London was abuzz with excitement. The city, a melting pot of urban clamor and culture, couldn't believe its luck. Two of the world's greatest magicians were in town, performing at rival theaters, the Hippodrome and the Empire. Both men, Chinese, hated each other and were equally convinced that the other was a fraud. Something had to give.

Several years earlier, in 1899, Ching Ling Foo, the more established of the Chinese magicians toured the United States and received rave reviews for his unique brand of magic. While in New York, Foo, a man with a keen sense for the dramatic, laid out a challenge. If anyone could duplicate his famous water bowl trick, he would give them $1000. Unfortunately for the challengers it was a publicity stunt and Foo, no fool, had no intention of going through with it. One magician, unaware of Foo's real motives, accepted the challenge. Foo, already famous, didn't need the distraction. The challenge was forgotten and the man was sent home packing.

Several years later Ching Ling Foo descended on London, looking to bring the same brand of magic to the world's most famous city. He arrived only to find that a new Chinese magician had beaten him to the punch. This new magician, Chung Ling Soo, enraptured audiences all over England with a bevy of tricks that endeared him to Londoners in the same way that Foo had once done in the States. Foo, convinced that Soo was a fraud, challenged Soo to reproduce 10 of his 20 tricks. Chung Ling Soo, convinced that Foo was a fraud accepted the challenge and arrived at the appointed meeting place ready to do battle. In a dramatic turn of events, Ching Ling Foo, failed to show up. The battle anxiously waited by all, never materialized. Some speculated that the whole thing was an elaborate publicity stunt arranged by Chung Ling Soo, but no one knew for sure. Foo, fled to China, leaving the city and the spot light to Chung Ling Soo.

Chung Ling Soo went on to a produce incredible magic in London and all over the world. In 1909 Soo performed to sold out shows throughout Australia. Audiences couldn't help but fall under his spell as he presented magic that played on their curiosity and thirst for Chinese mysticism. During his shows he rarely talked and when he did, he only muttered broken English phrases. He gave interviews, but only with his interpreter by his side. In his line of work English was not necessary; his magic did the talking for him.

Once in awhile, while in London, Chung Ling Soo defied the law of physics by performing his most dangerous trick, the "Bullet Catch". Soo, standing on one side of the stage, asked a man (part of his show) on the other side of the stage to point a gun at him and shoot him. A bullet would then be marked by an audience member, placed in the gun, and shot at the across the stage where Soo would catch it with a plate. Audiences gasped when Soo pulled the bullet out of the plate, revealing the mark placed by the audience member.

On March 23rd, 1918 at the Wood Green Empire Theater, Chung Ling Soo once again treated a sold out audience to the Bullet Catch. Soo proceeded to do the trick as he always had done. The audience member came up and marked the bullet, Soo went over to the marksmen and handed over the bullet and walked back to the other side of the stage. Members of the audience covered their ears as the gun shot rang through the auditorium. Soo, standing ready to catch the bullet with the plate, never managed to catch it. He clutched at his chest and keeled over. He was rushed to the hospital, but nothing could be done. The great Chinese Conjurer, Chung Ling Soo, was dead.

You can imagine the shock that rippled through the city, a magician, as famous as Chung Ling Soo, dead after performing his signature stunt. Londoners clamored for details and the newspapers obliged. The story, once about a famous magician getting caught in the cross hairs of a trick gone bad, fell to the background when a new bombshell of a revelation exploded all over the papers. Chung Ling Soo, the great Chinese Conjurer, wasn't Chinese; in fact he wasn't even Asian. He was an American of Scottish descent named William Ellsworth Robinson; A white, Anglo Saxon man from New York City.

A Short History of William Robinson:

Robinson's ascent to the top of the world of magic did not happen quickly. He grew up in New York City watching his father work as a stage manager for Harry Hill's "Concert Saloon", a place that introduced him to show business and the world of magic. Robinson, not the best performer, was a magnificent designer of tricks and props. In fact he worked for some of the best magicians, including Herrmann The Great and Harry Kellar. Robinson was so successful at designing tricks and props that Herrmann and Kellar fought for his services. For his part, Robinson was discontent, he wanted something more, he wanted to be on the stage. Unfortunately, he was not a gifted performer. He lacked stage presence and the ability to charm and manipulate an audience. He struck out on his own, billing himself as "The Man of Mystery." Robinson enjoyed some mild success but he never received the accolades he thought that he deserved.

In 1899, Robinson decided to pattern his magic act off none other than Ching Ling Foo, his future rival. After Ching Ling Foo had denied him the opportunity to prove that he could duplicate Foo's water bowl trick, Robinson hatched a plan. In a brilliant move, he headed off to Europe with a bag packed full of Chinese garb and morphed into "Chung Ling Soo." Robinson became famous and toured the world, fooling his audiences all the way to the bank. It wasn't until that fateful night in 1918 that the general public became aware of the charade.

Many within the inner circles of magic knew about the charade, including, I am sure Ching Ling Foo. From all accounts it appears that the general public was unaware of Soo's true identity and bought into his Chinese persona hook, line and sinker. Ironically, Robinson's failure as a magician highlighted his ability to pull the grand daddy of all deceptions, the deception of identity. Unfortunately, duplicity and deceit can only get you so far when trying to stop an unexpected bullet. William Robinson, the master of deception, died as he lived, in another man's clothes.

Pictures of William Robinson a.k.a Chung Ling Soo