50

EASY
POCKET
T R IC K S

BY

/V N ,
y Richard y
% Rowe *

NEW EDITION PRICE, 1 / 6

 Dr. RICHARD ROWF.'S

QQy

W I L L A LM A
M.I.M.C. (LONDON)

BECOME THE LION OF THE PARTY

 The State Library of Victoria
“A L M A C O N JU R IN G C O L L E C T IO N ’

50 E asy P ock et T ricks

You can rival a great singer
A popular story teller, or
The m ost accom plished musician

D r. R ow e, dean o f AUSTR ALIAN m a g ic

 Jntroduetion

This book w ill again bring me in touch with m y

many magical friends in Australia. M y last tour took
me twice around the world, and at present I am better
known in South Africa, Ind ia, South America, England
and Egypt, than I am in A ustralia. W hen magic in
those countries is mentioned, my name is coupled with
it. I have volumes of Press notices in every language
of the globe, and I took thousands of pictures of noted
people and places. B ut, before I went abroad, I played
in all the cities and towns of my native land. I have
played before H .M . the K ing, Presidents, Viceroys,
Princes, Sultans, and the multitudes over which they
rule— my Press books will show this. Mystic Mora
accompanied me, and became celebrated as a gifted ex­
ponent of M ental Magic. M y daughter Buxar was born
near the holy city of Benares, and spent the first weeks
of her life amongst Yogi mystery men, snake charmers,
jugglers, and such like castes of Ind ia. These men paid
homage to the daughter of the “Magic Sahib.”

I look forward to renew my acquaintances with the

great A ustralian public shortly. Mr. George Griffiths,
Sir Ben Fuller, M r. J . Musgrove, Mr. D an Carroll, Mr.
Keuben Baker, and many other notable A ustralian
Theatrical Managers, will always give Magic a place
on their Theatres. So, to sum up, I submit this book
fo the readers, knowing it will achieve its purpose.
 forew ord

The title of this book explains th a t it is meant to

supply an easy method of E ntertaining. I t does all
this. The tricks can be understood and executed with
very little practice. I do not claim the invention of
the ideas used. I have collected them into one volume
from m any sources. Mr. W ill Andrade, the proprietor
of the only Magical Salons of merit in Australia, al­
lowed me the privilege of examining the apparatus
used in some of the novelties mentioned. The collec­
tion includes tricks th a t Thurston, Ilec. Marshall,
Chefalo, Gus. Fowler, “ Carmo,” and m any other great
Magical Masters have used to entertain.

I f in the collection I have given away the pet secret

of any M agician, I can only excuse myself by remark­
ing, with Erdnase, the card expert, that I publish
the book because I need the money.

Yours truly,

DR. R. ROW E.
 The State Library of Victoria
“A L M A C O N JU R IN G C O L L E C T IO N

50 C hoice S ecrets
SURGERY.
A knife is slashed across the performer’s left thu m b ;
blood flows freely. A pass is then made over the
wound ; the blood is wiped away and no trace of a cut
can be seen, while the flow of blood has completely
stopped.
To do this, prick the skin in the joints w ith a needle.
Then wipe the thum b u n til it is perfectly dry.
Now twist a handkerchief around the root of the
thum b. The thum b is not cut when the knife is slashed
over it, bu t at that moment the thum b is bent. This
causes the blood to flow. Straightening it will cause
the blood to stop flowing, and in a moment the wound
will heal and no trace remains..

RING AND ROPE.

Have one of your wrists tied firmly with a piece of
rope. Seat yourself in a chair, p u t your tied wrist be­
hind you and have the free end of the xope tied to
your other wrist. Now have a borrowed ring brought
to you, and receive it in your mouth. Tell them you
will pass the ring to any finger of your hands they
wish. Suppose they elect the third, finger of the left
hand. A screen is placed in front of you and the next
instant is taken away and you have the ring on the
chosen finger.
W hen the screen is placed in front of you drop the
ring from your m outh to the chair seat, stand up a
little, reach your hands under and get the ring. Y ou
can easily p u t it on any finger they want.
 5

BALANCED CIGARETTE PAPER ON HAT.

Lay a cigafette paper on a hat, so that one-half pro­
jects over the edge. Then move the hat gently, so that
the current of air lifts up the paper, and if you regulate
your movments nicely, you will be able to make the
paper stand up on edge. A ny one not fam iliar with
this trick would th in k it a feat of the expert juggler.
Take a good-sized potato, make a hole through it
and pass a cord through the hole. Y ou now take a
knife, cut potato and cord into halves, then p u t to­
gether and you pull cord back and forward, perfectly
restored.

POTATO MAGIC
Take your potato beforehand and with a long needle
filled w ith thread, pass the point of the needle with one
end of the potato, and then obliquely down to the
bottom. Now ,pass the needle in at the same place it
issued from and push it out at the opposite end. - The
thread will then pull back and forward easily. Cutting-
down the center of the potato into halves does not cut
the thread. Placing- the halves together again, they
may be pulled back and forth as before.

CARD AND ENVELOPE.

The performer spreads seven cards in a row on the
table. He exhibits a sealed envelope, which he puts
in his pocket. Now he asks someone to select one of
the seven cards. Let us assume the choice was the ace
of hearts. The magician sets fire to it and lets it burn
to ashes. The ashes he rubs between his hands.
H e then hands the sealed envelope to someone who,
on opening it, finds the ace of hearts written on a little
slip of paper inside.
 0

The secret is th a t the magician has seven envelopes,

each containing the name of a single card. Six of these
are in his pocket when he starts, in a regular order, so
that he can instantly find the one he wants. The re­
m aining .one is shown as if it were the only one used
and then tucked away with its six brothers. The rest
of the trick should now be clear.

BREAKING A MATCH BETWEEN THE

FINGERS
The object is to break with your middle finger a stout
wooden match placed across the roots df the first and
third finger nails.
The arm must be held parallel with the shoulder and
the fingers kept quite straight.

THE FAKIR’S FIGURE

The performer hands the spectator a sealed en­
velope, which he does not touch u n til after the trick is
over. H e then gives out a slip of paper and allov s
several persons each to write a figure on it. F inally
the paper is given to someone to add up the figures
which have been written down. After the result is
found, the envelope is opened and the results found in
it. The figures added r p were really the ones written
down l y t':e spectators.

Y ou first determine what number is to be the result.

Let us say it is 43. Y ou then write this on a slip of
paper and seal it in an envelope and ask one to write
down a number. Y ou see what it is. Y ou allow more
numbers to be written, adding them up in your m ind
all the time. W hen the result is 33 or more you stop
and begin to add up the figures. W h ile you are doing
this, vou add the figures which w ill bring the total up
to 43.
 7

PIN THROUGH FOREHEAD

Before presenting the trick, insert a p in under and
through a small portion of the outsides layer of skin
on tip of second finger of right hand. P in is then
exhibited, held between the thu m b and finger, and
under the pretence of pushing the pin into forehead,
it slides down the finger. A fter you have apparently
pushed the pin in forehead, and it is secreted in finger,
h it your forehead a smart smack with the palm of your
hand, and the deception is complete.
The pin is then extracted, to all appearances, from
the back of the head.

THE MAGNETIZED CIGAR

A cigar is laid across the fingers, and the hand is
slowly turned to a vertical position, but the cigar re­
tains its position on the hand.
Before introducing the trick, stick a p in half way in
the cigar. The cigar is held in position by tlie pin,
being gripped between the fingers.
The cigar can be transferred from hand to hand, by
its position in one hand to the other.
bringing the hands together and rolling the pin from "
Remove the p in and show the cigar to be an ordin­
ary one.

DEAD OR ALIVE
The performer hands a p lain sheet of note paper to
a spectator, asking him to tear the paper into five equal
strips. The spectator is then requested to write r.he
names of dead persons on two slips, and on each i.-f the
remaining slips the names of living persons.
The slips are folded and placed in a hat, and well
shaken.
 Now, to the amazement of the company, the per-
former at his will, selects a slip from the hat containing
a dead person’s name, or th a t of a live person, as may
be chosen by the company.
Secret: The slips containing the names of dead per­
sons are the top and bottom of the note paper, and are
distinguished by the smooth machine-cut edge on one
side. A fter the strips have been torn, the performer,
under the pretence of showing the strips to be unpre­
pared, places the two smooth-edged strips on top of the
others, and gives them to the spectator to write upon.

A STRONG PUFF
The performer lights a match, and holding it at the
finger tips of the right hand, blows into the left sleeve,
and the match goes out suddenly, as if blown out by
the air passing down the left sleeve and through the
right sleeve.
Secret: The match is held between the tip of the first
and second fingers, back of the hand uppermost, and
plain end of match projecting just a little below the
fingers, in a position to receive a sharp “ flip” with the
tip of the thum b, toward the inside of the hand. This
action extinguishes the light, and the performer, while
blowing into the left sleeve, invariably draws all atten­
tion away from the right hand.

THE BALANCED CIGAR

Place a hat over the left hand and stand the broad
end of a cigar oil the crown. Y ou have a pin in your
left hand, and, while you are trying to balance the
cigar, you work the pin through the hat into the cigar,
thus causing it to stand upright and apparently unsup­
ported.
 9

SMOKE-O
The performer, smoking a cigarette, places a saucer
over a glass on the table, and covers them with a hand­
kerchief. H e then retreats about three feet from table
and blows a puff of smoke in the direction of the cov­
ered glass and saucer, saying th a t he w ill magically fill
the glass with the smoke.
H e takes off the handkerchief, and on lifting the
saucer, a cloud of smoke arises.
Rinse the inside of the glass with spirits of salts and
smear the bottom of the saucer with liq uid ammonia.

MONEY FROM HOME

Ask some one to .loan you a shilling for a few mom­
ents, and lay it on the table, whereupon you gravely
make a triangle around the shilling with three matches.
Now, offer to bet your friend that he will not say
“Three matches” in answer to three questions which
you will ask him . O f course, he is confident of his
ability to say what he likes, and naturally accepts the
challenge. Then you proceed with the questions:—
"H o w do you like the weather?”
“Three matches.”
“ W h a t did you have for lunch?”
“Three matches.”
(So far he has succeeded in keeping to the agreed
answer.)
“ W h a t will you take for this shilling?”
W ell, he either loses the bet, or you pocket the
money.

A KNOTTY KNOT
Two handkerchiefs are exhibited as being separate,
 10

and after a simple wave of the hand, they are seen to

be tied together. They are then rolled into a ball and
thrown on the floor, when, to the surprise of your
friends, they separate.
E x p la n a tio n : A small rubber band does the trick.
The band is held in the left hand, encircling the thum b
and first two fingers. W hen presenting the trick, the
handkerchiefs should be shown, one in eacn hand, and
no difficulty w ill be experienced 111 concealing the
rubber band. The handkerchief in the right hand is
then placed with that in the left, where they are held
together.

HERE’S HOW
IIo w can two persons be standing on the same news­
paper and yet be in such a position th a t they cannot
touch each other?
The feat can be done, and quite easily.
Place the newspaper midway across a doorway; then
close the door, and the feat is accomplished by two
persons standing on the paper, on each side of the closed
door.

A FEAT OF STRENGTH
Take a paper napkin and twist it u n til it becomes
like a thick rope. Then ask .someone to tear it in half.
W h ile they are trying— and finding it impossible—
secretly moisten the tip of your finger. O n receiving
the paper back from them, quietly wet the center of the
paper and it will tear very easily.

BALANCED
Lean a sulphur match against a tum bler and ask
any one to take away the tum bler and leave the match
standing.
 11

W h e n your friends’ efforts have proved to be futile,

ignite the match w ith another one, and let it burn for
a few seconds. Blow it out, remove the tum bler, and
the m atch w ill stay upright.

GO— SILK— GO
The performer "shows a handkerchief which he rolls
into a small compass. Suddenly it disappears and both
hands are shown empty. The sleeves were rolled up
before the trick began.
The secret depends on a little loop of colored thread,
which is flesh-colored. I t is placed around the two
m iddle fingers of the right hand. The handkerchief is
rolled into a small b a ll— use a silk handkerchief— and
slipped under the loop at the hack of the hand. The
hands are then shown empty ; the movements repeated
and the handkerchief reproduced.

WATCH AND RING ^

Y ou require three articles— a watch, a handkerchief,
and a large ring. The ring must be smaller than the
watch.
Y ou place the watch in the center of the handker­
chief and push the ends through the ring. Then you
invite persons to hold the ends of the handkerchief.
Everyone w ill agree that it is impossible for the
watch to be removed from the handkerchief while the
ends are held;— for the r i n g is in the way.
Now you spread a napkin or a large handkerchief
over the hands th a t hold the watch so securely in the
ring. Y ou reach beneath the cloth— and in a very few
moments you bring out both the watch and the ring.
Y e t when the covering is taken away, the ends of
the handkerchief are still held and the handkerchief is
uninjured.
 12

W hen you reach beneath the cloth, get hold of the

edge of the handkerchief— along the hem— and pull it
down through the ring. This can be done, even though
the ends are held.
Remove the watch through the opening thus formed.
Once the watch is out of the way, the ring may bo
easily withdrawn.

THIEVES
Seven paper pellets are used. The performer states
that two of them represent thieves, and the other five
represent sheep. H e holds one thief 111 each hand, and
mentions that each hand is a barn in which a thief is
hiding.
The thieves steal the sheep, one by one. First one
hand picks up a ball of paper; then the other, and so
on, alternately, u n til all the paper balls have been gath­
ered.
H earing a noise, the thieves p u t back the sheep. The
hands deposit the five paper pellets on the table, one
by one. A t this point the farmer arrives on the scene.
He inspects the barns. The hands are opened. To
the surprise of everyone, the two thieves are found in
one barn ; and the five sheep in the other.
One hand holds b u t two paper balls, while the other
has five.
The Secret: The trick is accomplished by a very sim­
ple, yet artful system.
W hen you pick up the five pellets, start with the
right hand. Pick them up as follows:— R ig h t, left,
right, left, right.

I n replacing five pellets on the table, begin with the

left hand— left, right, left, right, left.
 13

People w ill th in k th a t you have p u t back the five

you picked up. They will believe that each hand now
contains one paper ball. Instead, the right hand holds
two, and the left hand none.

I n picking up the pellets the second time, begin with

the right hand — right, left, right, left, right. W hen
you open your hands, you will have five paper balls in
the right, and only two in the left.

THE PREDICTION
A person writes a row of six figures. Then the per
former writes a total on a slip of paper and lays it
aside. He asks someone to write another row of figures.
Then the performer writes a row. A nother row 's w rit­
ten, and the performer writes a fifth row. The figures
are added up. The slip of paper is unfoided and it
bears the total of the addition.
The Secret: The performer notes the number first
written by the spectator. He subtracts 2 from that
number and writes it on the slip of paper, then he puts
the figure 2 in front of it.

For example: The spectator writes 476,498. The

perfomer then writes 2,4/6,496. I f the spectator should
write 387,342, the performer would write 2,387,340.

A second row is written. Then the performer writes

the third row. I n doing this he makes every figure of
the second row add up to 9. I f 375,306 are the figures
written, he writes 624,693.

The fourth row is written and the performer, in w rit­

ing the fifth row, makes each figure of the fourth total
9, just as he did with the second and third rows.

W hen the numbers are added, their total will be the

number written on the slip of paper by the performer.
This trick cannot fail if the instructions are followed.
 14

MATCH MAGIC
Ju s t an ordinary matchbox filled w ith matches. First,
the box is opened part way to show the matches inside.
Then the box is turned over, and the drawer is en­
tirely removed, yet the matches do not fall. They stay
in the box as though magnetized;

W hen the magician commands the matches to drop,

they fall from the box and scatter on the table. The
drawer is immediately given for examination— yet no
trickery is found.
The Secret: A broken match is used. I t is just a
trifle longer than the width of the box. The match is
wedged across the drawer so that it holds the matches
in place.

The drawer may be opened part way to show the

matches, but not far enough to reveal the cross match.
Then the box is inverted and the drawer is removed,
but the matches will not fall.
By squeezing the sides of the box, or slipping the
forefinger beneath, the wedged match can be pushed
from its position at the desired moment. Then the
matches will fall, bu t the broken one will be buried
beneath the pile and 110 one will know of its existence.

COIN AND MATCHBOX

This is an excellent way to produce money from no­
where. A ll you need is an empty match-box. The
drawer is opened and is shown empty.
W hen the drawer is closed and re-opened, the coin is
there. I t has mysteriously found its way into the empty
box.

Open the drawer of the box half way and wedge the
coin between the end of the drawer and the top of the
cover. Y o u can then show the drawer empty. Close
 15

the box, keeping your hand at the back so th a t the

coin w ill not be pushed out. This simple action lets
the coin fall into the drawer, and when the box is
opened the second time the coin is in view.

COIN VANISH
This is a very effective way to make a coin dis­
appear.
Spin a penny on the table. Take a match-box from
your pocket, show that it is quite cnprepared, aiul
strike the spinning coin with the box so th a t the coin
is trapped beneath it.
Ask the company to guess whether the coin is heads
or tails. Then lift the match-box and show that the
coin has disappeared.
The secret: Use an empty match-box, but turn the
drawer upside down, so that there is only one thick­
ness of wood a t the bottom of the box. I f the box is
brought down sharply upon a spinning coin, the coin
will he driven righ t through the wood and will lodge
inside the box.
W h en you lift the box the coin will be gone. No
one w ill believe th a t the coin could have gone through
the box, so you can calmly p u t the mnteh-box in your
pocket while they are wondering where the coin went.

THE SPIRIT NAME

The performer folds a sheet of paper so th a t it forms
nine sections. Then he asks a person to write nine
names, one in each section, and to p u t a special name
in the centre, among the other eight. This is a name
upon which the person must concentrate, as it is the
spirit name.
These names are not seen by the performer. A t his
 16

instruction, the spectator tears the piece of paper along

the folded lines, so th a t it forms nine small slips; and
those are dropped at random into a hat.

Reaching into the hat, the performer produces the

slip of paper which bears the spirit name.

W h en the paper is torn into nine pieces, all the torn

edges will be rough ; bu t the others will be smooth.
Every slip of paper will have at least one smooth edge,
with the exception of the centre slip, which bears the
spirit name.

This slip w ill have four rough edges. W hen the per­
former reaches into the hat, he can detect .that slip of
paper from the others, by the sense of touch.

Feeling the edges, he can quickly discover the slip

with four rough edges, and that is the slip which he
produces.

ORANGE TO APPLE
The performer places an orange in a hat and reaches
in as though to take it out again. H e puts the fruit
back, and after looking at it several times, finally brings
it out.

B u t the orange is no longer an orange — it has

changed to an apple ! The hat is shown empty.

The Secret: Peel an orange very carefully by cutting

the skin into quarters. Choose an apple of about the
same size and carefully cover it w ith the orange peel.

A t a short distance this w ill appear to be an orange.

P u t it in the hat. Each time you reach in, remove
part of the peel and secret it beneath the hat band.
Bring out the apple.
 17

NAMING CHOSEN FRUIT

A n orange and an apple are used in this trick. Some
person holds one in each hand, while the performer
turns his hack. The holder is instructed to raise either
hand— then place it on the table beside the other.
Looking at the hands the performer names which
fruit was lifted— the apple or the orange.
The Secret: The blood leaves the hand which is
raised. I t becomes whiter and the veins become smaller
than the other hand. By a brief glance at the hands
it is easy to tell which one was raised.

THE MUMMIFIED FINGER

A good comedy trick is always appreciated. Here is
a fine one performed with a little cardboard box which
you can carry in your pocket.
Y ou bring out the box and state th a t it contains the
finger of a mummy. L iftin g the lid, you show the
finger lying on a bed of cotton. W hen someone leans
close to inspect the finger, it suddenly comes to life and
points at him .
The finger is your own. B u t it is attached to your
hand, and hence it is quite lively.
The. box is prepared before hand by cutting a small
hole in the bottom, just large enough to adm it your
finger. W h en you reach in the pocket thrust your finger
through the bottom of the box.
W h en you hold the box on your hand its appear­
ance will be quite natural. L ift the lid and show the
finger, which is bent inward. I t will appear to be an
im itation finger if you hold it quite still.

Keep your finger quiet u n til the particular moment.

Then raise it and watch the fun.
 18

FLOATING SUGAR
I n this trick you place a lum p of sugar very care­
fully into a cup of coffee. Set the lum p of sugar flat
— let go— and there it floats!
I n a few seconds, the lum p begins to sink and goes
to the bottom of the cup.
The Secret: The force that keeps the lum p of sugar
afloat is another lum p, which you secretly stand on end
in the cup. I t is invisible in the ooffee (which should
contain cream). Set the visible lum p upon the up­
right lum p of sugar and it will appear to be floating
on the surface.

SPOOK-STUFF
For this trick you require a sheet of carbon and a
pad of paper. Y o u state that you will cause a message
to appear.
U nder the top page of the pad you place the sheet
of carbon. Then you ask someone to write a certain
question on the pad— on the top page— and to sign his
name beneath it.
This having been done, it is quite obvious that the
writing will be transcribed, or duplicated, on the
second sheet of the pad, which is under the carbon
paper.
So you tear off the upper sheet, and remove the an­
swer ! A nd beneath this mysterious writing appears
the carbon copy of his own signature, proving conclus­
ively that there is no trickery !

The Secret: This trick is accomplished very easily.

The secret lies in the carbon paper. Take the sheet
of carbon and bend in a portion of it, so th a t it is face
to face with the rest of the paper. B u t do not make
the bend at the center. O nly a portion of the carbon
papar should be face to face.
 19

O n the second sheet of the pad, write the answer—

through carbon— of the question that is to be written.
D o not let people see this.
Insert the carbon paper so that the double portion
is at the top of the pad. W h en the question is written,
it disappears— due ito the double faced carbon. B u t
the single portion, at the bottom, will permit the tran­
scription of the signature.

THE SAME WORD.

This is partly a trick and partly a joke..
W rite on your bare arm w ith a piece of soap cut like
a pencil, the three words— “the same word.” The w rit­
ing w ill be invisible. Ask a spectator to write any
word he likes 0 11 a piece of paper and burn it. Tell
h im you w ill rub the ashes on your arm and “the same
word” w ill appear.
Do so, and the ashes stick 0 11 the soap and “the same
word” appears in black letters. Y ou do not reproduce
his actual words, bu t you have done what you claimed
you could do.

SPOTS.
W h ile seated at a table, show the palm of right hand
is perfectly clean. Next show a piece of paper and
some ink. W ith the handle of a pen mark three spots
on a paper. Place the right hand under the table,
make the paper into a ball, then rub it on table top.
Show the spots have passed through the table and are
transferred to the palm of the right hand..

Place a Spot of in k on the nails of the forefinger, the

second and third fingers of right hand. Keep hand
open t ill you place it under the table, then close hand
tightly. The spots are passed from the nails to the
palm . Open hand and show results.
 20

SPIRIT BOOKS.
Arrange six books on a table and explain th a t you
are clairvoyant. I f any person opens one of the books
whiie your back is turned, or while you are out of the
room, you will know at once which book was opened.
As you arrange the books, place a short hair on the
cover of each book. W hen any book is opened the
hair falls off .and indicates the one looked at. The
spectators never notice the hairs.

THE MYSTERIOUS WALKING STICK.

I always carry a hooked stick for this trick. I cause
it to adhere to the palms of my hands, held facing the
audience in a very mysterious way.
H o ld the stick in front of your chest, with both
hands closed. Slowly open hands and stick rests on
fleshy part of the base of the thum b and palm. The
crook must be turned inwards towards you. This b a l­
ances the stick, and a little practice does the rest.

THE HERO.
The performer appears as a hero when he takes a
lighted cigar, and by dabbing it on his tongue a few
times puts out the light.
Cause sufficient saliva to flow towards the cigar as
you dab it on the tongue, which puts it out without
burning you. I f you suck a piece of borax you may
lick the .lighted end with im punity.

THE MAGIC MIRROR.

The performer hands a small mirror to the spectators
and .asks one of them to gaze intently into it when
he has left the room. Then to place the mirror face
down on the table. The performer returns, picks up
the mirror, looks intently into it, and then describes
the person who did the gazing.
 21

A confederate is necessary for the success of this

effect. H e sits in the room and gives the sign which
person looked in the mirror.

JUMP!
The performer shows a rubber band which just fits
around the fore and m iddle fingers of left hand. The
hand is held back up first, then turned palm up. The
band is lifted by the fingers of right hand. The left
hand is then turned back up again and the band is in
the same place. B u t the hand is shut as it is turned.
The band is told to “ju m p ,” and it crosses over on to
the third and little finger.
Carefully follow these instructions:... Place the band
on the fore and second fingers of left hand. Then turn
palm of left hand up. As you do, lift the band with
fingers of right hand. Next, close all the fingers of
left hand, and allow the band to drop on the four
closed fingers. Quickly tu rn the hand back up. The
band is now over the fore and middle fingers on top,
but over all fingers underneath. Straighten the hand
and the band jumps to the third and little finger.

RING AND RULER.

To p u t a ring on a ruler while the ruler is b e n g held
at both ends by a boy is done by having a ring sewn
into the middle of a small flag. Show another finger
and the (lag and ruler, and get a boy to hold the
latter while you spread the Pag across the ruler. P ut
your hand underneath the flag, and pretend you have
the ring there, which you ask the boy to hold through
the flag. Im m ediately he lets go one end of the ruler,
you must slip the other ring on to the ruler. Then
say, “ Let go the ring and flag,” and give the flag a
sharp jerk, which will send the ring spinning around
the ruler, while the ring the boy had hold of is still in
the flag.
 £Dr. Clowe’s
frlagie Jbessons

You can le arn R eal M a g ic

from me personally
or by m ail.

S P E C IA L S U B J E C T S :

Illusions, S ta g e Hypnotism
Telepathy, Blindfold Feats
Mental M agic
Electrical Marvels

LEARN FROM A M ASTER

DR. RO W E
65 G R A N G E R D ., T O O R A K , M e lb o u rn e
 23

MAGNETIC MONEY.
Take a small coin, such as a penny, and on the edge
cut a small notch with a knife, so th a t a little point
of the metal will project. By pressing this against a
door or wooden partition, the coin w ill remain myster­
iously adhering against the perpendicular surfa-e.

THE NAILED CARD.

Take a flat-headed nail, and file it down u n til its
point is as sharp as a needle, and the head quite flat
The n a il should be about half an inch long, or even
shorter if anything. Pass the nail through the centre
of any card— say the ace of spades— and conceal it in
your left hand.
Take another pack of cards, get the ace of spades to
the bottom, and perform the preceding trick. W hen
the cards are returned, shuffle them about, and ex­
change the pierced card for the other. P u t the pierced
card at the bottom of the pack, and throw the cards
violently against the door, when the nail w ill be driven
in by the pressure of the other cards against its head,
and the chosen card will be seen nailed to the door.
The nail should be p u t through the face of the card,
so that when the others fall on the floor, it remains far­
ing the spectators.

Jbatest S o c k e t 75rieks
The following Series of Novelties require apparatus,
which is best procured at W I L L A N D R A D E ’S Magical
Salons, 173 P itt Street, Sydney, or 52 Swanston Street,
Melbourne.
 24

THE RATTLE BARS.

Three silver bars are shown ; one rattles, the others
are solid. They are tossed in the air, and the one th a t
rattles always falls next to the thrower. Or again, the
three bars are tossed out of a hat 0 11 to a table. The
performer immediately finds the bar th a t rattles. This
is accomplished with the aid of a fourth bar hidden in
the hand. This fourth bar rattles, so the performer can
at any time make any one of the bars rattle.

A HAT FULL OF CIGARETTES.

Borrow a hat and p u t it on the table, then reach
into the air and catch a cigarette, which you drop into
the hat. A good trick. Get a cigarette producer;
this is a small wire bolder, which fits on the finger and
causes the cigarette to appear when the hand reaches
l*i the air. As you drop th e ' cigarette into the hat, it
really goes back behind the fingers and appears again
when wanted. A dozen cigarettes are dropped from the
sleeve into a hat after you borrow it.

THE VANISHING CIGARETTE.

A lighted cigarette is squeezed in the hand and dis­
appears instantly.
This result is brought about by 'a small tube which
is connected by elastic to the interior of the sleeve. The
cigarette is pushed into the tube, and then the tube
goes like a flash up the sleeve.

PENNY AND MATCH BOX.

A peiiny is covered w ith the bottom of a match box.
The performer offers to bet the penny is there. H e
looks away for a second, and a bystander lifts the box
 25

and removes tlie penny, p u ttin g the box down again.

The performer still offers to bet the penny is there, and
usually a spectator w ill oblige him . So, when the box
is lifted, the penny is really there.
A shell penny is used and the bystander is in the
joke w ith the performer. W h en he lifts the box, he
does take the penny, b u t when he replaces the box, he
leaves a shell which looks like the penny. These
pennies can be used for many tricks.

CIGARETTE TO MATCH.
A lighted cigarette is placed in a small silver tube
and mysteriously disappears and a match is found in
its place. This is a beautifully made piece of apparatus
in three parts— a silver tube, an im itation cigarette,
and a small rod, to prepare the trick beforehand.
The cigarette, which appears to be lighted and can
be smoked, is shown and placed in the tube. A match
is in the interior, which is then produced. The tube
can be m inutely examined and no trace of the lighted
cigarette can be found.

CAP AND COIN.

A brass cap is shown and also a c o in; a penny is
generally used. The coin is covered with the cap, and
it entirely disappears. There is a small hole in cap
which you can look through after the disappearance
of the coin. This is also a well-made piece of apparatus.
One side of a penny has a brass cover on it, which
corresponds with top of cap. The coin cannot be seen
when in the cap, even on close examination.

DR. ROWE’S CRYSTAL CARD.

This trick I publish, because I look upon it as one
of the best card tricks now on the market. I t is being
sold in E ngland as M urray’s Card Trick. I showed
 2
‘ i ’j

M urray it, and he liked it. W ell, so be it. I liked

the act th a t M urray did here with handcuffs, bag, and
box, so I will have a manuscript reproduction of it on
the market shortly. So my readers then w ill rival
H oud ini, Hardeen, and m any others th a t my dear
friend M urray honored in the same way as he did my
self.
Now the trick: H ave a card selected from a pack.
This is then placed in performer’s hand, behind his
back. H o takes a crystal from his pocket, looks into
it, and calls the card. Here’s how: As the card is be­
hind your back, face the audience and tear a pip
corner out of the card. H o ld the corner while you get
the crystal. Then look at the crystal and also pip
corner. Then call the card.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.

A great trick for children. A doll is shown and then
dressed in a red cloak. The doll suddenly disappears
and the cloak is shown empty. The doll can then be
caused to appear at some other place in the room or
in the pocket of a spectator.
The doll is in two parts, the body and the head. A
pretence is made by the performer ' to give the doll
money for a journey. The performer puts his hand in
his pocket to get the m oney; at the same time he takes
the doll’s body and leaves it in his pocket. The head
is still visible, and is vanished into a small pocket in
the cloak. The pocket is so well made that it is in-
detectable, even at close quarters. The doll in a .spec­
tator’s pocket is a duplicate.

VEST POCKET TAMBORINE.

This is another A ndrade speciality, and causes great
astonishment. Two small rings are shown, a square of
paper is placed between them, and they are pressed
' together forming a tamborine. Yards of paper ribbon
 27

is then produced from the tambo, and finally a flag

from the ribbon.
There is a small holder for the coil of ribbon which
performer has no difficulty in introducing as he makes
the tamborine. The flag is in the sleeve, an a small
parcel, and is introduced into the centre of the ribbon
in a very easy manner. This also is great for a child­
ren’s party, and the coils and flag are easily procurable.

THE MYSTERIOUS DIE.

A solid die is shown and placed on top of a borrowed
hat. A tigh t fitting cover is placed over it, and it
passed through the hat, the cover being shown at once
empty. This is a very popular item, and may be said
to be fool-proof. The solid die has a shell on it, which
fits inside the cover. I n showing the hat, the solid die
is dropped into it out of the sh e ll; the shell is next put
on the hat, and the cover p u t on the sh ell; now, when
the cover is lifted, the “die” (that is, the shell) has
gone. I t fits the cover perfectly:

CONCLUSION.
M y task is concluded with regret. There are many
more ideas 1 could write of, b u t will leave that for
another time. I wish to again impress on the reader
the importance of reliable apparatus and the standing
of the dealer who supplies it. I have had many dis­
appointments through receiving magical tricks that can
only be classed as junk. I have a volume now in pre­
paration of Magical Acts. This book will also be an
A ustralian record of Magic and Magicians in this coun­
try. Every person interested in Magic for the past
decade will be mentioned, and I hope to make it a
record th a t will be a history of things Magical in A us­
tralia— a record that will be in every library in the
world.
Yours truly,
DR. ROW E.
 alm rcp
W 'S
■ rh f
28

W h o ’s W h o in Magic
IN AUSTRALIA
By D r. R IC H A R D R O W E

A BOOR OF A C T S
N O W IN P R E P A R A T IO N

Every a c t in it h a s been trie d an d tested

by P ra c tic a l M a g ic ia n s .

E V E R Y B O D Y I N A U S T R A L IA N M A G IC
W I L L B E I N IT .

This Book will contain Magic of the class described

in H offm an’s books. H offm an wrote of the Magic he
saw performed on the stage by R eal Magicians.
Brain waves by boy wizards w ill not find any place in
it. Theorists and bedroom inventors will have a chap­
ter, so w ill the great collection of sharpers who sell
manuscripts of one or two tricks for 20 times their
value.
The writer who publishes books of false-bottomed tin-
pot tricks he cannot do himself— yes, he will be men­
tioned also.

A C o m p le t e ,R e c o r d
P H O T O S , H I S T O R Y AN D R E A L M A G I C

3YL. WATERS, PRINT , 2 0 3 BRID GE RD , R IC H M O N D

 ANDRADE’S
Magic Salons
FOR A L L YO U R

I - Tricks and Apparatus

WILL ANDRADE
173 P IT T S T R E E T , S Y D N E Y
5 2 S W A N S T O N STREET. M ELBO URNE
 W IL L ANDRADE
C A R R IES T H E BEST STOCK
IN A U S T R A L I A

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