The Witchfinder

Matthew Hopkins was an English witch-hunter whose career flourished during the English Civil War. He claimed to hold the office of Witchfinder General, although that title was never bestowed by Parliament. You offer to show how easy it was for him to persecute ordinary folk and find an innoccent person guilty.

You bring out a deck of cards as you explain that playing cards were often referred to as "Devil's Playthings." A lady from the audience is asked to pick a card from the face-down pack, a completely free choice, and remember the face before the card is cut back into the deck. You then recount how Matthew Hopkins would tell his victim that the Devil would put his mark on one card in a deck, and his true followers would always be drawn to that card.

You slowly fan through the face-down cards until you find the word "Guilty" written on the back of just one card. When this card is turned over it reveals itself to be  your helper's chosen card. You place the card face-up on the table as you state that in another place and time your helper would have been convicted of Witchcraft and would face a painful but short future.

To finish you tell your helper that luckily we now live in a much more enlightened age and know that witchcraft does not exist - she turns her card over to see that the Devil's mark has completely vanished.

This is a great effect for those who like to tell a story with their magic.

Easy to perform with the gimmicked playing card supplied. No sleight of hand or fancy moves. Definitely no double lifts.