Description
Contents
VOLUME 1
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION Todd Karr
PREFACE Walter Graham
BEHIND THE SCENES Teller
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE MEDIUMS
CHAPTER 1
HALF-HOURS WITH THE MEDIUMS
1. Introduction
2. Bishop’s Sealed Letter Reading in a New Dress
3. Trick Envelope Test
4. Stolen Letter Test
5. The Mystic Oracle of the Swinging Pendulums
A Rapping Hand and a Light and Heavy Chest
6. Store Room Tests
7. Billet with Trick Envelope
A Spirit Message Written on a Slate in the Sitter’s Presence
8. Flower Materialization
9. The Dark Séance
A Deceptive Grip
Mental Tests
Spirit Voices, Taps, and Lights
10. Materialization
Preparation of Luminous Costumes, Method of Presentation, etc.
11. Hotel-Room Tests
Slate Writing on Slates Selected, Cleaned, and Held by Sitter
Test Wherein the Sitter’s Own Slates are Used
Billet Work in Connection Therewith
The Prepared Table
12. Reading Sealed Billets in Absolute Darkness
CHAPTER 2
MEDIUMISTIC READING OF SEALED WRITINGS
1. Introduction
2. Preparation of the Writings
3. Reading the Writings
Production of a Spirit Message
4. The Secrets Explained
Slate Trick Requiring a Special Chair
CHAPTER 3
SPIRIT SLATE WRITING AND BILLET TESTS
1. Introduction
2. Stack of Slates: First Method
Method Using a Rug or Newspaper
3. Stack of Slates: Second Method
How to Pass the Slates from One Hand to the Other
4. Two Slates
Some Expert Maneuvering and the Importance of the Pass
5. Stack of Slates: Third Method
Message Written with a Gold Ring
6. Reading Questions
Duplicate Envelope Method
Token Production
7. Slate Under Table
8. Three Slates
Conjuring Version
Preparing the Slates
9. Double-Hinged Slate
10. Independent Paper Writing
Torn Corner Version
11. Single Slate and Flap
Forcing the Page
Binding Method
Sum of Figures
Two Slate Method
Colored Three-Slate Version
12. Impressions and Billets
Assisted Method
A Test Using a Prepared Book
Clipboard Method
Card Switch
One-Handed Billet Switch
Billet Reading Behind Spectator
Dummy Billet Method
Sponge in Hat Method
13. Challenging Conditions
Trapdoor Methods
Magnet Method
Baseboard Switch
Window Switch
Trespassing Ruses
Fastened Slates
14. Various Methods
Rubber Stamp Method
Coat Switch
Chemical Methods
Writing Secretly
Speaking Tubes
CHAPTER 4
SOME MODERN SORCERY
1. Presentation of the Tests
2. Explanation of the Secrets
3. Double-Parlor Work
4. Card Servante and Blackboard
CHAPTER 5
SOME UNUSUAL MEDIUMISTIC PHENOMENA
1. Schlessinger’s Living and Dead Test
2. Death Location Billet Test
CHAPTER 6
MATERIALIZATION
CHAPTER 7
THE RELATIONSHIP OF MEDIUMSHIP TO PALMISTRY, ASTROLOGY, AND FORTUNE-TELLING
Reading a Burnt Question
CHAPTER 8
PERFORMANCES OF THE ANNIE EVA FAY TYPE
CHAPTER 9
VEST TURNING
CHAPTER 10
AN IMPROVED BILLET TEST
ADDENDA
Another Billet Test
The Swinging Pendulums Again
A Billet Test Improved
The Dr. Schlessinger Act Improved
Wireless Eleectrivity for Mediumistic Tricks
Postscript
Table Lifting
Mediumistic Materialization David P. Abbott
APPENDIX
Open Court Correspondence
Mediumistic Séances
A Puzzling Case
Spirit Portraiture
ADDITIONAL WRITINGS
THE MARVELOUS CREATIONS OF JOSEFFY
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
JOSEFFY: AN APPRECIATION Carl Sandburg
INSIGHTS INTO JOSEFFY Jim Steinmeyer
THE HISTORY OF A STRANGE CASE
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
THE WONDER GIRL
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
MUSINGS
Time, Space, and Existence
A Continuum of Homogeneity
VOLUME 2
INTRODUCTION Todd Karr
PREFACE Walter Graham
A DETECTIVE STORY IN THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY Teller
MYSTERY SOIRÉES
David P. Abbott’s Occultism T. W. McGrath
Abbotts Wonders A. M. Wilson
David Abbott of Omaha Will Blyth
Midwest Magic Leslie Guest
David P. Abbott E. G. Ervin
DAVID P. ABBOTT’S
BOOK OF MYSTERIES
PART 1
ELECTRICAL MYSTERIES
1. Balsamo, the Living Skull
2. The Talking Teakettle
Meyers’ Kettle William H. Meyers
Letters from Kellar Harry Kellar
Voice in Tea Kettle Opens Book of Past C. de Vidal Hundt
Abbott Kettle Authentication David P. Abbott
Improved and Perfected Kettle A. M. Wilson
Ghosts that Talk by Radio Harry Houdini
The Unfortunate Exposure of the Talking Kettle Illusion
Regarding the Talking Tea Kettle Kendall Banning, Clyde W. Powers
The True History of Talking Tea Kettle David P. Abbott
3. Additional Effects
Loud-Speaking Daylight Trumpet
Ventriloquial Acts
The Educated Parrot and the Musical Canaries
The Kettle for a Second-Sight Act on the Stage
Second-Sight Effects
Method of Exchange of Questions in a Hall or Theater
The Kettle Spirit Plays a Phonograph Record with Her Fingernail
Guests About This Table Converse with a Spirit in a Large Trumpet
Best Stage Method of Answering Written Questions
Transmission of Thought to Ladies on the Stage
Transmission of Thought from Performer to Audience
Technique of Answering Questions from the Stage
Addenda to Part I
PART 2
MYSTERIES FOR THE PARLOR
1. The Floating Ball Illusion
The Gift of a Violin Okito
2. The Chinese Rings: An Act
3. The Spiritualistic Table
4. Best of All Slate Writing
Letter from Kellar Harry Kellar
5. The Indian Turban Illusion
6. The Spirit Portrait Mystery
Foreword
Solving the Mystery
Stage Version
Home Version
7. The Serpent of Pharaoh
8. Matter through Matter
9. Ching Ling Foo’s Paper Tearing Mystery
Letters from Kellar Harry Kellar
A Reminiscence of Ching Ling Foo David P. Abbott
10. Han Ping Chien Coin Illusion
Han Ping Chien David P. Abbott
11. Pocket-to-Pocket Card Illusion
12. Sawing a Woman in Two (with cords)
13. Spiritualistic Spoon and Glass
14. The Want-Ad Test
Letter from Kellar Harry Kellar
PART 3
MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS
1. Hankerchief and Flower Illusion
Handkerchief Illusion David P. Abbott
2. Kellar’s Superior Paper-Tearing
Letters from Kellar Harry Kellar
3. My Own Coin Illusion
4. Cut and Restored String Illusion
Kellar’s String Illusion
Letter from Kellar Harry Kellar
5. The Argot
Letters from Kellar Harry Kellar
6. Han Ping Chiens Double Tape Illusion
7. Slate and Billet Illusion with Sitter’s Own Slates
8. Wooley’s Double Tape Illusion
9. Wooley’s Twenty Penny Illusion
10. The Mystic Circle and the Invisibles
11. Mock Sad Alli’s Pocket-to-Pocket Illusion
12. Candy Vase and Flower Illusion
13. Roterberg’s Growth of Flowers
FURTHER MYSTERIES
Introduction
1. Tsu Pein Chin Chein
2. Living and Dead Test
3. Vanishing and Reappearing Silk
4. Tables
5. Die Box
6. Flag Change
7. Vase, Cone, and Orange
8. Color Change
9. Rising Cards and Horseshoe
10. A Handkerchief Trick
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF DAVID P. ABBOTT
INDEX
