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The Adventurous Life Of A Versatile Artist: Houdini

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THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF A VERSATILE ARTIST HOUDINI

THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF A VERSATILE ARTIST HOUDINI

THE WORLD FAMOUS SELF-LIBERATOR HOUDINI, Presenting the Greatest Performance of his Strenuous Career, liberating himself after being Locked in a WATER TORTURE CELL (Houdini's own Invention) whilst Standing on his Head, his Ankles Clamped and Locked above in the centre of the Massive Cover. A FEAT WHICH BORDERS ON THE SUPERNATURAL $1,000 HOUDINI offers this sum to any one proving that it is possible to obtain air in the upside-down position in which he releases himself from this Water Filled Tort

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HOUDINI THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF A VERSATILE ARTIST.

HOUDINI THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF A VERSATILE ARTIST.

(Revised 1922 Edition). HARRY HOUDINI, "the World's Handcuff King and amazing Prison Breaker," a title universally and unanimously bestowed upon him, has had a career as adventurous and romantic as the most imaginative writer could possibly conjure. Indeed, this wonderful genius, with a science concerning bolts, bars, locks, and chains that will yet revolutionize the world's methods of safeguarding itself against "the men that prowl in the night," confirms the truth of the ancient adage that "tr

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OFFICIAL POLICE NEWS FROM GERMANY! HARRY HOUDINI, THE AMERICAN HANDCUFF KING, SUES THE COLOGNE POLICE FOR LIBEL, AND WINS!!!

OFFICIAL POLICE NEWS FROM GERMANY! HARRY HOUDINI, THE AMERICAN HANDCUFF KING, SUES THE COLOGNE POLICE FOR LIBEL, AND WINS!!!

A Condensed History of the Lawsuit Against the Cologne Police! The police of Germany are very strict in matters of false billing or misrepresenting exhibitions to the public, and the case of the well-known Dr. Slade, also a well-known American "thaumaturgic" performer, as also an equally familiar "magnetic" woman, and several others who have clashed with the German police will probably also call in mind the latest case of the flower medium, Mrs. Rothe, who was sentenced to two years in prison an

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MIGHTY AUDIENCE.

MIGHTY AUDIENCE.

Mr. Houdini's call was for three o'clock yesterday, but so intense was the excitement that the 4,000 spectators present could scarcely restrain their impatience whilst the six excellent turns which preceded him, cheered to the echo on other occasions, got through their "business." Waiting quietly and unnoticed by the arena steps, the Mirror representative watched Mr. Houdini's entrance, and joined in giving his opponent-to-be in the lists one of the finest ovations mortal man has ever received.

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HOUDINI HANDCUFFED.

HOUDINI HANDCUFFED.

This done, the journalist placed the handcuffs on Mr. Houdini's wrists and snapped them. Then, with an effort, he turned the key six times, thus securing the bolt as firmly as possible. The committee being satisfied as to the security of the handcuff, Mr. Houdini said:— " Ladies and Gentlemen :—I am now locked up in a handcuff that has taken a British mechanic five years to make. I do not know whether I am going to get out of it or not, but I can assure you I am going to do my best." Applauded t

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FALSE HOPE OVERTHROWN.

FALSE HOPE OVERTHROWN.

Those who have never stood in the position of a challenger can scarcely realize the sense of responsibility felt by one who has openly thrown down the gauntlet to a man who is popular with the public. The Mirror had placed its reliance on the work of a British mechanic, and if Houdini succeeded in escaping in the first few minutes it was felt that the proceedings would develop into a mere farce. But time went by; 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes sped. Still the band played on. Then, at 22 minutes, Mr. Houd

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A WELCOME CONCESSION.

A WELCOME CONCESSION.

Presently the man appeared bearing a large cushion. "The Mirror has no desire to submit Mr. Houdini to a torture test," said the representative; "and if Mr. Houdini will permit me, I shall have great pleasure in offering him the use of this cushion." The "Handcuff King" was glad evidently of the rest for his knees, for he pulled it through into the "ghost house." Ladies trembled with suppressed excitement, and, despite the weary wait, not a yawn was noticed throughout the vast audience. For 20 m

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FROCK COAT SACRIFICED.

FROCK COAT SACRIFICED.

Houdini evidently does not stick at trifles. He maneuvered until he got a penknife from his waistcoat pocket. This he opened with his teeth, and then, turning his coat inside out over his head, calmly proceeded to cut it to pieces. The novelty of the proceeding delighted the audience, who yelled themselves frantic. The Mirror representative had rather a warm five minutes of it at this juncture. Many of the audience did not see the reason of his refusal, and expressed their disapproval of his act

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VICTORY.

VICTORY.

The band was just finishing a stirring march when, with a great shout of victory, Houdini bounded from the cabinet, holding the shining handcuffs in his hand—free! A mighty roar of gladness went up. Men waved their hats, shook hands one with the other. Ladies waved their handkerchiefs, and the committee, rushing forward as one man, shouldered Houdini, and bore him in triumph round the arena. But the strain had been too much for the "Handcuff King," and he sobbed as though his heart would break.

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AN EPISODE IN HOUDINI'S LIFE.

AN EPISODE IN HOUDINI'S LIFE.

Star, Blackburn, England, Saturday, Oct. 25, 1902. MANACLED BY A STRONG MAN. TRUSSED TILL MIDNIGHT. Unparalleled Scenes at the Palace Theatre. Never in the history of Blackburn or music hall life has there been witnessed so remarkable a scene as occurred last night. Houdini, the Handcuff King, and Mr. Hodgson, principal of the School of Physical Culture, provided a big sensation for the patrons of the Palace Theatre, Blackburn. Houdini, who has been appearing at the Palace during the week, claim

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OUT OF GUITEAU CELL.

OUT OF GUITEAU CELL.

HOUDINI MIXES THINGS UP AT THE UNITED STATES JAIL. PRISONERS CHANGED IN CELLS. Consternation Accompanies Feats of the Expert Lock-picker, Who Gets Laurels from the American Police Chairman After His Third Exploit in Washington—Crowds Are Transfixed. Two condemned murderers, four others under indictment, and two noted criminals were released from the United States jail yesterday and for a brief time tasted a counterfeit liberty. Harry Houdini, the international Prison Breaker and Handcuff King, a

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CROWD QUICKLY GATHERS

CROWD QUICKLY GATHERS

The news of his presence traveled the length of the offices on the inside of the big structure, and here there gathered in the warden's office the following officials and visitors: Deputy Warden W. Grayson Urner, Capt. Ed. S. Randell, Guards John C. Campbell, George C. Gumm, James Corrigan, and John P. Hickey, Jail Physician Dr. D. Kerfoot Shute, Dr. H. I. Sout, Dr. T. Sullivan, Clerk J. Fred Harris, and Messrs. Robert R. Mahorney, Theo Judd, Frank Jones, David M. Proctor, and John T. Ward. Houd

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PONDEROUS BARRED DOORS.

PONDEROUS BARRED DOORS.

All these cells are brick structures with their doors sunk into the walls fully three feet from the face of the outer corridor wall. When the heavily barred door is closed, an armlike bar runs out to the corridor wall and then angles to the right and slips over a steel catch which sets a spring that fastens the lock. The latter is only opened by a key, and there are no less than five tumblers in the lock. One key opens all the doors in the corridor. With Houdini there, it was very natural that e

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PRISONERS ARE DUMBFOUNDED

PRISONERS ARE DUMBFOUNDED

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 Houdini was an escaping fellow-prisoner. He followed at Houdini's heels and the cell-breaker dashed with him down to the end of the corridor, where he opened the cell containing Clarence Howlett. "What are you doing here?" said Houdini to the astonished Howlett. "What are you in for?" "I'm a housebreaker," said the prisoner, as though making his last confession. "Yo

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SOME OF THE GREAT FEATS ACCOMPLISHED BY HOUDINI.

SOME OF THE GREAT FEATS ACCOMPLISHED BY HOUDINI.

Broke out of the Siberian Prison Van in Moscow, Russia, in May, 1903. Leaped, heavily handcuffed, in zero weather, from Belle Island Bridge, in Detroit, Mich., in December 2nd, 1906, and released himself under the icy water. Leaped into San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, Calif., on August 26th, 1907, handcuffed with hands behind his back, with more than 75 pounds of ball and chain locked to his body. Escaped from a plate glass box made by the Pittsburg Plate Glass Co., and did not even scratch th

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SURRENDERS TO POLICE.

SURRENDERS TO POLICE.

In the afternoon Houdini had a pleasant interview with Head Constable Dunning. "Want to try our locks? Certainly. You're welcome; but, of course, we will take some precautions." "I want you to do so," replied Houdini. "I will strip naked. You can then handcuff me and put me in your strongest cell, and after you have searched me and the cell you leave me, locking the door. I will join you in a minute or two." Houdini was as good as his word. Not only did he escape, but he had torn from his hands

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STARTLED PRISONER

STARTLED PRISONER

Here was I, standing absolutely nude before a terrified, miserable object. Poor fellow! what a shock it was for him. He was an Irishman just recovering from a drunken bout. "'Arrah!' he said, when he had recovered; 'I thought it was the divil.'" The shivering prison-breaker hurried the wretched prisoner out of cell No. 14 into No. 15 and locked him in. Then he ran along the passage to greet the head constable and the other officials. Only 6 minutes had elapsed since he had been locked in the cel

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ANOTHER EXPERIMENT

ANOTHER EXPERIMENT

In the evening Houdini, accompanied by an Express representative, again walked into the bridewell to settle a point which had been raised since his feat in the afternoon. Was the door which had been fastened against him single, double, or triple locked? The matter could easily be settled. Houdini would just do the trick again. Only this time he would do it with his clothes on, as time was pressing. Liverpool's bridewell is as an unsightly a place as a bridewell can be. No one would mistake it fo

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SECOND ESCAPE

SECOND ESCAPE

There could be no doubt about that. At the first turn of the key the lock went forward twice; at the second, once. Houdini was behind a triple lock in the dark, dreary cell. The Express representative and the gaoler left him there, and retired beyond an iron gate which bars the passage. "The gate is a greater test than the cell," said the gaoler. "It's locked before it's locked, if you understand. Shut it, and it's locked, and then you can lock it again." The gaoler hand only secured it when Hou

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Houdini Outwits Fiji Islander Swimming Champion.

Houdini Outwits Fiji Islander Swimming Champion.

Houdini, the man of mystery, who is now appearing in our midst, is certainly a peculiar species of a human being. From all accounts, the energy, the work and feats of this man will, sometime in the future, be the finish of this now wonderful and famous performer. The restless striving to do something better than another human being has brought him to the highest pinnacle of fame, has earned for him princely salaries, and when one considers the risks he has taken, no one can begrudge him the prim

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HISTORICAL LOCK PICKERS.

HISTORICAL LOCK PICKERS.

It used to be the fashion among inventors to challenge the trade and other persons, to pick them. In some cases, even rewards were offered to any one who could do so. It is believed that Mr. Joseph Bramah was the first to do this and in 1801, he displayed in his shop window in Piccadily, London, a board to which was attached a padlock, manufactured by himself, and which bore the following inscription:— "The artist who can make an instrument that will pick or open this lock shall receive 200 guin

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2,000 HISS J. WILLARD.

2,000 HISS J. WILLARD.

CHAMPION DRIVEN FROM THEATER BY HOOTS AND CALLS Boxing has been given its worst black eye here to-day by none other than Jess Willard, heavy-weight champion who was so badly worsted to a wordy clash with Harry Houdini, a performer at the Orpheum Theater, last night, that the audience hissed him from the house. Nearly 2,000 persons were present at the dramatic scene and seemed unanimous in groaning, hooting and booing Willard. The trouble was precipitated by Willard's gruff refusal to comply with

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THE HANDCUFF KING

THE HANDCUFF KING

Thus spoke Houdini, the "handcuff king," the great magician and genius of escape, on a certain sunny morning a few weeks ago. He sat with his back to the light, but though his face was in shadow the compelling blue grey eyes, and strong, bronzed features glowed with an intensity and vitality such as one rarely meets. "Tell me," I begged, "are the feats you do on the screen different to those you do enact before the footlights?" "Entirely different," was the reply. "In fact, some of the biggest c

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A TENSE MOMENT

A TENSE MOMENT

"During the screening of this picture I thought at one time in the course of the action, that my end had come," he told me. "I was 3,000 feet up in an aeroplane, circling over another machine. The plan was for me to drop from my 'plane into the cockpit of the other by means of a rope. I was dangling from the rope-end ready for the leap. Suddenly a strong wind turned the lower plane upwards, the two machines crashed together—nearly amputating my limbs—the propellers locked in a deadly embrace, an

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HIS GREATEST STUNT

HIS GREATEST STUNT

"What do you consider the greatest stunt you have done for the screen?" I asked, when I had recovered my breath. "Another incident in the same picture," answered Houdini. "I stood in the archway of a prison, thus——" Here he took up a crouching position in the corner of the room, and enacted the whole thing for my benefit. "A heavily loaded lorry, going at twenty-two or four miles an hour rolled by me. I threw myself on the ground, completely rolling over between the fast revolving fore and hind

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Minister uses Houdini's name for Sermon

Minister uses Houdini's name for Sermon

His Art of Getting Out of Things as Topic of Sermon The name of Houdini, who has been a headliner at a local theater this week will figure in the sermon at the Genesee Street Baptist Church, to-morrow morning, where the pastor, Rev. Clark, will talk on "Houdini and the Art of Getting Out of Things." The pastor, however, insures that he will reveal none of the vital points of the art, but declares that the sermon will be entirely spiritual. THE SUN Pittsburg Monday, Nov. 6th, 1916 WIZARD TIED IN

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WIZARD IS ON TIME

WIZARD IS ON TIME

Urbane, smiling, the elusive Houdini appeared in the office of "The Sun" at 12 o'clock. R. D. Polling and H. Guthrie, the two attendants from Mayview detailed to truss him up, awaited him, and with them the straight-jacket, in a satchel. Houdini shook hands with both men, speaking humorously of his position as substitute for the deranged persons the two Attendants ordinarily handle. The two men, clad in the white uniforms used by them when on duty, surveyed their voluntary victim noted his short

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EVERY MOVE IS WATCHED

EVERY MOVE IS WATCHED

The strait-jacket was taken out of the satchel. The handcuff king examined it carefully, while a group of persons looked on. Not a move he made was lost. He dropped the piece of canvas and leather carelessly, smiled again, and said: "Very good. Are we ready?" It was almost 12.30 o'clock. Houdini glanced out the window, and again his characteristic, quiet smile came to his face as he saw Wood street and Liberty avenue congested from wall to wall with closely packed, restless humanity. Then a whit

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STRAPS ARE FASTENED

STRAPS ARE FASTENED

The two attendants pressed close. His arms were inserted in the long, closed sleeves of the straitjacket. One of the attendants clasped him about the body, as if fearing he would make some mad effort to escape. The other standing behind him, fastened strap after strap, with a steady deftness that made both for security and speed, and revealed long practice. "Make it tight," came the quiet word from the prisoner. The man's knees went up for purchase in the small of Houdini's back. Using apparentl

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HANGS IN MID-AIR

HANGS IN MID-AIR

The handcuff king dangled head downward. Each moment he was drawn higher, swaying slightly, spinning dizzily. Up-up, past the windows in the fifth story of the Sun building. Houdini was drawn. Then he hung still. Only for a second. While watchers gleamed in the crowd below, the handcuff king was seen to struggle, not frantically, but with a steady, systematic swelling and contracting of muscles, and almost imperceptible lithe, wrigglings of the torso. The struggle went on. One minute—two—then th

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A STAND FOR JUSTICE Houdini's Protest

A STAND FOR JUSTICE Houdini's Protest

"For some mysterious reason, surprisingly little attention has been given in the daily papers to a remarkable 'scene' at the Holborn Empire last Thursday, when Houdini made a plucky and public-spirited protest against prevailing matinee methods. We must, we suppose, attribute to the present obsession of politics the scant attention given to a very unusual incident, of interest alike to the public and the profession. "Having received an intimation from the management that, although he was topping

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CLOSELY SEARCHED FOR KEYS.

CLOSELY SEARCHED FOR KEYS.

Briefly, here is just what happened: Houdini had secured permission from Superintendent Pierce to make an effort to escape from the city prison, and this forenoon, in the presence of about 30 men, the superintendent let Houdini into cell No. 77 on the ground floor of the Tombs, where Houdini, in the presence of the witnesses of the test, removed every stitch of his clothing, which he left lying on the bunk in the cell. When he came out, Capt. Clarence A. Swan, the keeper of the prison, locked th

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THE LITERARY HOUDINI

THE LITERARY HOUDINI

As is the case with many great men, the gift of being able to do many things, and to do each thing well, is Houdini's, who besides his achievements as a mystifier has also won wide recognition as an author. That he has found time to write a great deal is attested by his list of books, namely: "Miracle Mongers and Their Methods," "The Unmasking of Robert Houdin," "The Sane Side of Spiritualism," "The Right Way to do Wrong," "Magic Made Easy," "My Training and my Tricks," "Paper Prestidigitation,"

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HOUDINI PICTURE CORPORATION

HOUDINI PICTURE CORPORATION

In 1921, upon returning from his triumphant tour of Great Britain, Houdini organized his own film producing company for the purpose of making special feature pictures. The company, incorporated as Houdini Picture Corporation, capitalized at $500,000, began operations in the spring. At the time of this writing two features have been completed—"The Man from Beyond" and "Haldane of the Secret Service." The first is characterized by those who have seen it at private pre-release showings as the most

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Scenes from Photoplays

Scenes from Photoplays

JESSE L. LASKY Presents HOUDINI IN "The Grim Game" A Paramount-Artcraft Picture This picture contains the only airplane collision in the clouds ever photographed. $1,000 reward to anyone proving the collision in the clouds is not genuine. Starring Houdini JESSE L. LASKY Presents HOUDINI IN " TERROR ISLAND " A Paramount-Artcraft Picture The most amazing under water scenes ever enacted were recorded by the camera for "Terror Island." Scenes from Photoplays HOUDINI PICTURE CORP. Presents HOUDINI in

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Picture Plays, Confessions Album. No. 14.—MR. HARRY HOUDINI

Picture Plays, Confessions Album. No. 14.—MR. HARRY HOUDINI

1. What is your favorite theater? All the world is a theater to me. 2. Which is your favorite hobby? Browsing in old bookstalls, seeking old dramatic items for my library. 3. Which is your favorite pastime? Out door athletics and long distance swims. 4. Which is your favorite song? "Auld Lang Syne." 5. Which is your favorite sweetmeat? Candied fruits. 6. What is your idea of comfort? Seated in a large arm chair in library and hearing Mrs. Houdini call up: "Young man your lunch is ready." 7. Whic

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How does he do it?

How does he do it?

JAMES H. HARRIS, WARDEN, W. GRAYSON URNER, DEPUTY WARDEN, United States Jail, Washington, D.C. , January 6th, 1906 This is to certify that Mr. Harry Houdini, at the United States Jail today, was stripped stark naked, thoroughly searched, and locked up in cell No. 2 of the South Wing,—the cell in which Charles J. Guiteau, the assassinator of President Garfield, was confined during his incarceration, from the date of his commitment, July 2nd, 1881, until the day on which he was executed, June 30th

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