Sefalaljia

(Editor’s note: I honestly believe that this one man miniature spirit cabinet routine is far beyond, in merit and effectiveness, anything yet conceived. Certainly the manifestations are out of the ordinary and Mr. James has managed to use several magical principles in a way not originally intended. The absence of complicated preparation in the cabinet will be found quite refreshing. The routine herein should be put into immediate use by many magi.)

It is the firm belief of many people that the walls of a room retain the impressions of violent or unusual incidents that have taken place within. People who last were seen in the best of spirits and apparently with everything for which to live, have, after spending a portion of a night in a room where somebody once committed suicide, unknown to them, in turn enacted that tragedy over again in a manner identical with the first. It is suggested that such individuals were psychic to a high degree and were influenced by the impressions retained in the walls of that room.

The performer offers to demonstrate a few experiments that he has been conducting along that line. He introduces a box which, he claims, was made from material taken from the most frequented room of a house said to have been occupied for a number of years by a poltergeist. The front of the box has been replaced by a curtain that may be drawn back and forth to reveal or conceal the interior. The inside of the box is painted black. The top of the box is a hinged cover. On top of the box rests a skull and the whole is in full view on a slender and thin topped table. And although it is not practical for their sake, spectators may be seated in a wide circle around the performer!

A bright red rubber ball is carelessly tossed to one end of the box and a drink-glass placed at the other end. The curtain is drawn for a few seconds. When the interior of the box is shown again, the red ball has been placed back into the glass, apparently by a playful spirit. ANY SPECTATOR MAY STEP FORWARD, REMOVE THE GLASS AND BALL, AND EXAMINE BOTH AS WELL AS THE BOX!

The inside of the box again is concealed. The top is raised and a handkerchief tossed inside. The spectator, who has stood by, opens the curtains, removes the handkerchief and finds that a knot has been tied into it.

In each end of the box is a hole. In the center of the hinged lid is a screw-hook on the under side. A length of white cotton tape is folded in half and another spectator places a safety-pin through the tape about an inch from the double end. The tape is now threaded through the box with the ends protruding out of the holes. Someone in the audience lends his or her finger ring and it is hung onto the hook inside the box which is turned with curtain side away from audience. The playful poltergeist’s presence is invoked. A volunteer comes forward, grasps one end of the tape and draws it from the box. THE BORROWED RING ACTUALLY IS THREADED ON THE MIDDLE OF THE TAPE AND HELD SECURELY IN PLACE BY THE PIN. The ring, still on the tape, is returned to the owner and the volunteer allowed to examine the cabinet.

The cabinet is turned with curtain side to the audience. A cellophane wrapped cigar is unwrapped and the weed placed into a glass tumbler. When put into the open cabinet, the spook is found evidently to be a tobacco addict, for the cigar is seen to smoke furiously.

Lastly the lid of the cabinet is raised to accommodate a quart bottle of milk. A straw is inserted and as the thirsty spook imbibes a quantity of the lacteal fluid the performer states, rather apologetically, that his poltergeistic friend always drinks a lot of milk at bed-time and that now it will be necessary to cease manifestations. “Even spirits have to observe union hours,” quips (?) the performer as he takes a spiritual like bow to what we hope is not ghostly applause.

The box I used was a radio cabinet. Its size is 7″ x 7″ x 17″. After using it for a long time I find the size just about right. The length may seem long to some, but the greater the distance between the glass tumbler and the rubber ball (first effect) which are placed at opposite ends makes a very good looking stunt for the opener.

The holes at each end are 1 1/4 in diameter. The size allows of the cord with ring being easily pulled through. The screw-hook is of a #5 size. This is in the exact center of the lid, on the inside, being in line with the holes in the cabinet’s ends. The final bit of cabinet detail (the only bit of fakery) is a needle size hole in the lid about 2 1/2″ from one end and at the center of the lid’s width (or depth). The small hole will never be noticed.

EFFECTS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

The Ball In The Glass: The red rubber ball is 1 1/2″ in diameter and made of sponge rubber. At the start of this routine there is a skull sitting upon the top of the cabinet. A thread, about 2′ long, is fastened to the skull and it runs through the minute hole in the cabinet lid. The other end has been threaded through the ball. The ball has been placed into the glass and when the routine begins the glass and ball are sitting in the center. After the patter about poltergeists and the building of the cabinet the glass is picked up and the ball rolled from the glass into the far corner of the box. The glass is placed at the other end (directly under the minute hole in the lid) and the curtain closed. At this time the performer seems to remember the presence of the skull, on top. He picks it up, relating the fact that it was found beneath the poltergeist occupied house. In stepping a bit forward while this is related, the performer causes the thread to be pulled, the ball inside the cabinet to be raised as far as the lid permits, and the thread to be pulled through and out of the ball. The result? THE BALL FALLS DIRECTLY DOWNWARD INTO THE GLASS. The skull is set aside and the performer invites a member of the audience to investigate the cabinet. We know what he finds and we know that he can examine everything to no avail.

The Knotted Handkerchief: The familiar one-hand knot is made, for this effect, when the handkerchief is thrown into the cabinet through the opened lid. Psychology here plays an important part for the audience is wondering about the ball’s passage to the glass, while the spectator assisting worries both about that puzzle plus his probably unexpected appearance before an audience and therefore a wee bit, if not more, of stage fright enters into the situation. The sleight, simple as it is, doesn’t warrant inclusion here for it has been depicted for many years in magical books, even as lately and modernly described by Hugard.

The Ring On The Tape: After the more or less incidental handkerchief bit, but which has impressed subconsciously that strange powers are at work within the cabinet’s confines, we come to the one effect of which I am rather proud and to which I claim originality outside of the routine itself. The tape is 1/2″ wide and, if your box is of the same dimensions as mine, 40″ long. After the tape is threaded through the box, the borrowed ring upon the hook, and the cabinet turned curtain-side away from the audience, the performer invokes the invisible prankster by rubbing his hands, as he says, inside the confines of the wooden walls. This patter, or palaver, allows of a few quick and very practical as well as unique moves.

1. Remove the safety-pin and lay it on the bottom of the box.
2. Take the ring off the screw-hook.
3. Loop the center of the tape and tuck through the ring.
4. Place the pin through the left side of the hoop thus formed and the half of the tape that runs out through the left (to performer) hole of the box.
5. Enlarge the loop and place it over the screw-hook.

(The next illustration depicts the result of these manipulations. To those readers who look at such illustrations and shudder (not in this sheet! Ed.) I suggest you try it but once and check the simplicity.

If the left end (to performer) of the tape is now pulled from the box, the RING IS AUTOMATICALLY THREADED UPON THE TAPE AND FOUND IN THE SAFETY-PIN CENTER.

The Smoked Cigar: The cigar I use is of wood and was sold as a novelty pencil. I have hollowed out one end and inserted a piece of felt. This felt has been soaked previously in very strong liquid ammonia. Before the performance the glass tumbler (the one used for the opening ball effect) has had put into it six or eight drops of muriatic acid which was then swished around. The cigar, rewrapped inside a cellophane wrapper is placed into the glass, open end downward, and into the cabinet. Smoke begins the ascent from the glass in clouds. (Why not beat the gun ((or smoke)) and toss in a box of matches in case the spirit hasn’t any at the moment? Ed.)

Drinking The Milk: The reader should have recognized the very clever DeMuth Milk Bottle trick, used heretofore for a penetration or passe passe trick, but given here in an entirely new atmosphere and dress. The placing of the straw serves to release the vent disc and make the “drinking of the milk” action automatic.

(I want to come in on this again and say that Stewart has routined this series of effects in a “sweet” manner. The act opens very strong, gets a quick surprise with #2, and settles down with a thought wringer on #3. The audience then gets #4 and #5 in succession for a finish. It is my hope that readers will try the routine as given before they start the inevitable changes and improvements. This should find a good home in many club programs this winter.)