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Show (ini(i OFF HMDS. Tim Methods Used by Conjurers iii Prac- tioi'ig Optical De-' De-' lusions. A BEIDGE OVER THE BOSPHORDS. A Disquisition Anent Gas for Air PurificationSome Puri-ficationSome Readable Tales. For anumtwrof yearsihe masterpiece ot some conjurers have been tho cutting oft of heiuls. The most common one, por-haps, por-haps, w that where a countryman with "a sorter buzzing" in his head has it cured by cutting off the offending member. mem-ber. The subject takes a seat in a high back, upholstered chair. The lonjr back of tho cbafr in thickly padded and has two silk cords running crosswiso on it, one from the inner edge of either arm up to the top corner of the opposite side, thus making a broad X. The subject being seated iu a chair, a large helmet or "receiver" is placed on his bead. This helmet is made of any bright metal, has a vizor in front, and is open at the back. After it is placed over his head the vizor is lifted to show that the head is there, but in reality a dummy dum-my head is seen, made up to represent tho subject. As the performer closes tho -izor be tilts the helmet forward a little, while the subject at the same moment draws his head out of it and presses it against the bock of the cliair, which gives way under the pressure and a triangular tri-angular space opens, the two sides of which are formed by the lower portion of the X in the padding, the base being en a line with the chair arm, where this winging portion of the back is hinged on. On this flap, the opening of which is concealed by the receiver and a towel placed in front of it to hide the blood (?), rests the head of the subject. The receiver is now removed and placed on a small cabinet, tho towel being left at the neck of the subject in the chair. In a moment the receiver is taken from the top of the cabinet, and the head is seen resting there; it moves and speaks and is tho head of another person made up to represent the first one, and who sits behind the mirror in the cabinet and pops his head up through u hole in the top of it as soon as the receiver re-ceiver is placed there. Tiiis cabinet is haped like a safe and contains several apparently deep shelves. In reality the helves are shallow, a mirror of proper Kizo being placed in it in such a position us to leave about four-fifths of the cabinet cabi-net vacant. The very latest decapitation is one now used by Herrmann. The stage is peculiarly pecul-iarly set, the interior, from the iir.st to the third groove, being completely hung in black velvet or felt, buck, top and Bides. In place of the ordinary footlights foot-lights a row of gas jets is usually placed across tho stago just on a line with the inside of the boxes, and another row carried around but oulaidu of the arched entrance to the black chamber. The effect of this arrangement of light ' and shudow throws tho stage into impenetrable impen-etrable gloom., Herrmann appears suddenly sud-denly clotlied in white. Then Mephisto-pMas Mephisto-pMas appears so suddenly that it seems ftf. if he had jumped out of space, but really coming through an opening in the black cloth. Then comes a light cloak and a pretty woinan in evening dres3. This latter first wraps herself in a black domino of the same material as the stage hangings, leaving her arms and head free. Over this she now slips a framework of light wire, covered with a fine evening dress. This framework has no back, and she can slip out from it behind, leaving the shell with dress. . For the lady to sit on, two pedestals (tuddenly appear. These are white, and appear by having a cover of black pulled from them quickly. One of these ia about two feet high and the other about ve feet high. Tho lady sits on the smaller ono, and Mephisto orders Herrmann Herr-mann to cut her head off. After some demurring he finally seizes a carving knife, places a light cloak over the lady's Bhoulders and cuts off her head. Taking it with one hand under the rhin and the other holding her hair, he carries it across the stage and places it pn the other pedestal, she walking along with bun, having slipped out behind tho framework, leaving it upright on the mall pedestal. 8he walks across tho stage in her black domino or behind a . black screen shoulder high, only her bead showing, and finally stopping with lier head on the pedestal that is about five feet high. To replace, the same gliding back is again employed, and she t ngain resumes her dress case and the trick is over. New York News. |