HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1958-10-16, Page 9Just Pick A Card
--Argy Card:
Far into the night, coins van-
ished, cards materialized out of
thinair, rabbits poked their
.noses from previously empty
hats, and similar acts occurred
Tdefiance of all natural laws.
he occasion: Last month's twen-
tieth annual New England Con-
vention of Magicians at the Taft
Hotel in New Haven, Conn,
In the burgeoning hobby of
the amateur magician (best esti-
Mate: at least 50,000 of them
abroad in the land) this was a
typical gathering of the clan.
Among the 400 -odd registrants,
there were doctors, lawyers,
Clergymen, industrialists, mer-
chants, college professors, sales-
men, two policemen, and one
funeral director. There was no
record of any candlestick maker
but there was one baker (Al
Goshman of Brooklyn, N.Y.,
who billed himself as "the baker
who's a faker"),
For three days, they watched
each other perform at formal
and informal shows, attended
lectures and workshop sessions,
demonstrated new tricks, and
shopped displays set up by the
dealer in magic apparatus (in
addition to thousands of joke
and novelty shops, there are
eighteen firms in the U.S. de-
voted exclusively to the retail-
ing of magicians' paraphernalia).
Star attraction was Cardini,
the suave, monocled deceiver ac-
laimed by most enthusiasts as
the finest sleight-of-hand per-
former of this or any other era.
A youthful 64, Cardini produced
fans of cards, lighted cigarettes
from the air with all the old
skill that made him a vaudeville
headliner and a supper -club
star. To the neophyte, Cardini
had this advice: "Magic is a
great hobby, but stay out of
show business."
At magic conventions, the pro-
fessionals hobnob with the ama-
teurs to an extent unknown in
other pursuits. The reason: Most
new magic effects are created by
amateurs or semiprofessionals.
The professionals are too busy
perfecting what they already
know to develop innovations of
their own. John Mulholland,
author, lecturer, and a good
gray dean among prestidigita-
tors put it this way: "Magicians
are naturally gregarious, be-
cause magic as a hobby is basic-
ally a social outlet. The good
magician must like people." He
then ticked off a long line of
prominent amateurs: TV star
;ack pear, ventriloquist Edgar
ergen, and actors Orson
Welles, Harold LIoyd, and Ches-
ter Morris; and from the liter-
ary past, Lewis Carroll and
Charles Dickens.
James C. Johnson, a Hartford
psychiatrist, delved a bit deeper
into the motivation of the trick-
ster. An amateur magician him-
self, he characterized the aver -
a .e amateur as "a rather infan
ricks,
sonal
rimi-
al in
ater-
ng a
rabbit from a hat, "the hat is a
wonderfully abundant uterus
that gives birth to the rabbit."
But at least magicians are basi-
cally honest, he said. "If they
weren't doing magic they prOb-
ably would be embezzlers or
confidence men."
On the credit side, even psy-
chiatrist Johnson had some kind
words for the magic hobbyist.
'I have been to a good many
of these conventions," he said,
"and I have never met a magi -
elan I could actively dislike. —
From NEWSWEEK,
AT GREW THERE? — It looks as
though something will have to
give when a train conies chug-
ging along !his track in Hicks-
ville. The track, used as a siding
was built richt around the tele-
phene pcle by the tang Island
Railroad.
ON WAY TO RECOVERY — Dodger catcher Roy Campanella
has a big grin and a wink for all at his first open press con-
ference in New York since he was paralyzed in an auto acci-
dent. Campanella has regained partial use and control of his
arms and n new neck brace permits greater freedom of his
neck and upper extremities.
Double Murder
At Cliff -Tarps
The :serious -faced barrister
settled his bobbed wig more
firmly on his brow. And in the
crowded col.t'ftroom at Bodmin
Assizes on that bleak February
morning everybody leaned for-
ward to catch the first words
spoken by Mr. Scott Henderson.
It was almost childish, the
eager expectation on many of
their faces. Even the jury, com-
prising stout-hearted Cornish-
men, found it hard to keep their
faces impassive.
For they were there to give
a verdict on a crime which had
shocked. the West Country. The
handsome, well-built young man
in the dock, Miles Giffard, was
charged with the murder of his
parents. Ironically he was ap-
pearing in a court where his
father had often appeared in
the past during his twenty-three
years as a solicitor and magis-
trates' clerk.
Mr. and Mrs, Charles Henry
Giffard were a loved and re-
spected couple, wealthy, proud
owners of a large house on the
lofty cliffs at Carylon Bay,
Porthpean.
But the Cornish folk knew
Miles Giffard as a "rum and
wild one." He had studied, and
failed, for the law. He had
dabbled at a few other careers
and made a hash of them, too.
Then he had gone to London.
There, among the phoney Bo-
hemians of Chelsea, he had
found his way of life: wild par-
ties, heavy hangovers, attrac-
tive women, high-powered cars.
Broke, young Giffard had
come home to his parents. For
a while they kept him, Then,
on November 8th, 1952, their
son repaid their kindness by
brutal murder ...
For that horrible erirne he
was now standing in the dock
at Bodmin, waiting for Mr.
Scott Henderson to open the
case for the prosecution.
From the outset there was no
dispute that Miles Giffard had
done the killings, But the de-
fence relied solely on that argu-
ment that he was insane under
the long-established McNaghten
Rules.
Such a defence promised a
difficult time for the jury.
There would be much medical
evidence that would be contr-
ary; there would be complica-
ted arguments.
Yet such a defence was also
a calculated gamble on Gif-
fard's life. For the jury con-
sisted of countrymen. And they
were likely to bring hard com-
mon sense to bear when they
came to analyse the technical
arguments. They were likely to
say: "We are not sure what all
this is about. Let's forget it."
And then a defence of guilty
but insane would be rejected.
That was the background
when Mr. Scott Henderson rose
to open the Crown case. He had
a rare gift of reaching the minds
and motives of people.
He had brought to the Bar a
rare fixture of simple eloquence
and skilled forensic thought. He
applied both in his opening
speech to the jury:
"This was premeditated mur-
der. Planned . and planned
over days...
• So he struck the first blow
against the defence case. Miles
Giffard hardly spared the bar-
rister a glance as the • telling
phrases rolled off his lips. He
still showed no interest when
Mr. Henderson described the ac-
tual killings.
For a moment Mr. Henderson
paused and the silence in the
court could almost be heard.
Then, picking up a new sheaf
of papers from his bulky, rib-
bon -tied brief, lie started to
read Giffard's confession.
A confession that contained
such admissions as "I scrounged
around.. I had been living
from hand to mouth I had
been drinking heavily" And of
the killings: "I hit them both
over the head with a piece of
iron pipe Everything went pec-
uliar, I got into a panic. There
was blood everywhere." And
then he admitted pushing both
his parents over the cliffs to
the rocks far below.
There was silence in the
court after that amazing con-
fession had been read,
Eyes looked with revulsion at
the man in the dock, Even the
jury could not conceal the hor-
ror on their faces.•
But that confession was a bol-
ster to the defence. For, argued
Mr. John Maude, leading for
Giffard, surely it showed that
the prisoner was insane?
Mr. Scott Henderson was
ready for that, He was able to
prove that Giffard, who had
gone to London after the crime,
had planned the trip days be-
fore the killing.
"That," said the barrister,
"throws a light on the way his
mind was beginning to work."
And he hammered home his
theme on cold, calculated mur-
der.
Then came the medical evi-
dence. First, a Cornish police
pathologist. He pooh-poohed the
suggestion that the injuries in-
flicted had shown signs of ma-
niacal strength. The defence.
did not press him; he was too
adamant for their liking.
Next into the witness -box
went a psychiatrist, Dr. Roy
Craig. He gave the defence
a badly needed bolster, saying
that Miles Giffard had a split
mind when he committeed the
crime and did not know what
he was doing.
Mr. Henderson rose to cross-
exdtnine.
"Do you not consider that
Giffard is nothing snore than a
waster?"
"I object to the word 'was-
ter.'"
was-
ter:"
But Mr. Henderson pressed.
And question after careful ques-
tion started to make the doc-
tor's arguments look a little less
secure. Then the judge took a
hand. In one devastating ques-
tion he asked:
"Has it not occurred to you
that by throwing his parents
over the cliff he thought to hide
the wounds he had inflicted,
and that that might lead one to
suppose a degree of reasoning,
that he wanted to cover up what
he had done, and • that there-
fore he knew what he had done
was wrong?"
Dr. Craig refused to accept
this. By now the jury were
wilting under the medical evi-
dence. But they perked up
when the Giffard family doctor
went into the witness. box. He
had been called by the prosecu-
tion,
Mr. Maude rose to "question
a to tread carefully,
him. He had
The family doctor had to be
won over to the defence. His
words would weigh heavily with
the jury. But in answer to one
of the, first questions, the doc-
tor said of Miles Giffard: "The
picture was more of just an idle
little waster."
The court was hushed. Then,
slowly, as if he was feeling his
way. Mr. Maude asked if he
still felt that way about the
prisoner. The answer was an
emphatic:"Yes."
That one word probably did
more than anything else to
swing the balance against Gif-
fard, The restwas a formality.
The prosecution brought on its
"star" Dr. John Matheson, a
prison medical officer and a
veteran of scores of murder
trials.
lie tore to shreds the idea
that Giffard was insane in law.
He said he was selfish , , . "and
likely to use violence to attain
his own ends."
Mr. Maude made a valiant
last effort to win the jury over.
He repeated over and over again
that the jury must not think of
revenge, that they must be calm
and balanced in their judgment.
The jury made their minds up
in remarkably quick time: Gif-
fard was found guilty and sen-
tenced t0 death, He showed no
emotion, But then many an-
other cold-blooded killer has
loft the dock in a similar way. •
How Can 1?
By Anne Ashley
Q. How can I drop liquid
from a bottle without the use of
a dropper?
A. Dip the finger in water and
moisten the rim of the bottle in
one place. If this place is used
from which to drop the liquid,
it will drop evenly and easily.
Q. 1 -How can I clean white vel-
vet?
A. Sponge with a commercial
cleaner, always rubbing in the
direction of the nap, Then stretch
right side up over a bowl of
hot water and brush the' nap
with a -soft brush.
Q. How can I fry oysters prop-
erly?
A. When frying oysters, first
wash and drain them. Season
with salt and pepper, dip in
flour, egg, and then cracker
crumbs. Fry until golden brown
in hot fat, then drain well and
garnish with parsley or lemon,
Q. How can I make the elastic
In garters last longer?
A. Instead of sewing the ends
of garters together, cut the elas-
tic about two inches shorter than
ordinarily, sew a piece of rib-
bonto each end, and tie the
bow when putting on. As the
elastic stretches, the ribbon will
take up the -required space.
Governor FcIubus
Please Note!
A "magnificent" new medicine
for paraplegics was described
last month by Dr. Howard A.
Rusk, director of the Institute
of Physical Medicine and Reha-
bilitation in New York. It con-
sisted, he said, simply of the
spirit and example of Roy Cam-
panella, onetime star catcher of
the Brooklyn Dodgers, who has
become "one of the great spiri-
tual forces in rehabilitation pro-
grams , , throughout the world."
Dr, Rusk's statement came after
Campanella's first open press
conference since he was para-
lyzed from the neck down by
an auto accident nine months
ago. Campanella's own report on
himself was much more modest.
Medically, he. still had no assur-
ance of recovery, but he is well
enough to conduct a daily radio
show. Also, said Campy, "I can
feed myself now (with a special
fitting for his hands) ... With
my neck brace I can read the
papers and my Bible,"
"I really believe," Dr. Rusk
said, "that Campy's contribution
to this life- has been far greater
since his accident ... than any-
thing he could possibly contri-
bute to it through basebaIl,"
FALL FROM GRACE
Having just been married,
Casey took his bride to see him
play. He was looking for a
chance to impress her, and the
opportunity arrived in the very
first inning. He looped a soft
liner over third and made two
with the aid of a magnificent
long hook slide, 'Shortly there-
after, he scored on an infield
single, evading the catcher with
another brilliant slide.
At the end of the inning,
Casey strutted by the box seats
and murmred to his bhide,
"How do you like the game so
far?"
"Very much," piped his love-
ly, "but you could be a little
more graceful. You tripped
twice running around the bases!"
if You're Ti EG,
ALL THE Ti E
Now and then everybody gets a
"tired -out" feeling, and may be
bothered by backaches. Perhaps noth•
ing seriously wrong, just a temporary
condition caused by urinary irritation or
bladder discomfort. That's the time to
take Dodd's Kidney Pills. Dodd's help
stimulate the kidneys to relieve this
condition which may often cause back-
ache and tired feeling. Then you feel
better, rest better, work better. Get
Dodd's Kidney Pills now. Look for the
blue box with the red band at all drug
countera.You can depend on Dodd's.eo
CL
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RAZORS, electric, portable, Fisherman
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VELVET BUTTON BERETS
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AUTO SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT
BUILD Utility Trailer from old auto
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$1.00. Uniform Trailer Service, Box
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BABY CHICKS
BRAY has dual purpose. pullets, 7-8
week old, prompt shipment.. Dayolds
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Order November -December broilers
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FOR SALE
FROM the Bayous of Louisiana, ,Live
Spanish Moss. Shipped prepaid. Send
1001 Lo dell, 0 cash or Baton Rouge 6,u La ,
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WOOD FIBRE. — CHENILLE
ALL materials for artificial flowers in.
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sale or retail price list, Flowereraft
Supply Co., 4543 icingsway, South
Burnaby, Vancouver, B,C.
COLOR T.V.
New "COLOR -PIX" screen filter in.
stantly changes dreary black and white
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Send today! State whether for 17" or
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HURLBERT AGENCIES,
Rockville, Yarmouth, 91,5,
INSTRUCTION
EARN morel Bookkeeping, Salesman.
ship Shorthand, Typewriting, etc. Les.
sons 502. Ask for free circular No. 33.
Canadian Correspondence Courses
1290 Bay Street, Toronto
LIVESTOCK
Carruthers ScourTablets
ARE an inexpensive and quick treat-
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MEDICAL
GOOD RESULTS — EVERY SUFFERER
FROM RHEUMATIC PAINS OR
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DIXON'S REMEDY.
MUNRO'S DRUG STORE,
335 ELGIN, OTTAWA.
$1,25 Express Collect.
POST'S ECZEMA SALVE
BANISH the torment of dry eczema
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Post's Eczema Salve will not disappoint
ma Itching,
and
pimples ngd foot
eczema will respond readily to the
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Sent Post Free on Receipt of MCC
PRICE $3.00 PER JAR
POST'S REMEDIES
2865 St, Clair Avenue East
TORONTO
OPPORTUNITIES FOR
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M0NEY from spare time hobby. Small
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specialities, herbal remedies, vitamins:
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ACCOMMODATION available for 20
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41.00 TRIAL oiler. l'weoty five' deluxu
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SMOKING TOO MUCH
CUT clown the easy way. Chew "14wita;
the new antismoking chewing gum.
Takes the craving away for hours.
Contains Lobeline a new discovery.
Price 894 package, 3 packages for $2.00
postpaid. Wilson's Lab Products, Box
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POULTRY & LIVESTOCK
IT wilt pay you to switch to K-137
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live well and have relatively good
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anytime, Also hatching other egg and
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ISSUE 41 — 1958
SLEEP
TO -NIGH'
'ND RELIEVE NERVOUSNESS
maw TO-RIORROt U
To be happy and tranquil Instead of
nervous or for a good night's sleep, tako
Sedlcln tablets according to directions.
SHIM®
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