Al Mann - The Keys to Khalda - The Egyptian Mystic

WE .AME

. MAJOR ARCANA

SERIES

)If 'Jrlann 'Ttl. 304-947-7730

P.o. 'Ba>;" 155 great CllCiIfOu, 'WI! 25422

t'Jn,e C~~f't'e'a.(/(,

11tf/4t,· c

1

POST OFFICE BOX 155. GRT. CACAPON, w. VA. ~5422

"7~e ~~A t~ ~~a.ed'a CtJPYRIGHr BY AL MANN EXCLUSIVES (1988)

WONDEDSTt\AT

THE AME MAJOR ARCANA SERIES

VI

YOU· GASP .. ThtlJ are Onlr.j Tr1C.ks: After All", -

SayS' Khaldah. th~· ~yp£a.in. Who Shows-Just How. Som~·.Things thcit.. have: Puzzled)Ou - - are ·Really Done.

From the NEW YORK SUNDAY

WORLD,

OCT. 28, 1906 ,

"I have an Egyptian Mentalist called Khalda, whom 1 consider as good as Bishop, if not better!" said Major Pond to psychic investigator Joseph Rinn in 1898 in NYC. "Khalda has a charming personality. He is a cultured Egyptian and claims that in Cairo, where he was born, he holds the rank of Effendi (member of aristocracy). He speaks perfect English, has a glib tongue and is well posted in the my~tical philosophy of the East. 1I

"Mindreading and spiritualism is buncombe!" confessed Khalda. "Any-one who claims to have supernatural powers is a crook!" "1 am amazed how people can be fooled by such simple means." Khalda made these confessions in an expose in the New York World in 190~ but in 1925 we find him working for Hereward Carrington and posing as a genuine telepathist!

f/j/nt/ff

2

THE KEYS TO KHALDA AN AL MANN EXCLUSIVE

Let's go behind the scenes and take a close look at this amazing Egyptian. Khalda had his schooling in the show-business side of metaphysics in his nktive land. By the time he came over to the States he had an impressive line of patter about the mysteries of the East and a nice bag of most clever tricks, most of which were far in advance to anything found around the occult circles in the New York City area. And most important of all was his ability of how and where to sell his metaphysical wares. According to Annemann, Khalda was primarilly an Assyrian rug merchant. \

Once he started his stateside career as a Mentalist, he waS noticed by Major Pond, the same theatrical agent who had booked Washington Irving Bishop, the stage Mentalist. Major Pond was an experienced agent for the occult and told Joseph Rinn abbut Khalda. Rinn was a well known psychic investigator, friend of Houdini and acquainted with all the fine ladies of high society who were ready to pay big bucks for demonstrations of such phenomena. Khalda's fee was $1000 per show!

I Khalda received much publicity and made famous many tricks which

immediately found their way into magic stores and dealers catalogues, usually with the wrong solution since no one from the magic circles ever saw Khalda perform except for a few top names like Rinn. The picture on page one shows Khalda exposing the manner in which the numbkr five is signaled to a confederate as the magician holds a dollar bill in his hands.

Magicians became aware of Khalda's amazing collection of tricks when he exposed his own methods in two full page articles in the Sunday magazine of the New York World for Feb. 4th and Oct. 28th, 1906. But Khalda not only deceived the reading public in his expose but also deckived the magicians who tried in vain to duplicate his feats but could not, since Khalda gave the wrong solutions!

The psychic's ability to tell a stranger his first name makes a profound impression on the lay mind. In a recent show (4/23/88) in Great Cacapon, West Virginia, this writer'was surprised by the excessive applause accorded such a demonstration. II - - I get the initials J.R.M. To whom does those initials belong? Please acknowledge. Thank yoh.' the lady in the third row. Please concentrate on your fir~t name - - ~our name is Joan? No! Wait! \ It is Joanne! Correct?" Applause! Applause! This con-tinued throughout the show.

This only confirms the fact that the appeal of the Mentalist revolves around the personal angle employed. In the above case, the members of the audience knew each other and the mentIon of the already known name by the psychic who was a stranger created the amazement.

There are a good half-dozen methods for presenting this effect. !

1. By advanced information about the visiting client. 2. By an impression mbthod wherby the client writes down the information

l in the lobby before en

tering the psychi'c inner sanctum, or after entering by way of a billet test etc. 3. By the use of the swami gimmick. 4. By contact mindreading. 5. By genhine'psychism assuming the psychic is'truly psychic. 6. By using khal~a's method. I I

I

Khalda thrilled the society ladies by telling each and everyone of them their first name! without missing any! In his expose, Khalda told

THE KEYS TO KHALDA

3

AN AL MANN EXCLUSIVE

told the public that it was a simple trick. He simply asked the ladies for the first letter of their names and then told them to tap his forehead once for each letter of their names with their fingertips. Khalda then explained that he dimply counted the taps which made it easy to tell l the name. After reading the newspaper solution to the trick, the magic dealers ran tb their typrewriters and put the effect on the market selling for one dollar. Magicians and Mentalists ran with dollar in hand to buy the secret. Then th~y tried it only to discover that they would fail more often than not. \ It was simply a guessing game at best. The trick was discarded but the secret ~an still be found in books on Mentalism~

But how did Khalda do it? He never missed! To the star-billed enter~ainers there are always uncanny ways and means.

\

For centuries paychics have reveled in their claim and presentation of this one feat. The late

• Bob Nelson thought so highly of this test that he put out a special release of it as shown in Fig. 1 from his catalogue.

Fig. 1

NILSON ENTERPRISES, COLUMBUS, o H , 0

YOUR NAME IS

HELfN!

121 THE CLAIRVOYANT'S MASTER TOUCH* You have read many times the sensational advertisements of the professional clair

voyant who claims to be able to call your name when you first enter his office, or your money refunded I The very thought of it has baffled you. Logic says it CAN'T.BE DONE, but Nelson \las devised 1\ crafty and subtle method of provine it CAN BE DONE. accomplished, of course by trickery. '.'

The technique that Khalda used was that he only entertained for small groups of about 20 or so top name celebrities. His agent, Major Pond assisted Khalda by getting a list of the invitees from' the gracious hostage. These lists were readily available and even the ushers and waiters had them since no one else was allowed in, not even the press. It was then a simple matter for Khalda to study the list and memorize the difficult names. By knowing the first letter and the number of letters in the name the solutibn was easy. If two names were similar like Mary and Mara, then a bit of pumping was used.

The hostess' secretary took notes and then turned them over to the press. As you may guess, the secretary only wrote what she saw and what she saw were miracles! which added to Khalda' s mysteries and furthered his demand,.

(!t7U.CdCt '1:1t,nd~etJ.d,,·a9-Beyond a doubt, Khalda was one of the very best if not the best

of the muscle readers. He performed feats of muscle reading that few if any could duplicate. Khatda was credited with great ability and could ferret out any thought frok the mind of the spectator through muscle reading! If Khalda failed in his f pencil-reading, • he resorted to muscle reading. If he was


challenged to tell someone's first name without revealing the first letter or counting the letters in the name, Khalda could tell the first name or the whole name by using muscle reading.

THE CELEBRITY TRICK Khalda's greatest display of talent using mus-cle reading, besides the usual demonstrations of finding hidden objects, came when he would draw the face of any person the spectator may be thinking ofl That is a most difficult test. Rinn tells us that Khalda sometimes

i • had to draw several faces and then choose one by muscle reading the thought from the mind of the subject.

Keeping in mind what Khalda always said and that is that he always used the simplest of methods and was puzzled why anyone should be fooled by that, and noticing what Rinn said above, we can very well surmise the modus operandi. Unknown to Rinn and the rest of the party, Khalda would engage one VIP in conversation and offered to do a test with him. He would show the VIP several photos of famous personalities and ask him to

l choose one mentally

and not to tell anyone his choice. He would read his mind during the show to amaze the lovely ladies. So auring the show Khalda would ask the VIP to concentrate on the personality and then by muscle reading try to get the gist of it. He would ask the VIP to first think of the person's hairdo. And then to think of his chin or whiskers, etc. This is a difficult test that may prove hard with some subjects. So if khalda had trouble with the one subject, he simply drew all of the drawings of all the celebrities that the VIP had seen. He had to be thinking of one of them, so Khalda got that one thought by muscle reading which is easy to do.

Another easy method is simply to write down the names of the celebrities and then get the one the subject is thinking of by muscle reading and then draw the picture! Khalda reached a high peak of admiration for this

4

one effect. The trick became very popular and was called 'The Celebrity Trick.' MagicIans had the easiest solution of all, they simply forced the name I

of the celebrity!.

Many variations of this great effect surfaced. A unique method called "The Pha~tom Artist" by Percy Naldrett can be found in the 1937 summer extra of the Jinx. The drawings in Fig. 2 from the Jinx,

I

show William Jennings Bryan, Washington and Lincoln. A good dozen drawings should be used for good measure.

Here is a test that you can do anywhere impromptu. You can use celebrities, or ESP symbols. For now let's use the five ESP symbols - • Borrow a tablet and a

l

crayon or an ink marker. On th~ ninth sheet down on the tablet draw the five ESP symbols in any way' you wish, in the shape of a cross or in a large circle.

For the show draw the star on the first sheet sight unseen and fold the sheet in half and place it on a table, Fig. 2-A. ,

THE KEYS TO KHALDA

THE NOETIC CHAIN cont.

Fig. 2-A represents a table with s~me folded tablet sheets. The test is one of design duplication.

You'have drawn secretly a star on the top sheet of the tablet and torn the sheet off and folded it in half and placed it on the right side of

I


Fig. 2-A i

the table as shown. The table should be directly behind you. PLEASE NOTE that the folded shket with the star is laid on the table so that the loose ends are to the right and the folded edge is to the left.

You inform the audience that you have drawn one of the ESP designs on the paper. You then ask one of the spectators to callout one of the ESP designs. ' You may have to show your audience what the designs are by the use

• of giant cards but since this is an impromptu test you just show the the ninth sheet. If the spectator chooses the star, you go no further and pro-claim' a victory. But whatever he says, you say, "Great! Super! I am amazed!"

If the s tin is not named you give the person one sheet to draw his design which you see as you show it to the rest of the audience and then return the paper to the spectator. "Let's try it again!" You say and then you draw a second design, but actually you draw the design just chosen by the first spectator. This sheet is folded in half and then placed on the table to the left of 'the firs t one BUT NOTE tha t the loose edges are to the left and the folded edge is to the right, just the opposite of the first paper.

You are now one ahead (or is it one behind?). A second person ~s now asked to choose a design. And this person is also given a sheet to draw his design on. If he draws a star, you stop there, pick up the papers off the table twis't the wrist and show what you draw long before the choices were made! ~t the star is not chosen you proceed in like manner and ask another person to choose design etc. until the star is chosen. However on the fourth try you must force the s~ar. This you do by telling a person to circle a design on the ninth sheet. H~ has only two designs left to choose

5

from and chances are he will choose the star. If not then you must do a fifth test saying to that person "Please draw the star as that is the only design left."

For the climax you turn around and scoop up the folded papers on the table . using both hands and sweeping all the papers to the center of the table making sure that the 'star' paper on the right is tucked under the rest of the papers. That move is made easy by the way the papers were folded and placed. You then' show the papers one at a time from top to bottom and they all match~

I have used the five ESP symbols for the details above but ac~ually words from a book can be chosen and the fifth word is forced. Try it in yo~r next impromptu splurge. ' ,

In the Editrivia of Jinx No. 59, . Annemann refers to Khalda a~ the peer of pencil readers. But we have no evidence that Khalda was better that other pencil readers. He always inisited that he performed his miracles by the simplest methods. We do know that Khalda was an expert at misdirecting the mind of his readers' by mis-statements and double

THE KEYS TO KHALDA AN AL MANN EXCLUSIVE 6

AS THE QUILL MOVES cont, I" 1

talk both in the printed word and in his patter~ In his 1906 expose he stated that he could tell what a person was thinking by watching the person write down his thoughts and noticing the movements of the pencil. He claimed that he would ask a person to write down a two-digit (or three) number and then to write down another two or three digit number and then to add both numbers. Khalda could then tell the total, he claimed, by watching the pencil. His readers marveled at this ability. Many assumed that he performed many miracles by simply knowing what a person was'writing. The magians who believed what they read in the papers gave Khalda great credit!' In actual practice, Khalda performed the number test in the same manner as other Mentalists. He would ask a person to write down a 3-digit number, to reverse it and to subtract the smaller from the larger. Unknow to the writer, this resulted in a 3-digit number that had a nine in the center and with the two end digits being compliments of nine! viz., 825 minus 528 , \

equals 297. The secret was to pencil-read one of the end numbers to arrive as the total!' Khalda could no doubt read any digit, but why make things difficult?

There is no need to tell a person to add numbers unless the above short and easy method is to be employed. To the lay public, it made no difference if asked to add or to subtract numbers, or to write words. To them it was a miracle!

The AME files and releases are repleat with methods for simplifying the art of pencil readingt These methods incorporate coded messages or phrases f)f long and short words; the time element as the person thinks of a long or short word or paragraph or design; anagrams by which an entire paragraph or chapter is known when the first word is ascertained. Other ruses include giving the writer a broad ink marker to write with and' telling a right handed person to write with his left hand.

I

''lite Sf"-rt,t.:t f!Jer;:ze,'t.--(following items include~d for the record)

Effect: For a test, the medium gives the sitter a pencil and paper and a list of spirits. The sitter is asked to read the list of spirits and to mentally choose one ahd memorize it.

I The lights are then extinguished throwing the seance room into total darkness. The sitter is then asked to write down the name of the spirit. While the room1continues in total darkness, the medium tells the sitter the nalne of the spirit!! Weird? Muchly! and devastating to the lay mind.

\

METHOD: The erasor on the pencil has been coated with luminous paint! and exposed to light before the blackout. The medium can tell the name written by watching the movements of the pencil'by its glow, and notice whether the name written is long or short or made up of more than one word.

The list given to the sitter may be as follow~:

1. Poe A short word. 2'.

\ Roosevelt A long word.

3'. \

George Washington Two long words. 4\. William Jennings Bryan Three words. ' 5'. Babe Ruth Two short w~rds. 6'. Dr. Frankenstein One short and ohe long word. i. I \ Dwight D. Eisenhower Long, short, long.

\ I I

7

THE KEYS TO KHALDA AN AL MANN EXCLISVE

The above list is only an example. The reader may have a better list I

with his own pet names. In presenting th~ effect (in the dark) the medium must guide the sitter

by telling him/her to write down first one name if there is more than one name, etc. Then the second name.

, Please note that so~e of the words have t's and i's which will also help in the solution. Needless to say the reader who wants to present this test

I must practice with the luminous pencil. The glow of the pencil will always be in sight so the medium must only notic~ when the pencil is in motion and for how long. ,

METHOD TWO: The effect in the darkened seance room can also be made by the use of 'sound' reading. The sitter is given a large slate and a piece of , chalk (or a large paper pad and an ink marker) to write with. The medium can easily tell by the writing noice if the name written is short' or long. ,

METHOD THREE: SOUND AND TOUCH READING. Hold a slate or large paper pad and have the sitter write the name of the spirit on it. You will have the advantage of both hearing the sound made by the chalk or ink writer and feeling by touch the vibrations of the writing. ,

~ae ~fee~e5:ret~I~: ~hi:-effect could be, "Pseudo-Pencil Reading," since the performer does not read the pencil but just pretends to.

I

EFFECT: The VIP is given one choice of many words and then is told to write down the word by printing it on a piece of paper, He is told that he may print as fast as he wishes. The lightning Marvel also writes, as he watches the VIP writing, one letter at' a time on separate cards, one letter to each card. ,

The letter cards are then compared to the word the VIP wrote and the two words match.

i

Method: The VIP is shown a card that contains many words (14 or more) and is told to mentally choose one and to memorize the spelling. The following list is used (or one similar to it). Please note that most of ~he words can be spelled with the same letters, namely A-E-P-R-S.

I

WORD

Apers Apres Asper

Pares Parse

Pears Peras Presa

Rapes Reaps Resap

(Fr. ) ,

(Sp.) ,

(It. ) I

MEANING

Wild boars. t

After, Afterwards. Harsh, bitter, st~rn. Also a silver coin used in the Eastern Mediterranean. Pairs. To exkmine minutely, as to describe a word grammatically. A fruit. Plural of' pear.

• I I

,

Span1sh for pears. Seissure. (Sp.) ~ press like a printing

I I press. Brute'love. (pl.) Cuts with k sickle, gathers.

t A repeat sap.

I"~.. -'l!II---••• I!II!!!!!!I!!!!!!I!!!!!!!II ________ ---__

THE KEYS TO KHALDA

Serpa

Spare Spear

(Sp.) I


A long twig from a plant planted in the ground without separating it from the mother plant.

I An extra part, held in reserve. I A weapon.

i

The reader can no doubt find more words to add to the above from the Latin or the reader's favorite foreign language. Also some long words can be added like reap-snoring. I

8

\ The fact that all of the above words spell with the same letters will give the solution to the mystery. After all the letters are printed on cards and thrown on the table, these ate picked up in a bunch and given to another spectator who is told to place the letters on a display stand as the VIP spells his chosen word!

The above method can also be used as a mindreading test instead of speed-pencil-reading. For the mindreading stunt the Mentalist can mix with the above set of wor~s, a second anagrammatic set of words that spell with the same letters but different from the above. The VIP then receives an impressive long list of words from which to choose ohe. A little pumping will reveal to the Mentalist which set of words are being hsed. ,

6~ ~'~~~i~:e~~7~~f:d:-:'S the peer of mindreaders! He excelled as a contact mind reader and was tops as a billet-worker. But his most uncanny talent was his art of direct-mindreadingl He could read ' the minds of the spectators without anything being written! Here l follows an eye witness account of one of his many demonstrations on direct mindreading:

A celebrity in his audience asks Khalda if he can tell him what he is thinking at any given moment! That gentlemen is one ticklish challenge which many present day Mentalists must weasel out of. But not Khalda. This was his greatest moment! Whenever a celebrity challenged him in such a mahner Khalda would plow into him with gusto. Khalda would approach the VIP and take his hands into his own. (Keep in mind that holding the VIP's hands is in itself a form of muscle re~ding. The performer can tell if he is on the right track!) "If you can concentrate your thoughts in some unusual event that happened during your lifetime not necessarily connected with you, I will surely tell you what that is," stated Khalda. Khalda would then proceed to 'channel' the VIP's thought~ and actually plknt thoughts in his mind in order to reveal those same thoughts afterwards! Please note that Khalda has already narrowed the VIP's thoughts by channeling him to an unusual event in his life, taking the VIP's mind away from anything else that he may want to think of at random.

Here we have an object lesson, one that has long been forgott~n and seldom seen in our electronic age.

Khalda's eyes had a hypnotic effect on his subjects. He would fix his hypnotic eyes on the VIP's eye intently to control his gl~nce and thoughts.

I Fixing the attention of the VIP on the eyes of the performer is one of the most essential and vital rules for the channeling of thoughts! It is the one vital ingredient that is needed when presenting tests like Quin Taces and Tr-id-ell i

"A problem of great concern in your mind," continued Khalda as he stared at the VIP, "has been connected with a political assasiantion! Correct? "Yes, but how -1" (Khalda has now narrowed the VIP's thought to a political assasination of which there are not many in recent history.) "You were very much con-

I

THE KEYS TO KHALDA 9


cerned with the mystery of the assasination of President Lincoln! Correct?" ------ "How on earth could you know that???"

Before the show, Khalda had been informed about a heated argument that the VIP had with another celebrity about the assasination of Lincoln. He got this information through the waiters and ushers who heard the conversktions. Major Pond also collected pieces of conversations or whatever and passed thefu on to Khalda. After that it was only a matter of riviving the thoughts in the mind , of the VIP! His audiences were always baffled. The VIP had to admit that Khalda had indeed told him what he was thinking' at any given moment! without being aware that Khalda had only jogged his memory.

Khalda did the same test with more than one c~lebrity that he had singled out according to the information he had. Please bear in mind that only one of these baffling demonstrations per show is needed. With other celebrities if challenged, Khalda simply resorted to contact mihdreading or a billet test. Again let me state that to the lay audience, a billet test carries the same impact as direct-mindreading.

The art of channeling thoughts is very old. Mindreaders of the past who could neither read or write developed the art to an exact science. Present day Mentalists who have many hours of exposure before audiences develope this art as a matter of course and by the weight of opportunity. A magician channels the

• I, spectator s mind when he asks him/her to choose a word from a book. The specta-tor is not free to think his own thoughts but must choose one word' from the one book. The choice of words 'is further limi ted when the book is a I force I book! But ~he well seasoned Mentalist can do the same thing without the book. Mind channeling is a high art and worth mastering.

The prime requisite for a billet worker is the ability to execute an undetected and unsuspected billet switch. The prime requisite for a billet switch is that it be done in a confortable kanner and using the easiest means available. Each billet worker will eventually develope and master his' own pet switch so ' that the end result, after much practice and trial and error and exposure before audiences, is a billet'switch that is done automatically by rote actions snd mostly unmindful while the operator's mind is occupied with the business of a good impressive presentation. What billet switch each Mentalist'adopts depends on his physical and mental aptitude, the size of his hands, the formation of his fingers and his psychological relation with the covert act. ,

Khalda used a unique billet switch all his own. This switch was so unique and exclusive that little mention is seen of it in print. None of the books on

I billet switching mention it. Khalda used a piece of paper 1-1/2 by 4 inches which he tore off the edge ~f a newspaper or any paper of high rag content sq: that the paper made little noise when handling it. This size paper was just large enough for the spectator to write one quest~on on it.

After the question was written, Khalda instructed the writer to 'roll up' the paper tightly like rolling a cigarette. This rolled-up billet accomplished several desireble goals. Firstly, it told ~he audience that it was impossible for anyone to glimpse the writing after the billet is rolled tightly! Secondly, the billet was thin enough to hide, after switching, behind one finger. And ,

10

THE KEYS TO KHALDA AN AL MANN EXCLISVE

The rolled billet could be easily switched with the minimum of finger movements!

The main idea behind this type of billet was that many Mentalists were uncomfortable with the need of using the whole hand to hide a palmed billet. This fear is totally unfounded since your audience has little reason for watching your hands during the presentation of the usual mental program. This has been proven many times as we study the art of Bert Reese and Al Baker~ The eyes of the audience are focused on the face of the Mentalist who is kisdirecting them with his masterful patter. A good reason for using this type of billet is when the fingers are too thin' and unable to hide a palmed card or billet or when the fingers are crooked or missing. In such cases the billet must be hidden behind a

I sinlge finger or two.

I

THE SWITCH IN ACTION: Before the test the performer has secretly palmed a duplicate billet. This is shown in Fig. 3. The billet is held behind the first finger'next to the second finger. The billet can easily be hidden behind' a single finger, but since your audience knows nothing about the palmed billet, it makes little difference. The billet can be held and switched mo~e comfortably if held by two fingers.

NOTE: In the illustratioh, the hand has been opened for clarity, but in actual practice the hand is slightly cupped so that the audience side looks normal.

Dummy billet

Fig. 3

After the spectator writks his/her question and has rolled the billet, take the billet back and hold it as shown in fig. 4, between the tip of the thumb and the second finger. The switch is r.lad~ when the billet is held at the temples (like the temple switch).

The real billet is pushed into pklm position while the dummy billet is pushed into view. (In Fig. 4 the thumb has been

Message

pulled ba~k for clatity.) This is the easiest way of switching the billet and requires the minimum of finger movements and looks most natural.

Some perform~rs may wish to 'tumble' the two billets after they are placed one over the other. The move is most easy to do but do not lbse track of the true billet or you will end up with the dummy billet which is blank.

\

J

billet

Fig. 4 I

THE PRESENTATION: After the writer wrote his question, Khalda would instruct the writer to fold the billet in half the long way and then to roll it tightly. Khalda would then take the rolled billet and told the writer to hold it against his temple showing him 'just how to do it by placing the billet to his temple' and doing the swi tch. Khalda would then give the dummy billet to the writer who held it, say to his right temple. The writer is told to concentrate on his question, while Khalda walked to the'window and looked out, for inspiration, unrolled the billet, read it, rerolled it and palmed it again in readiness for a second switch. Khalda would then instruct the writer to try. the

I

11


left temple, and Khalda again demonstrated how the billet had to be held firm-ly against the left temple, doing a second switch and giving the real billet back to the writer! The writer is now holding his own billet and the performer is in possesi~n of his thoughts!

PLEASE NOTE that Khalda was doing this switch in 1898. Ted Annemann was born nine years later in 1907. Ted also developed a fear f~r exposing the palmed billet while performing so Ted invented his own 3-fold billet that could be hidden behind one finger. Ted's 3-fold billet was not natural due to the extra third fold. Most spehtators fold the billet twice while a few wad it up.

\

Note also the cats in Khalda's' logo which preceeded Annemann's Jinx cats. Ted Annemann was of Persian descent and like Khalda favored cats as most Middl~ East Peoples give a mystical-religious symbolism to cats.

On the cover and first page, Khalda is shown expos~ng a method to the public by which an assistant can signal to the medium the numbers on a bill by how the fingers are positioned.

I

It has surely been proven time and time again that a simple demonstration of psychic power properly presented will make your audiences 'Gasp!'

*

In 1898 and 1906, Khalda would tell anyone who listened that all demonstrations of psychic phenomena were fraudulent. But by 1925 he had teamed up kith Hereward Carrington and was presented as a genuine telepathist!

The program in Fig. 5 was used for the first spiritualistic convention held at the Hotel Astor in N.Y.C Notice of the con-vention appeared in the August 18, 1925 in the New York Times.

Khalda died in NYC on January 12th 1939. On the very

I same day, Jan. 12th, three years later Ted Ann~mann made his dramatic exit from this orb.

\

it

THE SPIRIT WORLD. MARVELOUS DEMONSTRATIONS OF PSYCHlC.PHENOMENA.

:JNTRODUCTORY TALK .BY n~REWARD CARRINGTON. Ph.D.,

~Iember of the SOCiety for Psychical Research; Member of the Scientific American Council for Psychical Investigations; American Delegate to the First International Psychical Congress at Copenhagen.

Denmark, 1921. etc. THE FAMOUS EGYPTIAN TELEPATHIST

KHALDAH in a series of Scientific Mental Demonstrations

FRAUDULENT SPIRITUALISM UNMASKED A Motion Picture Illustrating the Methods Employed

by Fraudulent Physical Mediums

MEDIUMISTIC DEMONSTRATIONS BY

DR. CONRAD H. HAUSER Giving Direct Test Messages and Psychometry

THE CELEBRATED LEONA LAMAR in • Mystifying Demonstration of Mind-Reading and. Clairvoyance

PART II BRIEF iNTRODUCTORY TALK BY DR. CARRINGTON

AND MEDIUMISTIC DEMONSTRATIONS Different mediums will appear on different days

Afternoon and Evening.

AN UNUSUAL PSYCHIC MANIFESTATION BY PIlfLll' VOROS

the Psychical Healer and Master of Thought-Transference in a Series of Extraordinary Tests

Fig. 5

12

(201) 431-2429 POST OFFICE BOX 144 • FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY 07728

The following gimmicked envelope, a refinement of the Proteus envelope from the Seven Seals, has been working so perfectly as an opener that it is offered here to AME readers.

There comes a time in the life of every Mentalist when he must change his program. It may be that he is doing a repeat show before the same audience, so he hesitates in doing the same effects again. He must then look for a different book test, a different closing, etc. and also a different opener for his show of miracles. There are many book tests from which to pick from BUT for another opener the task becomes a hard one since opening effects are hard to find. The opening effect must be a fast, decisive and dramatic demonstrations of the Mentalist's powers. It must catapult the Mentalist into a world of great expectations in the min~ of the audience. A good dramatic opening will perk your audience up and make them take notice.

I

For a recent repeat show, a frantic search was made for a new opener. One item that came to mind was the Proteus envelope. IN EFFECT after the ~aster of Ceremonies introduces the act, the Mentalist com~s out and calls the attention of the audience to a sealed envelope held in the hand and shown openly from both sides. A gentleman in the audience is asked to callout the first three digits of hi~ Social Security number (or any three digits) and then the envelope is opened and the gentleman is asked to remove from within a piece of paper with a long message and showing the three digits that he just called!

The effect is very strong and can be presented with different plots and patter. The Main requisite is that it be done fast! After the effect, the envelope is torn open to show it empty and the pieces are left on the table for anyone to examine. The envelope is found to be intact and ungimmicked!

I

A

Preparing the Gimmicked Envelope:

Fig. 6 I

REMOVE MUCILAGE

_ RUBBER CEMENT

DETACH

Fig. 6 shows a regular size letter envelope. To prepa~e, open out the envelope and detach flap C from flap B. Then remove the mucilage from the shaded sectioh of flap D. Then cement flap C

by placing a smal~ dab of rubber cement inside the envelope at the 'X.' Lastly seal the envelope. Flap D will then b~ sealed to flaps A and B hUT NOT TO FLAP C. What we have then is an envelope complete with' all its flaps, sealed but with an opening at the right hand edge over flap C! NOTE: The reason for the rubber cement under flap C is so that this flap will not falloff after the envelope is cut open:

THE KEYS TO KHALDA

THE PROTEUS ENVELOPE, cont. I

wax E

B

A Fig. 7

. . I I

E

B

13


Fig. 7 A shows the sealed Proteu~ envelope with an opening over flap C •

• Fig. 7 B shows a long

piece o~ white paper almost twice as long as the envelope and just a bit narrower.

A long message is w~itten \ on the folded message paper

leaving blank the section that will be exposed which is the section over flap C, after the folded message paper is inserted into the envelope. A tiny strip of rubber cement , about 1/8 inch, is applied to the edge of' the envelope at "E." Then the end E of the message paper, after inserting, is aligned with edge E of the envelope and cemented together. Two tiny spots of wax are placed

\ as shown. This wax seals the envelope, flaps Band D to the message paper. Yoti will now have an envelope that looks normal from all sides. ThiJ is

shown to the audience and flashed from both sides. In the handling,' the Mentalist writes with a swami gimmick, anything he wishes on the exposed space over flap C. When the envelope is cut open with a pair of scissors, cutting edge E, aboht 1/2 inch strip, edge E is blown open and the long message strip is pulled out a bit and the spectator is told to remove it and read the message. As the paper is pulled out of the envelope, the tiny wax pellets become detache~ and all looks normal. The envelope can then be torn open and thrown on the table and left there~ If desired, flap C can be detached also and discarded.

The illusion i~ perfect. The effect 'impresses' the audience to put i~ mildly. Since the audience d~es not exactly know what to expect during your

I show, this opener prepares them for what follows.

I

NOTE: The message that is written on the message paper can be most important. You may make a prediction for the future telling the person that you know

I many things about him including the first three digits of his Social Security number.

I

Al Mann - The Keys to Khalda - The Egyptian Mystic

Documents

Transcript of Al Mann - The Keys to Khalda - The Egyptian Mystic