Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-26
HOUDLNI ANXIOUS
TO MEET RICOS
oRPHEuM PERFORMER SAYS DE-
lTEcTIvEs WERE UNFAIR
Handucff King ls Preparing Story Of
Wonderful Experiences Which
VIII Appear in The Herald
Sunday

Since the attempt made on Monday
evening by Detective Tom Rico and his
nephew, Patrolman Louis Rico, to defeat
Houdini by means of faxed or tam
pered handcuff, it has been reported that
the Ricos are anxious to meet Houdini
again, Several reported challenges have
reached Houdini in an indirect way
None of these have been traceable to
their author.
The latest of these reported challenges
is to the effect that Detective Rico poses
as an expert in handcuff release and Of
fers to beat Houdini at the latter's own
game.
Houdini was seen last night at his hotel
by a Herald reporter and was asked
whether he intends accepting Rico's chal-
lenge.
II have received no challenge" an
swered Houdini.
ut was reported to me this afternoon
that Detective Rico had challenged me,
and at once sent a man to hunt him up.
He was not to be foun, at the police sta
ton and the officers on duty did not
know his whereabouts.
eff Rico wants to challenge me, let him
come to me like a man. l am easy to
find.
at is alleged that Rico once queered a
performer named Raymond with pair
of tempered cuffs. Encouraged by this
success he attempted the same trick with
me, but failed. Now If Rico wishes to
post as handcuff expert / have a word
or two to say.
Houdini then sat down at his typewrit-
err and pounded off the following:
IAN open cha4.enge to Detective Tom
Rico.
Dear Sir: On my arrival in Los An
geles, you, in front of a number of police
officers and detectives, at headquarters,
offered to bet $1,000 Zone thousand dollars)
that you had pair of regulation hand
cuffs that would not | able to escape
from.
"You did not post any money, and in an
underhand manner you sent your nephew
Louis Rico to come on the Orpheum
stage, show me pair of regulation hand
cuffs and then connivingly exchange them
for your fixed and unfair cuffs. opened
the cuff locked around my wrist and you
failed to take your beating like a good
sport, even though you had stopped to
underhand methods to defeat me. You
now try to belittle me by stating. as
have heard reported, that you can get out
of handouts in ten seconds that cannot
get out of in twenty minutes.
"Allow me to state that WHY wager
the sum of $500 against your 500 that I
can allow you 10 lock your HAeu potlic-
neck cuffs on my wrist, and l In turn will
lock pair of my cuffs on your right
hand, leaving your left nand free to work
with and in the other portion of the cuff
I will lock around your nephew's right
wrist, leaving his left hand free, and I
will guarantee that l will release myself
from your handcuff before you two can
release yourselves from the cuff placed
on your wrists by myself or my assist
ant, or 1 will forfeit the 5000. but If 1
succeed you are to forfeit the 500 de-
posted by you.
1.-THE test is to take place on the stage
of the Orpheum theater. and the money
wagered is to be posted before the per-
Torrance and losers money paid to any
local charity named by Mayor Harper.
Handouts when returned are to be in
good working order and not demolished
or battered up. Both parties are to have
the right to examine cuffs thoroughly be-
fore the test takes place
HARRY HOUDINI,
"Original Handcuff King of the World"
| Houdini says that Rico's attempt to
do" him recalls similar attempt made
by an Englishman some years ago. The
full particulars of this and other similar
efforts to beat the "handcuff magician
will be given in the story which Houdini
is writing for the Sunday Herald.
Houdini will go out to Westlake park
this morning and complete the arrange
ments for the exhibition which he is to
give there next Saturday. The place Sc.
lected is the southeast corner of the pa
vilion roof and from this point he will
dive into the lake while loaded with hand
cuffs and shackles