Maskelyne and Cook's Wonders.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3294, 12 July 1879, Page 2

Maskelyne and Cook's Wonders.

In addition to the wonderful feats of Mr Maskelyne's Pets, Psycho, the atomaton whist-player and arithmetician, Zoe, the artist, and the musical wax figures who perform on the cornet excellent duets, some singularly clever plate-spinning, and the thrilling illusion of cutting off a man's head, he has just produced an amusing illusory sketch, which introduces in a picturesque manner a number of spiritualistic tricks. Not the least remarkable effect is that produced by the complete transformation of the stage (live minutes before nothing but bare boards supporting a few stage properties) into the cave of "Zach, the magician," w.ho is discovered crooning over a blazing cauldron and holding converse : with a pet snake—a marvellous piece of mechanism, the convolutions of which kept time to the magic tones of Zach's flute. After a time Mr Cook, the hero of the previous scene, quietly walks on the stage with his head under his arm, to the terror of a neighbouring squire and his Irish servant, who are seeking the supernatural aid of Zach. A series of remarkable feats are then presented. The severed head discourses, an automatic parrot talks, the snake hisses, the Irishman's outstretched arm is mesmerically arrested and stiffened the squire's walking-stick about the stage in a sort of waltz with a ponderous table, and finally Zach is suspended in mid-air. As a heavy thunderstorm is supposed to be raging, the full moon with a man's face and rolling, eyes must be taken to be one of the magician's state properties; but at any rate the hall is never during the entertainment enshrouded in darkness.—London Paper.