The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-01-26
NO SHACKLES
CAN BIND HIM.
HOudini Gives an Exhibition at
Police Headquarters.
MANY IRONS PLACED ON HIN,
They IncIuied Shacklss Made for Holding
DessrtsTs Curing the War;
TAKEN FROM WRISTS AND ANKLES
In Two Mldules and Fo-b-0ne Seconds MAJOR
and Several 0 hI tli Officials Witnessed
Tho yOntsEuI Performance
TAKEN FROM WRISTS AND ANKLES

detective bureau at police headquarters
this morning and in spite OF the face
that Capt. Parker used his most com
plicated handouts and shackles tho
young wizard experienced apparently
no difficulty in ridding himself Of them
and what Is still more wonderful, they
were unlocked when taken OF.
There was quite large party gath
cred in Capt. Parker's room 10 witness
the exhibition. among them Mayor
Baker. Councilman . I'm T.. Kendrck,
Secretary j 4. George. Deputy ChleE
Egan. the members OF the board or
canvassers and registration, represent
atiyes of the local and out OF Town
press. two local physicians. Manager
Lovenberg OF keith's opera house anu
Mr.. IA. l. Dinenback, press agent tor
Mr.. Keith. Shortly after II o'clock Mr.
Houdini arrived from Boston, Wheie
he is playing at keith's new theatre
and was introduced TO the gentlemen
assembled
HOUDINI SHACKLED.
Mr. Houdini explained that he would
allow Capt Parker 10 shackle nun as
he pleased, and the more complicated
the irons We're the bertcr n would suiJ
him. all ne asked being that no at
tempt should be made to Wat"h the
process by watch he fire - himself. as
IL he revealed his secret il would b.
Valueless To him I'm the futura as
means OF gaining his livelihood.
He then stepped into an adjoining
room and disrobed. returning with Tut
a single garment. and gave an exhi-
bition of his needle trick WhiSh con-
sists i'm swallowing a number of sharp
needles and then a piece of thread. la
ter drawing the thread from the mouth
with the needles threaded upon AZ. Mr..
Houdiml's s mouth was carefully cNamln-
ed by DR.. Harry p. Lovewell OF TINS
city n, ,sher to see thai nothing was
conct 3,"d there.
He then removed the remaining gar
ment and. standing before the speCta-
tors requested that he be shackled.
capt Parker. who had already prepar-
ed several pairs Of irons, at once snap
ped a pair Of regulation police hand
rufus on mis- WRISTS, bringing them close
together He then put pair Of regu-
lar shackles around both ankles, and
then produced his piece de resistance.
This was a pair of heavy ahackles made
during the war of the rebellion by the
Providence Tool Company and intend
cd for use on deserters.
STRONG IRONS USED.
So powerful IS the spring on these
shackles that "a SCREW key is uScu to
both SNAP and open them. and ii re-
quired over six minutes TO put them on,
and even then only one side couli be
snapped. Capt. Parker said that he had
purchased them some time ago in a
junk shop and ne positively knew that
there was but one key for them In ex-
is;ence, the one ne held In his hand,and
nc had never before seen one like 1.-THE
- oHu plr In h.,
drawn up towards the hands and an
other pair of regulation handouts was
twisted I'm IL and the cuffs were then
snapped on Mr. Houdini's wrists
He was then literally bound hand and
foot. with two Dlirs of shackles and
two pairs OF handouts the operation of
putting on the irons having consumed
nine minutes. and IN his performarc s.
Mr.. Houiini asks that at least the samc
time be given him 90 remove the hand
cuffs as was consumed in putting them
on. when all was IN readiness he re-
quested Or. Lovewell 10 close his mouth
with court plaster. in order 20 remove
any impression that he had any kind
OF a key i'm his mouth, The plaster was
furnished by the representative of the
News. and Or. LoVcwell plsted up the
wizards mouth very thoroughly.
MIR. Houdini then walked to a corner
OF the room previously designated by
Mayor Baker. while all the spectators
withdrew 20 q point about half way
across the room. Mr.. HOudlni had a
chair placed in front of him and
cr1uching i'm the corner OF a desk be-
gan his operations. In about "a min
ute he arose and threw one pair of
handouts unlocked into the middle OF
the room, and again crouched. In eN-
acuy two minutes and a. seconds he
arose and handed 20 Capt Parker an
The remaining shackles and handouts
unlocked. and he stood perfectly free
Every body said IL was a most Won
dcrful performance. done with marvel
lous rap.dity. and Capt Parker simply
looked at jn, unlocked irons. and re-
marked that o. was the siickcst piece
of work he had ever seen. Just befor,
MIR Houlini left f,r Boston a ccrtin-
cate Of what he had done was writ.
ten and was signed by al present and
Was delivered 20 him. Nr. Houdin
Will bc U Hciths opera house. thi.
city. next week. when dll viii have an
opportunity to witness ~ wonderful
work.