Mixed Mystery

Effect

Saying that he wishes to demonstrate an example of the ultimate in coincidence, the performer shows a glass bowl full of one-inch square cardboards, each bear ing a letter of the alphabet. These may be shown freely as there is nothing wrong with them in any way. A spectator is asked to reach into the bowl and take therefrom a small handful (say, 7 or 8) of the letters. These he drops into a letter envelope which is sealed and given to him to hold for the time being.

Next, on a pad, three spectators write rows of three figures each, one under the other. A fourth person adds up the columns while the performer returns to the front and picks up a newspaper which he gives someone close by.

Then he takes a school slate, piece of chalk, and speaks to the man who has added the figures. As this total of 4 figures is announced, the performer writes upon the slate (suppose 4382 to be the total) page - 4, column - 3, line - 8, word - 2. Then, turning to the one holding the newspaper, the performer asks that he open the sheet to the fourth page.

Next he is to pick out the third column. When this has been done he is requested to count down to the eighth line, and lastly count across that line to the second word. Then he if to draw a circle around that word which has been so fairly picked.

The magician now shows his strange knowledge of coincidence by having the chosen letters called off by their selector. As they are named he writes them across the other side of the slate. But, instead of making a word as written, the letters could look like A H E T E R W. The performer blandly asks the man with the newspaper if that is the word at which he has been looking. It could be a typographical error, of course. The answer is “No.”

The slate is turned over and a quick check through of the position numbers made. Everything is in order. The spectator names the word. The performer says that coincidence supplied the correct letters but they were read out in the wrong order. The man with the letters calls them through correctly. Finally calling upon his powers as a magician, the performer turns the slate around to show that the letters have rearranged themselves and now correctly spell “Weather,” the selected word!!