Later Day Tricks
A. Roterberg
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Robinson's Ring and Potato Trick
THE performer borrows a wedding ring and places it somewhere, where it will remain in full view of the audience during the first part of the trick. He then fetches, a plate containing several potatoes and after having one of them selected, runs through it an umbrella rib or stiff wire and then proceeds to cut the potato into three pieces, sliding them along the wire so that they are apart from each other. One of the pieces is then chosen and allowed to remain on the wire, while the other two pieces are removed from the latter and placed aside. The conjurer then causes the ring to disappear, and upon cutting open the piece of potato still remaining on the wire, the ring is found inside, the wire running through it.
Behind the screen the performer has a potato which has a piece scooped out of sufficient size to admit a ring. The piece cut out of the potato is saved and cut much shorter, so as to form a plug when the ring is inserted. By means of the wand, the conjurer exchanges the borrowed ring for a duplicate one, which he had concealed in the hand holding the wand. The duplicate ring is placed where it can be seen by, every one; leaving it on the wand and giving the latter to a boy to hold being as good a way as any. While fetching the plate with potatoes, the conjurer quickly inserts the palmed, borrowed ring in the prepared potato, putting in the plug and then placing the potato in his pocket. Going forward with the plate, one of the potatoes is selected and secretly exchanged for the prepared one on the performer's way to the stage.
The prepared potato is put on the wire and then cut into three pieces, the ring, being concealed in the middle one, the choice of which is forced on the spectators by means of the well known "Your right and my left" alternative. The two end pieces of the potato are then removed, and after the vanishing of the duplicate ring, the piece of potato remaining on the wire is cut open and in it the borrowed ring is discovered.
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