Magical Originalities
Ernest E. Noakes
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Watch and BoxesHAVING twice mentioned the "Noakes Vanish" of handkerchiefs, flags, etc., I will now describe it in conjunction with my method of "Watch and Boxes." A watch is borrowed from the audience, wrapped up in a scarf, which is held by an assistant; three flags are shown, and the audience suggest the order in which they are to be used. These three flags are placed into an examined paper cone, and the watch commanded to join them, but owing to the "assistant" releasing the scarf too soon, the watch vanishes. The performer expresses regrets to the owner of the watch, and then "imagines" that perhaps it is all right after all, and he will find it with the flags. He requests the person holding the cone to see if the watch has arrived, but on opening the cone the flags also have vanished! After the usual byplay, the performer notes a tied-up bundle standing at some place near the audience, and on opening the outside cover he discovers a box, in fact it is a nest of three, with the watch and the flags in their proper order inside. The performer does not assist in opening the boxes or untying the knots of the outer covering. Every box has rubber bands round it. This is the bare outline of the effect, and perhaps may not fully appeal at first sight to my reader, as he may have heard of "similar effects," but I think some of the following wheezes may be appreciated.
To take the details in their proper order, I will firstly set out the requirements for the trick:--A cover for the boxes, which should be a scarf or large dark handkerchief, three cheap boxes to "nest," nine rubber bands of three different sizes, the loading fake, a scarf with a working watch sewn in one corner, a pistol, sheet of paper (for cone), a handkerchief ball, a lady's hatpin, and six small flags in pairs. To set the trick, the three flags are placed into the inner box, Union Jack first, then Chinese, then French. The fake then adjusted. This fake, which is made of tin, and blacked, is really an open shoot. The sides are higher than a watch and ought to be quite 3/4 inch; the width between the sides should be 2 1/2 inches. The bottom 3 3/4 inches long. The sides for about half the length of the fake are parallel, and; then incline down to within about 1/2 inch of end of fake. You have now a guide, open at the top, and which will keep the boxes open to admit the watch. As this fake is withdrawn, the inclined portions of the sides prevent any "snap."
When the fake is in position and the lid closed, one wide rubber band is placed round the box longwise, over the lid, and two others across the box, one being each side of the projecting fake. The other two boxes are placed over the first box, and rubber bands put round them in the same way. Thus prepared, the nest is placed in the middle of the cover, and the four ends tied up over it to form a sort of "workman's dinner" parcel, and arranged so that the fake projects outside the cover. This parcel is placed on the rear table, and as the boxes are quite hidden from view and the fake covered by the height of the knots, it is quite safe for working at close quarters. Likewise, on top of the parcel I place the three duplicate flags. In front I have the scarf (with watch going, in the corner) ready to grasp, and on the same table the square of paper, the hatpin, and the pistol. Advancing to the audience, I request the loan of a watch--"any old watch," etc., remarking that I do not like to use my own, as I once dropped it.
Having obtained the offer of a watch, I next request some other member of the audience to bring the watch to me and assist me in the trick. He brings the watch, and I stand him on my right side, and I will call him "No. 1." I now ask for another assistant, and he takes up his position on my left. I now give the three flags to No. 2, and request him to wave the flags up and down until the watch jumps from the hand of No. 1. As this does not take place, I tell No. 2 I will demonstrate how the waving should be done, and pick up the scarf. This I thoroughly shake (indirectly proving its innocence), and then suggest that the watch is too bashful to travel without being covered.
I place the scarf over my right hand, holding the duplicate watch underneath, and request No. 1 to place the watch between my thumb and finger. This he does, and the scarf is placed round the watch, and I ask him if he "heard" or "saw" the watch go. I now lift the scarf and show the borrowed watch is really there, and in covering it again, I push up the duplicate watch and let him hold it under cover of the scarf. In order that it shall not fall out, I request him to twist the ends of the scarf rope fashion, and at this moment I have hold of the scarf, with the borrowed watch between the twisted ends, and my right palm. Before letting go, I ask No. 2 to wave his flags again. He does not do it right, so I quickly advance to the table and load watch, withdraw fake, pick up pistol, boxes, paper and pin, and place all of them down on a chair near the audience.
I now keep the assistants busy--No. 1 listening to the ticking of the watch, and No. 2 waving. I pick up the square of paper, make it into a cone, and have it examined. Now comes the "move" of the trick. Advancing to No. 1 with the cone in my left hand, I ask him could he put the watch in this (open) end? He says "Yes." Transferring the cone to right hand, I ask him could he put it in this end? pointing to screwed-up apex of cone with left hand. whilst standing against him and asking these questions, my right middle finger has taken the black handkerchief ball from my vest, and as I change the cone from my left hand to the right hand I deliberately place the ball inside the cone. This move is so natural and so quiet that nobody tumbles to the working.
Now I cross to No. 2 and request him to arrange the three flags in any order he pleases. As there are two composed of red, white, and blue he gives me one of these first, then the yellow (Chinese), and then the remaining flag. As I take these from him I place them in the cone, holding the mouth of the cone towards the audience. The flag covers the fake, and the working is excellent. Before the first flag is right into the ball, I place the next one over the top of the cone, and work that down, the third following in the same way. Now, I give the hatpin to No. 2, and explain that in order to keep the flags in safety, I want him to take the pin and push it through the cone from back to front after I have folded the top down.
I again let audience see that the flags are there, and give the final pushes down, but my finger now goes into the hole of the ball, and I bring the ball out, and palm it, and transfer the cone to the same hand, whilst I bend over the top of the cone with the other hand, and have the hatpin placed through. I ask No. 2 to hold the point of the pin in one hand and the head of the pin in the other, as I have always remembered from a-child, that "Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do."
Having arranged everything nicely with No. 2, I ask No. 1 if he can still hear the watch ticking. Now I ask him to release the four corners, which unroll themselves, and I ask him to let me hold one corner for safety, and he also holds one corner as well. I explain that I am about to fire the pistol, and at the word "three" he must allow the watch to fly. I work up the business, but directly I count "two," I fire the pistol and snatch the scarf from him. Quickly recovering the lower corner of the scarf in which the duplicate watch is, I shake out the scarf and appeal to No. 1 not to take liberties with the gentleman's watch, but give it to me. After sufficient gagging, I ask No. 2 to see if the watch has arrived with the flags. He withdraws the pin, opens the cone, but the flags have also vanished! I get somewhat cross with him. "It didn't matter about the old watch, because I haven't had anything to do with that, but the flags cost me sixpence each!"
When the audience have been sufficiently amused, I "notice" my little "Insurance" parcel. I always carry this parcel in case of accidents.
Will one of my assistants kindly examine it for me? This is of course done, and the watch discovered, likewise the three flags in "correct" order, for if the Union Jack was the first to vanish, the French must be the last, and of course they will come out either "first or last" according to the requirements of the performer. As long as the Chinese is in the middle all must be well. If the French flag is top, in the box, and was supposed to be vanished last, it stands to reason that as it would be the rear one in its magical journey, it must be the first to be seen! If the performer uses a pistol and tube at any time, and will exchange the cup at end for a handkerchief ball, he will be able to palm out the ball with ease in a similar manner to the way I have described for the paper cone.
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