment on the fact that he MUST be good. — From the Boston news column
in the May Sphinx : “Albert Todd was next with a transposition of a bill, first to
a cigarette, then to an orange and finally to the coin and wool boxes. Oh yes,
the number was taken each time the bill appeared and it checked. It couldn’t be
so - yet it was.” That makes me happy to know someone got something to use
from the 1935-36 Winter Jinx Extra. — Dr Jacob Daley knows a medium who
proposed to his wife by having “I love you. Will you marry me ?” appear on a
slate. She had to marry him so she could learn how to say “Yes” with spirit raps!
— Russell Swann has been held over for two months at London’s Dorchester
Hotel. — Jane Thurston ironing out legalities but has all intentions of taking out
the show as soon as possible. — That 12 page blast at me was held up after last
month’s issue. Sorry. It was interesting reading.
 A QUESTION OF POWER
(L. Vosburgh Lyons)

Without fear of successful contradiction I can assert myself in the claim

that here is a new and different way of revealing a number of chosen cards.
Methods are legion, I know, but this effect lends itself to an interesting
angle of patter.

Three cards are selected and returned. I have always said that one repetition
is enough, but after trying it out a number of times, I can say that three
times for this effect is correct. The performer stands at the front and
remarks that tricksters usually find cards by exercising a strange power
which enables them to have the cards appear at any position in the deck.
The common position, of course, is at the top. However, the performer
turns over the top card to show that it is not one of those chosen. Turning
it over, he asks a spectator to name his card. Snapping the top of the deck,
the card is turned again and the selected card is there ! Turning it back,
the performer says that had he asked another one of the three persons
first, the result would have been the same. Another is asked for his card,
and on snapping the back and turning the card, again it is the one named.
This is repeated with the last person, whereupon the performer finishes by
remarking that had no one named a card, the original pasteboard would
have remained. Turning the top card again, the first one shown is there,
and the deck may be used for further mysteries.

Most of the twenty-cent decks at Woolworth stores now have an extra

Joker which is the same as the regular Joker. It is necessary only to have
a duplicate card and I prefer an outstanding one such as the Joker. Have
them on the top of the deck together, and have the top one trimmed as a
short card. Shuffle the deck, leaving these two in place, and have three
cards removed by three spectators. Undercut about half of the deck, have
the first card replaced on the top half upon which the lower half is dropped
and the deck squared in passing to the next. Riffle to the short card break
and have the next card replaced on top of the short card which puts it just
below the first card replaced. Repeat this with the last card. Now, as you
return to the front of the audience, cut the deck several times, the first time
at the short card again and then cut three cards from the bottom to the top.
This leaves you with the three cards selected on top in correct order as
replaced, followed by the two Jokers. At this point, cut off about fifteen
of the top cards, laying the rest aside, saying you will only need a few to
make clear your example of power.

9
As you say this, the left thumb pushes a little to the right the four top
cards (to get the correct number) under cover of the right hand, and you
make practically the common two-handed pass with the exception that
the four cards in passing to the bottom are reversed and left there with
faces against the face of the deck. With the cards in hand and in making
the ordinary movements for the pass, it will be found almost as simple to
have them face up as face down. This leaves only one of the Jokers on top,
and the right hand as usual has covered the move.

Now hold the deck with backs out (real backs) in the left hand with the
fingers at lower end and the thumb at upper end. The deck is standing up
and the backs are towards the audience. Turn over the back card by sliding
it off towards you with the right fingers and replacing it on the deck with
its face out. It is the Joker. (Go back and follow the general line of talk
as suggested) In making the same move to turn this card back again, it is
pulled off about a quarter of an inch when the right thumb at the back of
the deck also pulls off the card there behind the front one, and both are
turned together and placed on the front of the deck. To the audience you
have turned the front card face out and then back again. The first person
names the card, you snap back, and turn the top card only over. It’s the
one. As you mention about the possibility of asking someone else for their
card first, repeat the move of turning the card back again and another is
stolen from the back and left on the front. This is the second card, and
after this is turned back, the third card is in place. Finally, in turning the
third card back, the last of your reversed cards on the back of the deck is
brought to the front. Now you say that if no one had named a card, the
original pasteboard would have remained there and you turn it over to
prove. The deck is all one way now for anything else you want to do.
 THE CARD PHENOMENON
(Audley Walsh)

One of the many variations in card spelling, but with a different twist, is
the following. Set your deck by having all cards that spell with twelve
letters on top. There are 14 of them in all : the 4-5-9-J-K of Hearts and
Spades, and the 3-7-8-Q of Clubs. Above these put four indifferent cards.

Hand the deck to a spectator with the request that while your back is
turned he is to count off any number, say up to a dozen, in one pile. You
direct him to pocket these for the moment and deal another pile of the
same amount. He is then to shuffle this second pile, note the bottom
or face card and place the packet back on top of the deck. At this time,
and remarking that you can have no knowledge of the number of cards
counted, you turn and explain the rest of the procedure . He is to take the
cards from his pocket, place them on top of the deck, and then proceed to
spell his card by dealing off one at a time with each letter. As you explain
this you illustrate by naming a card at random and doing it. You take a
twelve letter card (and the card you use, to be certain is not his, is the one
at the top of the deck before adding the four cards when you set it up) and
spell it off the deck into a pile and then turn over the next card. Having
shown the spectator what to do, pick up this spelled off pile (cards of
which have been reversed in order) and put them back on top of the pack.
Now step away, and have him remove the cards from his pocket and put
them on top. Then he names his card for the first time, spells it out, turns
the next card and it is there !

This is an age-old mathematical problem done over with the cards. If you
follow the above, it will work out every time although you never know the
name of the card nor how many cards the spectator has dealt off into each
pile. This is a baffling point to many magicians.

11
 HERE’S YOUR CHANGE…?
(Lu Brent)

After reading The Quick Change Artist coin effect as described in

Ireland’s clever book, New Card and Coin Manipulations of 1935, this
idea came to mind. However, this method differs in effect and certain
sleights are eliminated.

The performer borrows a half-dollar or uses his own. Dropping it on the

table to show it real, the performer explains that he will show how it can
be made to travel from one joint to another. He picks it up with the right
hand after which it is placed in the left. The coin is now passed from
behind the left knee to the right. Explaining that the hardest part is to
pass it from the right to the left, he does but on opening the left hand it is
found to contain a number of small coins. Upon dropping the change on
the table, they are counted and total forty cents, there being three nickels
and a quarter. Saying that some of the money must have gone astray, he
reaches behind his right knee and produces the missing dime. The hands
are both seen empty.

This method does not require very much practice except for making it a
smooth procedure. Prepare by palming the small change in the crook of
the left hand third and fourth fingers, a sort of finger palm, while the dime
is palmed in the crook of the right ring finger. The left hand can now hold
a cigarette while smoking to make a natural appearance of the slightly
curled fingers but you need not worry about this. You will find that you
can drop the half-dollar to the table and pick it up with either hand while
still keeping the loose change and the dime in their respective places.

The right hand now picks up the half-dollar and it is apparently placed in
the left hand, but in reality it is thumb palmed in the right. The position of
the dime makes this quite easy. Pretend to pass the coin from behind the
left knee to the right. Show the coin has passed, and immediately attempt
the passing from right to left. Give a slight right turn as you do this, and
as you open the left hand and the change is seen and heard, the right hand
containing the half-dollar is near the coat or trouser pocket and the coin is
dropped in. This is the most important move and must be timed with the
production, the misdirection being perfect. The change is counted on the
table and only 40 cents found. The other dime is produced from behind
the right knee and nothing extra is left in the hands at the finish.

12
This is a very cute interlude or introduction to any coin routine or trick
which uses a half-dollar. The passes may look familiar to many, but the
moment the change makes its appearance it is a surprise to all. Then give
the change to someone for another half and proceed with the other effects.

There are many effects of this nature which can be used advantageously
in such a way. A simple bit of seeming by-play with an object about to
be used appears perfectly impromptu and often impresses more than the
regular trick. It also gives the impression that you can do something at any
moment with any object.

IN NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE

Calendar Conjuring
Suggested Programs - #2
What the H— !?
Dr Daley’s Death Divination
The Touch That Tells