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Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1920, Page 1

VANISHING TRICKSTER. BERLIN, Oct. 3. Tlie .Kopenick' exploit lias found ail imitator in Richard Donnerhack, conjurer, who was sentenced yesterday to 3 years’’ imprisonment by the southern district court. Donnerhack proved that there is no change in tlie gullibility of the German public and officials when it comes to a uniform. He began by travelling from town to town as a German officer who had been interned in India. When lie liad raised considerable loans from patriotic and kindly persons lie would disappear. Having worn this threadbare, he tie-, scended upon Dortmund as agent of the German. Government. But the military made inquiries at Berlin and locked, him up in an upper room in his hotel, and when be attempted, as usual, to disappear, by tying the sheets together, lie was seen by his guards when still some distance from the ground. The guards unhitched the top sheet and. Donnerhack fell the rest of the way,; breaking an arm and a leg. During his convalescence he gave impromptu conjuring entertainments. In the approved manner he borrowed the doctor’s gold watch for the disappearing trick, in which both he and the gold watch disappeared. Subsequently he was found to have set up in Berlin as a “marriage swind-, ler.” He would tell his fiancee that lie had been ordered on a journey, and borrow money. He would then disappear. On a recent occasion he did not disappear quickly enough, and that is why, now he is to disappear for a longer time.