Of all the single or group reading methods that have been invented and created, I think none have been as practically simple as the window frame idea. I’ve always thought that it was mine but after eleven years I’m not so sure. I made my first note of it on January 12, 1924 and thought of it while reading about an alcohol envelope feke on page 92 of Alexander’s Dr. Q book. I handled a lot of correspondence then and passed it around. Later it was advertised in The Sphinx. Howard Albright used it in his Super-Psychic Mental book, and in June 1934 it was reprinted (with permission) in The Indian Magician, India’s crack magical monthly.
I originally used it, not for a single reading (I didn’t see its value as such then), but only to ‘get’ the first question in a one-ahead routine with cards and envelopes. Here is the method of handling. It can be used for the above purpose or for a single reading, and is much cleaner and more safe than any of the copies I have read.
For those who do not know this envelope it is a regular drug size end opening type (#2 is best) and the face side has been cut out except for a quarter inch margin around the edge. A card is written on by a sitter. The envelope is on a stack of ordinary ones. The card is inserted into the envelope, writing side down, and flap sealed. Holding the single envelope with this side towards the sitter it is burned, but meanwhile the performer has read the question through the window side. There are variations and niceties in handling but we won’t go into them there.
My method now is to have the flap of the window envelope cut off. Six or seven envelopes are in a stack. In one envelope is placed a blank card such as will be used by the sitter for writing. This loaded envelope is on top of the stack and on top of this is placed the window envelope with cut-out side down. The flap belonging to the loaded envelope appears to be the flap of the window feke.
When the sitter has written on a card, he is told to lay it writing side down. Approaching with the stack in left hand (hold them with thumb and fingers at sides, from above, and with the flap ends outward) the card is shoved into the window envelope, and then by the flap, he pulls the envelope from the pile and hands it to the spectator to seal.
Thus by the flap the loaded envelope is pulled from under the window feke into which the card was put.
Asking the sitter to seal tightly and write his initials across the front and back, the medium turns and lays the envelopes in hand aside. The one on top is flipped over with a finger and the question read at a glance.
I suggest working at a small table with a drawer on your side. Merely open it and put the envelopes in, getting the information at the same time. Now take the sitter’s envelope and burn it right in front of him.
This is positively the quickest method I know of getting sealed information without the sitter having reason for suspicion.
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