Known for 'cutting men to pieces', Dr Lynn was once famous worldwide
Legend has it that John Wesley Simmons used to walk around Tokyo in the 1860s with a loaded gun under one hand, and his head tucked under the other. People pretty much left him alone. Simmons—also known as Washington Blythe, Washington Simmons, and, most famously, Dr Lynn—was the first Western magician to appear in Japan after the country opened up to foreigners in the mid-19th century. More than 50 years before sawing assistants into two measures of illusionist skill, Simmons dismembered a man every night and put him back together for a paying audience. As Dr Lynn, Simmons was one of the most famous and successful illusionists of his time, but his contributions to the wizarding world have been largely forgotten outside of fans and historians. John Wesley Simmons, appearing as Dr Lynn, was the first Western magician to perform in Japan. ( Provided: National Portrait Gallery (United Kingdom) ) He was a pioneer in several stage magic techniques, a talented performer, and is said to be t