In his advertising, Robert Heller referred to himself as a "Somatic Conjuror", and Part 1 of his programme as "Somatic Conjuring". In terms of the definition of "somatic" (or 'pertaining to the body'), we suspect Heller was probably only interested in something that sounded mysterious. The 'Australasian' of November 13, 1869, took up the task of deciphering his billing:

Its publication in 1870 places the booklet among possibly the four earliest-known works on magic to be published in Australia (5) so it is significant for that alone. But, possibly to Heller's private dismay, the book would explain what was claimed to be many of his methods.

"Second Sight" RH

The Sphinx illusion RH

The Floating Head RH

Cherubs in the Air

Mass production of items from a hat (followed by the production of a lady's skirt, from which a lady is then produced) RH

Confetti to Coffee

Aerial Money production RH

Predicting the total of a chosen series of numbers

Pocket watch shot from a pistol and found in a bottle

The 'Silver Rings' or linking rings RH

Production of confectionery from a handkerchief (Phillippe's "The Modern Confectioner")

Production of Feather Plumes RH

Coin in ball of wool

Transposition of a wooden cone and a glass of wine

The Gun Trick RH (though the description is a shadow of Heller's routine)

The Magnetised Cane

Production of eggs from a bag

Bowl of Ink changes to a fishbowl RH

Three spoon divination

Guessing which hand holds a ball

False knots in a handkerchief

Vanishing coin (pull)

A number of optical and scientific stunts, minor feats of mathematical mindreading RH, puzzles, and a self-working trick using the Pendulum principle.

A Volume Two was promised, "will contain a complete series of new magical experiments, including "The Witch's Rod" RH , the "Desiccated Canaries" RH, "The Indian Basket Illusion", "The Head of Socrates", "Mahomet's Coffin" and others. (This volume does not appear to have ever been published).

Also mentioned at the end of the book, "Ladies and gentlemen can, on application to the author of this pamphlet, obtain the system of Supernatural Vision, or Second Sight, complete terms as arranged."

Many of the tricks described were old effects which can be found in sources such as Robert-Houdin's 'Secrets of Conjuring and Magic'; they are explained with enough accuracy that a casual reader might fancy that they understood the entire secret. Heller himself was not an inventor of magic, and started his own career in imitation of the great Frenchman Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. But to have an "expose" circulating at the time he was appearing in Melbourne implies that Heller's business might be seriously damaged.

While it is possible that Wilton 'compiled' rather than 'authored' the book, as yet no evidence has been found that he lifted his text directly from earlier works. However in 1879 the anti-spiritualist magician, Samri Baldwin, published his own booklet in Melbourne, "Spirit Mediums Exposed", and the text from page 49 - 57 is stolen word for word out of The Somatic Conjuror.

"By some unprincipled persons the results of scientific investigation have been attributed to secret communications with beings of a more remote and refined state of existence - in other words, with disembodied spirits; and a large body of the public have incredulously been deceived into a belief that the spirits of departed parents and friends … hold privileged communication with us through some spiritually appointed or gifted medium… Thus it was that the Davenport Brothers for so long a time were able to delude their victims and perpetrate their frauds, to the physical and moral injury of their followers … The principal object therefore, in this publication is to disabuse the public mind respecting such things as "Spiritual Vision" or Second Sight, and give the necessary explanations as to how and by what means they are effected.

The writer also desires it to be distinctly understood that his object in publishing this pamphlet (apart from it being a commercial speculation) is not from any ungenerous motive to expose the business or occupation of the conjuror or legerdemainist; for were it so, he himself would suffer from the inconveniences arising from exposure when engaged in the business. Nor is it to gratify the curiosity of children only, for whom Handbooks on Magic in numbers have been written and published, but to afford information to such who are always inquiring " What is it ?" and 'How is it done?" … The writer hopes that the effect of this publication, will be to raise this class of entertainment above what at one time was considered its fixed standard viz. the occupation of a vulgar street mountebank … "

Wilton was closer to the mark when he admitted that The Somatic Conjuror's purpose was to "afford information to such who are always inquiring 'What is it ?' and 'How is it done?' "

Magic historian, Will Alma, (6) speculates that H.B. Wilton might have gone into print possibly because he had sought to be Heller's advance agent and was rejected; a reasonable speculation based on what we will learn of Wilton's identity - except that Robert Heller's sponsor was the juggernaut of Australian Theatre, George Coppin. The entrepreneur who also brought the Wizard Jacobs to Australia was a man of such energy and clout that it seems unlikely that Wilton would have ever been in a position to go into battle with the great man.

Responses to the book were relatively few, unsurprising since it was hardly a major publishing event. By and large the reviewers were of the opinion that the tricks had been explained earlier, and that people's awareness of the methods did not take anything away from the cleverness or showmanship of the performer. Notably they mentioned not only Heller, but his competitor, W.A. Chapman as being on the receiving end of the expose.

The book, which sold for 6d. apparently did sufficiently well to warrant a second edition, selling at 1/- , though not the second volume of secrets which had been promised. The second edition had an updated cover and was now titled "The Wizard and Somatic Conjuror - Natural Magic". The publication date is confirmed as 1870, since the internal title page is a replica of the original, and Clarson Massina's Almanac for the coming year, 1871, features two advertisements for the work.

The Somatic Conjuror. Mr. H. B. Wilton has published an interesting little work, entitled the Somatic Conjuror, a treatise on natural and scientific magic, and supernatural vision or second sight, in which he affords information upon several matters which have caused the greatest surprise and wonder. In it he gives the necessary explanations as to how and by what means the wonderful performances of the conjuror and legerdemainist are effected. The book will be read with much interest by the lovers of mystery and magic ; and second sight, the cherubs in the air, the floating head, the sphinx, the magic hat, aerial money, the magic bullets, &c. , will remain mysteries no longer.

The Somatic Conjuror.- Heller's occupation is threatened with extinction. A Mr. Wilton has published a pamphlet under the above title. All the tricks that have been so successfully accomplished by the prestidigitators of late are here exposed. While the modus operandi is revealed, there is one thing the book cannot confer, and that is the sleight of hand necessary for the successful performance of the magical deeds.

We have received from Messrs. Clarson, Massina and Co., a pamphlet entitled, The Somatic Conjuror: a treatise on Natural and Scientific Magic. The author is Mr. H.B. Wilton. It does not seem to us that he has shed any new light on a very old subject. Most of his so-called revelations can be found in Wyman's Magic (published in America), or in Hartz, a book published to explain what Supernatural vision really is. In 1850, that meritorious publication, the Family Herald, devoted pages to the subject of which Mr. Wilton principally treats, viz., second sight.

Besides, Professor Anderson and many others have published handbooks on the same subject. In his pamphlet, the author or compiler seems to aim at a given hidden object. But in doing so, he has forgotten that conjuring is an art, mysterious in itself no doubt to the uninitiated, but perfectly explicable to the performer. The public don't stoop to inquire curiously into the way in which a certain trick is performed, but they merely ask themselves if the trick is performed cleverly. For instance an intelligent mind can grasp the meaning of Shakespeare, though he cannot himself illustrate that meaning, so as to make it presentable to other minds of an equal calibre to his own. Again, we all know how the piano is played, but unfortunately for us we are not all Thalbergs or Hellers. Mr. Wilton's explanation of the second sight business we have read carefully through, and after reading it, are just as far off coming to a conclusion on the subject as ever. Mr. Wilton's proposition is certainly the most reasonable, but who's to understand it? Most of all who's to work it out ? Could he do so himself with the aid of an intelligent assistant, after, say, a month's practice? We doubt it.

The Drama - Heller's last programme is his greatest. I don't know that I haven't said that before, but whether I have or not it may stand. For, of a surety every one of Mr. Heller's programmes has excelled its predecessor. He seems to have started at zero (and zero for him, was a very wonderful zero) and gradually to have worked up to an extraordinary pitch of perfection. The goblin drum business is extraordinary as is the second sight of Miss Haydee, and fairly puzzles the crowds who witness it. Fancy a drum (or rather a series of drums) beaten by invisible hands and playing a variety of tunes to command while perched on the knee of an obese elderly gentleman in the stalls. The canary trick is also a very wonderful effect. But I might, were I so inclined, write a column or so about Heller, only I fancy people had best judge of these sort of things for themselves.

I have read the Somatic Conjuror through and through, till I am tired reading it, and I am quite certain I could not to-morrow do one of Mr. Heller's tricks if I tried. To me, Mr. Heller's music is more wonderful than his magic. All of it that I understand are those simple ballad tunes into which he throws a world of that tenderness of expression which someone before I was born called heavenly. His 'Auld Robin Gray,' for instance, thrills through you like a by-gone memory, vibrating about the most sensitive portions of your anatomy with a bewildering effect. Enough of Heller - I am so enchanted with the man that I fear to write of him at length, lest I should be accused of having taken wine with him, a sin of which I can conscientiously declare I have never been guilty.

MESSRS. CLARSON, MASSINA AND CO'S PUBLICATIONS.

We are glad to see that the enterprise of this firm in trying to form a literature for Victoria appears to be meeting with a little of the appreciation it deserves, although not with the full amount. Native literature seems to meet with great difficulties in these colonies owing to the amount of English and American books, and periodicals which flood the market, and place colonial writers and publishers out of the running. The enterprise of Clarson, Massina, and Co, therefore, in endeavoring to rear up a colonial literature ought to meet with the aid of our reading population, as the class of works submitted by them to the public are of such a kind as to commend themselves to attention on their own merits.

The Somatic Conjuror, by Mr H. B. Wilton, is also published by Clarson, Messina and Co, and professes to give a full and particular account of how all the wonders of Heller and Chapman are done, and so far as we have read the little brochure, it certainly gives a very tangible explanation. At all events the little work is very readable, and all of the innumerable youngsters who imagine they have legerdemain talents would do well to purchase it, as it certainly will give some insight into how these things are done, and how they can "do" their more obtuse friends and relatives.

January 20, 1870 - Melbourne Punch (it should be noted that Punch was traditionally a satirical magazine!)

Under the portentous title of The Somatic Conjurer [sic.], a Mr. H. B. WILTON hat issued a small pamphlet purporting to be an explanation of the various wizard's tricks that have been practised here and elsewhere. The author or compiler has in this little work shown a certain amount ability in rendering the character of its contents illucid and powerfully confusing. He appears thoroughly to understand the principles upon which failure can be accomplished. The happy manner in which he conceals any real knowledge of the subject on which he has written evinces talent, and he must be congratulated upon the great success that attends his efforts in this direction. It might be said that spite or ill-nature has induced him to turn common informer, and so endeavour to injure those with whom he professes to be professionally connected, or that envy of others possessing superior ability, accompanied with recognised success, has caused the book to be issued. But such accusations must fail, for with Mr. WILTON'S explanations HELLER'S extraordinary tricks are more puzzling than before, and the details of the system of second sight prove to be simply ridiculous. The pamphlet appears to be a collection of tricks that have been years ago published in various books, such as the Family Herald, Boy's Own Book, etc., slightly altered by being deprived of one feature, comprehensibility. The cloak of novelty that is so mysteriously wrapt around them is a capital trick, but that even requires elucidation. The publication will without doubt prove a great sell, for in its attempts to expose sleight of hand it exposes slight of brain.

H. B. Wilton first makes an appearance in Geelong on June 12 1866, a performer in an entertainment called "Evenings at home". The company moved on to Bendigo and by July 31 they were at Castlemaine Mechanic's Institute, with Miss Kate Sedgwick (Soprano), Mr Edwin A. Reeves (Baritone) and "Mr Henry B. Wilton, Tenor and Comic Vocalist, from London and Provincial Theatres." (which claim we may take with a large grain of salt.)

Of interest is that in between various farces and concert items, a magician, Professor Fuller, "the astounding Illusionist and Ventriloquist from Californian and New York Theatres", gave a programme of 'Natural Magic and Spirit Rapping Extraordinary'. Professor Fuller (7) was seen in Australia only from August 1866 to May 1867 when he advised that he had to return to Europe on urgent business.

For Wilton and company, the July 31 performance in front of a hardened audience comprised of gold miners from Sandhurst, could not have gone worse:

"Judging from the reception which Miss Kate Sedgwick's dramatic, magical and musical company, from the London, New York, and California theatres, received on Saturday night, at the Lyceum Theatre, the merits of the company are not appreciated by a Sandhurst audience. The whole performance was one of the most mediocre description. Miss Kate Sedgwick sang, and showed she had a sweet voice to delight a small party; the magical efforts of Professor Fuller, would not astound a crowd of the commonest little ragamuffins; Mr E. A. Reeves, a baritone singer, electrified the house - by the way well filled in the pit - by singing a celebrated drinking song, entitled, "The Men of Merry, Merry England," which having an easy and good-going chorus; was enthusiastically joined in by the audience. The great event of the evening, however, was the debut of the comic vocalist, Mr H. B. Wilton. From the first, the audience were taken with him, and joined in the refrain of the first song "Away down Holborn Hill." The singer came to grief in the next attempt "Down in Piccadilly" and came to a tragical end in the "Love leap, or the story of William and Blue-eyed Nell." The audience, for want of better amusement, drowned the funny man in their favorite choruses of "Old John Brown" and "Away down Holborn Hill," to which place he was recommended to hasten. The concluding piece of the performance was, what the posters call, the screaming farce of "The Troubles of Handy Andy," Mr H. B. Wilton as that celebrated personage in the negro development. It was soon apparent that the farce was a farce indeed, and the troubles of Handy Andy were more than calculated on, for the audience hissed and shouted and chorused and roared till the performance was brought to a premature end, when there was a general clearing out, and no time was lost in turning off the gas.

We understand that the programme for to-night will be entirely changed. On Wednesday night the attraction of the Roland Troupe of Acrobats is to be added to the performance."

Even more astonishing than the disaster of their show, was that the company was playing in direct competition to the final evening in Castlemaine of the Wizard Jacobs, George Coppin's first major magical import, and a giant personality in Australia at the time.

In September 1866, Mr Wilton turned himself into a conjuror. He appeared on a Benefit night at the Mechanics' Institute Ballarat, for Brother W.M.Brown, a member of the Oddfellows and, as it happens, the magician William Maxwell Brown (1829-1886). This night was billed as "Rival Wizards! New Illusions!" Mr. Brown had returned from Europe in April, bringing with him the illusions being performed by Colonel Stodare in London - The Sphinx, the Indian Basket Illusion and Growth of Flowers; his story will be added to our sydneymagic.net history site at a future date. Wilton acted on Brown's behalf in October, when he came to Melbourne.

Also on the bill was Miss Emma Wilton, characteristic vocalist from Canterbury Hall, London. This is most likely Emma Weippert (1850-1939) of the Weippert family of musicians (9), a singer who came to be well-regarded in theatrical circles, and the wife of Mr H.B. Wilton since June 1866.

OTHER MAGICIANS :- Mr H.B. Wilton was listed in the benefit advertisement as 'Premiere Prestidigitateur and late colleague of the celebrated M.Phillippe'. As 'The Somatic Conjuror' title page states that Wilton had been "Sometime Practical Operator to Mons. Phillippe" we have an interest in learning who this might have been. The original magician, Mons. Phillippe (Jaques Noel Talon 1802-1878) did not come to Australia and it would be fanciful to imagine that Wilton had ever worked with him, but Phillippe's name is invoked again in the Somatic Conjuror explanation of "The Confectioner" trick a.k.a Shower of Sweets, which Phillippe originated.

Another consideration, though no proof can be found, is whether Wilton might have had any passing involvement with Mons. Philippe De Barr who was in Melbourne in early 1858 and had the Production of Eggs in his repertoire. In the same way, The Somatic Conjuror refers to a "De Beer" as somebody Wilton had worked with; and as no person of this name can be identified, perhaps "De Barr" was implied. The only other faint variation of "De Beer" might be the great American clown and humourist, Charles De Vere, who did tour in Australia.

Aside from W.A.Chapman, perhaps the last connection between Wilton and other magicians of the time was his disparaging remarks in the 'Somatic Conjuror' :

"About three years since, a gentleman connected with the Art of Legerdemain, performing at the Polytechnic Institute, in Melbourne, was pleased to style himself The Man of Miracles, and one of the supposed miracles perpetrated by him was the so-called Spiritual Vision, or Second Sight, with this exception-his medium, instead of being on the stage, was out of sight. Upon his receiving the article for description, he returned it to the owner, and, placing a telescope to his eye for an instant, looked round the hall, as he asserted in search of the spirit that was to give the replies. He then proceeded to ask the question in a leading manner, so that the answer would be confined to the simple affirmative or negative of Yes or No, which was conveyed by sounds, sometimes produced by a blow from a hammer on the ground, or the striking of a glass tumbler or other article at hand; but each sound being distinct from the former, was to lead to the belief that a different spirit in each case replied."

Wilton used this performer as a prime example of someone deceiving the public with the pretence of spiritualism; but the performer in question was an Irishman under the Germanic name of Herr von Kehl, whose appearances at the Polytechnic were greeted with derision by the press. "The spiritualism", wrote The Age of April 26, 1865, "was a transparent delusion, and it is not too much to say that the rest of the performance was an obvious illusion, or delusion also … he clearly has no right to the title of a 'man of miracles'. "

In June 1868 Wilton started advertising for a wanted "Comic and Characteristic Singer" to appear at the Royal Colosseum Theatre at 283 Bourke Street, where he was putting together a variety cast for the grand re-opening of that refurbished hall, under the title of "Manager". The Colosseum would go on to cater to a mainly working-class audience for many years, finally becoming the Victoria Hall and the Melba picture theatre until it closed in 1978. Wilton did put together a sizeable troupe including Emma Weippert and the Wieland Troupe of acrobats.

The term 'manager' seems to refer mostly to the management of whatever company was playing at a theatre, and is probably closer to the modern-day term 'producer'. By August the Colosseum's manager was shown as Charles Wright, and Wilton would go on to lease a number of other theatres to house his current attractions; in January 1869 he was at the Lyceum Theatre in the Varieties Hotel, Spring Creek which was a bustling goldrush town ("… a most horrible place", wrote Wilton. (12) "We are walking up to the calves of our legs in dust … our entertainment 'Matrimony' is crowding the hall nightly").

In April 1869 he had the Bijou Theatre at Ballarat, playing farces, song and dance and a burlesque of "Golden Hair".

Constantly moving on to the next great opportunity, Wilton made his closest-ever association with Robert Heller, when he was listed (11) as the Agent for Mr. William Adam Chapman in his "Temple of Magic" in Melbourne at the fairly prestigious St.George's Hall which, for a year, was re-named as Weston's Opera House under the ownership of Frank W. Weston (13). Weston, among other interests, was known as the "Wizard Oil Prince" for his patent medicine.

Chapman's show was a direct copy of Heller's, and during November the two played in opposition at Weston's and at the Apollo Hall. Chapman was performing both "Second Sight" and "The Spirit Sack", neither of which seemed to offend Wilton's sensibilities concerning spirit fraud.

In December, Chapman and Wilton moved over to Ballarat at the Mechanics' Institute, but Chapman became entangled in a legal dispute with Weston and was hauled into court on a charge of larceny, and Wilton was required to testify as a witness. (Chapman was later cleared of the charges). That seems to have been the end of the association, and by mid- January 1870 Wilton was engaged to join a Minstrel company as agent, general manager and Buffo Vocalist, the main artistes being Mr N La Fuelliade, late violinist and composer from Weston's Opera House, Emma Weippert and Professor Vaughan and his trained canaries; their first stop was Ballarat, then to Launceston in March 1870.

This was the time at which "The Somatic Conjuror" was being released, but Mr. Wilton being a man of numerous talents, assisted Mr La Fuelliade by writing the lyrics to the ballad "She Whispers of Home" which had some lasting success, and some bland lyrics to the "Flying Squadron Galop" (publisher Charles Troedel), which was just one of at least four musical works under that name, by different composers.

During 1870 a dispute arose between the bondholders of the Duke of Edinburgh Theatre, formerly the Haymarket Theatre, in Bourke Street, over who should have the rights to lease or use the theatre. The complex issues seems to have revolved around an alleged monopoly held by George Coppin. Ultimately Mr. Wilton slipped in and acquired the lease to the theatre and announced a grand re-opening night on May 14, with burlesque, comedies, vaudeville, farce, and grand spectacular ballets. His advertisement was headed "No Monopoly Theatre" and pricing was geared to attract the common man. An advertisement of May 28 included a tribute to Wilton from his company, praising him for "destroying a monopoly that for so long a time has succeeded in keeping out of employment a large number of the theatrical profession, and has been the means of driving almost all the responsible members of it out of the colony."

It was of no use; by June the theatre was again closed through lack of patronage - and in 1871 the Haymarket complex, which had never achieved its potential, burned to the ground.

More could be written of H.B. Wilton, but having gone past the 1870 publication date of The Somatic Conjuror, it is time to move on, only noting his publication in 1872 of an interesting paper called "The New Era of 1972" in which he predicted some wonderful improvements of the current time, with the arrival of ships of immense burthen, and exciting races between balloons"; also his participation in a new "Dramatic, Operatic, Musical and Equestrian Association" of which Coppin was the Chair.

(1) The Age, Melbourne, November 18, 1869

The earlier source for a detailed description of Second Sight is Henry Ridgely Evans' book "The Old and the New Magic", The Open Court Publishing Co (Chicago) 1906, pages 189-200.

(4) The Melbourne printing and publishing firm of Clarson, Massina & Co., at 72 and 15 Little Collins Street Melbourne, was formed by the split of the Melbourne and Sydney branches of Clarson, Shallard and Co. in about 1866. William Clarson left Melbourne for Sydney in 1872, and the firm became A. H. Massina & Co. in 1876.

Their output included plays, poems, and music including the 'Weston and Hussey Minstrels Book of Songs' No.1 and 2, in September 1869. They were a firm intent on promoting local Australian writing and content.

(5) Brian McCullagh, in "Under the Southern Cross: Australian Published Magic Books 1858-2000" published privately in 2001, lists on page xi the titles "Magical Grammar or the Fashionable Science of Parlour Magic" (John Henry Anderson 129th edition c.1858), "The Wizard's Pocket Book" (Washington Simmons 1863), "Robert Heller - His Doings " c.1869, and "The Somatic Conjuror" by H.B.Wilton 1870, as the earliest known Australian-published magic books.

(6) "The Magic Circle Mirror, official organ of the Magic Circle of Victoria, incorporating Will Alma's Magic Review." The magazine ran from March 1971 - January 1977 and was effectively compiled, edited, printed and filled by Alma with not much input from others. His extensive series of articles on the "history of magic and magicians who have appeared in Australia" is one of the most important documents of Australian magic research, and is based on the large W.G.Alma Conjuring Collection now located at the State Library of Victoria.

Alma's writing about Robert Heller, in the issues for April 1972, November and December 1972, and January through June 1973, is probably the most, and possibly the only, detailed examination of Heller in Australia, although he focuses on the Melbourne shows, and much more might be written.

(7) Not to be confused with W.H. Fuller, champion roller skater, who was brought to Australia around the same time by George Coppin.

(8) Bendigo Advertiser, August 6, 1866

(9) Weippert family - https://www.sydney.edu.au/paradisec/australharmony/register-W-1.php

(10) The Magic Circle Mirror, March 1973

(11) Ballarat Courier December 2, 1869 p.3

(12) The Herald (Melbourne) January 20, 1869.

(13) https://bellanta.wordpress.com/2007/07/18/frank-weston-the-wizard-oil-prince-3/

(14) Patey family history links at:

(15) John Patey's convict records including his Conduct Record are at https://www.linc.tas.gov.au/archive-heritage/guides-records/Pages/census.aspx