Murder Most Foul by Arthur Emerson, Emerson and West

Another clever mental effect from Arthur Emerson.

Effect: The performer takes one calling card from each of two black end-opening envelopes. On the unprinted side of one card is the silhouette of a man. On the unprinted side of the other card is the silhouette of a woman. Since a male spectator is being used for this effect, the card with the male silhouette is handed to the spectator and the female silhouette card is returned to its envelope.

The Male silhouette card is now placed in a transparent glassine stamp envelope, silhouette side down, and the envelope is placed on the table in front of the male spectator who initials the envelope and leaves it in full sight in front of him.

The performer now asks the spectators to call out the different forms of murder commonly encountered. As they are called out the performer writes them on another calling card. Finally one of the means of murder is chosen and a ring is drawn around the chosen word. The card is turned face down and placed on the table in front of a different spectator who initials this card.

The performer recaps the scene so far and then asks the spectator to turn over the card naming the different types of murder. Although the other types of murder remain written on the card, and the ring remains drawn around the chosen word, the chosen word itself has disappeared from the card.

The spectator with the silhouette card turns it over and the silhouette has been altered – it has been murdered in the manner described by the chosen word.

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