HOW A TOWN WAS HOAXED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 15 November 1924, Page 20

HOW A TOWN WAS HOAXED.

GOOD STORIES BY CARL HERTZ

.The famous magician, Carl Hertz, who died some months ago, wrote an entertaining book of reminiscences, and this. has . just been .published in London under the title of “A Modern Mystery Merchant.” Here are a brace of stories from it:

An; audacious iraikl -was onc-e perpetuated, at the expense of the theatregoing public of San Francisco, (Hertz assures his. readers he .was not concerned in this). ■„ One morning people awoke to find the town covered with huge bills on which weie these words: “He is coming!'’ Everyone was inquiring and wondering who tlpsi mysterious person could be. A week , later fresh bills were posted up c-oii-j taining the notice: ,“Ho has c-onio.’ j A theatre was then billed with big notices: “He is here.” Peonle itis.hed the mysterious show, and the house w-as crowded to overflowing. ' Eight o’clock came, but the show did not start. The house waited patiently; then began to clap ami stnmn. These demonstrations, however, wero without result, and" at the end of another quarter of an hour two nr tine-? persons made their wav behind tlr 1 • ■cenes, only io find the stage and, nressing rooms deserted; not a sou!, was to be found anywhere ! So soon | as the news spread, ike people made a rush to the box office to get their nione.y back. But the money-take'S had long since vanished ‘with the spoil. Thereupon a regular riot began, the infuriated audience proceeding to smash chairs, chandeliers, scenery, ami everythinp- they could lay their hands on. "When at- last the noli or j,, rjii ir the hall, the de-; parting crowd lound themselves confronted with a huge poster, on which appeared the words: “He lias gone!’.! r !he ether rt;w ounce"' s the “Vanishing Lady” tuck. While appear-i ing in Paris at t!;o Follies. Bern-eres,' Carl Hertz made a big hit. with his, illusion. He wrote: , “A certain viscount offered me a| generous fee te teach him the illusion, which he afterwards performed with his beautiful young -wife at a party at his own house, where I was engeued to give an entertanment. The lady duly disappeared amidst a storm j

of applause, which, sounded scarcely complementary.

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, said M. le Vieomte, smiling complacently, ‘I shall have .the honour to bring the vanished , lady hack.’. “But that was where he failed, for the lady had really vanished, leaving a-iidte behind her, in’which, she in formed her husband that, finding his society no longer supportable, she had taken this opportunity to leave, his house and return' to her friends. Certainly, Mine.' la Vicomtesse .was not without a sense of humour.”