Knew Too Much.

Otago Witness, Issue 2371, 10 August 1899, Page 63

Knew Too Much.

A very pleasant anecdote is told of Professor Anderson, the conjurer. The professor," in his great gun trick, used to give one of the audience a rifle, some powder and a marked tullet. The marksman was then requested to load and prepare to fire. > Thereupon the professor walked to the end "of the stage and invited -the rifleman to shoot him. Then, after the marksman had fired, he used to produfce the marked bullet, insisting that he had caught it on a plate. On one occasion a gentleman, who was an admirable amateur conjurer, offered himself as an assistant. He took the gun and the ammunition and duly loaded. It was the custom of the professor to give the bullet a final tap with his wand to see that it was rammed down properly, and this final tap. it is said, extracted the bullet. This the other knew, and when the professor offered •ire assistance he politely declined.' Anderaon did not insist, but coolly walked to the end of the stage and called out : "Now, sir, take good aim at me and fire!" The amateur hesitated, as he was well aware that the gun lie was-holding was really loaded. "Fire, sir, fire!" cried the professor. But the other lowered the weapon, and, saying he could not let it off, returned it to Anderson, who imediately, under pretence of seeing whether it had been properly loaded, extracted tho bullet. Then lie gave the gun to someone else. But before the rifle was .fired he addressed the audienoe. "Ladies and gentlemen," said he, "the person who has just resumed his seat knew , any trick and foiled it. If he had fired, this probably would have been my last appearance Before you. But he hadn't sufficient nerve to shoot me!" When it dawned upon the house that Anderson had risked his life rather than confess himself beaten, the applause was deafening. The amateur conjurer used to say that he felt rather small then, and regretted his penchant for practical joking.