HANDCUFF "HEMPEROR.

NZ Truth, Issue 282, 19 November 1910, Page 4

HANDCUFF "HEMPEROR.

IS HE HONEST OR A HUMBUG? Tie-Up or Shut Up. j Will He Accept This Challenge* It was Barnuni the Showman who once truthfully observed that "the people loved to be humbugged." Not only do people love to be humbugged, but they quite cheerfully pay away their good silver to be bamboozled. Otherwise how can it be accounted for that every travelling oonjurer who performs "miracles" on the stage, gets not only a good hearing, but get their "load" on, whioh is the vernacular £or pocketing the people's good and hard-earned but easily spent silver. As a matter of fact, the stage illusionist, conjuxor, or prestidigitateux, or whatever he labels himself, doesn't pose as being other than a humbug, and, truth to bell, when we get good masters of the legerdemain business we do not mind being badly and sadly taken down.

NONE OF THEM ARE GENUINE. None profess to be genuine, and it is on that account that the press give praise and rarely consider it necessary to expose any of tire tricks which amaze some people. It is not advisable to expose these tricky tricksters, because they 'harm no one": they* live by a humbugging ttiat is legitimate, and to expose their stagecraft would be to really rob them ol their bread and butter. When, however, there comes along any "expert," who is really a trickster, but who defies all and sundry to do their worst and persistently claims to be fair, square, an-d above board, who claims almost supernatural powers, and who insists that he is everything bhat theatrical managers and advertisements says he is, it is a rooster of a different breed, and "Truth"' is apt to snifi suspiciously. Such is reaK ly our presentf&tbitude to Hanoo, who styles himself the "Handcuff Emperor.," who, since he concluded a Wellington season, has done New Zealand, was * tied up m Dunedia, and comes back to Wellington to start a farewell season.

Hanco is said to be nothing short of marvellous m wriggling out of any trussing. He undertakes to free h*mself of any manacles. His show, vide his manager, who is always identified by his ice-cream suit, is the greatest on earth, and. what is more. Mi Ben Fuller, of the Theatre Royal, believes it. Now, just to test Hanco "Truth" wants the "Hemperor" to submit himself, before an impartial public, to the tie "wtoich is

TECHNICALLY CALLED 'THE PINION."

There is iust now no need to explain the particular tie. excepting to say that during his last ;Show m Wellington it* was tried on him on the stage of the Theatre Royal, by a city pressman, after Haarco bad consented to be tied m any fashion that the ingenuity of man could suggest. Hanco's manager on that occasion publicly gave it forth that the tie was stopping the circulation of the "Heinperor's" blood, though it is rather remarkable to relate that the aforesaid manager, ere he squealed to the public, gave a stage aside to those that he had challenged, not to be too hard on "a bloke wot was only like you, a working bloke." We don't want any nonsense. There is no doubt that Ha-nco's disappearance m a cistern of water while handcuffed and locked m a tin trunk looks mighty smart ; hut there's a lot of fake about it. The handcuffs are his own and they are faked. No one ever sees the trunk after Hanco emerges from the water. Of course, it is all tricks of the trade, but we don't want any imposition, we don't want any guff that Hanco's a marvel of marvels.

HE IS HEAVING CHALLENGES all over the land. "Truth" picks Mm up on the tie-up, and proposes to truss him any night the management -decides on. We . undertake to have Hahco so tied that he will be helpless, and it is for Hanco, or Mr Ben Fuller to say the word. Of course, this will give the Royal a boost, but that is not oux intention. tiere'is Haneq challenging everybody. As for his handcuff feats, let Hamco or his manager state that most of his business is only trickery, that his challenges are bluff, and thus obviate the painful duty on "Truth's" part of publicly stating how it is done. We do- not wish to labor the matter. Hanco's challenge stands good for the whole of New Zealand. Let him come forward any night that he desires; and the trussing-up on the lines proposed herein, and with which tie-up Hanco and his manager is familiar, will be proceeded with. A committee of pressmen 'and others wrfll 'be farmed and every assurance will be given that it-he tie will be a fair one, that is that the circulation will not be stopped unless the "Hemperor," m his eoideavors to escape, tightens the cords on himself. TMs is a fair offer, and

•HANCO MUST EITHER ACCEtPT the conditions, or else explain the reason why. As we started off to say that the people loved to be humbugged, it is also - always desirable that the public should know how they are humbugged. It is up to Hanco, therefore, to prove that he, at anyrate, is not a humbug.