A GREAT CONJUROR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 260, 22 July 1918, Page 6

A GREAT CONJUROR

MALINI'S FAREWELL VISIT.

Mr. Malini, one of tho most famous of coniurors, opened a farewell Wellington season ill tlie Concert Chamber of tliu Town Hall on Saturday night. In spite of the inclemency of tho weather many Wellington people ventured out lo see this modern wizard. Mr. Malini uses no elaborate mechanical appliances, and does not attempt to produce any spectacular effects. He does not even discover rabbits und flowers 111 liiits, though 110 member of the audience will doubt his ability >o do a comparatively simple thing like that if lie chose fo do so. His feats are as simple as they are mystifying. For example, Mr. Malini allows himself to be securely blindfolded, and then invites some person in the audienco to glance at u card in a pack held in tho conjuror's hand. Tho person so invited simply breaks the pack fit any point he pleases, glances at tho card that appears, and leaves it in the pack. When eight or ten persons have selected n card in this fashion Mr. Malini, still blindf'clded. will scatter the pack on a table and produce tho selected cards one at a time, in thoir proper order, on tho end of a pockct-knifo which he digs apparently at random into tho litter of pasteboard. Tho thing would seem to be obviously impossible, but Mr. Malini did undoubtedly do it. Then Mr. Malini borrows a banknote, causes it to disappear mysteriously, and reveals it embedded in the apparently virgin interior of an ogg that is cracked in full view of the audience. The note is convincingly damp. The conjuror does many other wonderful things, and proves very thoroughly that his hands are much quicker than tho collective eye of the most attentive audienco. Incident ally 110 tells some aimis ng stories, and relates a few incidents from a career that has taken him into most parts of (he world. Mr. Malini is supported by a trio of capa'blo musicians. Miss E'tie Field (soprano), Mrs. A. M. Montague (pianist), and Mr. F. R. Johnstone ('cellist). Miss Field sang "Sognai" (Sclrra). "Sing, Joyous Bird" (Philips), and "Good Bye" (Tosti), as well ns recall numbers. Mrs. Montague, who p.rovidrcl tills accompaniments, played "Deuxieim Mnzurk" (Godard), and "Valse" Mr. .Toliustone contributed "Meditation," "Le Cygne" (Saint-Saens), and "Gavotte" (Popper). Mr. Malini will appear nightly during the week.