THE GORDIAN KNOT UNLOOSED.
A cabinet is brought upon the stage, with three solid sides and a front
door. It is perfectly empty, save for an upright post in the
centre, secured to the sides of the cabinet by a
series of parallel horizontal bars, the whole fastened firmly by strong
bolts. One of the audience is allowed to inspect the cabinet and post,
and pronounces it devoid of trickery.
The performer's assistant is asked to step into the box, where he is
tied to the centre post, the cord being knotted by one of the audience,
and sealed with a seal borrowed from among them. The door is closed and
locked, when suddenly magic hands are seen waving out of an air-hole in
the door, and presently the assistant's coat is flung out of the same
aperture. The door is instantly unlocked and flung open, when the man
is discovered tied to the post as before, with the knots still tied and
the seals untampered with, but in his shirt-sleeves.
Explanation.—The cabinet is perfectly free from secret
machinery; but not so the post. To all appearance and ordinary tests,
it is a solid piece of wood, solidly attached to its place. But, in
reality, a deception lies in it. A, the npright post; A 2, lower position of post,
which drops ont of the socket in crossbar C, on the pressure of the
central screw-head, and leaves the open space D; BB, the sides of the
cabinet; 0 0, crossbars.
The crossbars and post are very thick, to give an idea of excessive strength to the structure; and so with the screw-bolts.
Operation.—The man being tied to the post at the point
D, the release of the bolt, which lets the post drop, is sufficient to
set him free. He then slips out of bondage and performs the feats
agreed upon, returning to the first position. His release is effected
either by his own pressure on the deceptive bolthead—easily done,
since he ostentatiously has his hands tied behind him— or by the
spring being acted on by the closing of the door. He signals with his
foot to the performer on the stage in case he is not ready for the
opening of the door, so that the latter may keep talking to the
audience and give him time.
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