Page "P. T. Selbit" Paragraph 8

Other magicians rapidly attempted to emulate and improve upon Selbit's trick.

Within months, American magician Horace Goldin presented a version in which the assistant's head, hands and feet were seen in full view throughout the trick.

Goldin was aggressive in the use of legal measures to try to prevent anyone from competing with him.

When Selbit arrived in America to tour with his sawing illusion he found that Goldin had registered many possible titles for the act with the Vaudeville Managers ' Protective Agency.

Selbit was thus forced to bill his act as " The Divided Woman ", which had less dramatic impact than the idea of sawing through a woman.

Selbit tried to sue Goldin for stealing his idea but the action failed when it was ruled that Goldin's illusion was sufficiently different.