Mind-Reader Names Subjects, Retains £500

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29802, 19 April 1962, Page 15

Mind-Reader Names Subjects, Retains £500

With a £5OO wager against his failure as a mind-reader, Mr David Berglas had two cozen assistants from his audience on to the stage of the Majestic Theatre in 30 seconds last evening. A Caristchuroh audience has probably never yielded volunteers so readily. A dozen were turned away. But Mr Berglas. in his attempt to name three persons, selected at random from these, was triumphant—in spite of his apology that be had not performed the feat for some years. His assistants left impressed and empty-handed.

While it took only half a minute to raise volunteers it took nearly 10 minutes to sort out the final subjects for the experiment. With the aid of a metal rod grasped by his subjects and himself, Mr Berglas picked out from the letters on a blackboard the first names of two guests. Then, without this device, he named tire occupation of a watch salesman and repairer from Nelson, described a brochure in his pocket and, for gocd measure. revealed his surname. The mystified audience of the Vic Oliver Show appeared convinced that the selection of bis subjects was scrupulously fair and random. The method: Mr Berglas tossed a plastic ball into the audience. Tee man who caught it threw it high in the air over the stalls. A woman who touched it in midair directed the elimination of 21 volunteers as toey were

shuffled from place to place on the stage. That Mr Berglas was faced with three strangers seemed beyond question.

With a firm, allegedly clairvoyant, grip on the hand of his first woman volunteer, Mr Berglas ran over the blackboard alphabet. In a few seconds he had spelled cut her name: Barbara. Next he spelled out “Ann.” the name of her successor, with a double check to make sure it had no “e.”

Within moments of meeting him, Mr Berglas had identified the watch salesman, named his watches and their Geneva source, admitted that he had once seen the pamphlet in his pocket nine months before elsewhere, named him. and apologised for retaining the £5OO.

Mr Berglas does not propose to repeat his offer during his Christchurdi season. Tonight he promises a latenight table-lifting seance.