A blindfold display?

Brooklyn Chess Chronicle Vol. II, 1884.05.15 p. 115:

On the 6th of April last Mr. J. H. Zukertort arrived in Cincinnati, where he played twenty.five simultaneous games, winning seventeen, losing six and drawing two. The winners against him were Messrs. Ettlinger, Charles Miller, F. Miller, J. W. Miller, Lukenbach and Euphrat.

On the afternoon of the 7th he played ten simultaneous blindfold games, winning five, losing four (see: Zukertort vs Joseph W Miller, 1884) and drawing one. <In the evening he gave another exhibition of blindfold playing, meeting fifteen opponents>, of whom he defeated twelve, resigned to two (see: Zukertort vs J W Lukenbach, 1884), and drew with the other. He also played several off-hand games, winning all played on even terms.

On the 8th he played six blindfold games against Messrs. Treichler, Ettlinger, V. Abraham, Thowalter, Dr. Keeney and Euphrat, winning all but one, which he resigned to Mr. Ettlinger ...

<<Last night Dr. Zukertort again took up the playing, with fifteen tables, occupied by the following gentlemen: Messrs. Charles L. Burgoyne, Charles F. Nordhoff, J. W. Lukenbach, Henry W. Bettman, Edgar Bettman, Jacob Bettman, B. Stanton, Rev. R. Benjamin [sic; Rev. D. W. Rhodes, Dr. Benjamin], W. R. Williamson, A. Ettlinger, Charles Miller, J. Treichler, S. Euphrat, H. Loewe, Dr. W. Fitton, of Cincinnati, and Albert Silva, of Newport.

Beginning the playing at 8:30 o’clock, Dr. Zukertort facetiously remarked that, “Please watch your boards—the more moves you make, the quicker I shall get through.” From this on through the game nothing cold be heard but the click, click of kings, queens and castles, with now and then an audible “check!” while the Doctor moved with a noiseless tread around the circle of tables. One of the features of his playing is his remarkable memory, as he keeps the moves of each player in his head, and did not occupy over half second of time at each table, these being arranged in parallel rows near the center of the room. The playing proceeded promptly, and the games progressed without interruption until Mr. Stanton was the first to resign, the Doctor’s last move being Bishop to Rook 6, taking pawn. Then followed Mr. Williamson, he, to use his own expression, being “driven from pillar to post,” until the Doctor, in his last move, “checked,” taking the castle and checking again. The third gentleman to resign was Mr. Jacob Bettman. Dr. Zukertort lost his first game to Mr. Lukenbach at 9:45. At ten minutes past 10 Mr. Charles F. Nordhoff resigned, to keep from being checkmated, and immediately afterwards Mr. Burgoyne received a checkmate. Dr. Zukertort gave up his second game to Mr. Ettlinger, at 10:15, it being a four Knights game.

At 10:20 Mr. Edgar Bettman secured a draw, and shortly afterward Rev. D. W. Rhodes resigned, followed by Mr. Silva and Dr. Benjamin, the latter of whom was mated. From this on to the close of the games resignations were frequent, the exhibition closing at 11:30 o’clock, after a very interesting evening’s entertainment, the Doctor winning twelve games, losing two and one a draw.>

<<At 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon, at the rooms of the Cincinnati Literary Club on Fourth street, over Smith & Nixon’s, Dr. John [sic] Herman Zukertort, chess champion of the world, gave his first exhibition of simultaneous chess play in this city. He had ten opponents, seated at as many tables, their names being the Messrs. Fitton, of Hamilton, O., Judge Abraham, J. W. Miller, J. W. Luchenbach [sic; Lukenbach], Dr. Benjamin, F. Miller, Charles Miller, Dr. E. W. Keeney, S. Euphrat, and Mr. Showalter. The champion opened at each board with pawn to king’s fourth, which was variously responded to. He walked rapidly from board to board, enjoying a cigar during his mental exercise. Dr. Zukertort is decidedly a light weight physically, with every appearance of being a man of cultivation and scholarship. His manner is brisk and pleasant, and his conversation affable and witty. He is a good specimen of the cosmopolitan gentleman.

The Doctor hardly met with his usual success, for at the end of about an hour’s play Judge Abraham secured a draw, while J. W. Miller, F. Miller, S. Euphrat, and Charles Miller won in succession. The score, therefore, was—Zukertort, won 5; lost, 4; drawn, 1. We believe this is a better score than has been made against the champion in any other American city; but of course such peripatetic skirmishing does not bring out more than a fraction of the champion’s strength. Another and similar exhibition was given in the evening.>

Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, 1884.04.08, p4>