CHUNG LING SOO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17324, 25 May 1918, Page 11

CHUNG LING SOO

A MYSTERIOUS DEATH. Mystery surrounds tho death of Chung Linii Soo, the well-known music hall magician, who was shot on the stage at the Wood Green Empire on Saturday night, March 23 (says a London paper). ChungLing Soo died" in the Wood Green Hospital the. next day from a wound in the chest. The drama of the tragedy was such that people in tho audience imagined that it was a part of the performance. One of the tricks included in the "turn," in which his assistant rendered hel'o, involved the firing of a pistol, and it was at this stage that Chung Ling Soo was injured. He lived only a few hours after . being taken to hospital. Mr F. Kametaro, stage manager to Soo (wbo was an Englishman), said in an interview : " I was on the stage with two other assistants at the timo. They both had guns, and we called for a committee from the audience, _as usual. Two soldiers came up and examined the bullets and the powder. I directed them to go into a corner, out of the way, and on receiving the cue frcm Mr Soo I gave the order to fire. "Mr Soo had a china plate with which ho was supposed to deflect 'the bullets. Both assistants fired, and a gentleman in tho. audience '.food up and said something to Mr Soo. When the second order was given the gentleman stood up again. " After the bullets were fired Mr Soo usually staggered, and when he fell I thought it was the usual performance. On this occasion Mr Soo called out: 'Oh, my God !' and on going to him we found that the bullet had passed right through him." It is understood that the deception in the trick was that the bullets placed in the guns do not leave the muzzle, but by a device in the mechanism remain in the gun. Why, on this occasion, 'the bullet was projected is not at present known. Chung Ling Soo's real name was Robinson, and he was born in Birmingham about 50 years ago. During his youth he was apprenticed to an engineer, and in after life he turned his mechanical training to the fullest advantage for his wonderful tricks. After finishing his apprenticeship he travelled for many years, and during his wanderings lie picked up a knowledge of Chinese. This gavo him the idea of passing as a Chinaman when he went on the stage, and he was so successful in this that few people took him for anything else. Some time ago he was performing at Cardiff, and the Chines© residents and visitors gave him a dinner as one of their own countrymen. Cliung Ling Soo delighted them with a speech in their native tongue, and the dinner was a great success. ' ■Chung Ling Soo was one of tho most brilliant conjurers and jugglers who have ever appeared before the music hall public. For years past he has been a "star" turnj earning a salary of £100 to £150 a week! All the time he was on the stage he never uttered a word, and at the same time he cultivated the Oriental smile "that is childlike and bland" so well that none of those present imagined they were watching tho clever tricks of an Englishman. Mr Robinson _ was a prominent Freemason and his home was in Barnes, whero he had an up-to-dato workshop in which he made and improved the complicated apparatus for his tricks.