“GIVE US OUR MONEY”

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12298, 18 November 1925, Page 11

“GIVE US OUR MONEY”

SCENE AT IRISH THEATRE A JUGGLER’S ILL-LUCK. People at Waterford. Ireland want their money’s worth. When a London magician announced at a local theatre that he would saw a woman in half, the audience waited to be shown. A long, trunk-like box was produced. A girl assistant of the magician climbed into it. The usual committee of local residents filed up to the stage to supervise the proceedings. As a sign of good faith, the magician offered to let committeemen tie cords around the girl’s ankles, wrists aifd neck, and pass the cords through holes in the box, and hold the cords to convince themselves that the girl stayed there during the trick. One committeeman insisted in tying a slipknot around the girl’s neck. The' magician protested in vain. Fearing that he might strangle the girl, he proceeded nervously with the trick—so nervously that he let the tvio sawed ends of the box come apart and show the girl ourled up in one end. “Give ns our money hack ; she wasn’t sawed in half at all.” shouted an angrv member of the audience. The girl, trailing the ropes hurst into tears and ran off the stage. The magician, an old juggler, remained, catching missiles and insults deftly until the curtain cculd be rung down.