This is essentially an apparatus trick, and only adapted for the stage. The principal item is a hollow glass column on a heavy metal foot, and standing about two and a half feet high. This is surmounted by a cylindrical metal cup measuring, say, three inches across by two deep.
Briefly stated, the effect of the trick is as follows:- Four rings are borrowed from different specta-tors and placed in a pistol. A white glove, sometimes borrowed, sometimes the performer’s own, is used as a wad. The column above mentioned is then brought forward and placed on a table. The per-former fires at it. At the moment of the discharge the glove springs up, as if distended by the sudden insertion of a spirit hand, and remains (for a short time) erect on the cup at the top of the column. On each of the fingers is seen one of the borrowed rings, which are then taken off and returned to their owners.
So much for the effect; now for the explanation. The rings borrowed are exchanged, and the origi-nals passed off, by one or other of the methods already described. The substitutes are placed in the pistol, and the originals passed off behind the scenes, where the performer’s assistant places them in the cup at the top of the column. Fixed vertically within the cup is a short piece of brass tubing, about two inches in diameter and one and a half inches deep. A white glove is beforehand drawn over this tube as far as the palm and secured in that position by a strong rubber ring passed over it.
The assistant places one of the borrowed rings, on each finger of this glove, then folding down the fingers loosely into the cup.
When the column is brought forward, it is placed over a hole in a table, standing with its back against the side-scene. This hole forms the outlet of a rubber tube, which passes through the table to the retreat of the assistant behind the scenes. At the moment when the pistol is fired the assistant blows vigorously through the tube, or in more modern times presses an air ball attached thereto. The rush of air expands the glove, which springs up like an opening hand, with a ring on each finger, as already described.
The working adopted by Hartz was in several particulars an improvement upon that of Robert-Houdin, as above described. The column in this case is of clear glass throughout, and is not brought on after the borrowing and passing off of the rings, but has been on the stage, in full view, from the commencement of the performance. In place of the metal cup, it is surmounted by a solid block of wood, of about the same size as the cup, but hexagonal in form, and connected with the top of the column by means of a cork plug, also solid, on its under side. In conjunction with the column is used a small round table, having a polished black-wood top, and placed at the outset near the centre of the stage.
Three rings only are borrowed. The performer states that he is about to fire them from a pistol, and asks the loan of a glove to be used as wad, but bethinking himself that the article may probably be damaged, ultimately decides to use one of his own. He tells his assistant to bring him a white glove
and a piece of paper, which are accordingly brought in on a tray. This is placed on the little table above referred to; the column as yet standing back on a larger table.
Taking the borrowed rings, the performer places them on three fingers of the glove, making as he does so a running commentary on their appearance, that they may be afterwards more readily recog-nised. Then, holding the glove by the fingertips, he brings it forward, and gets the owners to testify that the rings are really their own. Still holding the glove, fully displayed, in his left hand, he returns to the little table to get the piece of paper wherein to wrap it. During the transit he gets from under his vest into his right hand a little cylindrical package, about two inches in length by one in diame-ter, folded in similar paper. This he palms. On reaching the table he folds the glove, with the rings still on it, into a small compass, lays it on the piece of paper, and wraps this round it, rolling it into a cylindrical shape on his knee. The ends of the roll are in the first instance left open. In folding them down he substitutes the dummy package, and lays this instead on the tray.
He next exhibits a pistol, already loaded with a very small charge of powder. In this he places the dummy packet, and asks some gentleman to ram it down.
Pretending to notice that the gentleman is nervous, he pours him out a glass of wine from a bottle brought in at his request by the assistant, being, in fact, the trick bottle described at p. 203. Under cover of so doing, he drops the genuine packet into the cavity in the bottle, which is then carried off again. Laying aside, the pistol for a moment, he now brings forward the glass column. Removing the block of wood at top, he hands this first to be examined, leaving it, as being comparatively un-important, in the hands of the holder while he himself passes on to exhibit the column itself to other spectators.
Meanwhile, the assistant has in readiness behind the scenes another block, of similar appearance to that offered for examination, but of much more elaborate construction representing, in fact, the
“cup” of the earlier version of the trick. Though solid in appearance, it is in reality hollow, the top being closed by a miniature replica of what, in a stage parlance, is called a “star” trap, as shown in plan in Fig. 58. The top is divided into six triangular segments, meeting in the centre. Each of these is hinged to one of the upper edges of the hexagon so as to work in an upward direction with the
ut-most freedom. Within the block is a shallow brass cylinder, to which is secured, by means of a metal ring fitting closely over it, a white glove. As in the case of the solid block, there is a cork plug on the under side, but in this instance a piece has been punched out of its centre, so as to allow the passage of air. The moment the assistant has carried off the bottle, he extracts the little packet, takes out the rings, and places them on three of the fingers of the prepared glove. Closing the trap, and making all
snug again, he returns to the stage and stands in a waiting attitude. The performer, still occupied in offering the column for inspection, tells him to take the block from the gentleman who is holding it, and put it on the table. This he does, or appears to do, in reality substituting the prepared block, which the performer presently places in position on the top of the column, this latter being then placed on the little table, and the table on the end of the “run-down” farthest from the stage.
The table itself now demands a word of explanation. It stands on a central leg, branching into three carved feet. The leg is hollow, a plain brass tube extending from top to bottom, and communicating with a little hole bored in the centre of the table-top. In the tube is a piston, working easily, and nor-mally forced upwards nearly to the top by means of a candle-spring, but capable of being pressed downwards by means of a rod inserted from above, and in that position held down by means of a spring catch; such catch, however, being withdrawable by the action of an electric current. From the catch, wires pass down two of the feet, terminating in sharp metal points, projecting from the under side of each.
Passing along the run-down, underneath the carpet, are two strips of brass, which are connected with an electric battery behind the scenes. So long as the two points above mentioned rest anywhere on the brass strips, they are also in electric connection with the battery. When the pistol is presently fired at the column, the assistant presses a stud which completes the circuit. The catch is withdrawn, and the piston flies upwards. The column of air above it is forced up the glass pillar. The glove is distended and flies up into view, the segments of the trap making way for it. Each of these describes a three-quarter circle and falls right over, hanging, when it comes to rest, against its own side of the block, which is so decorated that the altered condition of affairs shall make no difference in its ap-pearance. It should be mentioned, by the way, that the foot of the column is flat on its under side, but has a cup-shaped cavity in the centre, which relieves the performer from the necessity of placing it exactly over the hole in the table.
The performer has only just time to remove the rings from the glove before it begins to sink down again, in consequence of leakage of air between the foot of the column and the table. The performer calls attention to this sinking, as proving that the sudden expansion of the glove was really magical, and not produced by any mechanical means.
L’ENVOI
With this item I bring these Recollections of Hartz to a close. My only regret is that they are not more complete, as they would certainly have been had I anticipated that my rough notes of conver-sations with my old friend were destined, many years later, to be expanded into articles for print.
Imperfect as they may be, however, I may claim to have placed on record a good many items of sub-stantial interest to every true lover of magic, and I am pleased to think that I have thereby raised a modest cairn to the memory of one who, in spite of his admitted deficiencies as a showman, was still, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest of Modern Magicians.
LOUIS HOFFMANN.
PRINTED AT THE EDINBURGH PRESS, 9 AND 11 YOUNG STREET.