CARTER, THE MAGICIAN.

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 February 1910, Page 2

CARTER, THE MAGICIAN.

A BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE.

As a rule colonists are accustomed to witness second or third rate performers and in some cases men who, having played out their little parts, come on tour when they are decidedly passe. But things are changed now and in the present instance we have a prestidigitator in Carter visiting us in the very zenith of his profession, a good looking, fresh and comparatively young nan, who has made a long study of the occult, having witnessed the performances of Indian Fakirs, Chinese magicians and made a of till their methods of tricks and illusions and has completely mastered their best illusions, besides giving a number of legerdemain tricks entirely his own. The large audience that assembled had been led to expect something above the average but Ix-fore leaving the Opera House last night on the occasion of Carter's first display here, they had realized that the\ had been treated to a brilliant performance ami had been presented with a subject for conversation for many a day to come. in tiie first place Carter places himself entirely en rapport with his audience by his pleasing natural way of dealing with them. He and they are friends from the start and this relationship is maintained throughout the two hours and a half that he keeps them amused, interested and mystified. The entertainment is divided into three parts, in the first of which he demonstrates his skill at legerdemain by his extraordinary handling of n deck of cards, turning bran and cut paper into hot coffee at his will, manipulation of a block of wood carved in the shape of a lady's hand so that it answered questions correctly and shewing, in the full blaze of light, a

lady being poised in mid air without

any possible mechanical support. This illusion used to be (Tone by Carl Hertz years ago, but the lights were always confined to the lady and the stage was otherwise in darkness. Carter does it in full light and a hoop is passed over the lady showing that there is absolutely nothing sustaining her and the hoop is afterwards submitted to the audience. Absolutely this was one of the most mysterious of the many illusions he performed. Subsequently a lady suspended in mid-air on a chair was shot and she totally vanished. Mr. Carter suggesting -that if was the divorce trick as it was absolutely the best way to get rid of ;i troublesome wife. His patter during these performances and many others was of the raciest style and his American humour through it all was delightful. There were many other feats of legerdemain in this portion of the programme every item being done cleanly and cleverly, stamping him as a past master in the art.

The second part of the performance introduced Miss Corinne Carter, well termed "The Psychic Phenomenon" as she sat on the stage blindfolded and told every article that Mr. Carter handled with all detail as if she had seen them before and gave the numbers of watches, bank notes and any other article he handled, as well as if they were in her own hands and she was allowed her sight. She also answered verbal, written or mental questions so correctly, that'the questioners were aloud with their approval. Mr. Carter announced -that she would devote half an hour to this branch to-night and nnv questions sent to her at ltevington's hotel would be answered, cither privately or on the stage. This mental telepathic test was a most successful one. Her statement that Jeffries would win the fight against Johnston evoked roars of applause.

The third portion of the programme saw (arter performing as a Chinese magician named Ching of Peking and in this part he again demonstrated his ability to produce anything from a brace of live ducks to an immense bowl full of water from apparently nowhere. In this as in the first septum, a cabinet trick was performed of a most marvellous character. The cabinet was virtually put together on the stage and locked up, yet when Carter used some magic signs there emanated ti'om it an ancient magician's spirit represented by a plain silk handkercinel and after numerous other displays of the contents invisible when the cabinet was opened, a voung lady emerged complaining of the heat inside it, but quite able to walk awav and make her abeissance to the audience who cheered her and the professor to the echo. v.

No one should miss seeing this really marvellous performance which can only appear here to-night, other places being already booked. Carter e>:p amed that he had visited New Zealand previously .but he regretted that he had left the West Coaft out of his itinerary on the previous occasion. Seats can be reserved at A. E. ? I jß? ur ! a » f 'ay «"d evening and judgmg by the interest taken in the performance last night it will be advisable to secure them in (ime,