6 HOUDINI IS REMINISCENT HANDCUFF KING TELLS STORY OF HIS LIFE THRILLING INCIDENTS CROWD CAREER Claims the Marvelous Acts He Does Are Simple and Makes No Profession of Magic Powers HY HARRY HOUDINI THIS is not a biography but a story. A biography must commence with the least interesting event of a man's life-the fact that he was born. That must be taken for granted in m> case for my story shall commence with the events of today and take up in re verse order some of the Interesting things that have happened to me since I reached that age at which every self respecting American boy begins to "shift for himself." This Is my second visit to Los An geles. The previous one was In July, 1899 when the Orpheum was located In the present Grand opera house on Main street. What a transformation? In eight yean Los Angeles has changed almost beyond recognition. It was like seeing an old friend gone to the bad to wit ness the difference in Main street today and eight years ago when it was the Important Btreet and the business cen ter of the town. On reaching Los Angeles my first thought was of some friends and ac quaintances met here In 1899. My first visit was to the men who had chained and handcuffed me in my previous ap pearances. Captain Walter H. Auble and Sergeant Sam McKenzie remem- Wea me at once. I need not say that It was a great pleasure to me that they should do so. These officers recalled to me prac tically everything I did at the Or pheum here eight years ago, and Cap tain Auble related one of the little tricks of 1 magic I showed the men In a private exhibition given at police head quarters. Captain Auble is an excellent story teller and I can only approximate the Interesting style In which he narrated the event. "This man Houdinl gave a little ex hibition to the boys up In the assembly hall," said the captain. "He took a package from his pocket, opened It up and showed us they were real needles. Threaded In the Interior? "For further proof he took one of them and stuck It through a fold In his cheek, which he held between his thumb and finger. We saw It stick- Ing through about half an inch. He pulled It out and put it in his mouth. Then he took half the paper of needles and placed them on his tongue. Ho opened his mouth and showed them there. "He chewed up those needles and swallowed them, opened his mouth and showed they had disappeared. In the same way he chewed up and swallowed the other half of the package. "Next he put a few feet of thread Into his mouth and ate that, too. "Finally he opened his mouth and drew out the needles threaded, about ten Inches apart. "Now," concluded the captain, "I am not saying that Houdinl really swallowed those needles and thread or that he has a self-threading stomach. But I saw him do Just what I say, though none of the boys will believe the story when I tell It." This la not told as a proof of my magic powers, but as a tribute to a good friend's excellent memory. The trick was done exactly as he states. It gave me the greatest pleasure to know that my humble efforts at entertaining the force eight years ago have been so well remembered. Sergeant Sam McKenzle was one of the men who shackled me on the Orpheum satge. "I made a good job of it. too," says Sam. "There was no faking about that. But you got out. Perhaps I will try it again before you leave Los Angeles, though I haven't much hopes of beating you." Cuffs Must Be Regular ' The one unpleasant feature of my visit *- - here had Its origin in that same visit to b ¦ police headquarters. I think when Detec- c tive Tom Rico offered to bet a thousand c ;. dollars ' (or was It a million?) that he had . a cuff from which I could not es •' cape he . was not serious and that the i challenge ; was made Jokingly, for he I made no offer to post any money, though r ! I gave him every opportunity to do so. c Probably the joshing to which he was c subjected by other officers and. the news- r I paper reporters nerved him to make the r unfair attempt on Monday evening last, a ' in " which Nhe was so ignomlnlously de . feated. ->.-.' ¦¦¦¦'¦¦' : •¦¦¦'. 1 ; As | there has been . a • great deal of | I I comment on this matter I shall say just ' ¦ a few words about It. . '¦¦? ¦ Let :me say V ,;;. gghB^gBMB B There , was ', nothing especially . difficult K' about, the handcuffs produced. by Rico, If V*, they/ had been : in ' good order." They : were ¦ J what is known as the Marlln or Bottle .'- neck cuff, r paten ted: by a ! Callfornlan. A . ': good cuff, but offering no great difficulties LOS ANGELES HUKAI.D: SUNDAY MOISMNO. SEPTEMBER 29, 1907. Harry Houdini, Wizard of Manacle and Cabinet Tells the Story of His Interesting Career EIGHT PAIRS OF HANDCUFFS PUT ON BY LOB ANGELES DETECTIVES - ... ..:.•¦¦,.• +".-- -:--- v •¦¦•;... ,^i '»c Tl pn WtTrQPES BY SAILORS . ™^ ; . ESCAPE FROM THE GUITEAU CELL hanwuffedandchaneVtob^ ** i» •» v RflAßiikf*! cc apop* r m ainq ill Wl P I NTO LAKE AT EST LAKEPA Rf\ ,„:-!• .... - HOUDINI, LADEN WITH WlftNAk/L ta «" u vn '"' «"•"•-» .....:. i 1- ............ if not tampered with. I have negotiated this class of cuff many hundred times. Looking out of my hotel window I see a street car passing which bears the an nouncement "Houdinl will dive from the pavilion roof, heavily handcuffed, in West lake park, Saturday at 12:30 noon." By the time this Is printed that will be yes terday, and I have every hope that I shall still be alive. Should I fail to get those cuffs loose before my breath gives out you can imagine where I am while you are reading this. Among the feats of similar character that I have carried through might be mentioned the leap from the Seventh street bridge in Pittsburg, Pa., sixty feet into the icy waters of the Allegheny river. A crowd which is said to have numbered nearly 60,000 persons lined the bridge and the banks of the river to witness this. In December last I leaped from the Belle Isle bridge into the Detroit river in the pres ence of one of the largest crowds that ever assembled in that ctiy. Remarkable Escapes Last Friday, which will be the last Fri day week when you read this, I was nailed Into a strong packing case by the employes of the J. M. Hale Co., and the case was then strongly roped by the samp men. I believe that It took nearly eight minutes for me to escape wtihout leaving any indication of my means of egress. Among similar performances which have attracted much attention from the press was escaping from a box made, nailed and roped by the packers of the Henry Slegel store in Boston, and tn closed in another larger box which also was nailed and roped by the same par ties. I have a handsome gold medal pre sented to me by the Siegels In com memoration of this event, which took place on the 25th of Janvary last. I have been confined In packing cases, leather mall pouches, paper sacks, cof fins, wicker baskets, tin-lined piano cases, roll topped desks, casks, plate glass cases with steel angle irons and a sheet steel steam holler. All these events are de tailed in the daily papers of Boston and Toledo during the months of February and March last. Can you imagine a city with the reputation for staidness and dignity which Boston boasts, going Hou dinl crazy? It Is hard, but it is true, and pleasant for me. Nothing that ever visited Boston, except Tom Lawson, has attracted as much attention or received so much newspaper notoriety as I and my act last February. But I am going backward faster than was my intention. Let us get ahead again. In San Francisco two weeks ago a curious challenge was issued to me and accepted. Sailors often boast that whaf they cannot do with ropes is not worth doing. The men of the cruiser St. Louis, then in Frisco harbor, challenged me to escape Irom their nairtlcal knots. They roped and bound me much in the manner that the spider does his victims, but not with gossamar webs. Let me assure you that the cordage which Uncle Sam supplies to his navy is of the best. It will neither stretch nor slip when knotted by half a dozen stout tars. Did I escape? les. but it was a hard trfcl. When the last knot was loosed I was so exhausted that I could scarcely bow my acknowledgments to the applause that followed. I will also say that I was unable to escape until every knot was undone. They left me no chance to slip or wrisKle through their meshes. Fights on the Square I do not relish the thought of a similar experience, but as a public performer It is almost compulsory for me to take up any challenges of this character that are offered. I approach every new challenge with uncertainty for sometime I. shall meet my Waterloo. In every caivor there comes b Gettysburg, and I so to mine. Well, when it comes I shall say— "l have fought a good fight, und I have fought fair." When I am vanquished fairly I will admit defeat like a man, but I demand fair and square opponents. »ye I ever been defeated in a chal i? No, never. I have had many Lrrow escapes. I have been caught napping by men who laid their brains against mine, but always some subtle instinct has warned me when a trap has been laid for me. Scarcely a week passes but someone, falling to defeat me by fair means, resorts to trickery. My experience with men of this class keeps me forever on the alert. The nearest that I ever came to de feat was In the town of Blackburn, England, where I appeared at the Pal ace theater In October, 1902. The chal- j lenger was a man named Hodgson, who seemed to accept my public appearance in Blackburn as a sort of personal af- | front to him in his capacity of principal , of a school of physical culture. H* , challenged me in a way that left him j open to do almost anything he chose to . me. I saw that the challenge was al- j together favorable to him. but clrcum- j stances compelled my acceptance. The | cuffs which Hodgson brought had been I tampered with In various ways, and this was not denied by him, but he claimed that the terms of the challenge left him the privilege. He chose to follow the letter of the challenge and cast aside every thought of good sportsmanship or professional good feeling. It wa3 to be a battle a l'out rance. Imposes a Cruel Test First he fixed a pair of irons over my upper arm, passing the chain be ln.d my back and drawing it tight with all his great strength. To make assurance doubly sure he (lxed another pair In the same Vay. Both were pad locked behind* Then he placed handcuffs on my wrists so that my arms, already pulled stiffly backward were now drawn for ward.' In vain I protested that he was almost breaking my arms. Up to that time he had the assistance of another person, also a man. of great strength, and the united Efforts of the two were devoted to tightening the Irons to the limit. A second pair of cuffs were placed on my wrists, trussing my arms so securely that there seemed no possibility of moving them. Finally he forced me to kneel down, and shackeling my ankles passed the chain of the leg Irons through the chain that bound my elbows together behind my back. This chain was also doubled and drawn tight so that I re mained kneeling with my feet drawn almost up to the middle of my back. Will you please try this position for half a minute without irons and en deavor to Imagine how I felt shackled in that way? My little ghost house was placed over me, for I could not move to get into it. I fell on my side and could not rise to my knees. After fifteen min utes Hodgson permitted as a favor that I should be lifted up to my knees. 1 struggled for twenty minutes without avail. It seemed that my career was ended. My arms were numb and blood less. The circulation was almost en tirely suspended. I pleaded to have the cuffs removed for a minute that the circulation might bo restored. Hodg son refused unless I would admit de feat. A doctor In the audience came on the stage and examined me and stated that my arms were blue and that it was dangerous to keep me chained longer. But I would not surrender and Hodgson would not concede an lota. Undergoes Terrible Ordeal Fifty minutes after the manacles were attached I had succeeded in freeing oiip band, and never did heartier cheers greet a p rforiner Ulan wore accorded me when I thrust back the curtain and showed one handcuff opened and my hand freed. At the end of. two hours I jra# free. HEAVILY SHACKLED IN GERMAN COURT ROOM But my clothing was torn to shreds, my arms and hands were bleeding. Even the thunder of applause was no compensation for that awful two hours. Never again will I submit to a challenge that means physical torture such as that. The game Is not worth the candle. One of my experiences In Germany is worthy of record, for It was at once a vindication and a just punishment to an autocratic and unfair public official. This happened in the city of Cologne In Feb ruary of the year 19C2. The German police are very strict in their supervision of amusements, and no false billing or misrepresentations of ex hibitions is permitted. They prosecute offenders against such regulations under the charge of obtaining money by false p. Schutzrnann Werner Graff, chief of the Cologne police, endeavored to secure cvi- 1 dence that would convict me of misrepre sentation, and failing in this he published a false story in the Rheinische Zeituns. an Influential newspaper, which put me and my performance In a very bad light. As a foreigner It seemed a difficult mat ter for me to prosecute the chief of polloo of Cologne; yet that I did so and secured a verdict against him for slander Is an eloquent tribute to the uncorruptible Jus tice of the German laws and courts. Engaging the best possible legal talent, I entered suit against Graff for slandor. The case was tried through all the courts and "the costs ran into the thousands. In every court the verdict was favorable to me, and Graff was sentenced to pay all «costs and a fine or spend a day In Jail for each five marks of the costs and fine. As the imprisonment would have figured out Into something like five years Graff paid up like a mun. Invites Challenges It was the method by which the judges decided this case in the higher courts that makes this case worthy of special In terest. They were not governed by law, precedents, technicalities or rules of evi dence but by facts. The point to be de cided, said the judges In effect, Is this: Does Houdlni open locks and handcuffs In the manner he claims? After I had done my usual stunts In the court the police produced a special lock, so mads that after it was locked it could not he opened with Us own or any other key. This lock they challenged me to open, or admit myself beaten. On the result de pended the decision of the judges. I ac cepted, walked Into a room selected by the judges, where I could work unhin dered, and in four minutes re-entered the I and handed the open lock to the ing judge, all my experience the only men I met who will not admit defeat arc who use unfair means. In thla the trickster was ordered by the to make public apology, which was shed in all the principal papers of the city, and lately I have heard he h;is resigned from the police department. The shame and stigma In Germany last long. A map of my wanderings In America and Europe would be practically a repro duction of any standard and up-to-date railway map. I have not missed many cities, and those I have missed are so far back that they have not missed me. The record of my first appearance in England is but a fair sample of the treat ment accorded me everywhere. As a pro fessional I have every reason to be proud of it. When' I sailed from New York on Decoration day, 1900, I had not even the promise of an engagement. After several private exhibitions given before the Lon don managers I was given a contract for two weeks, but my engagement with that manager was prolounged to the end of August, and I returned to the same theater for a second engagement in De cember of the same year. So it has been everywhere. And after all these yearß and all this travel in every part of Europe and America there are still those who cry •¦Fake." It IS to these that I owe my challengers, and therefore I should be JhanJUul (that .there Is such a thing aa unconvincible scepticism. It Is I these challenges that lend spice to my existence. Visits Many Prisons Probably no other man has visited so | many of the great prisons of the world I as I have. My prolesalon has brought me into touch with the prison and police authorities everywhere and they have all been kind enough to explain how securely their prisoners are held, and to show me that it is quite impos sible for their charges to escape. All | of which made my escapes from these same prisons tlie more interesting and instructive It has also been my good fortune to De able to point out on more than one occasion where weak spots existed in their systems, and I have received the unsolicited acknowledge ments of more than one Jailer and sheriff to this effect. My reputation as "the international Jailbreaker" was not won on paper. It Is not merely an advertising catch word. A few of my exploits in this line have attracted adverse attention from the governments interested, but usually the authorities have acknowl edged that the escape of Houdinl from their prisons did not mean that the prison could not hold the men for whom It was designed. The following list of my escapes In cludes only the most famous ones: San Francisco, Cal., July 1899. Siberian transport cell May, 1903. Old prison foordrecht, Holland. Sep- Sheffleld, England, January, 1904. Liverpool, England, February, 1902. Kansas City, Mo., April, 1900. Beilln, Germany, September, 1900. Huddersfield, England, November, The Gutteau cell No. 2, murderers' row, Washington, D. C, Jail, January, City prison, Boston, Mass., March, All Jails Fail Do not suppose that these are by any means all the Jails that have failed to hold me. They are the ones that come readiest to my memory. Of almost every one of these I have attested cer tificates signed by the officers of the prison In each case and by prominent persons and officials who witnessed the performance. The most secure prison In the world is supposed to be the cells or "carettes," Ithich prisoners destined for Siberia transport**. Yet from this I es dln less than twenty minutes. Be enterlng the cell I was submitted , severe searching by the secret ;e. Never have I been so thorough earched as by these officers, who alnly know that part of their busi i. The search was conducted and escapa accomplished In the presence he chief of the secret or spy police doscow, Russia. After accompllsh thls feat the management of the Zoo Gardens, where I was performing, did me the honor of doubling the salary previously paid me. Warden J. H. Harris of the Wash ington, D. C.i United States Jail was sitting comfortably In his office one day in January last year, when a stranger entered and asked to be locked up. "Why do you want to be locked up?" asked the surprised warden. "So I can break out," was the stran ger's strange reply. The warden had never seen me, and as it is my custom to do this sort of stunt without previous warning he was not expeoting me. It did not take long to explain the situation, and in a few minutes the warden had collected a large crowd of the officials of the Jail and their friends to see the first au thorized attempt to break out of Wash ington Jail. The warden was kind enough to otter MANACLKS AND CHAINS WSIGH 150 POUNDS me my choice of cells, but I merely re quested to be shown the strongest. He took me at once to murderers' row, and Indicated No. 2, the cell in which Gui teau, the absassin of President Garfleld. was confined. This he said was the strongest cell In the Jail. I asked to be confined in it. "Unfortunately it Is occupied," said Warden Harris, but at rqy earnest solicitation the prisoner — a convicted wife murderer — was given a cellmate — myself. The officials stripped me to the skin, locked me into the cell and retired to await developments. It was with a feeling the nearest to terror that I have ever felt that I looked about me In that awful cell that for many years has never been without a tenant whose days were destined to end In the hangman's noose. The walls of the cell are of brick, concrete and steel, not less than three feet in thickness. The door, of heavy steel bars, is sunk into the wallß fully three feet from the outer face of the wall. When this heavily constructed door is closed an armrufis out to the corridor side of the wall and slips over a steel catch which sets a spring and fastens the lock. The latter Is one of the most secure of such inventions and has no less than seven tumblers, which, it will be said, is impossible to pick. How I got out of that cell would make an Interesting story that I may write some day after I get through doing my act on the stage and retire to devote my declining: years to Iterary pursuits. I could not stay — I had to go. The surroundings were such that no honest man would consent to remain. As I looked into the cell after my es cape I wondered that I had ever con sented to be locked into a chamber with such gruesome history and asso ciations. Plays Joke on Officials It then occurred to me to play a joke on the officials who were awaiting my return in the warden's office. I have a clipping from the Washington Post of Sunday, January 7, 1906, which tells the rest of the story so well that I cannot do better than offer it in full: "In two minutes Houdini was out of that cell, free, the lock holding htm hard ly longer than it took him to get into the place and get his bearings. Then, with out the knowledge of the waiting officials who had retired from view, Houdinl quickly ran to the cells of Chase, Whit ney, Mercer, Ferguson, Donovan, Gas ktns, Backus and Howlett. To each oc cupant the unclad cell-breaker seemed like an apparition from some other world, and the astonishment he created when he commanded each to come out and follow him can be better Imagined than de scribed. "Chase gave a gasp of fear, and then cried: 'Have you come to let me out? What are you doing without clothes?' He supposed then that Houdinl was an escaping fellow prisoner. He followed at Houdinl's heels and the cell breaker dashed with him down to the end of the corridor, where he opened the cell con taining Clarence Howlett. " 'What are you doing here?' said Hou dinl to the astonished Howlett. 'What are you in for?' " 'I'm a housebreaker,' said the pris oner, as though maKlng his last confes sion. " 'You're a bad one,' said Houdinl, 'or you could get out of here. Come along.' Howlett followed his strange captor, and Houdini then thrust Chase Into the cell and rushed Howlett up to Chase's cell. "This scene, strange and strenuous, was repeated again and again, until every desperate man was changed into another cell than his own, All were in a tumult. Twenty-one minutes after Houdini had been locked in the cell he had done all the (julck changing and stood before his free audience In the main hall, clothed as in every day manner.-. "' .'¦'"•. "When the officials found what he had \ done . with their prisoners their amaze ment passed all bounds. They took the ¦ slight change ' Houdinl made *In their ; plans with the utmost good nature, and soon had everything straightened out, and each of the men back In his cell." Has Certificate of Event RHas Certificate event presented certificate of this event presented to me by "Warden Harris Is one of my ¦ treasures. ' In a New York deposit vault I have a box containing nearly one hun dred such certificates, with which I shall paper .my study when : I get too old to . repeat the feats they describe. Now, what shall I add? There Is so .\ much to tell that I must stop somewhere . short of a complete history. \ '"''¦' f-"^i! Perhaps the most concise method Is for . me to let you ask a *ew questions. „Be gin then. . - _,' ¦ ¦ Where was I born? In Appleton, Wis., What was my first stunt. Conducting the Punch and Judy snow in a circus. Next I did a knot untying turn. Finally I graduated into the handcuff act. This I was absolutely the first t, attempt. ( What else can I do? Well, a few of the . v things I -am doing today may supest what I should do if my present act should throw me down. '-., : ¦ • •¦¦¦ I am a magician. I have some. tricks in 'what is commonly called magic that are said by the experts for whom 1 have It else can I do? Well, a few of any; I am doing today may suggest [ should do if my present act should me down. 1 a magician. I have some tricks at is commonly called magic that id by the experts for whom I have them to be unapproached by any other performer in the - same line, and especially in the manipulation of cards, These would keep the wolf from the door, as long as I have the use of my hands. t I am an athlete and a contortionist, as ¦ you know " you have seen me get out of the raightjacket. -. ; ; Pleasure in Magazine : But the thing !in which ¦^ take i most ; pleasure is my magazine. • This publica- * tion is the recognized organ of a 11^magi clans.":Its columns , are. their f orunu. , To it— which means to '¦¦ me-are referred : al of what appears in its columns. - . . _ I There lis one more . question that _ you want answered, but : it is the .one that I m ,,. t ' refuse "• You want .to know how l ™c from' handcuffs, shackles, Oregon hoots • steel prison ' cells, - packing cases an°d tS all S th cce c other contrivances that are prepared for my detention. That I sha cV mT You^or X can't be true -o would not be such a fool as to tell' the real method. When the right man guesses the right TV" 2W or a not tO S? 3?1 TuTdo the act and the rest of the world will go "Ano^r" would!b°e re solver of my little mystery waV a great scientist of Dort mystery whs » Pro f Jansen Bartha =££iT3 •BESTS- I oniy try to U en ? ter?a Yiny in > in ') aMegltlmate I^only^ryio tna t;when I, leave here manner. /, : : trusty nai ,g, g win'have "as ' P^a?ln? J recollections .of ™ ttl a,?!!j t shall haveiof Los Angeles.f3 former and now I have returned pros lormcr, a." afu] . Once again be fceTX Thope to visit this city' pro- JmlnrullT It would be pleasant to close mv Htaee ' career here and settle down Umon<£ the orange groves for the rest ot lamongjhe ore 6 HOUPINU j