Ladies and Gentlemen: One of the superstitions of the Middle Ages made
it credible that if a person hating another bought of a regular magician
an enchanted doll, resembling that object of enmity, any treatment of
the representative, say, the insertion of pins into its wax, the
twisting of its limbs, and so on, would be felt by the living being.
This was acting upon a person through his likeness.
On this principle I—Signor Hanchio Panchio, at your service—have
succeeded in opening locks without going near them with the key.
I have a facsimile of my front door lock in my own study, and on hearing
a knock I merely turn a key in the duplicate lock, when the door flies
open so mysteriously that the visitor believes the agent an electric
medium of mine.
I am going to perform this most curious experiment before the present
company, by aid of the massive padlock which I take out of its box.
There never was a more simple padlock. I shall lock it here under your
eyes, and yet engage to open it without turning the key.
It is now locked, and any gentleman may test its security. I can even
hang it on my wand by the ring to prove it, and in that way my friend by
my side can hold it for a moment whilst I make a drawing of it on a
sheet of innocent white paper.
[Illustration: OPEN.
Fig. 60.]
[Illustration: CLOSED.
Fig. 61.]
Once more let me show that the fastening holds firm. All are satisfied.
I will now apply the key to the hole in the drawing, and turn it
once—twice—and cry:—
“Open, Sesame!”
The padlock is open!
For your kindness in assisting me, sir, you may retain the drawing. You
have watched me so closely that I see you have imbibed the art, and
henceforth all the doors of society are open to you.
We borrow from _The Magician’s Own Book_ the illustration of a magic
padlock. In the present case, the instrument contains a powerful spring
which forces the key-bolt back out of the socket of the pin, and is set
in action by pressure on one of the nail heads adorning the plate. This
is done when the second testing of the lock is made. You keep up the
chatter as long as the time required for the spring to work.