An exhibition of so-called hypnotism and second-sight is a favorite item in the programmes of many professional entertainers. If well managed, the performance appears miraculous, and is sure to impress the majority of the audience as savoring strongly of the supernatural. The exhibition is usually somewhat of the following nature.

A young lady is presented to the audience as being possessed of the marvelous faculty of second-sight, so keenly developed that she is able to see and describe whatever falls under the observation of her double. Needless to say, this individual is the performer who introduces her. Having given this explanation, Prof. B, as he may be called, bandages the eyes of the gifted young lady, Mlle. C, and seats her on the stage in full view of the spectators.

The Professor now walks amongst his audience and asks some person to whisper a number. This having been done, he calls out to Mlle. C, desiring her to state this whispered number, which she cannot possibly have heard. Without the least hesitation Mlle. answers correctly.

The Professor will perhaps now ask for a coin, and at his request she will describe it accurately, give its date and value, and any other particulars desired. In the same way she will give the number of a bank-note, describe any article the Professor may happen to be holding in his hand, or even tell to what he is pointing.

With many other tricks as wonderful and mysterious does the Professor attempt to beguile the audience into a belief in his occult powers. It may be very uncharitable to give the Professor’s deceptions away, but that is what this chapter will do for the benefit of its readers.

The whole secret lies in a private code understandable only by the two performers. By using this Prof. B tells his accomplice exactly what she has to answer, gives her the numbers and describes the objects, quite unknown to his listeners. All that is necessary is a good memory and quick hearing. Given these essentials, the rest is simple.

Let us begin by describing the code with which the Professor apprises Mlle. C of the various numbers chosen by the audience.

The units are expressed by letters from which Prof. B forms sentences when addressing Mlle. C. A very commonly used code is this:—

To use this code properly two things are necessary. Mlle. C must know how many figures the number consists of, and she must also know when the code is finished.

The latter point is easily settled. When she hears the words, “if you please,” she knows that whatever follows has no code meaning whatever, whilst everything that precedes these words carries a hidden meaning.

By the use of the following words the number of figures is conveyed in a perfectly unmistakable manner.

The following explanation shows how to put this into practice. Taking all the numbers successively from one to ten (a thing that would never be done in an ordinary way), Prof. B conveys to his fair friend the desired information by means of the sentences subjoined.

Prof.—This seems an easy number. (t = 1, s = 0; “number” means two figures. Ans. 10.)

Prof.—Now, please, tell this number. (n = 2, p = 9; word “number” means two figures. Ans. 29.)

Prof.—Very well, let me know this. (“Very well” means three figures; l = 5, m = 3, k = 7. Ans. 537.)

Prof.—Very good, Mlle. Now repeat clearly what this is, if you please. (“Very good, Mlle.,” means six figures; n = 2, r = 4, c = 7, w = 8, t = 1, s = 0. Ans. 247810.)

Sometimes the Professor asks some person present to come upon the stage, and write certain figures upon a blackboard provided for the purpose. The method of communicating the numbers is the same, but the Professor in this instance points to each figure in turn, tells it to the lady, and awaits her reply before proceeding. For example, suppose the number 638219 to have been written by a gentleman.

Prof.—Very good, sir (turning to Mlle. C). How many figures have been written upon the board?

Mlle.—Six.

Prof. (pointing to first figure)—How about this? (h = 6.)

Mlle.—Six.

Prof.—May I ask this? (m = 3.)

Mlle.—Three.

Prof.—Well! (w = 8.)

Mlle.—Eight.

Prof.—Now, if you please. (n = 2.)

Mlle.—Two.

Prof.—This? (t = 1.)

Mlle.—One.

Prof.—Please. (p = 9.)

Mlle.—Nine.

Prof.—That is all right. (This is invariably understood to mean that the experiment is completed.)

Should any smart person write a number like 99999, and smile expectantly, awaiting the Professor’s confusion, he will be doomed to disappointment, for Prof. B merely says to him “Very good”: and turning to Mlle. C, says “Please,” and she answers immediately, “There are five nines.” Of course the Professor’s “very good” has told her that there are five figures, and the “please” has told her that they begin with nine. Finding that the Professor does not say anything more, she presumes they are all the same, and replies accordingly.

This system of coding is applied in a similar manner to the letters of the alphabet, and by this means any word can be easily spelled. But to avoid detection, the letters have to be transposed somewhat after the following fashion, which must only be considered as an example, being too easy of detection for practical use.

To show how this is used, it may be supposed that the Professor has in his hand a brown cap, which some little boy in the audience has given him.

“Do be quick, if you please, and tell me what I have in my hand?” (d = c, b = a, q = p.)

“A cap,” answers Mlle. C.

“Come, say precisely, if you please, what color?” (c = b, s = r, p = o.)

“It is a brown cap,” answers she.

This system can be simplified yet further by coding the various objects most likely to be required, in a way similar to the following:—

Touch = part of clothing.

Look at = part of the room.

Point = part of figure.

Oh yes! = letter or piece of paper.

Most certainly = coin, other than money.

Yes, if you like = a watch.

This is harder = some trinket.

I am afraid this is harder = a ring.

An excellent idea = a playing card.

As an example of how this code can be employed, it may be imagined that the Professor lays his hand casually upon a gentleman’s coat-sleeve.

Prof.—What am I touching?

Mlle.—A part of some one’s clothing.

Prof.—Tell me fully what, if you please? (t = s, m = l, f = e, w = v; which reads “sleeve.”)

Mlle.—I can dimly see a sleeve.

Prof.—Have you found only a sleeve? (h = g, f = e, o = n; reading “gent.”)

Mlle.—Yes, I see a gentleman’s sleeve.

Or as another example, imagine that some one produces a seal.

Prof. (loud enough for Mlle. C to hear)—This is harder. This fairly bothers me (looking at it closely).

Mlle. (who has understood “This is harder” to mean a trinket, and “this fairly bothers me” to read Seal)—I can see quite plainly that it is a seal.

Prof.—Both initials, if you please.

Mlle.—A, and then H.

Prof.—Hurry up, if you please. What metal is it made of?

Mlle.—It is made of gold.

This last answer is based upon another code for the various metals, which may be something like this:—

Some person in the audience hands the Professor a silver cigarette case, and, looking up to the stage, he remarks—

“This is harder. Come, perfectly, now!” (c = b, p = o, now = x.)

“I see a box,” murmurs Mlle. C dreamily.

“Describe it.” (d = silver.)

“It is made of silver.”

“Do just have something further, if you please.” (d = c, j = i, h = g, s = r, f = e—making “cigre.”)

“It looks like a cigarette box—a cigarette case.”

“Let us know the number of cigarettes in it?” (l = 5.)

“There are five cigarettes.”

“Well, just say, if you please, what kind?” (w = v, j = i, s = r.)

“They are cigarettes of Virginia tobacco.”

Money should be designated by N, which, as you remember, is the code letter for M. The following will then come in handy:—

Gold is coded as 1, silver as 2, copper as 3, and paper as 4.

“Now, if you please, tell me what I have in my hand?”

“I see money.”

“Nature?” (n = 2 = silver.)

“Silver.”

“Let’s see, if you please, how you would describe this coin?” (l = 5, s = 0.)

“I see a fifty-cent piece.”

“The piece seems new?” (t = 1, p = 9, s = 0, n = 2.)

“The date is 1902.”

Holding out a handful of money, containing say, a five-dollar gold piece, two fifty-cent pieces, four quarters, and five cents in copper,

The Professor says, “Tell this, if you please, the number of coins in my hand?” (t = 1, t = 1.)

“Eleven,” answers Mlle. C.

“True. Now, Mademoiselle, if you please, tell me the nature of it?” (t = 1 = gold, n = 2 = silver, m = 3 = copper.)

“Gold, silver, and copper.”

“Leaving, if you please, the others, let us start with the gold.”

“A five-dollar gold piece.”

“Now, if you please, silver.”

“I see two dollars in silver.”

“Likewise, if you please, the copper?”

“Five cents.”

“All right.”

The code for playing cards should be formed in much the same way. The following is a suggestion of what might be arranged:—

The cards, commencing with the ace and finishing with the king, should be numbered one to thirteen inclusive. The suits can then be distinguished thus:—

Good = hearts; very good = diamonds; well = clubs; very well = spades.

Supposing that the Professor has handed a pack of cards to some person among the spectators, who has drawn the knave of clubs.

“Very well, sir,” says the Professor. “There tell, if you please, what card this is?” (Very well = clubs, there tell = eleven, i.e. the knave.)

“You are holding the knave of clubs in your hand,” replies Mlle. C.

“Good. Look, if you please, and tell what this is?”

“The five of hearts.”

“Very good, Mademoiselle. Tell me, if you please, what this card is?”

“The king of diamonds.”

“Well, this?”

“The ace of spades.”

At this point it is not an uncommon thing for some skeptical person present to take a card and demand to know its value without having shown it to the Professor. The latter rises to the occasion immediately. He explains that Mademoiselle can only see what he actually sees himself, her sight being second to his own. Casually drawing a card, and not showing it to anybody, he remarks, “Very well, Mademoiselle, tell me, if you please, what this is?”

“The three of clubs,” she answers; and the Professor then shows the card to all, demonstrating the skill of the gifted lady.

For an extensive programme a greater number of codes is necessary. We give an idea for some of these which may prove of use. An unfailing memory is essential to second-sight, and the greater the number of codes that can be learned, the more sure of success can both performers feel.

Clothes and Materials

Touching a lady’s wrapper, the Professor says: “What do I touch? Answer quickly, if you please.” (Touch = part of clothing, A = wrapper, Q = silk.)

“You are now touching a silk wrapper,” replies Mlle.

Again there may be a separate code for flowers, to be introduced by “What is this before me?” to show Mlle. C that the Flower Code will follow.

“What is this before me? Be descriptive.”

“A red carnation,” replies the lady unhesitatingly.

“Well, if you please, what is this flower?”

“It is a violet.”

The Professor and Mlle. C have nearly finished their entertainment. But before bowing farewell to the company, he approaches a little girl, let us say in the audience, and in a whisper asks her age. With the utmost secrecy she informs him that she is just nine.

“Pray, how old is my little friend here?” he demands of Mlle.

“Nine years old,” she replies at once.

“What is your name?” whispers the Professor to the little girl.

“Margery,” she whispers back.

“Now! Be sure! Having found so easily, if you please, her age, what is the young lady’s name?” (N = m, b = a, s = r, h = g, f = e, s = r, easily = y.)

“Her name is Margery,” is the reply; and with this pretty example of his power, the Professor will close the evening.

I have dealt at such length with the Professor and his codes, because it is the easiest and most general system of mechanical second-sight. But Professor B and Mlle. C have yet another system of second-sight, more puzzling still to the spectators, as not a word is exchanged between either of the confederates during the whole performance.

Seating the lady upon the stage, facing the audience, and omitting to bandage her eyes, Professor B goes down amongst the spectators as before, examines various articles, is told different numbers and touches sundry objects exactly as in the former entertainment. Without speaking a single word he merely glances at Mlle. C, who after a few seconds mentions the number or describes the article as the case may be.

All this is highly mysterious, and is the result of a very ingenious mode of signaling which may be thus explained.

As soon as Professor B raises his eyes to Mlle. C they both start counting to themselves, and the instant he drops his eyes they cease. This has been practiced over and over again until they have learned to count exactly at the same speed. The result is that when the Professor has counted five, let us say, Mlle. C has counted five also, and so with any number.

The alphabet is then coded with numbers according to the following system.

The letters are represented by the vertical figures on the left and the horizontal figures on the top, and by this ingenious means are communicated.

To signal the letter A the Professor would glance up at Mlle. C, count one, and then glance down again; he would then look up and count six and lower his eyes once more.

Supposing that some lady had lent a diamond ring, the process would be the following:—

(The letter U shows when the Professor raised his eyes, and the letter D when he lowered them. The dots designate the numbers he would count in the interval.)

Prof.—(without speaking). U ... D, U . D = R, U .. D, U ... D = I, U ... D, U ..... D = N, U .. D, U . D = G.

Mlle.—You have a ring in your hand.

Prof.—U . D, U ... D = D, U ... D, U ...... D = M, U ... D, U ..... D = N.

Mlle.—It is a diamond ring.

Prof.—U . D, U .... D = C = 3.

Mlle.—It has three stones.

With reference to this last answer it must be explained that the numerals are represented by the letters of the alphabet, A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, &c.

Or again some person holds a bank-note numbered 15498. The Professor communicates this number thus:—

U . D, U ...... D = 1, U . D, U .. D = 5, U . D, U ... D = 4, U .. D, U ... D = 9, U .. D, U .. D = 8.

Mlle. C then remarks, “The number is 15498.”

Cumbersome as this may seem at first, a little practice enables the signaling and translating to be done with great rapidity. All the codes previously described can be introduced, numbers being substituted for letters, or letters for numbers, as may seem expedient.

Mechanical second-sight has an extraordinary effect in an entertainment if well done. Both the Professor and his accomplice must be sharp and sure, the least mistake being not only disconcerting, but likely to arouse the suspicions of the spectators. If a mistake be made, the only thing to be done is for the Professor to pretend that he has himself mistaken the number or not noticed the object properly, and if this fail he must have recourse to pure “bluff.”

All things considered, the number of out-of-the-way objects likely to be produced is really very few, and there is no reason why an intelligent couple of amateurs with retentive memories should not provide a successful exhibition of second-sight wherewith to amuse their credulous friends.