AL BAKER'S EYE WITNESSES
After giving a talk on how witnesses of an accident disagree on so many details, the performer asks for three men to come up from the audience... three men who can take in details at a glance and remember what they see.
One man stands to the performer's right; another man stands to the performer's left; and the third man stands at the center, but forward. The performer now produces a bill and asks each one of the men to watch and see if a clear description of what takes place can be given later on.
The performer now takes a bill so that the man at the right and the man at the left can get a good look at it... he then folds it in halves, then another fold, and then downward... next he takes the folded bill over to the third man and after giving HIM a glance at it, places it in an envelope which is given to the third man to hold... the performer then asks what has been done... the first man will say a $5 bill was folded and placed in an envelope... the second man will say that a ONE dollar bill was folded and placed in the envelope... and the third man will say that a TWO dollar bill was folded and placed in the envelope.
Now the envelope is opened, and what do you suppose? THE BILL TURNS OUT TO BE A TEN DOLLAR NOTE!
TO PREPARE
Cut nearly half of a dollar bill the width of the bill and paste this on one side of a $5 bill so that the ends come even; and if the bill is folded it will look like a $1 bill. (See drawing). You also prepare an envelope by cutting a slit in the back of it with a safety razor blade. A $10 bill is folded and placed in the corner of the envelope and a TWO dollar bill is folded and laid on the table and is then covered with the envelope. This is your preparation.
TO PERFORM
Get the men in position... not TOO near... holding the bill so that the man on the right sees the full side of the "5" and the man on the left sees the "1" (the fingers cover the "5" on the other corner). Fold the bill in halves so that the right man sees a "5" and the left man sees the "1"... fold it again and then down, so that a square package is formed... pick up the envelope with the left hand with the $2 bill behind it.Walk over to the third man and, holding the bill in the right-hand fingers, with the thumb push up the flap of the envelope... this will bring the bill behind the envelope and the left fingers take it and the right produces the $2 bill... this move is described in "Al Baker's Book".
Show him the bill, being sure that he notes the "2" on it... place it in the envelope, letting it go into the slit... give him another look at it as the left hand carelessly drops the fake bill in the coat pocket... wet the envelope with lips and with the left hand pull the bill through the slit... the rest is all showmanship. And all you have to do now is to produce the $10 bill from the envelope after the proper patter.
You've just seen and heard, Ladies and Gentlemen, the incomparable AL BAKER, the King of the magic entertainers. I'm sorry he didn't have more time, but the judge'll give him that in the morning. Al's from New York. And New York, as you all know, is the place where you can get off the subway at Times Square, yell STOP THIEF, and everybody runs. Al's pretty well off financially, too. He comes from a very well-to-do family. One of his Uncles is a beggar at 49th Street. But we all enjoyed him and I think you'll agree that he's given us something that we will not only like, but use. Thanks Al.
There's another chap who's as smart as a whip in more ways than one. He knows magic from A to Z. He has invented tricks... and he's a hard boy to fool. Three years ago he did something for me that I never saw him do for anyone else... HE SHOWED ME A CARD TRICK. I liked the trick so well I asked him to show it to you boys... and he consented to do it. He's a swell feller to get along with... but don't ever call him "BROTHER"... call him anything but that. I suppose you know who I mean now, but for the ones who don't, I'm going to introduce to you now: