"Penetration."
By Woodhouse Pitman, M.I.M.C.

It is always with fear and trembling that I accept the invitation of my old friend and correspondent, Mr. Percy Naldrett, to send him something "really good" (his own words) for his annual publication. There is always the risk that what I have found from actual personal experience at scores (and may 1 modestly say scores of shows) is "really good," may not score so well with the reader as it scores (pardon) with an audience. After all, this penetration business is a very simple affair, with such ordinary properties, that to those who eagerly scan these pages with eyes bulging with excitement, in search of the lurid, the flamboyant, and the grotesque type of effect, the following may seem tame. But,--experientia docet.

Further, there is always the danger of treading on someone's pet corn; it is a dreadful jolt to read a book of "really good and novel" experiments to find. the device, or effect, or worse still the patter which one has fondly cherished as one's own, set forth beneath another's name. However, to business, in the hope that I have not re-discovered well known territory.

Effect--
A few, say six, coins are placed in a stemmed glass. This is covered with a handkerchief, which is tied in position on the glass with a piece of ribbon. A second, empty and similar glass is shown, and the glass containing the imprisoned coins is placed on top of the empty one. The drape is sufficiently long to conceal the bowl of the lower glass. The conjurer now orders the coins to penetrate the upper glass and to fall into the lower one. They are heard to do so, falling with a chink, one at a time. Upon removal of the drape the same coins are found in the 'lower glass, and of course the upper one is empty. No bottomless tumblers are used, and the borrowed coins are actually found in the lower glass.

Here we have a clean cut effect: the mysterious passage of coins from the upper glass to the lower, under circumstances that seem to preclude the possibility of deception.

Requirements--
The requirements are few and o[ the simplest order. An opaque silk handkerchief--prepared.

A suitable length of long narrow ribbon of contrasting colour to that of the handkerchief.

Two stemmed goblets, the feet of which are larger than the mouths, to enable one to be placed upon the other, as shown in sketch, Fig. 1.

A third glass (not seen by audience) claret tumbler size, and six pennies--also unseen--ready to the performer's hand, or, if an assistant is available, the third glass and coins are for his or her use.

Preparation--
To the centre of one side of the handkerchief is attached a cloth lined tin lid of such size when lined, as to fit easily over the mouths of either of the goblets. The goblets, of course, are duplicates. The tin lid should be about three-quarters of an inch deep, and the object of lining it with cloth (of the same colour as the handkerchief) is, obviously, to prevent "talking" when it is placed over the top of the glass. The outside edge of the lid is also covered with cloth. The lid may be either securely stuck to the silk drape, or sewn to it by means of holes punched in it; see Fig. 3.

The glasses stand side by side on the table, and the handkerchief is loosely bunched up behind them, but in such a way that the performer is sure that by picking it up casually by one corner and drawing it clear of the table, the attached lid shall hang on the side nearest to him. Since the lid is the crux of the whole thing, it should be kept dark. The ribbon is also placed on the table.

If the performer is working alone, the third glass is secured in an upright position in right profonde, with its mouth about half-an-inch below mouth of the profonde. The six pence or other coins are in a clip where they can be easily secured when required.

If working with an assistant the third glass and the coins are behind screen; the table in this case being fairly near the screen and as nearly as possible in the same straight line as table and centre of the audience.

Working--
The two glasses are shown first in such a way that it is quite obvious that there is absolutely no preparation about them. One is placed on the table and the conjurer approaches the audience with the other, with the request that six spectators will oblige him with the loan of a penny each. Any coins, however, will do equally well.

There is a lot of scope for humour in borrowing these coins. The performer must on no account handle the coins, but receive them in the bowl of the glass he is carrying, asking each of his obliging lenders to note carefully any peculiarity in the coin lent, namely, the date, general appearance, shape (!) and certainly the face value. This done, he carries the glass to the table, keeping it in full view all the time. He proposes to close the mouth of the goblet in such a way that there can be no possible chance for the money to escape; he takes this step merely because he is using others people's money and not because he wishes to hide anything!

During this "explanation" he has quietly covered the glass with the handkerchief, bringing the "lid" over the mouth of the glass. There is a knack in doing this that no amount of writing can explain, but in practice it is very easy. The ribbon is next taken and tied, apparently round the top of glass... "to prevent the silk from slipping and the more securely to imprison the coins." The ribbon, however, does not get tied around the glass, but around the lid, which is over the mouth of the glass and beneath the silk handkerchief.

The glass is now taken up, and keeping the tip of his forefinger on the top edge of lid (or what now appears to be the rim of glass), the magician vigorously rattles the coins. As if he thought that this was insufficient proof that the coins were really in the glass, he shows them by raising the front edge of drape high enough for the coins to be seen.

The second glass is now freely shown and is placed in the centre of the table. Holding the glass with coins in his left hand, in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the performer states that he is going to stand it on top of the empty glass. He now brings the draped glass to the table, allowing the hanging ends of drape to surround the empty glass, and lowers his left hand so that the bottom end of handkerchief rests on the table. He inserts his right hand under the drape and takes the glass with coins away from the lid, the finger-tips of the left hand releasing the glass, the "lid" being held now by the pressure of the fingers. This renders it impossible for the audience to know that the glass is removed.

The right hand quickly places the glass with the coins on the table, takes up the empty glass and puts it in place of the other. Thus the empty glass becomes the upper one and any time taken in executing the above simple operation is easily accounted for by the slight difficulty the performer pretends to have in balancing the foot of the upper glass on the mouth of the lower. In fact he must be careful that it does rest properly upon it and not take away the support of the left hand until he is sure the upper glass is safe, for, if there is a topple his experiment will be a failure, because if the glass falls it will carry the handkerchief with it and expose the coins in the bottom glass.

There is no danger of an accident, however, if the performer takes the trouble to procure the proper glasses and uses a table that does not wobble. Beware at all times of platforms with uneven or loose planks!

If working alone the performer now secures and finger-palms the stack of six coins in his right hand, and standing to the left of table, with his left side to the audience, he explains that he can do anything with money except make it. (Alas, too true!) He proposes in this case to cause the coins to penetrate the solid glass and to fall into the lower one. He orders the first coin to pass and at once there is a chink and a tinkle from the glasses. This is repeated and six times the sound is heard of a coin falling into the glass (the coins dropped by performer into the glass in his profonde, or by assistant, as the case may be).

He next raises the upper glass from the lower, and after a pause sets it down, still draped, on the table,:showing the coins in the lower glass/.. He unties the ribbon carefully from the upper glass, and whisking the handkerchief away, shows the glass to be empty.

The conjurer again emphasising the fact that at no time has he touched the coins--which is literally true--returns them to the owners who are bound to admit their identity, and these good people, only too thankful to have their money back from such a deceitful person, are the loudest in their applause.