UNMASKING CHUNG LING SOO : LIFE BEHIND AN ALIAS

It's the night of March 23rd 1918, you're sat in the stalls of the Wood Green Empire. Anticipation and excitement fills the air as you wait to see Chung Ling Soo perform his famous Bullet Catch, "Condemned to Death by the Boxers." Little do you know this is the last effect you would ever see him do... You watch as his assistant fires the Musket. Gun powder residue fills the air. The Great Chung Ling Soo staggers back, collapsing to the floor as the bullet punctures his lung. A trick performed countless times by the magician of the orient had failed. Though something far peculiar would ensue. His last word's... "Oh my God. Something's happened. Lower the Curtain." Uttered in perfect English. William Ellsworth Robinson would be rushed to Passmore Edwards College Hospital, He passed the following morning.

EARLY LIFE

William E. Robinson

Born April 2nd 1861 in Westchester County, New York. The youngest of three, William Ellsworth Robinson had early exposure to the world of Entertainment. His father James ; a Scottish Immigrant and variety performer. Would entertain with a hybrid act consisting of, Ventriloquism, Hypnotism, Impersonations and Magic in minstrel shows. The Robinsons would move to New York City, as a means for his father to obtain more work. This would open up the door for young William Robinson. His Father would stage mange at the Houston Street Concert Saloon, filling in on stage when necessary. At just 15 he was performing under the title 'Robinson, The Man of Mystery' on the Vaudeville circuit. His younger Brother Edward would become his first assistant as he performed coin and card tricks at school assemblies and private functions.

He'd continue this path and meet his first wife Bessie Smith at 21, she was just 16 at the time, They married in February 1883, and become a full time assistant to Robinson. He would dabble in ventriloquism as "The Man of Many Voices" and jumped on to The Spiritualist Bandwagon as "The Famous Spiritualist". However reviews of this diversion from magic were mediocre at best. Bessie would give birth to their first son Elmore in 1885, she would leave the show to raise their son.

Though successful and making a comfortable living he dreamed of a Headline title. This drive would light the fuse to an explosive plethora of identities. His first personality shift happened at 26 in 1887 as Egyptian Mystic 'Achmed Ben Ali ; The Black Art Illusionist', a possible homage to a German magician of the era, Max Auzinger who performed under the name, Ben Ali Bey. Whilst touring this act he would meet his second wife to be Olive "Path" (Augusta Pfaff) in Cleveland, Ohio. She would go on to become his assistant. As a Devout Catholic, divorce from Bessie was no option so they parted ways.

KELLAR - HERRMANN

He was scouted by none other than the Dean of American Magicians, Harry Kellar on the same tour. Kellar would offer Robinson $60 a week as well as a salary for his wife to help build illusions, perform his black art act, understudy and stage manage his theatrical endeavors. He was officially employed in 1887 Kellar would change his image and persona to Nana Sahib the "East Indian Necromancer in Oriental Occultism." During his tenure Robinson would develop a levitation illusion using a special harness and derrick he developed with machinist Benjamin Keyes. This arrangement would last just shy of half a decade, where in 1893 he and Dot would leave Kellar after a more lucrative proposal from Alexander Herrmann. He would take his levitation and Black Art Illusions with him. Herrmann disproved of his previously attributed title and reinvented his stage persona yet again, he was now Abdul Khan.

Herrmann; a magician of the classics would started performing new material, and in 1894 he incorporated a new illusions into his show, Lady In Cabinet an illusion virtually identical to one Robinson had performed with Kellar. Affirming that Robinson was partial to disclosing secrets. His private life was the antithesis of this ethos, for he still proclaimed he and Path were happily married, Bessie his former and legally current wife had moved on, their son Elmore ending up in an Orphanage for he didn't fit into their remit of family being born on the crossroads of their relationship.

Herrmann would take a brief summer vacation to Europe. Dot and Robinson would briefly rid himself of his eastern visage, adopting his classic tails touring the Catskill Mountains and Bostin. This would reinforce his distaste to perform as himself onstage. He would end his contract with Herrmann in 1895 rekindling his relationship with his previous employer... Kellar had returned from a short trip away from London's home of mystery, Egyptian Hall. This time with a plethora of illusionary sketches, in the hope that Robinson would revert back to working with him and bring Herrmann's best effects with him on the condition he readopted Kellar's appointed persona Nana Sahib. He took the bait and left Herrmann who would die a year later leaving a vast amount of debts to his wife Adelaide who continued to perform in an effort to recoup the debts.

CHING LING FOO - THE INSPIRATION

Robinson as 'Chung Ling Soo"

Robinson would part from Kellar for good in the hope he could still put together a solo vaudeville show with his wife, at this point Robinson had spent the majority of his life performing in silence under various personalities. He hadn't mastered orating to vast theatres and was rather timid who had anxieties concerning his crooked teeth. Consequently he'd shelve this dream for good and tour briefly with Adelaide Herrmann alongside tipping secrets to magicians and publishing a book on magic Spirit Slate Writing & Kindred Phenomena in 1898. Lost and aimless he travelled to Nebraska Attending the Trans Mississippi Exposition. Whilst at the fair he bore witness to a genuine magician of the Orient, Ching Ling Foo. With all new illusions brought from China. He utilised broad gestures and silence within his performance. This epitomised everything Robinson knew but through an authentic lens. Foo would headline in New York and Robison would attend countless performances sat in the theatre studying every nuance of the act. He would leave Adelaide Herrmann and Co. in 1899 ready for his penultimate persona. He was now Hop Ling Soo. this would be his most extreme transformation. Shaving his Iconic mustache and hairline, altering his complexion with greasepaint and donning a single braided wig and Oriental robes purchased from China Town. Dot would become his Chinese princess and Lee Fung a genuine Chinese Juggler was employed to reinforce the image.

TAKING EUROPE

European manager Ike Rose invited Hop Ling Soo and Co. to perform in France. As a last ditch effort to make end's meet Robinson sold his levitation and library to finance the trip. Their opening performance was a disaster, Loo's music was slow, and a water bowl illusion went awry flooding the orchestra pit and musicians. The damages were deducted from his salary, Rose fortunately convinced the theatre manager to keep them on the bill for a weeks engagement. Soo soon found his feet, adopting this new visage more comfortably than ever. Their next stop London (1901). Ike had one proposition that he change his name, He decided to go the full mile changing his forename to Chung, a variation (or direct rip) of the magician who sparked this fraudulent persona Ching Ling Foo. Path would become Suee Seen. He took the act the whole way and refused to speak English to the press, having Fee Lung translate reporter questions in Chinese to Robinson who would respond in Cantonesesque gibberish, Fee Lung would then formulate a response in English in line with the original question. Chung Ling Soo & Troupe would go on to tour the UK earning upwards of $5000 weekly, with bookings up to two years in advance. Their Troupe would grow in excess of 14 member with a new juggler Frank Kametaro who was also their acting stage manager. He was Japanese who spoke English but no Chinese but would engage in reporter question and gibberish translation nonetheless.

RIVALRY

In 1904 Ching Ling Foo began his European tour in London.  He was getting limited bookings as a result of Soo’s troupe and launched a smear campaign against the fraudulent conjurer.  Foo would challenge Soo to a duel of magic to prove who the real Chinese illusionist was. Foo would set the terms.  He would win if Soo failed to do ten out of twenty of Foo’s tricks, or if he failed at any one of Soo’s illusions.  Robinson would go onto accept the challenge.

Robinson knew that losing this could cost him his career. 

On the day of the event, Soo and his entourage arrived in pompous splendor.  The small audience consisted of theater managers, who were the judges, and reporters. After waiting half an hour for his competitor to show up, Soo went on to entertain the crowd with ten successive effects. The public cared little about Soo's true identity and the smear campaign against him. Foo wouldn't show up to the conference or attend the challenge by default pronouncing Robinson the winner and mortally wounding Ching Ling Foo's career.  Robinson went on to change his publicity from

“The Wonderful Chinese Conjurer” to “The Original Chinese Conjurer.”

Foo played at the Empire Theater for four weeks while Soo’s booking at the Hippodrome was extended to three months.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY

After 20 years of being together, Robinson and Path, both in their 40s, decided to get married in a brief civil ceremony in March 1906 in England.

Robinson was technically still married to Bessie, although he laid claim that they were divorced. his infidelities made his devotion to Path dubious. They'd go on to play Paris and Brussells, Shortly after marrying Path he would have another child in 1908, but not with her. The mother of this child was a woman named Janet Louise Mary “Lou” Blatchford, only 21 at the time would give Robinson two more children before 1911.

He'd go onto tour Australia and New Zealand in 1909. Path was furious because Blatchford insisted that Robinson acknowledge his baby and take on the responsibilities of a father. Robinson, now ready for a family, agreed. Setting Blatchford up in a home in west London.

Path and Robinson stayed married for the good of the act solely for the sake of their business partnership. 

Path would receive a weekly salary for being Suee Seen. The members of their troupe referred to them as Mr. and Mrs. Soo, even when Blatchford came to visit.  When the company wasn’t touring out of the country, Robinson would visit his family on Sunday. Path and Kametaro were responsible for moving the show to the next location.  Robinson built a workshop behind his house where he could build and test illusions. He'd go on to have two more children. Robinson was for the most part estranged from his family spending more time in his workshop in Lonsdale Rd than he did with his family.

They'd begin a world tout in 1917 but only get as far as Bombay. TRAGEDY

On March 23rd, 1918, Chung Ling Soo, Suee Seen, and their assistants performed before an audience of 1,800 who had come to see

“The World’s Greatest Magician, in a Performance of Oriental Splendor and Weird Mysticism.”

The stage was adorned with backdrops featuring large green dragons, and Soo appeared in intricate robes.

“Condemned to Death by the Boxers”"

The audience waited in anticipation to watch Soo perform

“Condemned to Death by the Boxers”" Nearing the show's conclusion, around 10:45, two audience volunteers marked the bullets to be used, and Soo and his assistant took their positions. Right after the command to fire, Soo staggered backward, and blood began to pour from his chest. The audience was uncertain if this was part of the act until Soo exclaimed in perfect English, "Oh my God. Something's happened. Lower the curtain!"

affirming the rumors around his identity. The curtain was dropped, and a newsreel was played.

Suee Seen rushed onto the stage, and Soo urged her to call for a doctor.

It took about 45 minutes for doctors to arrive, and by then, they could barely detect a pulse. A bullet had grazed his heart, fractured the fifth rib as it entered, and exited through his back. Soo wasn't taken to a hospital until 2:30 am, and he passed away two hours later.

During the coroner's inquest, Path had to disclose the trick's secret so the jury could understand what transpired. She also explained the triangle involving her, her husband, and the woman he lived with. After testimonies from Robinson's other assistants, the coroner, and a gun expert, inspection of the guns unveiled that a buildup of unburned gunpowder cause the modified gun to malfunction sending the bullet out when it only should have ignited a charge of flash powder inside the gun.

The jury deemed Soo's death an accident, referring to it as "death by misadventure."

Copyright © 2025 by Sid Quatrine, Author, Editor