Hanging out on a tropical island on the day of the long awaited release of Joe Posnanski’s book, The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini.

You can get the book by ordering it at Amazon.com (US release Oct 22) and Amazon.co.uk (UK release Oct. 31)

My copy should be waiting for me, when I return from vacation. Can’t wait to finally read it.

BTW, I have been told that how I discovered the name of the daily mirror reporter, my current thoughts on how Houdini escaped the mirror cuff, and my research on two other endings to the Tony Curtis movie, are in the book. which is very exciting.

My next planned post will be on Halloween.

Six years ago, I did a post, titled: First Suspended Straitjacket Escape Not 98 Years Ago Today (September 29). The Minneapolis escape was the second public suspended straitjacket escape, after the September 8, 1915 escape from the Kansas City Post building in Kansas City, MO.

At the time of the September 29 post, I didn’t have a photograph for this Minneapolis escape, nor much information, but that changed when I visited the McCord Museum last year. The very first scrapbook, I looked at had a lot of newspaper clippings that included straightjacket escapes, like the one that took place 104 years ago on September 30, 1915. That’s right, the escape actually took place on September 30, 1915, not September 29, 2015 as previously documented by others.

As evidence, I share the photo and text from the following two newspaper ads:

• Star Tribune, Thu, Sep 30, 1915

At 12:05 today, Harry Houdini, to whom padlocks and cells present no more difficulty than that offered to the ordinary person by an open door, will essay to make his escape from a straight-jacket while suspended by his heels from the sign in from of the Tribune. This is a feat similar to one he accomplished upon a previous occasion, and unless Minneapolitans succeed in fastening the straight-jacket more securely that Houdini supposes he promises to extract himself with a few moments. The jacket will be adjusted by entirely disinterested parties so that there is no chance for any suspicion of collusion, and the jacket used is of a regulations type.

Houdini, who is appearing at the Orpheum, is said to enjoy an international reputation for the case with which he escapes from handcuffs, prison cells and other impediments. He has appeared in almost every large city of the civilized world and in each metropolis had baffled the police by his dexterity. He is said to be the only man ever to escape from one of the famous Siberian convict wagons, a conveyance far more dreaded and more formidable than the Black Marias familiar to citizens of American towns.

 

• Minneapolis Journal, Fri Oct 1, 1915

Before a crowd which thronged Fourth street from Nicollet to Marquette avenue, Harry Houdini, the “worlds champion self-liberator,” freed himself from a straitjacket while suspended by the feet—which were bound—from the electric sign in front of The Tribune building at noon yesterday. When the jacket had been adjusted by Minneapolis detectives and policemen and his feet securely bound, Houdini was swung high over the heads of the crowd. The immense throng was unexpectantly quiet as Houdini began his work.

A few convulsive , serpentine wriggles, a few movements of his powerful shoulders, and Houdini’s arms, which a moment before had been securely held by leather and canvas jacket were free. As he unfastened the straps which had defied all comers, he smiled down at the officers who had adjusted the straitjacket and remarked that he would join them in a moment. He slipped the apparatus over his head and allowed it to fall into the arms of the officers below and gave the signal to “lower away.”

The straight-jacket was furnished by the police and was the most powerful they have. It was put on by several plain clothes men under the direction of Thomas P. Gleason, who tested each strap and said he was satisfied it was “according to Hoyle.”

Tonight on the Orpheum stage, Houdini did attempt to escape from a packing case which has been prepared by the employees in the shipping room of the New England Furniture & Carpet company. The packers have made a box which they believe will defy all the powers of the wizard.

“I do not promise to get out the box,” declares Houdini. “However, I have never failed yet, and certainly will try.”

This feature will be presented instead of the regular act which Houdini offers.

Bonus:

Also, courtesy of the McCord Museum, here is a newspaper image not previously posted for Houdini’s December 4^th, 1915 suspended straightjacket escape from the Express Tribune building.

For details of this escape and other images, see John Cox excellent post:

• Uncovering Houdini’s 1915 Los Angeles straitjacket escape (at last!)

According to a scrapbook clipping at the McCord Museum, it was Houdini night at the Checker Inn 93 years ago today:

A $1.50 dinner and all kinds of smokes free for all members in good standing. Remember, everything free, “HOUDINI” will be there, and we also have a magical surprise for you. Remember the date, time, and place, -Wed, Sept. 22 at eleven P.M. at the “Checker Inn” – 477 Stuart St. near Huntington Ave.  Seats still on sale at the box office of the Majestic.

If you are not in good standing – Bordicott will be there – nuff sed!

Bring a guest if you wish, but remember that it is a stag party, and it will cost you $1.50 per guest.

Related:

• Buried Alive in Boston: Eye Witness

During my visit to the McCord Museum, I was fortunate enough to have read a compilation (April 24, 1920 v1 n1 to June 5th 1920 v1 n7) of “The Amazing Exploits of Houdini” found in The Kinema Comic.

1. The Bride & The Orangutan.
2. The Jewel Thieves.
3. “Stop Thief!
4. The Gold Melters.
5. Adventure of the Midland Express.
6. In The Dead of Night.
7. Out of The Sky.

Each issue contains a several page serialized fictional story (by-lined by Houdini). This week I share my paraphrased version of “The Jewel Thieves” found in the May 1 1920 v1 n2 issue:

Houdini is sleeping in a hotel room on the seventh floor. When he stays in a hotel with a telephone in the bedroom, he makes it a point of screwing off the bell before retiring, thinking that the shock of ringing will not be so great. On this night, the sound of the vibrating hammer was more terrifying than any bell would be.

Houdini answered the phone and was told that the hotel was on fire and he needed to leave his room at once and make his way outside by the back staircase, since the main staircase was ablaze and impossible.

Half asleep, Houdini jumped out bed, and dashed out the door toward the back staircase used by the servants. To make his way down the pitch-dark stairs, he had to feel his direction with his hands on the wall. Suddenly, Houdini received a blow on the back of his head from some hard instrument, dropped to the ground, and was hurriedly searched, but nothing was found.

Houdini was awakened by the corner of a door pushing into his ribs. A man with no shoes on dashed across to a window, opened it, and disappeared.

Houdini slowly rose to his feet, crashed through some swinging doors and on to the floor of one of the hotel corridors. He had a splitting headache and didn’t remember that the building was on fire.

Rising to his feet again, Houdini staggered forward perhaps a dozen yards, when a door opened and a man whose face was drenched in blood from a cut on his forehead, yelled that “They’ve bagged the lot. Taken every dashed thing.”

Houdini asked what happened?

Thieves broke into his room, hit him on the head and stole his diamonds.

Houdini told the man he got hit on the head also and that he should telephone the cops.

Houdini staggered towards the man’s room and threw himself on his bed.

The police were sent for. Slowly recuperating and trying to gather his scattered and wounded wits together, Houdini was able to reconstruct the adventures of the night. Houdini remembered the alarm of fire sent over the telephone, his scramble down the back stairs, then being hit on the back of the head by some unknown assailant. Then it dawned on him, that the thieves somehow called him up on the telephone instead of their victim, their purpose evidently being to decoy the man from his room whilst they robbed him of his jewels.

Houdini rose from the bed and pushed his way past the hotel servants who were attending to the victim of the robbery. Houdini made his way through the door of the room which the man had climbed was situated. It was still open.

The window gave on to a lower roof of an adjoining building. The drop from this window to the roof would be about eight feet. Houdini curiosity was aroused, and despite his aching head he decided to investigate.

Just beneath Houdini, on the top floor of the building, he could see a lighted window. There was no reason for a lighted room at that time. Almost before the resolution was made, Houdini’s leg was over the parapet; a drainpipe ran down the front of the building, Houdini tested its strength. It appeared to be safe enough. Houdini risked it, and clinging almost like a fly, slipped down the sill of the window.

Only a corner of the room was visible, but a side of a table was in view. At this table, he could see one hatted man removing precious stones from their settings.

Suddenly, without the slightest warning, the spring of the blind was released. Houdini discovered there were three men in it, the one at the table, another one at the other side of the table, and the one who by letting up the blind had exposed Houdini.

The man nearest the window moved towards Houdini and raised the sash. As Houdini waited his fate, he felt a strong hand grip his ankle and then another took hold of his other ankle.

Houdini was dragged into the room and bound hand and foot. Houdini smiled!

Houdini’s back against the wall, freed his hands; Tied behind him, it was quite a simple matter to hide his actions from view of the men.  Then, working very gingerly, got his feet loose, undetected.

Houdini reached for a revolver from his hip pocket and covered the three men.

Houdini ordered the men into the corner of the room. When they were safely in the corner, Houdini picked up one of the instruments which they had been using and threw it through the window.

Down below in the street, you could hear pattering of feet, and then the shrill blast of a policeman’s whistle.

Within five minutes, three policemen, hammered their way into the room where Houdini held the men prisoners.  All facts were so conclusive. The jewels on the table were sufficient to condemn the men.

Of course, Houdini was thanked by the victim of the robbery. “You must have been called up on the telephone instead of me.” he said. “As a matter of fact, I occupied your room on the previous evening.”