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, 160 stations every week. Certainly, within the last years, Dunninger and what he does and how he does it has become as much of a national enigma as what keeps those new-style strapless bathing suits up. One fact about Dunninger, the performer, must be emphasized. Regardless of his modus operandi, he is propably the greatest showman of our time. Incredible IS his genius for compelling attention by the sheer force of his personality, without the aid of clever lines, props, dancing girls, stooges, music, dramatic 'situations, costumes, fancy settings or any.of the other things that help actors project themselves to an audience. Dunninger relies on nothing but Dunninger. His performance, considered solely as entertainment, is the most fascinating, delightful and unique exhibition in show business today. At present, on the 'P:,,~1-_. <::hnw he does onlv from "ie;ht to twelve I1": • .... ~:
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SELECTED SEALED MESSAGE READING TESTS FOREWORD
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Dunninger surely needs no introduction to AMB readers. Dunninger's career as a showman spanned 70 years-plus. His press books are unique both in size and contents. His newspaper write ups are written in several languages and have appeared in newspapers allover the world. The Mystic Series, of which this is the first release, deal exclusively with his personal investigations into the work of the spirit mediums. Dunninger became so knowledgeable in this field that he launched his own master version of mindreading technique when he posed as a 'scientist' with a fabulous secret of the ability to read thoughts. The original contents of the Dunninger Mystic Series has been preserved in its original concept as was dictated by Dunninger . I was asked by Mrs. Dunninger to update the mns. So I have added my own comments under the caption of "NOTES." These valuable manuscripts by Dunninger were released very exclusively and hardly a~ertised so that today many well read magicians have never heard of them. Fraternally, f. k/f/fm
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MNS "A"
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Dunninger speakingz Folks listening in during my broadcasting of dramatized spirit seances from stationWJS in New York City (1929) have deluged me with mail .. A greater percentage of this correspondence contained queries as to the various artifices and modus operandi employed by later day spirit mediums and sealed letter readers. The compilation of this manuscript is the outcome of these imformation seeking letters. . I appreciate the way radio enthusiasts the country over have responded to my humble efforts. We have tried to make our weekly "Ghost Hour" as interesting as.possible. For the past 20 years I have been creating and collectiong mind reading material and data on mediums. I have much that is new in the mental field. In this manuscript of Selected Sealed Message Reading Tests will be found the modus operandi employed for many years, by mediums and entertainers. I have watched mediums work in all parts of the world. Most of them are the crudest type of tricksters. A veritable gold mine of gaurded secrets of message mediums will be found in this manuscript and in Uncanny Master Billet Tests (Mns. "D"). _ The methods are simplified and I am sure the reader will find many tests that will entertain and mystify. Master them. You can do it! Thank You. Dunninger The above is Dunninger's preface to "Dunninger's Mystic Series" which compr:ised of several manuscripts. The data for these manuscripts was compiled in the 1920's which is in itself of historical value since magicians did not know about many of these secrets till they appeared in print in The Sphinx and The Jinx in the 1930's and later. These manuscripts were so exclusive that many magicians today have never heard of them.
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4
SELECTED SEALED MESSAGE READING'TESTS
Unquestionably, the ability to read sealed messages is an awesome power! The sitter, sitting across a small table from the reader and witnessing this phenomena is overwhelmed! In their eyes, it is a miracle and the reader is a DemiGod! If the sitter suspects that it is done by trickery, then like Dunninger saysl the clever trickery is even more marvelous. Sealed message readers have amassed millions ,by that one test alone. ' This manuscript exposes many of the methods used by readers and mediums. No doubt that many of these secrets are today (1983) already well known since they have appeared in print many times. But among these you will find gems and also advise and insights by Dunninger which are worth their weight in gold! The following secrets were collected by Dunninger when the secret work of the mediums was virtually unknown. VARIOUS METHODS OF GETTING THE NECESSARY IMFORMATION THE SEALED MESSAGES CONTAIN
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AN AL MANN EXCLUS lYE
Method 11 Special pads are made up doing away with the old method of waxing, in this wayl A hard piece of card board is placed on the table. A s~eet of sensitive carbon paper is placed carbon-side down on top of a sheet of white paper. The paper is next placed on the square of cardboard and this is bound around with paper tape. When this dries, paste a sheet of paper onto this arrangement. On top of this sheet paste two or three thin sheets of white blank paper, putting the library paste on the upper edge of the sheet only. This, if properly done, looks like an ordinary writing tablet and arouses no suspicion. Naturally, each pad can only be used once, although some mediums use perforated paper in sections of about three inches in width (sections running across the paper) when having more than one sitter present at a time. But it is advisable to use the pad prepared in this way only once A hard pencil isuhandedthe-·sitter 'toge-th·er wit'h-'tne pad requesting that some question be addressed to someone who has passed across the border into spiritland. Talking awhile about the wonderful things the medium has done the sitter is requested to tear off the page and fold it small enough to fit into.the envelope the medium now hands the sitter. With a convincing line of chatter the medium tells the sitter to initial the envelope and then afix gummed seals to it or seal it with sealing wax which he hands over together with a small spirit lamp to heat the sealing wax. BUT undercover of all this, the medium carelessly throws the pad towards a curtained a
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~EADING
cont.
TESTS
5
DUNNINGER 'SMYSTIC SERIES "A"
doorway ih the rear or drops the pad nonchalantly onto the floor and kicks it towards where the assistant stands ready to get at it, tear it apart and furnish medium with contents of message! Message is slipped to medium when he calls for his slates or an answer can be written by assistant on.a slate and placed at bottom of a pile of slates, when they are brought in and placed on the table! The rest of the routine depends on the medium. Sitter is told to place the sealed envelope in either pucket, pocketbook or to just hold it tightly between the fingers. It all depends on which method the medium sees fit to use for the occassion. (NOTE: The sitter may be told to burn the envelope or to just burn half of it for a fire ritual and take the other unburned half home with him. ) This method is well worth the time and trouble involved in the preparation of the pad. METHOD 2: THE CLIPBOARD. The well known clipboard is very valuable for securing a copy of what has been written. It is advisable to purchase one or .more of these boards from some reputable magical dealer as the home made article never looks like the real one. This piece of aparatus has a sheet of. carbon paper under a false bottom grained in appropriate style. With a few of these near at hand, if the medium has any knowledge of showmanship, he can accomplish seeming miracles. Crystal gazers also use these boards among their other methods . (NOTE: Dunninger is here referring to the old style Riley clip boards that had a back door that opened out to reveal the impression of the message. These boards have the ability of delivering the message to the medium instantly and without the need of an assistant. The Riley clipboard was very thin and the back doOr flap was held in place by a lock-pin. Robert Nelson of Columbus Ohio, sold "The MasterQs Miracle Reading" clipbaord that had two lock pins. Owen's Magic also put out a clipboard with a swinging back that locked in place. This was called, "A Miracle in Modern Seership." Most of these boards are today hard to find and are collector's items. AM) NOTE :--Inspite of the -fact that the- Mindreader' s Clipboard has been exposed in many books, magazines, newspapers and in theatre plays and movies, the professional clipboard remains today as the best method for obtaining information for the pseudo-minding act. What can be more convenient than handing the patron a portable solid board with paper attached and pencil handy? The Nelson ~nterprises put out t-he "Ultra Perfect Clip Board" which is the best. (P.O. Box 27327, Columbus Ohio, 43227)
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6 SELECTED SEALED MESSAGE READING TESTS IMPRESSION METHODS
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DUNNINGER'S MYSTIC SERIES
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As these manuscripts are being rewritten, word filtered. through from the spirit world, that a certain powerful medlum in a Southern state had been arrested and his clipboard taken as evidence. In court, the prosecuting attorney failed to show that the clip board was tricked, as it was only a piece of seethrough plastic!?? So the case was thrown out of court! Now a~ YO.u would imagine the cha~ that sells these boards to the me~lums upped the price on it to $3500! The 35 has two ~eroes after It! and as you may imagine the clipboard h~s bec?me quite. famous. The secret of this fabulous clipboard lS burled deep In the AM! archives. But unfortunately Mentalists would scream if they paid more than $50 for it. Mediums, however are a breed apart and pay dearly for their secrets! And keep them secre~l For centuries, Mediums have been using see-through glass and window pane for their writing rituals in the seance room. With the advent of plastics, the see1 through clip board has become quite popular. Whether you use wax or white carbon or the recent AM! release, the Photon Shield, the see-through properties of the board is perfect misdirection.
THE PHOTON SHIELD CLIPBOA'RO
METHOD ]; Misdirection with slates; Another method a Boston medium employs, is to have the sitter write and seal the message in either the envelope they bring alone with them or in one of the envelopes handed out by the psychic. Small cards and not paper is handed the sitter to write his message on. This envelope is not initialed but placed flat between two slates which are tied with topstring. Sitte~is sitting back-to a curtained doorway, behind which awaits the medium's confederate, with a duplicate set of slates tied in the same way. Sitter is instructed to place his or her hands high above the head, remaining seated. "I want you to take these slates, between which rests the message you have written, and hold them tightly between your hands. If conditions are good, we will have an answer to your question. But you must remain quite still so I can communicate with the proper forces, --" etc., etc.
What happens is when the slates are lifted over the head of the sitter for him to hold, the concealed confederate or assistant, hands the duplicate pair of slates to the sitter and takes the pair with message between them and while sitter is holding
SELECTED SEALED MESSAGE READING TESTS TRANSPARENCY METHOD
cont . .
DUNNINGER'S MYSTIC SERIES
onto the slates, which he believes are the same ones, as the thought of switchlng slates never enters his mind, the medium goes through the regulation "bunkum" talking all the while. Assistant rubs a sponge with alcohol over the face of the envelope which renders it transparent and allows him to read what has been written on the card, which has not been folded, inside it. Envelope dries while the confederate writes a suitable answer to the"question on one of the slates. The sitter has never seen the medium's handwriting so doesn't know the difference afterwards. Now comes another switch. Assistant signals medium everything is ready and the medium makes some sort of remark about the sitter growing tired of holding the slates, takes the slates from the assistant, who has tied them up again with the envelope between them, and the assistant takes the duplicate slates from the sitters upraised hands! This move when properly carried out is very deceptive and fools the sitter completely. Medium doesnVt open the slates at once but places them on the center of the table, where they are seated, and after a bit more of patter, reaches over to .untie them when he thinks the better of it and hands them to the sitter and asks that they be untied. This is done and another miracle has been accomplished! The sitter becomes a walking advertisement for the medium as he or she will tell friends how he or she tied and untied the slates, etc. NOTE: ~o cover the smell of alcohol, incense is burnt all during the sitting. METHOD 4: In which the medium does not require the assistance of a confederate. Concealed in a waterproof container in his pocket, the medium has a small sponge saturated with alcohol. Sitter writes message on card and seals it in envelope. This envelope is switched for a dummy one while the medium gesticulates with his hand holding the envelope. One way to distract the sitter's attention is to ask to have two slates wiped clean. Medium secretly sponges the envelope and glimpses the"contents. While the medium is writing an answer on a slate he tells the sitter to burn the (dummy) envelope. Or the envelopes are again switched and the real one is given to the sitter to hold, after the alcohol evaporates. Some mediums develope the technique of writing the message on a slate secretly, under the table, or writing it openly and then pretending to erase it. The message would then appear to materialize magically as if by spirit agency.
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SELECTED SEALED MESSAGE READING TESTS TRANSPARENCY METHOD
cont.
DUNNINGER'S MYSTIC SERIES
NOTEs In November of 1930, through the Sphinx, magician/mentalist James S. Harto (Chandra), released his "20th Century Message Reading!" PERFECT PERFECTION PERFECTED His ad did not read any more impossible than other THE CHANDRA 20TH CENTURY similar ads for other mindMESSAGE READING reading methods, yet it was For thlrty·fi\"9 years I have expended many thouaands ot dor .. definitely different. It inlar. and study on mental etfecu. message reading and kindred I have In my possession every mlnd ..readlng act, troduced two most ingenious mental e rrect that has ever been oUered or ever been pre.. aerrred, each costing me from S1.00 up to $200.00 each. My la.st gimmicks. etrort w,," THE CHANDRA SYSTE}{, Which many are today over the HBtg Time." Arter year. ot study a.nd expeorimentlng I am oltering "The Chandra 20th Cen .. With the method, the buyer tury Reading," which I teel I can eay It I. positively the last word in Reading. The llmlt naa been reached. recieved 1. a writing pad. Brletly. the ettect la as tallow.: Envelopes and cards are passed around by the ushers or performer to aa ma.ny spectators that This writing pad measured dt'aire to ha.ve their queations anawered; each apeetator writes hi. Queatlon on the card and seale It In envelope: number Is 5! by 9 inches and was one on each envelope to Identity the writer, THESE SEALED QUESTIONS NEVER LEAVE POSSESSION OF THE WRITERS AND inch thick. The inside of the ARE SEEN BY NO OTHER PERSON. Pertormer tram the stage reads "ach question with absolute correctnesa and furnishes auj tpad contained a well with 3 able rl!ply While the performer I. slUln&, or sta.ndlng In tull View when giVing the sealed queattona and anawerln. lame. Detection battery cells and one Mazda la absolutely and positively impossible, yet all Questions are read In (jet,,11 by t he performer. NOTE! READ THIS! This I. l!!Itrlctly a ONE MAN PROPOSITION. No assistant. no contederate•. no Globe bulb. The well was coplant3, no one ahead. Any ordinary envelope can De used; no envelope or questton has to be added, stolen or read and returned. vered by a sheet of paper ceNo .substltutlon, no alcohol, no chemicals, no Impressions ot' any kind. no code. signa or sienals: member. ot the audience a.re almented over it and then 7 lowed to write their own Questlon•. seal them In envelopee and pla.ce In their own pocket.. yet they are read In detatl by permore sheets of paper were tormer on stal'e. 'wutte the fundamental principle te a email £NVISIBLE mechanical contrivance tha.t can never be seen white attached over all. pert'orming, It e nabtea to gh'e a pertormance wlthln one hour attE"r r ecelvj ng this outfit. The Invisible a.pparatus took two The light was very strong years to per-teet In evpry way. We claim It to be superior a.nd ot better conaeructton. better material and tlner finish than anyso that it penetrated the 7 thing of strnua r etteet that be had. Inetructlona, dtr ec tto na, suglifPstlons, are given with our outt'lts. not to be had with similar eUect, leavlnc nothln. to be wanted. or 8 sheets of white paper To Introduce them we are going to make the extremely low and also any sealed envelope price for the complete outtlt with aU necessary Instructions ready to give Immediate performance. Speetal LoW' Price, $7.tSO. Address to be placed over it! The pad looked most ordiJAMES S. HARTO nary and would arouse no sus707 South Capitol Ave. Jndianapolfs, Ind. picion. Gimmick No.2, was an ingenious method by which you could instantly tell the question in a person's mind. This gimmick was a sheet 8! by 14, that contained 99 numbered questions. These questions, according to Chandra, were culled from thousands of questions during his tour as a mindreader over a long period, and were supposed to cover all posibilities. Upon entering the theatre or the parlor, the spectator is given one of these sheets and told to please read it over and choose his question and to remember it only by its number, like question No. 43 which stands for, "Will I have any more children?" The above may sound cumbersome to the reader but bear in mind that out of hundreds of theatre attendees, only about 12 to 20 need be approached. After the spectator chose his question secretly by number, he or she was given a white card and envelope and told to just write down the number of the question on the card and seal it in the phenum~na. ev~ry
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TRANSPARENCY METHOD
cont.
DUNNINGER'S MYSTIC SERIES
ENVELOPE AND TO KEEP IT IN HIS POCKET AND TAKE IT HOME, etc. However, the mindreader says, "I am going to give you a number. Your number'is 1. When I call this number from the stage please acknowledge it so that I can answer your question." So saying themindreader takes the person's sealed envelope and places it over the pad·to write the No. 1 on the envelope, and at the same time, the mindreader sees the question number due to' the transparency caused by the secret light in the pad. So the mindreader makes a note in .his pad, after returning the sealed envelope to the person. The note would be, 1-4], meaning that the first spectator had chosen question no. 4]! This maneuver was repeated with as many spectators as had been given a sheet. _ . During the act, the mindreader could add fake .questions to the real questions and put on a fabulous show. He would simply asked, "Will person no. 1 stand up, please." When the person stood up, the mindreader looks at his pad and sees no. 4] next to number one so he gives the answer to question no. 4]. Amazingly enough, Chandra recommended the performer to commit the 99 questions to memory through mnemonics. So that he could answer the questions instantly. And since the art of mnemonics is a miracle in itself, other persons in the audience could be given sheets and just aSIDed to callout the number for their chosen questions and the Mind Marvel would answer them instantly. The good point about the Chandra system is that all you have to do is figure out what one or two digits the spectator wrote down instead of trying to understand his bad handwriting. This test done in the parlor of the psychic is even more miraculous, since you appear to be actually reading minds! Another good point was that the sitter is allowed to keep the question sheet with her and take it home. On her next visit she may say, "I have another question by the number!" Once 'the psychic knows the number, which he can get by any method, he can answer the question. Just imagine what you can do if you have developed the art of pencil reading. All you have to do is to read two digits! A fine point to add here -ts- -to have the person write down also of whom the question is about. For example: Question No. 48 reads, "Will _ _ get out of trouble?" The spectator should wri tel "48-- father" which means, "Will father get out of trouble? The list of 99 questions is attached for the benefit of the reader who may want to use the system. If the reader owns Nelson's "Mindreader's Billet Reader" gimmick, he can use that in place of the pad of paper .
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SELECTED SEALED MESSAGE READING TESTS
TRANSPARENCY METHODS •• CHANDRA 20TH CENTURY MESSAGE READING Questions by the number
l.Will a.Will
get well? rQcever? ~.IS i~lsable to h~ve operation? 4. 'Mlara is 5. How long~w~l~ll~- live? 6.Shall Sall property? 7.~all bUy proyerty? 8.Wl11 9ver oYn property? s.js n __11'aka a. deal (or sale)? 10.I1Yes ll 11.
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l2.Wl1l move? 13.How long wl11 11vu where at. 14.Will travel? }.5. \1111-;"0 to_---:_ le.~sre ~111
G~eud v~c~tior.?
17.Wher. will get position? La. Will be ~uoces8ful? 19.Is it advisable for to make So change? -20.Will be promoted? al.~ll-----pa~s examination? 22.~11-----patent or lnvetion be a success? 23.Will_ _be able to p~y debts? 24.Wl1l ever ba rich? 2S.Will------get (or keep) ~ppolntment? 26.wtll----eet money b~ck loaned? 27.Wh~t will stock sell ~t date? 28.Will----Eet ~vtdents from investment or stock? 29.Vill buslness improve? 30. Does love or care for me? 31.Will makQ up? 33.~11 conQ back? 33.~11
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livc with always? stop drinin~ (gambling) 36.Wl11~ot letter from ___ 37.Who wrot~ anonymo~s lette~. 38.~ve any anemies. 39.Will wish coue true? $-O.When .:- \1:111 roq.rry? 41.Wil1 marry again? ;1,2. Will__marry the one t;oing with? 43.Wi11 have any more children? 44. I s -----p r egna nt ? 45. fJill be happy? .. 46. WCo-wiTl get "cust ody of child? 47.Will future b~ better than past? 48.Wi11---zet cut of troublg? 49. Who will ~in 50. Will it rain'~(~da-t~e-)~?~ 51.Wh~t will the weather be 52.Who will De Qlected ---53.0utcome of fi~nt betwGGn ___ 54. Will we get Wlne ~nd beer? 55.Who Will wi~ basket ballfoot b3.11-basket ball?
5"7. 'lIlhere Vtill_find (ArtiCbJ 58. What (W&o) kll1~ ? S9 • ';Jh~t I & my fUtUl'S __ ---.--:....-? 60. (~er\" thiS cue io give:,:. It··-
mtans that the party &sklng question is not ~lncere. 61.~atls my occupation? 63.lB or an I mediamiStic? 63.Wlrr-caS9 be post~oned? 84.Will__~in 65.Will ~PDear in court as witne.es~
66.Who forged slgnature? 57.Did l~ve a will? 68.Wl11---Eet in&ura~ce? 69.S~11 keep insurance? 70. When will-': estate be set-tIed? 71.Will---1eceiv8 share of estate? 7a.Will~oin ar~y or navy: 73.Will be pardoned? 74.What will verdict be1 75. Ia---&Uilty? 76. Is 11ving? 77. Is well? 78.Who will live the longest or • 1~.Will=~~~h~ave good health in future? BO.Where wll1 m3ke home? Shall__buy propert)·? 82,When will leav.e the city? 53.Will be succes~ful tc go to _ 84.Will_---5et former position back? 85. Shall_-.Jiccept offer? S6.W111~4lary be increased? 87.Wi11 lase position? 88.Will---be successful (thiS) --- (nQxt)ye~r? 89.Is true to me? eo. Will lese position1 91.Does love or care for another? 9Z.Will aeparate? 93.Which one loves IlQ best? 9 4. Ca.~ I trust 95 • I sit tru e"""wh:-a-t---"i-S sai d about 96.1s marri~d? ----97. Wha.t 'Moll baby bu? 98.Who atole1 99.Is----property of any va.lue?
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The following ta"ole ';7111 designa.te "who" the indiVidual is that the question 1. Husband. 3.
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4. Brother. 5. SistQr. 6. ·,Mother.
asked &bcut. 7. Father. 8.
Son
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D. }'riend.
11. Relative 12. Niece or nephew.
Compiled, originated, an~ by Chandra.
present~d
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SELECTED SEALED MESSAGE READING· TESTS DUNNINGER'S MYSTIC SERIES
"~e *Peet.~t Swiicu: METHOD 5: Sitter is .requested to write a question and fold it up small. An envelope (letter envelope) is handed the victim and the request is made .to place the question in it. BUT-There is a quick move made here which is simplicity itself but convincing. Just as the sitter takes hold of the envelope, the medium pulls it back out of reach, in an unconcerned manner, and holds the envelope open for the folded message to be dropped into it. . The sitter believes the medium is helping"him out so he thinks no more about it but drops in the message (actually the medium usually takes the folded slip and places it into the envelope, AM). Medium carries the envelope to his lips to seal it but with an upward movement of the arm carries the envelope out of eyelinewith.sitter and in this moment he fingerpalms the genuine folded question. Beforehand a folded duplicate piece of paper is placed in the envelope and that is why the medium takes it away from.the sitter and helps .him out.as well, as it would be impossible for the medium to get at the question if the sitter took it in his own hands. _. Envelope is handed back to sitter who upon feeling the duplicate folded slip inside thinks that it is his question. Immediately a small piece of candleor.a spirit lamp is lit and the sitter is requested to burn the message. As the innocent envelope and the feke question burns, the medium sits with one hand over his eyes in deep thought - - or so thinks the sitter, but what really .is .happening is that the medium is rapidly opening the message he .has fingerpalmed from the envelopep under the very nose of the sitter and is looking downward reading the question on his lap! .Message is now pocketed and the answer given either verbally, seen in a crystal ball or written on a slate or ~ad. NOTE: The above effect is profound. A detailed modernized version of the above can be found in the AME release, "-No Man Within-" called gAt the Gates of Buddha.'
Here is a pellet switch that was done by the mediums many years ago and that is still practical today and definitely sound. A coin envelope is used. The envelope contains a tiny dummy pellet inside. The sitter is given a small piece of grough' paper size 2i by 3 inches to write his question on. He is then told to .fold the paper exactly in half, three times so that sitter ends up with a tiny pellet size 3/4 by. 1i inch. Psychic then takes the tiny pellet and openly places it into
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S~LECTED
SEALED MESSAGE READING TESTS
THE LICK SWITCH
cont .
12
DUNNINGER'S MYSTIC SERIES
the coin envelope as shown .in Fig .. 2. Part of the pellet sticks out. This is nat seen by the sitter. But the sitter can plainly see that the psychic's hands are empty. Now.as the psychic starts to seal the envelope, he wets the glue portion of the flap with his tongue and then picks .up the pellet at the same instant .• with.his tongue, and draws it into .his mouth. The whole action is covered by the envelope . The envelope is then sealed and given to thp sitter to burn, e t c . " Fig. 2 The move is very deceptive and is not suspect • Psychic then turns his back and walks to other side of the room, picks up a slate and reads the sitter's mind. The pellet is removed from the mouth as soon as the psychic.turns his back . Rouch paper works better than the smooth white scratch pad paper.
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METHOD 61 Somp- mediums claim they are pencil readers. By that is meant that they can watch the top of the sitter's pencil as he writes and they can get the gist of the message. Be that as it may, it requires long training to do this and I have yet to see a medium that can. In UNCANNY MASTER BILLET TESTS, a number of methods are given that can be adopted to sealed message reading. A popular method which requires some practice to execute properly is that in which the message is written and folded but is not placed into an envelope. Seer takes the message and holds it between his thumb and forefinger talking about the wond~rs of the psychic world and how it is possible to get into communication with those who have departed, etc. Under cover of this talk, medium gets from: his pocket a duplicate folded paper and fingerpalms it in his right hand. Left hand holds the original paper. Naturally he has instructed the sitter to fold the message in the same way the one reclining in his pocket is prepared. Gesturing a bit with his hand as he speaks, the medium accidentally (?) drops the folded message onto the table or to the floor, immediately regaining possession of it. But that fraction of a second between the dropping and the picking up is all he needs. Left hand meets right hand and the switch is made! The folded paper he now holds in his left hand is the feke one; genuine one is is right hand. Still continuing with his monologue on things psychic, he
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SELECTED SEALED MESSAGE READING TESTS THE MEDIUM'S SWITCH
cont.
DUNNINGER'S MYSTIC SERIES
secretly opens the real paper and reads the message and.memorizes its contents. It is then quickly refolded with the right hand and, growing dramatic in his speech the medium rizes and calls for the sitter's hankerchie£. Hankerchief is received in right hand (which also contains .the real folded message) and as the medium throws the hankerchief over his left hand he quickly adjusts it and under cover of this brazen move takes the feke message and substitutes the genuine one. This is rolled in the hankerchief and .if it is a male sitter, medium tucks it into his breast pocket and if a female he trusts it into her hand, sharply crying, "Hold it tightly. Concentrate on it! .I know you are thinking of etc., etc." And then comes the answering of the question.---. . Medium thrusts hand .into pocket and continues to nervously pace the floor as ..he .reels off the hokum the sitter is paying for. Of course the feke folded message is left in pocket. After answering one, two or three questions ~. whichever number the sitter has been allowed to ask .. the medium instructs the sitter to take the advice he has ~iven and that although he charges nothing for his psychic demonstration, his time is worth so many dollars! Victim pays him for his time and leaves promising to either come again for more advice or bring MrsL So and So for ~ .reading. .Some sitters are so enthralled by the eloquence of the medium when the medium can talk without a dialect or with "dems, dese and doses," that he or she forgets all about .the folded message still reclining in its resting place amid the folds of the hankerchief. . Picture the amazement! if it is a male client, .when he takes out his hankerchief and finds his original message .written in his own handwriting! Miracles! And.if he is of the talky type so often.met with among the gullible, he will be a walking advertisement for the medium.
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METHOD 7: .Sitter is . handed a card and informed that he will.be permitted to write two questions pertaining to business, personal matters or affa~rs of heart. . -. - - - - .Questions are written and medium, while writing is going on, lights a small alcohol lamp which stands on the table together with a number of small coin envelopes about 4 inches long by ) inches wide .. into which the small cards just fit. Questions are written on the card and numbered. "Are you finished with your writing?" politely asks the medium, "If so, kindly place it in my hand, writing side downward." . This is done and the obliging medium picks up one of the envelopes from the pile and slides the card into it. and 'sealing it, to aid the sitter. Immediately, with not a waste of a, fraction of a second, the
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SELECTED -SEALED, MESSAGE READING TESTS
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14
DUNNINGER'SMYSTIC SERIES
medium holds the envelope over the flame of the lamp and burns the envelope and card, dropping the still burning paper into a tray before the eyes of the sitter. No manipulation or switching •. To the sitter, it looks like a fair and .aboveboard proceedure . A few seconds of deep thought and concentration on the part of the med~um ... and then comes the answer to the two questions! TEARING ASIDE THE VEIL: .No .trickery posible, thinks the sitter, but the medium knows better and he also knows that unlimited nerve puts across this test with .colors flying and spirit hands playing. The front of the envelope is neatly cut away to within a quarter af an inch on all.four sides. (NOT~: This envelope has since become known as the WINDOW ENVELOPE, AM) . This envelope is turned face downward when the card is inserted by the medium, of course .... writing side downward. til . shall place the card into this envelope with the writing side down so it will be impossible, if I should stoop to that sort of..thing, to even glimpse what; you have written p " prevaricates the psychic master . The envelope is held over the flame of the lighted spirit lamp and by the time it starts to ignite, the contents of the card are memorized by the medium . Answers to the two questions .are now given. Care must be taken that the space between the sitter and the medium at the table is wide enough to avoid flashing the face of the envelope to the sitter. The window must be facing the medium. .Although this is .a nervy method, it is simple and an excellent one, and does away entirely with outside assistance.
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The above article dealing with the 'window envelope.' may be the first writings ever done for magicians concerning..i t ~ Dunninger collected all his notes for tiThe Mystic Series" in the early 1920'S when he was investigating mediums. By August of 192] he was ready to openly challenge the mediums through the Science and Invention magazine after being appointed together with Joseph Rinn as a·committee to-test-alJ: applicants for proof of psychic phenomena. Annemann, in The Jinx No.9, states that his first notes on the window envelope were jotted down on Jan. 12th, 1924. The window-envelope first appeared in nrint in a magic book in 1934 in.SuperPsychic Mental Effects by Howard AlbrigDt. Dunninger gives credit for its invention to the mediums. Today we no longer need a lot of nerve to put it off with a windowenvelope~ All we need is knowledge .of the technique. Annemann gave us the .'.flapless-window·-envelope-switch' which makes the working quite easy. Couple that with The Circean Vessels from The Tp.sseract and you have a miracle!
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n~ro THE AIR METHOD 81 ... . . Although not an effect to be used by mediums, entertainers who embody billet reading into their routines can use this stunt. The folded message or billet is taken into the .performer's left hand and haLd high in the air. Unknown to thewriter, the real billet has been switch for a pi~ce of flash paper, obtainable at any magical dealer's shop. . This flashpaper billet is held between.the fingers of the. left hand, while the usual talkee-talk goes on and while the real billet is opened with the right hand, read and refolded. Real billet is then placed in pocket and a match is taken from the same pocket. The lit match is touched to the flashpaper billet held in the left hand and the billet shoots up into the air in a flashy display! . Then.the question can be answered in any manner suitable to the entertainer. . .. A medium would not use a method.of this sort as it is too sensational, even for a moment. METHOD 91
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Several friends called at my apartment onp. night and unfolded a weird talp. about the wonders performp.d by a black medium in the village. I took a taxi and shot right over to sp.e this ebonyhup.d spirit mp.ssagp. rp.ader. Thp. mp.thod shp. employed was as barefaced as could bp. but a numbp.r of her sittp.rs wp.rp. impressed. Hp.re's what they thought she didl About 20 fp.et from thp. sittp.rs and bp.hind the medium, stood a small table upon which stood a fairly good size brass bowl in which burned some sort of chemical. Small cards and envelopes wp.re placed on this table by a small boy. Cards were passed out, one to each of us, by the medium who explained that she was the best known of the Wp.st Indian mediums. She had a qup.er kind of routine. She chatterp.d continuosly and kept the sitters interested and distracted. Aftp.r the questions were written shp. had one pp.rson slide the card into an envelope ._~hat she held. And turning hp.r back to us, as she sealed the envelopp., she walkp.d to the table and drop the envelope into the bowl of fire wherp. it was consumed completely. She would then answer the qup.stion, taking a few seconds to give the answer as near as she could, then while finishing the answer to one, would hold out another p.nvelope for another among the sitters to slide a card into. Thp.n back to the tablp. and into thp. bowl of fire wp.nt the sealp.d envp.lope. T~ METHOD: The envelopes shp. held firmly, were slitted from p.nd to end along the bottom. The frequent and mp.thodical trips to to thp. bowl of fire p.nabled her to slip out the card and memorize thp. contents and then replace the card and burn thp. p.nvelope!
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16 'SELBOTED SEALED MESSAGE READING TESTS
METHOD 10: Ever hp.ar of a mp.dium who could not speak? Most of them I came in contact with could do little else that was of interest .. and even their blah blah was monotonous . But in a small western town where men are men and women ought to know better, there lives a deaf-and-dumb spirit medium who specializes in what his advertising matter calls "Automatic Slate Writing With Divining Sense" !! . Out of curiosity and being in the immediate vicinity, I took a trip to sit at one of this mute's seances. He was born a mute but was a man of good education which could easily be seen by his handwriting on the large blackboard he wrote his instructions for his sitters and the writing he did on his slates ... but I am ahead of' my story . ~ntering the room, the first thing that caught my p.ye was a large blackboard built into the wall like the school boards we used to write on during golden school days . The medium entered and bowing gracefully walked to the blackboard and wrote, "Kindly write your questions, seal them and I will collect and place them into the large glass bowl that stands near my chair. Thank You." As the sitters wrote I looked them over. What a strange gathering. Not of the type usually seen in seance parlors . . . hail, hearty simple folk who I really believe came there to help this mute medium exist ... although a look around the room and walls brought to light neat substantial furniture and several well selected oil paintings, etc. The medium passed around with a basket into which were dropped the sealed messages. Walking to the larg p glass bowl, standing on a pedestal, he emptied the contents of the basket into the glass receptacle and tossed the basket to a charming young lady who made her entrance unobserved through a door on on~ side of the room. Stepping to the blackboard, the medium erased the writing and wrote: IKindly sing a hymn. I Several of the elderly ladies present started singing in c~acked sOQrano voices~. others joined in and this was kept up for some moments while the medium stood at the side of the blackboard, eraser in hand, deep in thought. . Again the erasing of the words and the medium wrote: 'None are so blind as those who will not see!' These words went the way of all chalk writing .. and also the words, 'I am unable to speak. So I will communicate to you folks the answArs I obtain from the shadow world by aid of automatic slate writing. I The young lady now brought out a small table upon which were piled a number of slates. The dainty miss took her place beside the medium who seated himself next to the table piled high with slates.
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SELECTED SEALED MESSAGE READING TESTS DUMB? YES AND NO!
.. cont.
17
DUNNINGER'SMYSTIC SERIES
Taking one of the slates, he wrote the initilas, "A. S." The young lady spoke, "As professor So and So writes the initials on the slate, whoever has those initials' will kindly raise his of her hand." . UF shot the hand of one of the ladies present. . Some byplay of concentration, writing and erasing of the chalk on the slate and slate was handed to young lady who held it up and then placed it on the ledge of the blackboard for all to see and where it remained in full view. A like routine was repeated until each sitter had a message. Here was a novel way of presenting message reading or mind reading by which the deaf-mute made a living. THE MODUS OPERANDI is simple. The basket was a changing piece of apparatus and when the messages that were carried off by the young lady were opened, the gist of the question with the initials were noted in slate pencil, one message in each slate. The pretended automatic writing was a ruse to erase the penciling on each slate. The writing was done with a sharpened bit of chalk .. and a most unique presentation was added to the established list of ·S~LECTED SEALED MESSAGE READING TESTS. " ( FINIS ) -NOTE. A good question is, "Which of these Selected Sealed Message reading Methods do you recommend?" £ach method has its merits and the correct one to use depends on the personality of the Mentalist and the circumstances surrounding the place of presentation. . For the close up need like table. work, The Window Envelope Method is hard to beat, since the performer gets. the contents quickly and directly. For Stage work, the clipboard method is the best, since the perfromer can get to the questions before the show and prepare Sensational Answers. . For the drawing room or platform and dining room show g when the performer can not get the questions ahead of time, the performer must get a method that he cando 'cold,'thatis as soon as he comes in. If you have an assistant, your work is then an easy matter but assuming that you work alone, you must use a method by which you can get the questions directly and easily. The Chandra 20th Century Message Reading would work well. Any transparency method is good, since it delivers the contents of the message directly. You may have a light hidden in a paper pad like in the Chandra Method, or in a book or stack of envelopes.
