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
He soon grew nervous and walked away giving a test as he walked.
He now paused in a certain position for a moment, placing his hand
to his head as if somewhat dazed and tapping his bell. In this
position his feet were again over two concealed tacks, and he again
secured information for another test, which he gave as he walked
about. He now paused in a third position and gave another test,
after which he returned to the chair, continuing his work. This
maneuvering he kept up until all the tests were given; after which
he fell upon a couch exhausted, but with his feet from the
spectators.
The manager now stepped to the rear of the stage and took the
basket, which was now in place containing the original (?)
envelopes behind the flaps; and stepping to the small table he
scooped in the dummy envelopes; then taking the basket by the
handles, he stepped down the runway and rapidly returned the
unopened (?) envelopes to their writers. The assistant had, of
course, sealed the questions in duplicate envelopes previously
numbered by the manager. He had placed these behind the flaps, and
shoved the basket into view on a table at the rear of the stage.
I use a variation of these tricks in my double parlors. I have
made a "billet changing basket" as above described, and have also
made a similar basket except that it contains no mechanism.
I pass cards and envelopes to the spectators in the front parlor.
When the questions are written and sealed in the envelopes, I
gather them up in the mechanical basket; I step to a table in the
rear parlor and apparently empty them upon it. In reality, I have
just raised the handle so that the originals are retained, and the
dummy envelopes are emptied on the table instead.
I now step to an adjoining room for an instant, to get a small
decorated screen. I secretly leave the basket containing the
original envelopes in this room and return with the other basket in
my hand in its place. I place the small ornamental screen on the
table back of the envelopes, but leave the envelopes in view and
request the spectators to notice that I do not go near them until I
get ready to give the tests. I now carelessly lay the non-
mechanical basket on a table in the room where the spectators are
and proceed with some other tricks.
Usually I give the series of experiments described in the chapter
entitled "Mediumistic Reading of Sealed Writings." I state to the
spectators that I will not give the tests for the sealed envelopes
until later in the evening.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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