Pages from the boy s book of magic

THE BOY'S BOOK OF MAGIC

WARD CARRINGTON

THE BOY'S BOOK OF MAGIC

J

HARRY KELLAR AND HOWARD THURSTON

Frontispiece

THE BOY'S BOOK OF MAGIC INCLUDING CHAPTERS ON HINDU MAGIC, HANDCUFF TRICKS, SIDE SHOW AND ANIMAL TRICKS, VENTRILOQUISM, ETC.; TOGETHER WITH NUMEROUS SLEIGHTS, NOW PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME BY

HEREWARD CARRINGTON, P H . D .

Author of "Modern Psychical Phenomena," "True Ghost Stories," "The Coming Science," "Psychical Phenomena and the War," "The Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism," etc.

WITH OVER 120 ILLUSTRATIONS

NEW YORK

DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 192S

J

COPtRIQHT, 1920

BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC.

PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. BY THE QUINN a BODEN COMPANY RAHWAY, N. J.

PREFACE THE following book on conjuring aims to present a practical and systematic treatise on "Magic," written in such a manner that the beginner may readily understand it,—while, I believe, the advanced student will also find a number of new "sleights" described which will prove useful to him. The object of this book is twofold: (1) To explain, not only Jiow a trick is done, but also \ow to do it—a very different matter; and (2) to describe and explain those tricks which the average boy can make or procure, with relative ease and with but little expense. Cards, coins, glasses, matches, handkerchiefs, etc., are readily procurable, and by their aid a number of striking and highly effective tricks may be performed. The amateur is also told how to construct a number of tricks—and a great part of the joy of true magic consists in devising and Maiding them—as well as exhibiting them. Thus, with but little outlay, the amateur is hereby enabled to give a splendid magical performance—which, by practice and application, may be as good as many now exhibited upon the public stage.

Three Supplementary Chapters deal with "Hindu Magic," "Handcuff Tricks," and "Side Show and Animal Tricks," and the young magician will find in these the explanation of many secrets which doubtless have long puzzled him. Many of these secrets have never before appeared in any book on Magic, and will, I hope, prove of interest to the general reader, as well as to the prospective conjuror.

I wish to acknowledge, here, my great indebtedness to Frederic Serrano Keating, for valuable assistance in

vi

PEEFACB

the preparation of this book, and for furnishing me with several original sleights; also to Messrs. Howard Thurston, Harry Houdini and Harry Kellar for valuable suggestions. I must also acknowledge my indebtedness to the general literature of Magic,—particularly Professor Hoffmann's standard works, Burlingame's "Herrmann the Magician," and to Professor Stanton's little book on "Magic," from which several illustrations have been borrowed.

H. C.

CONTENTS PREFACE

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PART I CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

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The Dress The Table and Servante Music-stand as a Side Table The Wand Preparation of the Hands II.

CARD TRICKS

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PAGE 1

7 9 11 11 12 14

Methods of Discovery: Method No. I 15 " I I 15 " " I I I (False Shuffles) . . . .

16 " I V 18 " V 19 " V I 19 Methods of Disclosure: Method No I 20 " I I 20 "III 20 " I V 21 To " F o r c e " a Card 22 To Make the " Pass " 23 The Left-handed " P a s s " (Charlier Pass) . .

25 To " Slip " a Card 26 The Moist Card 28 The Rising Cards 29 (Another Method) . . . 3 1 Card Leviation Impromptu 32 Thurston's Method 33 A Chosen Card Caught Upon the End of an Ordinary Walking-stick 37 A Card Caught on the Corner of a Borrowed Handkerchief 39 The Velvet Cloth 41 The Ring and Card Trick 43 vii

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER III. COIN TRICKS

PAGE 45

Palming The Thumb Palm Passes The Tourniquet Methods of Exchange The Hooked Coin The Spinning Coin The Warm Coin The Heads and Tails Trick The Travelling Coins The Fifty Cents and Orange Trick . . . .

To Rub One Dime into Three To Multiply One Half-Dollar into Two (New Method) A New Coin Vanish The Coin and Hat Trick The Flying Coins The Coin and Card Trick Travelling Coins: Second Method . . . .

The Paper Fold and Disappearing Coin . . .

Catching Coins in a Wine Glass . . . .

The Winged Coin The Magic Coin Tray IV.

TEICKS

WITH HANDKERCHIEFS

45 47 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 54 56 58 59 59 60 61 63 62 64 65 66 67 70

To Produce a Handkerchief from the Empty Hand 70 The Flying Handkerchief . 7 2 Handkerchief Production 75 The Candle and Handkerchief 76 The Soup Plate and Handkerchief . . . .

77 The Shower of Sweets 78 The Disappearance and Reappearance of a Handkerchief 80 New Handkerchief Vanish 80 The New Cylinders and Handkerchief Trick . .

81 Colour-changing Handkerchiefs 82 New Decanter, Handkerchief and Flag Combination 88 V.

TRICKS WITH EGGS

94

To Make an Egg Stand Upright The Spinning Egg To Produce an Egg from an Ordinary Handkerchief VI.

PIECES OF APPARATUS OF GENERAL UTILITY

The Mirror Tumbler The Bottomless Tumbler

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94 94 95 98

98 100

CONTENTS

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CHAPTER

PAGE

The Vanisher . . .

The Bran Glass The Drawer Box The Inexhaustible Portfolio The Black Silk Thread The Magnetized Poker The Dancing Handkerchief The Rapping Wand The Climbing Ring The Mesmerized Wand Table Lifting The Floating Hat VII.

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101 102 103 104 106 106 . 106 107 107 107 108 110

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FEATS OF DIVINATION

Ill

To Divine the Number Thought of by the Audience 111 To Tell the Hour on a Borrowed Watch, Placed Face Downwards on the Table . . . .113 The Bank Note Test 114

The Dictionary Trick VIII.

MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS

The Multiplying Wand The Phantom Wand Walnut Shells and Pea The " Spirit Touch"

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The Tambourine Trick .

The Japanese P a p e r Trick

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.123 125

The Torn and Restored Cigarette Paper . .

Red or Black? " Matter Through Matter " The Flying Thimble The Broken Match Trick The Disappearing Matches The Bent Watch The Watch which Stops and Goes at Command Flower Tricks The Soup Plate and Flower Trick . . .

The Birth of Flowers The Button-hole Rose The Magic Flower Pot IX.

MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS

The The The The

(Continued)

Rabbit Trick Chinese Lanterns Watch a n d Photograph Trick C u t a n d Restored Turban

The Bullet Trick

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127 128 128 129 131 133 134 . 135 135 .135 136 138 139 .

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115 120 120 121 122 122

143

143 144 . 1 4 6 147

149

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER

PAGE

The Floating Ball 152 Black Art! . .155 Decapitation Trick 159 A Few Tricks which May Be Performed by the Aid of Chemistry 163 The Magic Glass of Water 163 Wine Changed into Water 165 Wine Changed into Milk 166 A Purple, Green, and Grey Liquid from the same Bottle 167 X.

CONCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS

168

PART I I XI.

1

XII.

H I N D U MAGIC

The Mango-tree Trick The Basket Trick The Dry-sands Trick The Coloured Sands Trick The Diving Duck The Jumping Rabbit . . .

The Beans and Scorpion Trick The Basket and Chickens Trick The Cotton Trick The Brass Bowl Trick Snake-Charming Voluntary Interment The Rope Trick

175

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HANDCUFFS AND ESCAPES THEREFROM .

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Bags, Sacks, Trunks, Boxes, Packing Cases, etc.

Rope Tying Tests XIII.

175 185 100 192 193 194 195 196 197 199 200 202 204 207

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SIDE-SHOW AND ANIMAL TRICKS

Juggling Tricks How Animals Are Taught Their Tricks . .

Gamblers' Secrets How the Various Stage Effects Are Produced .

Ventriloquism Points to be Remembered Concluding Remarks

221 235 240

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255 258 267 271 273 281 282