A SKILLED MAGICIAN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2726, 22 March 1916, Page 2

A SKILLED MAGICIAN

Professor Neckelsonn, tlie French magician now appearing at His Majesty's 'theatre, has a remarkable personality. He is of the healthy, robust type of Frenchman which is now performing wonders in the, battle-line, and has the polished manner and address of a cultured Parisian, He was born at Reims, in France, and served with the army for two years until at Verdun he met with a bad accident to one of his legSj and a troublesome knee kept him in a hospital for six months, and ended his career with the army. He is one of a family of eight boys, of whom six are now fighting for France, one having recently been shot through the neck, and ho is immensely proud of the French Army's achievements against their arch enemy. v With great passion ho said yesterday: "If not for my knee, I would go fight—give my life—oh, yes, willingly!" . He does not speak English faultlessly, and. therefore dispenses with all speech during his act, but in France or Spain, or Portugal, bo is able to "patter" freely, and gives an all-night entertainment by himself. In 1913 he was in Paris, ■ and there gave many entertainments, and after a performance in tho Salon Quai d'Orsay, the most exclusive drawingroom in tho Chamber of Deputies, he was presented with a handsome bronze medallion by President Lalande. Afterwards ho set put on a tour of the world, visiting Belgium. Itajy, Bf,ain, Portugal, America, South Africa, India, Burma, China, Japan, and Australia (where he appeared under the manage, ment.of Mr. Hugh J. M'lntosh). He has a gold-mounted malacca cane, presented to him- by the Emperor' of Java, and many interesting souvenirs from the various countries he has visited.