Later Day Tricks
A. Roterberg
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The Spirit Envelope
THE spirit envelope can be employed to excellent advantage in connection with a great many different tricks, as by its aid answers can be given to proposed questions, names of selected cards will be disclosed, etc., according to the fancy of the performer.
The effect of the trick is as follows: From a wire or ribbon stretched across the room is seen suspended an envelope, which, if the conjurer likes, he can take down and show empty. A question is then written by a spectator on a card furnished by the performer, who visibly places it in the suspended envelope. After a few moments have elapsed, to give the spirits time to operate, as the performer explains, he takes down the envelope and takes out of it a card, which contains a full and correct answer to the proposed question.
The only peculiarity of the suspended envelope, only the back of which is shown to the company during the entire trick, is that its front is covered with a good quality of black satin, which is neatly glued on. In taking down the envelope for the purpose of showing it empty and subsequently in inserting the card containing the question, the conjurer is very careful not to expose the black, rear side of the envelope. By means of any dodge at his command, such as the use of a prepared pad of paper, between which a layer of carbon paper is concealed, he has acquainted his assistant behind the scenes with the nature of the question, whereupon the assistant rapidly writes an answer to the latter on a duplicate card, which he encloses in a second envelope prepared exactly like the suspended one. This envelope he places, black side uppermost, on a shallow metal tray, over the flat part of which black satin has been glued, the rest of the tray being japanned black.
While the performer is still entertaining the audience with his patter, the assistant brings in the tray and places it on a chair or table. The conjurer then announces that no doubt by this time the spirits have performed the allotted task, and seizing the tray, goes to the suspended envelope. The envelope already lying on the tray cannot be noticed, especially as the performer it at some little distance from the audience, After taking down the suspended envelope, the conjurer places it, black side downwards, exactly upon the envelope on the tray, then picking up both envelopes together, they appearing as one to the audience. In replacing them on the tray, they are carelessly turned over, whereby the second envelope, which contains the answer to the question, is brought uppermost. This envelope the conjurer opens and extracts from it the card as described, the original envelope, the black side of which is now uppermost, remaining unseen on the tray, which a moment later is carried off the stage by the assistant.
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