"MAN OF MYSTERY"

MASTER MAGICIAN PASSES " Clung Lin? Soo's" Tragic M "Bill" Robinsoa: A Gay Deceiver— Neither Celejlial nor Seti, bat Real Yankee

Thus T. W. Driver: The cabled news that Chung. Lang Soo, the "marvellous Chinese conjurer," was accidentally shot during a performance at the Wood Green Empire Theatre, England, and died from his injuries, will be regretted by thousands of people throughout the world, for few modern magicians have achieved such fame as Chung Ling Soo during the last eighteen years. His personality was such as to make him friends wherever he wandered, for no one who became personally acquainted with him. would be ever likely to forget him. As' a performer he was indeed par excellence; as an attraction, he was a "record breaker," and as a man he was one of the BEST WHOLE-SOULED FELLOWS I have ever met. Indeed, his whole career as a Chinese magician has been marked by deeds of kindness and charity m every country he has visited, and death has taken from us one of the greatest shining lights m the theatrical profession, and our loved "man of mystery" has been suddenly called to the abode where there is no mystery, and to a realm where perhaps all is clearly revealed. It may come as a surprise to some to learn that Chung Ling Soo was not a Chinaman. Neither was hrn a Scot. The fiction of his being a Scot, his father a Campbell, and his mother a Cantonese, was purely the press writer's work, specially elaborated for the benefit of Australian and New Zealand playgoers — European and Ce-lestiaH-during his colonial tour m 1909. It was wonderful hpw the yarn caught on. It was a very good illustration of newspaper 'auto-suggestion, and I think if ever a scribe "earned his salary" the writer of that "Scotch joke" was entitled to the money. As a matter of fact, Chung Ling Soo was A PURE-BORN AMERICAN, having been born m New York City on April 2, 1861. He started life as "a worker m brass and other metals," but he abandoned the profession of Tubal Cain for one of legerdemain. His real -name was William E. Robinson, and he was -early m his career known among the musical fraternity ias "Billy," "and he adopted the title of "The Man of Mystery" when billing his shows. He had quite a long experience In* side shows and museums throughout America, and he owed much of his success to his "wife," ever his faithful assistant, During his early days as a conjurer he had been associated with the most noted magicians of the time m America — Robert Heller, Herrmann, McAlister, Patrizk), Balabrega and Kellar among others. For many years he travelled with Kellar as assistant, working a wonderful illusion as a Hindoo necromancer. He afterwards joined Alexander Herrmann, the leading magician at /that time m America. Most of the illusions presented by both Kellar aird Herrmann were built and created -by,-Rob-inson during the time he was with' him. Afterr the death of Herrmann m 189«, Robinson travelled with his own show again as the "-Man of Mystery," and m 1899 opened at Keith's, m New York City, -with an original mystery known as "The Maid and th* Moon." It was during 1899 that A CLEVER CHINESE CONJURER^ appeared m America, presenting quits a number of .new feats of magic and illusion. The name of the new magician was Ching Ling Fop, and it was claimed that no one m America could produce similar illusions, and a thousand dollars was offered to the magician who -could duplicate Poo's great bowl of water trick. .Robinson at once 'accepted the challenge, ' but th« wily Celestial was not on, and it proved to be a Chinese game of bluff, and the challenge was Withdrawn from the' papers. The death of his old master, •Hermann, and the advent of Ching

Ling Foo m America with Celestial, magic, set "Billy" Robinson thinking, and it was not long before he had made up his mind ££ to the future. He saw the great possibilities there were m a person being- able to personate a Chinaman and presenting such an act as that of Ching Ling Foo's. To 'think with Robinson was to create. The result was a superb and convincing act. The atmosphere of China, :the correct presentation of Chinese scenes and Chinese costumes, the faithful portrayal of Chinese character, were all there. And, besides these, were the very latest manifestations of magical .skill and unique stage illusions — alii original with "Billy." He put all his savings and energy irito this new creation of his fertile brain, and surrounded himself with genuine Chinese assistants, under one of whom he studied the character and language of the Chinese. "Billy" was indeed A GREAT STUDENT OF HUMAN CHARACTER, ■ and on meeting a person seemed at one glance to size him up, and constant practice had made it second nature for him to instantly and correctly read a person's character and disposition. At last, with everything, ready for "the road" this new man of mystery crossed the sea, and as Hop Sing Loo, opened at the Follies Bergere, Paris, on March 15,, 1900, and played for two weeks, introducing for the first time m Europe the trick of catching goldfish m the air, and the great bowl of water production, and meeting with great success m his new role. But it was the great metropolis of the world that the American wanted to set on fire with his Celestial magic, and at the termination of his Parisian engagement he crossed ever to London, and he landed without a contract and no definite plans. Almost the first person he met was the famous Ike Rose, the well-known American entrepreneur. He asked "Billy" if he was "fixed up" anywhere, arid being answered m the negative, he told him

to go to his hotel and stay there, sal nothing, and wait till he cam© back. Quite unknown to Robinson, Ike Rosa had crossed over to Paris and seen the show and got back to London. Rose went down to the Alhambra Theatre and gathered as many of the directors together «.s he could, and announced that he had "one of the greatest attractions m the world" to offer them, but emphasised the fact that they would have to make up theiv. minds quickly if they wanted to secure it. They wanted to know, of course, what it was Rose had to offer them. It was then that Ike Rose pronounced a name that has since become known all over the world. He told them it was "CHUNG LING SOO, the marvellous Chinese Conjurer"! The directors were impressed, and suggested a trial shotw* but to this Rose would not listen. Taking out his watch he to W the directors that if they wanted to secure this great act tbery only had five minutes to do it in — &• would guarantee' the "goods." He told them how he had met Chung Ling Soo on his way to the Empire TheatnL but that he had intercepted him slp*. got him to wait twenty minutes b*»" fore he closed m with the other peo- | pie. That settled it, and Ike Rose went *back to his old friend with a contract for one week, with the right of renewing it if Soo made a sucxjesj. It was at a Saturday's matinee m 1900 that Chung Ling Soo commenced tA make London talk about the wondepful Chinaman, for he was an instant taneous success and made a tremen« dous hit. So much so that the engagement lasted nearly six months. A tour of the Continent followed, and then Chung Ling Soo went back, to London, appearing- m all the principal I music halls, and afterwards popularising "Chinese magic" .m every part of the British Isles. His career m Great Britain had been one uninterrupted success, and I doubt if any man was more of a public character }m England than Chung Ling Soo. Shakespeare has told us that it is- not m mortals to command success-rti*ey can only deserve it. I believe Chung Ling Soo accomplished both. His IMPERSONATION OP A CHINAMAN had become so realistic that one failed to realise that he was only aefirigf thepart, but actually looked upon him as a high-caste* Celestial. He" Has 5 sSf* himself, The mtjinent I step l upirfn t»tf* stage -I loos© my identity and- b€d&inef t m fact what T am to be— Chung 1 Lffi£' Soo." Besides, he* was 1 ve*y* drigffiaJ; and his illusions were- always* prU*" duced to such perfection that the" a*®* ence were held spellbound, and; tßeftir followed such tremendous applause a# was surely due to one so cfevef as Chung Ling Soo.- It was : during W0& that Chung Ling Soo made l a^ tour' ofAustralia and New Zealand under 5 thef Rickards's 'banner, and I believe it wW*-' one of the best, most- profitable aii£the most satisfactory ever made' bythat management On January" 5; 1917,Chung Ling Soo started : what was" to have been a five years' tour of the Orient, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and America, but, after doing India and <T*i iTWL , he returned oncer more to Engiandi His strange death makes on© •wonder if he "has fallen a victim to ona of his sensational and= spectacular .Illusions — Qiafr of 4 ca*chinjg= bullets fired by. a squad of infantry. If so, that is another story m the wonderful career of the original "Man of Mystery." ■