'KINGS I HAVE MYSTIFIED'

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 200, 24 August 1929, Page 16 (Supplement)

'KINGS I HAVE MYSTIFIED'

AWKWARD MOMENT FOR THE

KAISER.

KING EDWARD TO THE RESCUE

KING AS A CONJURER'S

ASSISTANT.

(By HORACE GOLDM, the Well-known Illusioniet.)

Deception is inherent in certain people. Before I became a conjurer I was a traveller in jewellery.

But little as people appreciate being deceived in business, they will pay good money to go to a music hall and have tricks played on them. The moet interesting experience of my professional career was when I received the late King Edward's command to appear at Sandringham, where Queen i Alexandra's birthday was being celebrated.

I gave my performance in the billiard room, which had been specially fitted up for the occaeion. The Royal party proved to be the most charming and appreciative audience I have ever had. The only thing that marred 'the evening was a slight blunder on my part. I w-ae performing a trick in which 'handkerchiefs securely knotted together by the audience become mysteriously untied, and, approaching the Kaiser, who was amongst the guests, I asked. Mm to tie the handkerchiefs, ignorant of the. fact that one of his arms was uselees. It was an awkward moment, hut King Edward —born diplom'at that he was —came to the rescue with a tactful remark, and, turning to the Duke of Connaught, I got him to assist me.

Queen Alexandra was delighted by everything'that mystified, but two of my tricks especially interested her. In one of them a card is chosen by a gentleman of the audience, and—without anyone seeing it —is placed in 'his pocket. A duplicate of the card is then seen reflected, in a mirror several feet away, the original still remaining in the guest's pocket. When I gave a command performance before the late Queen Mother three yeare ■later she expressed a desire that I should again perform the trick. I did so, and she asked: "Why is it the five of spades instead of the three of hearts this time?" For three years the Queen had remembered the trick, even the card s'he had eeen reflected! It is quite possible she thought the Skine card was reflected each, time. The other trick that impressed Queen Alexandra was the one where I take an ordinary cigarette paper, tear it into little pieces, roll it into a ball—and then unroll it to show the paper entirely whole. I decided to play a - little joke on Her Majesty. I explained 'how I had one whole piece of paper concealed in my hand all the time, and. how I substituted this for the ball at the proper moment. Towards the end of the trick I pretended to drop the whole piece accidentally, and the Queen was very sympathetic at what appeared to be a trick "■one wrong. Then I handed 'her the other torn , piece. She unrolled it —and found that also was whole! I ehall never forget the look of amazement on her face.

King George, when Prince of Wales, was greatly intrigued by the "bird" trick, in which I place two live birds in a paper bag in full view of the audience, and, giving it to an assistant to hold, fire at the bag, and, be'hold, the birds have disappeared into a cage -which, until the shot, had been empty. During the conversation that followed, tlie Prince expressed an opinion that the birds merer went into the bag. Not liking to contradict him, I let it go at that; .but when I repeated the trick at another command performance' he asked me point-blank whether the birds really went into the bag. I then explained the trick to him. He was vastly interested and promised never to divulge the secret. A recollection that stands out in my mind ie in connection with the late King of Portugal, the unfortunate monarch, who was assassinated. I was appearing at the Gafe de Paris, when a well-known Continental nobleman approached me and said the- King was desirous of witnessing my performance under more intimate conditions than those afforded by the etage. Could I perform at tihe nobleman'fl house? I agreed. When I commenced my performance, in order to add to the general mystification, I invited a member of the distinguished company to come on the platform and assist me. Imagine my surprise when the King of Portugal came up and insisted that lie was the very person for the job! For a moment I felt extremely awkward. One cannot talk to a King as one can to the average man in the street. My qualms were soon dispelled. I discovered the King to be a most genial man, with absolutely no affectation and with, a keen sense of humour.—(' Star and Anglo-American N.S. Copyright.)