Read Online The Secret Life of Houdini by William Kalush, Larry Sloman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: William Kalush, Larry Sloman
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escape act. At the end of September 1895, Houdini had bought a handcuff escape act (basically a ring of handcuff keys) from W. D. LeRoy, a Boston-based magician turned magic dealer. The act itself had been created by a brilliant inventor named (ironically) B. B. Keyes. Determined to improve Metamorphosis, Houdini began to fetter his hands with handcuffs instead of rope or braid. On November 8, 1895, he even offered to use a pair of borrowed handcuffs from an audience member for the effect, much as he would sometimes borrow a jacket from the audience and put it on right before he entered the trunk, the jacket magically being worn by Bess when she was brought out.
Cognizant of the fact that most people not only didn’t own their own pair of handcuffs but also probably had never even handled a pair and certainly didn’t know much about cuffs, chains, or shackles, Houdini came up with the brilliant idea of promoting his shows by challenging the unassailable authorities in the field of restraint—the police. Unlike his previous monetary “prize” challenges, here Houdini was not challenging others to prove themselves, now he was defying the authorities to keep him subjugated. On November 22, Houdini walked into the police station in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and offered to escape from any handcuffs they could place on him. And he did, freeing himself from both the modern and “old-time” police bracelets. This dramatic challenge and escape naturally got much attention in the newspapers. He repeated this publicity stunt in every city for the rest of the tour.
By March of 1896, the ante had been raised. After an exhibition of escaping from handcuffs in the New Britain police station, Houdini announced that he would “release himself” from any pair of handcuffs that were brought to the show. Houdini had hit on a surefire way of demonstrating his prowess. If the audience couldn’t come with him to his exhibitions in the police stations, he would bring the authorities onstage.
On June 10, responding to announcements that Houdini would test “anything in St. John [New Brunswick] that could bind him,” Officer Baxter and private citizens Arthur McGinley and John McCafferty strode onstage laden with heavy chains, handcuffs, and leg irons. They wrapped the chains around his body and handcuffed Houdini with his hands behind his back. At the same time they shackled his feet. Helped into his small curtained cabinet that he called his “ghost box,” he took only minutes to emerge a free man. It was such a marvelous performance that many in the audience were convinced that he was “in league with the spirits.”
A few weeks later, at the Academy of Music in Halifax, after an announcement had been made that Houdini could release himself from any handcuffs that might be brought onstage, Sergeant Collins came forward with police handcuffs and with the assistance of Mr. Urnan, the chef at the Halifax Hotel, trussed the magician into an impossible-looking contorted position. It took him a little more than a minute to free himself. The performance was billed as “Escape from Dorchester.” The seeds of Houdini’s world-famous challenge handcuff act had been sown.
Houdini’s police challenges never failed to generate press, but he knew from his experience with circus parades that outdoor spectacles were instrumental in generating word-of-mouth publicity for those who might not read a daily newspaper. On a pleasant summer day in Halifax, Houdini invited the press, local dignitaries, and any curious bystanders to convene on a highway outside of town to see him make an escape that had never been attempted before. All of the local reporters showed up, one even accompanied by the owner of his paper. After all, who would want to miss seeing this young magician free himself after he had been tied onto the back of a horse like some Wild West desperado? After exchanging pleasantries with the group, Houdini mounted his steed. First his
Cognizant of the fact that most people not only didn’t own their own pair of handcuffs but also probably had never even handled a pair and certainly didn’t know much about cuffs, chains, or shackles, Houdini came up with the brilliant idea of promoting his shows by challenging the unassailable authorities in the field of restraint—the police. Unlike his previous monetary “prize” challenges, here Houdini was not challenging others to prove themselves, now he was defying the authorities to keep him subjugated. On November 22, Houdini walked into the police station in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and offered to escape from any handcuffs they could place on him. And he did, freeing himself from both the modern and “old-time” police bracelets. This dramatic challenge and escape naturally got much attention in the newspapers. He repeated this publicity stunt in every city for the rest of the tour.
By March of 1896, the ante had been raised. After an exhibition of escaping from handcuffs in the New Britain police station, Houdini announced that he would “release himself” from any pair of handcuffs that were brought to the show. Houdini had hit on a surefire way of demonstrating his prowess. If the audience couldn’t come with him to his exhibitions in the police stations, he would bring the authorities onstage.
On June 10, responding to announcements that Houdini would test “anything in St. John [New Brunswick] that could bind him,” Officer Baxter and private citizens Arthur McGinley and John McCafferty strode onstage laden with heavy chains, handcuffs, and leg irons. They wrapped the chains around his body and handcuffed Houdini with his hands behind his back. At the same time they shackled his feet. Helped into his small curtained cabinet that he called his “ghost box,” he took only minutes to emerge a free man. It was such a marvelous performance that many in the audience were convinced that he was “in league with the spirits.”
A few weeks later, at the Academy of Music in Halifax, after an announcement had been made that Houdini could release himself from any handcuffs that might be brought onstage, Sergeant Collins came forward with police handcuffs and with the assistance of Mr. Urnan, the chef at the Halifax Hotel, trussed the magician into an impossible-looking contorted position. It took him a little more than a minute to free himself. The performance was billed as “Escape from Dorchester.” The seeds of Houdini’s world-famous challenge handcuff act had been sown.
Houdini’s police challenges never failed to generate press, but he knew from his experience with circus parades that outdoor spectacles were instrumental in generating word-of-mouth publicity for those who might not read a daily newspaper. On a pleasant summer day in Halifax, Houdini invited the press, local dignitaries, and any curious bystanders to convene on a highway outside of town to see him make an escape that had never been attempted before. All of the local reporters showed up, one even accompanied by the owner of his paper. After all, who would want to miss seeing this young magician free himself after he had been tied onto the back of a horse like some Wild West desperado? After exchanging pleasantries with the group, Houdini mounted his steed. First his
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