Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

The Domino-box is sometimes used to change a sovereign to its equivalent in silver, the “change” being beforehand wrapped in paper, and concealed in the drawer. It is sometimes also caused to fill itself with bonbons, in place of a coin deposited in it. These boxes are usually made in pairs, alike in appearance, but the one is a simple box without any speciality, and may therefore be handed round for examination, the mechanical box being adroitly substituted at the right moment. The fact that two boxes are used is, of course, carefully concealed. THE COFFEE TRICK. (COFFEE BERRIES CHANGED TO HOT COFFEE, WHITE BEANS TO SUGAR, AND BRAN TO HOT MILK).--The pieces of apparatus used in this trick are of brass or japanned tin, and are three in number, two being tall cylindrical vases, standing eighteen to twenty inches in height, the third a goblet-shaped vase, of about half that height. The latter is made upon the principle of the “bran glass,” above described, consisting of three portions (see Fig. 221), the goblet a, the cover c, and a shallow tray b, which fits into the goblet, and which, if the cover is pressed down smartly, and again removed, is lifted off with it. It differs, however, from the “bran shape” in the fact that b is open at top instead of at bottom, and is only about one-fifth the depth of the goblet, leaving therefore considerable space below it. This portion of the apparatus is prepared for use by placing in the goblet a quantity of hot milk, putting b in position above it, and finally filling b with loose bran.