For 10 years the widow of Harry Houdini tried to pierce the veil that separates the magician from the realm of the living.
Below is a photo (from a scrapbook at the McCord Museum) of Bess Houdini holding two sets of handcuffs (Darby Cuff snapped to the Mirror Cuff) that remained unopened at a Hollywood seance conducted by Dr. Edward Saint.
According to Bess:
“It has never been told before,” she said , “But part of the agreement Mr. Houdini made with me stipulated that these handcuffs should be opened – presumably by his spirit – in the presence of a committee of persons.
“True, he was to try and deliver a message, in code, that he gave me before his death.
“But to make it absolutely certain, he said he would open those ‘cuffs too, after his death. He was afraid someone might, in some way, discover the message which only I know. But even so, the demonstration could not be completed without opening the handcuffs.”
[April 13, 1936]
Ten years, almost to the hour, since the stage necromancer died Oct. 31, 1926, Mrs. Houdini conducted what she said was the final test of her husband’s ability to communicate with her from beyond the grave.
As the seance, attended Saturday night by 200 persons on a Hollywood hotel roof, reached an end, the white-haired widow switched off a tiny ruby electric globe. It had burned above his picture for 10 years.
“He has not come; I turn out the light,” she cried.
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Great stuff Joe! Those Bess photos with the Mirror Cuffs are marvelous! She jettisoned most of HH’s personal stuff, but these cuffs and the silver replicas were not going to part with her.