The Lock and Key Library: The Most Interesting Stories of All Nations: Real Life
Science
The Lock and Key Library: The Most Interesting Stories of All Nations: Real Life
Detective and mystery stories; Fiction; Parapsychology
As he had turned over other pages after secretly reading the
question, the sheet was hidden from view. After reading the verse
he allowed the Bible to close, and then closing his eyes gave the
test for number one. After this he again opened the Bible and
turned the leaves through it slowly, read the second question
secretly, and finally found a second verse, which he proceeded to
read in a solemn tone, he then gave a second test, and so continued
until all the tests were given. He then lay down very much
exhausted, and the manager lowered the cloth bag containing the
dummy envelopes, and emptied them upon a small table near the front
of the stage. He then stepped to the rear of the stage and picked
up a little wicker basket, into which he scooped the dummy
envelopes from the small table where they lay in full view. He now
descended and rapidly returned the unopened envelopes to their
respective writers.
The basket is what is known as a "Billet changing basket." It is
lined with red satin and is a small affair with straight sloping
sides. It has a handle which, when down, locks two flaps up
against the sides of the basket. This is done by two little
projections on the base ends of the handle. They are of wire and
are bent into such shape that they project downward when the handle
is down, and hold the two side flaps up against the sides. These
flaps are of pasteboard, and are covered with red satin the same as
the basket lining. There is a spring in each flap which closes it
upon the bottom of the basket when it is released by raising the
handle. Envelopes in the bottom of the basket are thus hidden and
retained, when the flaps are released, and the duplicates drop into
the basket, from the sides where they were concealed by the flaps.
This basket can be supplied by the conjuring depots, or it can
easily be made. The handle can be made of wire and wrapped with
raffia grass which is on sale at the department stores. A
pasteboard lining covered with red satin must first be sewed into
the basket, and then two flaps of pasteboard should be hinged to a
pasteboard bottom by pasting on a hinge of cloth. A suitable
spring can be made of spring wire and sewed into position, after
which this is all covered with red satin and placed in the basket.
The basket should have sides about four inches high, and the bottom
should measure about seven and one-half by ten inches. The sides
and ends slope outward, and the basket is open wicker work.
Suitable bows of ribbon on the ends of the handle and corners of
the basket conceal the mechanism.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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