Supposing a spectator handed a _Rosary_ to the conjurer. He would call out to his assistant, “_What is this?_” (Clue to the second set.) Then he would exclaim, “_Are_ you ready?” The word _are_ would give the clue to number 8. And so on. The clues to the sets were worded very nearly alike, so as to make the spectators believe that the same questions were being constantly asked. Evoking the aid of electricity, Robert Heller was enabled to convey the cue words and numbers of the sets to Miss Heller _without speaking a word_. It was this wonderful effect that so puzzled everybody. A confederate sat among the spectators, near the center aisle of the theatre, and the wires of an electric battery were connected with his chair, the electric push button being under the front part of his seat. Heller gave the cue to the set in which the article was, its number, etc., by some natural movement of his body or arms; and the confederate, rapidly interpreting the secret signals, telegraphed them to the clairvoyant on the stage. The receiving instrument was attached to the sofa upon which Miss Heller sat. The interchangeable use of the two methods of conveying information—spoken and unspoken—during an evening, completely bewildered the spectators. It was indeed a sphinx problem. [Illustration: ROBERT HELLER.] Robert Heller, or William Henry Palmer, was born in Canterbury, England, in 1833. At the age of fourteen he won a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music. In the year 1852 {192} he made his début in New York City at the Chinese Assembly Rooms. On this occasion he wore a black wig and spoke with a Gallic accent, believing that a French conjurer would be better received in this country than an English magician. He failed to make a success, and eventually drifted to Washington, where he taught music for a number of years. All this time he was perfecting himself in legerdemain. Finally he reappeared in New York and won unbounded success. He visited Europe and India, returning to the United States in 1875. His last performance was given at Concert Hall, Philadelphia, on November 25, 1878. He died in the same city on November 28, 1878. Soon after his death an absurd story went the rounds of the {193} press that he had directed his executors to destroy his automata and magical paraphernalia. Such is not the case. Mr. Francis J. Martinka, of New York, possesses a number of his tricks. Heller was a magnificent pianist and always gave a short recital of his own compositions and those of the masters during his entertainment. He used to append the following effusion to his posters: “Shakespeare wrote well; Dickens wrote _Weller_; Anderson was— But the greatest is Heller.” The following is one of Heller’s programmes (Salt Lake City, Utah, May 23, 1867): FOURTH PERFORMANCE OF THE RENOWNED CONJURER, ILLUSIONIST AND PIANIST MR. ROBERT HELLER!