Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-19
Id: HaV212 ~ =
CHALLENGE TO HoUDINI.
Employees Of s. Kann, Sons d Com
PAW Seek to Box Him Up.

The expert packers and shippers In the
delivery department OF the mammoth de-
! partment store of S. kann. Sons co.
have hurled a def to Houdini, the hand
cuff king at Chases this week. the ehal-
lenge having been forwarded to the prison.
breaker today by trusted emissary: 1t
confidently asserts. in spirit IL not In words,
their unbounded belief In their craftsman
ship, and offer to make packing box that
will hold the handcuff king inside until they
let him out.
In other words, the little legion OF ham,
merers and sawyers have backed them
selves with their little all Of mutual and
self-esteem. Whether they would be Wiling
to reduce that to fractional currency terms
remains to be seen, although II is under
stood Houdini does not accept side bets.
preferring instead to agree to donate
certain amount Of money to designated
public charity in the event that he falls
to escape.
The Kann employees received a delayed
but very emphatic response to their chal-
lenge. Houdin decides to give them the
coveted opportunity, and 1t Is promised by
make a packing case that with Houdini
once inside nailed and roped In, nothing
short Of a special dispensation of Provf-
dence will get him out Of 1t until they come
to the rescue with their little saws and
hatchets.
The conditions connected with the chal-
lenge are simple in the extreme, and the
Kann folks believe that in the very sim
plicity of the thing lies their concealed
strength when the test comes They cheer
fully ignore the opportunity to hedge on
their chances by making Houdini agree TO
positively and undeniably make the escape
from the packing box at or under certain
weight or within given time They mean
business because hitherto they have Cherish
ed the belief that they could make box
that would hold anything.
The packers and shippers have chosen
Friday night for the event, and the en-
ployes of all the department stores in the
city are on edge over the matter.
The Kann document addressed to Houdini
follows:
Dear Sir.-Members OF the packing de-
partment of S. Kann. Sons & Co. have
heard a lot about your breaking out of
trunks packing cases, hampers. etc, when
fastened in with nails ropes, etc. VIII you
allow us to make a box and put you to the
test? We Will make our case OF heavy lum-
Der and use three-inch wire nails. and be-
leve We can nail and tie up the box SO you
cannot escape without demolishing the box.
Friday night seems the most convenient
time for us Answer by bearer.
Respectfully. Samuel Ingle, foreman:
Jake Cohn. Ernest Wolff, Charles w.
Smith, NJ Powell, packing department, s.
Kann. Sons & Co.
Houdni's answer to the def reads
IS. Kann, Sons & Co., Washington, ID.
c. Srs.-It will give me great pleasure to
accept the challenge of your packing de.
of the box that they make and tie up with
ropes I've never been kept in yet. Hou-
DIM Kann do 1t. Friday night will be as
good a time as any. Let me suggest that
you keep the case in your possession right
up to the time when 1t is required on the
stage-this just to convince the skeptical
that l do not use boxes that are fixed
Yours, out and out Houdfni"