replaced by one of angry surprise.
“Are you
satisfied?
” asked “Walter.”
“Contrary to all the newspaper reports,” Houdini told them before the next sitting, “I have
not
been baffled along with every other investigator.”
“You’re
still
not convinced?” Malcolm Bird looked offended. “You heard the bell last night. We all heard it.”
“Obvious fraud,” Houdini responded.
“Mr. Houdini.” Bird’s features tightened with resentment. “Every single condition in the séance room—down to the very construction of the solid wood cabinet—was yours.”
“Completely false,” the magician said. “The conditions were
not
mine.
“Further, I accuse you, Mr. Bird, of being totally untrustworthy and I forbid you from being present in the séance room any longer. I have canceled a valuable stage tour to attend these sittings and I will not be trifled with or lied to.”
Malcolm Bird, infuriated, could barely speak. “That’s it for me,” he managed to say before he stormed from the room.
Houdini’s smile was cold. “Perhaps now we can have an
honest
test,” he said.
Fifteen minutes later, Mina Crandon, attired in dressing gown, silk stockings and slippers, was helped into the cabinet by her husband.
Houdini shut the cabinet and locked it carefully.
“Now,”
he said.
He looked at Dr. Crandon. “Professor MacDougall will hold your wife’s right hand this evening.”
“You don’t trust me either?” Dr. Crandon challenged.
“In matters of this sort, I trust no one,” Houdini answered. “Least of all, you, the subject’s husband.”
“You believe I will deliberately assist her in deceiving you,” Dr. Crandon said, his expression one of ill-contained rage.
“I believe it possible that you already have,” Houdini replied.
Dr. Crandon shuddered, attempting to repress his fury. “She is accustomed to my holding her right hand,” he said.
A look of anger twisted the magician’s face. “Either Professor MacDougall holds her right hand or I will declare this sitting null and void and consequently do all within my power to discredit any further sittings by your wife.”
Dr. Prince took hold of Dr. Crandon’s arm to restrain him. Crandon looked at him abruptly, then back at Houdini. He was about to speak when his wife said, “It’s all right, Goddard. Let it be.”
Dr. Crandon filled his lungs with slow, deep breath, then nodded once and moved to one of the chairs against the wall.
“Dr. Prince will, as usual, hold the mediums’ left hand,” Houdini said, giving the word ‘medium’ an emphasis of obvious scorn.
Dr. Crandon began to rise from his chair, then sank back down as Carrington reached out and gripped his shoulder.
“The man is intolerable,” Crandon murmured.
Carrington’s smile was partly sad, partly amused. “I know,” he replied quietly.
As Dr. Comstock was moving to extinguish the lights, Houdini said, “One moment, I want to check the cabinet again.”
“Dear God.” Dr. Crandon looked around the room as though to avoid the sight of the small magician as Houdini unlocked and opened the cabinet again, then peered inside, feeling around the interior, aided by his assistant.
“Very well,” he finally said.
He closed the cabinet again and re-locked it. He and his assistant took their places by the table as Dr. Comstock turned off the lights and felt his way to his chair.
Within a minute, Margery’s “control”—ostensibly her deceased brother Walter—burst through, his voice incensed.
“We will not continue with this sitting!” he said. “The
magician
plans to trick us!”
“What?”
Houdini sounded outraged.
“He has hidden a collapsible ruler under the cushion beneath the medium’s feet!” raged “Walter.” “There will be no sitting! Turn on the lights!”
A frowning Dr. Comstock rose and felt his way back to the light switch.
“I forbid this!” cried Houdini.
“
There will be no sitting!
” Walter cut him off.
As
“Are you
satisfied?
” asked “Walter.”
“Contrary to all the newspaper reports,” Houdini told them before the next sitting, “I have
not
been baffled along with every other investigator.”
“You’re
still
not convinced?” Malcolm Bird looked offended. “You heard the bell last night. We all heard it.”
“Obvious fraud,” Houdini responded.
“Mr. Houdini.” Bird’s features tightened with resentment. “Every single condition in the séance room—down to the very construction of the solid wood cabinet—was yours.”
“Completely false,” the magician said. “The conditions were
not
mine.
“Further, I accuse you, Mr. Bird, of being totally untrustworthy and I forbid you from being present in the séance room any longer. I have canceled a valuable stage tour to attend these sittings and I will not be trifled with or lied to.”
Malcolm Bird, infuriated, could barely speak. “That’s it for me,” he managed to say before he stormed from the room.
Houdini’s smile was cold. “Perhaps now we can have an
honest
test,” he said.
Fifteen minutes later, Mina Crandon, attired in dressing gown, silk stockings and slippers, was helped into the cabinet by her husband.
Houdini shut the cabinet and locked it carefully.
“Now,”
he said.
He looked at Dr. Crandon. “Professor MacDougall will hold your wife’s right hand this evening.”
“You don’t trust me either?” Dr. Crandon challenged.
“In matters of this sort, I trust no one,” Houdini answered. “Least of all, you, the subject’s husband.”
“You believe I will deliberately assist her in deceiving you,” Dr. Crandon said, his expression one of ill-contained rage.
“I believe it possible that you already have,” Houdini replied.
Dr. Crandon shuddered, attempting to repress his fury. “She is accustomed to my holding her right hand,” he said.
A look of anger twisted the magician’s face. “Either Professor MacDougall holds her right hand or I will declare this sitting null and void and consequently do all within my power to discredit any further sittings by your wife.”
Dr. Prince took hold of Dr. Crandon’s arm to restrain him. Crandon looked at him abruptly, then back at Houdini. He was about to speak when his wife said, “It’s all right, Goddard. Let it be.”
Dr. Crandon filled his lungs with slow, deep breath, then nodded once and moved to one of the chairs against the wall.
“Dr. Prince will, as usual, hold the mediums’ left hand,” Houdini said, giving the word ‘medium’ an emphasis of obvious scorn.
Dr. Crandon began to rise from his chair, then sank back down as Carrington reached out and gripped his shoulder.
“The man is intolerable,” Crandon murmured.
Carrington’s smile was partly sad, partly amused. “I know,” he replied quietly.
As Dr. Comstock was moving to extinguish the lights, Houdini said, “One moment, I want to check the cabinet again.”
“Dear God.” Dr. Crandon looked around the room as though to avoid the sight of the small magician as Houdini unlocked and opened the cabinet again, then peered inside, feeling around the interior, aided by his assistant.
“Very well,” he finally said.
He closed the cabinet again and re-locked it. He and his assistant took their places by the table as Dr. Comstock turned off the lights and felt his way to his chair.
Within a minute, Margery’s “control”—ostensibly her deceased brother Walter—burst through, his voice incensed.
“We will not continue with this sitting!” he said. “The
magician
plans to trick us!”
“What?”
Houdini sounded outraged.
“He has hidden a collapsible ruler under the cushion beneath the medium’s feet!” raged “Walter.” “There will be no sitting! Turn on the lights!”
A frowning Dr. Comstock rose and felt his way back to the light switch.
“I forbid this!” cried Houdini.
“
There will be no sitting!
” Walter cut him off.
As
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