Make a puppet with its arms inflexible at the elbow; put on a
ball-and-socket joint at the shoulder; the arms are bent as shown in the
illustration.
At the points G H and L M on the bar are tubes, covering it; with the
joins hidden by mock garlands of flowers; the tube can, however, enter
the two supports. To this tube the figure is fastened by the forearms.
[Illustration: Fig. 157.]
An assistant of Mr. Panky is concealed on the side C, where he turns the
crank R, to make the figure execute a quarter turn to the left. The
automaton now moves, from having his arms parallel with the horizon;
rises gradually until his arms are placed vertically and parallel to the
rest of his body.
If another quarter turn be made in the same direction, the upper arms
then lean towards the spectator, and necessarily drag the body after
them. The limbs offer no resistance, as they are jointed at the hip and
knee.
The confederate, being on the watch, can take advantage of the moment
when one leg passes before the other to let the mannikin drop astride
the bar. Then he makes him swing, and finally execute a somersault; all
to the movements of a piece of music.
As a finish, a jerk is given to a wire, and the figure is detached and
falls to the floor. It will be believed thereby that mechanism made it
grasp the bar, perform, and detach itself.
As the tube wraps the bar in all places except where the figure is
attached, and hides all the turnings of the bar, no complicity is ever
suspected.
[Illustration]