Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-29
~ Harry TIouni His egng Career
HOUDLNI as
REMINISCENT
HANDcuFF KING TELLS STORY
OF HIS LIFE
THRILLING INCIDENTS CROWD
CAREER
Claims the Marvellous Acts He Docs
Are Simple and Makes NO
Profession Of Magic
Powers
nY nanny HoUDINI

Powers
by HARRY HoUDINi
yUy HIS is not biography out stols'
A biography must commence win
Il the least interesting event Oh
mans life-the fact that he was porn.
THAT must be taken for granted IN my
case for my story shall commence WIN
the events of today and take up IN re-
verse order some of the interesting
tbinqs that have happened to me since
7 reached that age at which every sell
resnecting American boy begins TO
sshift for himself"
This is my second visit TO Los An
reles. The previous one was In July,
1893. when the Orpheum was located
in the present Grand opera house on
Main street. 80
wars Los Angeles has changed almost
bevond recognition. 1t was like seeing
an old friend gone to the bad to VII
ness the difference In Main street today
and eight years ago when 1t was the
important street and the business CEN
ter of the town.
On reaching Los Angeles my first
thought was of some friends and ac-
ouaintances met here in 1892 MY nrst
visit was 10 Lno llltn WIN hco SNUN->0
and handcuffed me in my previous ap-
pearances. Captain Walter H. Auble
and Sergeant Sam Mckenzie remem-
bered me at once. / need not say that
II was a great pleasure to me that they
should do so.
These Officers recalled to me prac-
tically everything I did at the Or
pheum here eight years ago, and Cap
tain Auble related one OF the little
T rI.r fhn on IN n
private exhibition given at police head
quarters.
CAPTAIN Auble Is an excellent story
teller and / can only approximate the
interesting style in which he narrated
the event.
'This man Houdini gave little ex-
hibition to the boys up in the assembly
hail." said the captain.
''He took package from his pocket,
opened it up and showed us they were
real needles.
Threaded In the Interior?
For further proof he took one of
them and stuck 1t through a fold in his
cheek, which he held between his
thumb and finger. We saw it stick
ing through about half an inch. He
pulled it out and put it In his mouth.
Then he took half the paper of needles
and placed them on his tongue. He
opened his mouth and showed them
there.
HE chewed up those needles and
swallowed them, opened his mouth and
showed they had disappeared. In the
same way he chewed up and swallowed
the other half of the package.
Next he put a few feet of thread
into his mouth and ate that, too.
FINALLY he opened his mouth and drew
out tho need1eS threaded about ten
inches apart
Now" concluded the captain, 'T am
not saying that Houdini really swallowed
those needles and thread or that he has
a self-threading stomach. But saw him
do just what I say, though none of the
boys will believe the story when 1 tell it."
This is not told as a proof of my
magic powers. but as tribute to a
good friends excellent memory. The trick
was done exactly as he states. 1t gave
me the greatest pleasure to know that
my humble efforts at entertaining the
force eight years ago have been so well
remembered.
Sergeant Sam Mckenzie was one of the
men who shackled me on the Orpheum
satge.
"I made a good job of it. too" says
Sam. There was no taking about that.
But you got out. Perhaps I will try it
again before you leave Los Angeles,
though I haven't much hopes of beating
you.''
Cuffs Must Be Regular
The one unpleasant feature of my visit
here had its origin in that same visit to
police headquarters. I think when Detec-
tive Tom Rico offered to bet a thousand
dollars Cor was it millionO that he
had a cuff from which I could not es-
cape he was not serious and that the
challenge was made jokingly, for he
made no offer to post any money, though
/ gave him every opportunity to do so.
Probably the joshing to which he was
subjected by other officers and the news
paper reporters nerved him to make the
unfair attempt on Monday evening last,
in which he was so ignominiously de-
feated.
AS there has been great deal of
comment on this matter I shall say just
a few words about it.
Let me say in preface that I unlock
every handcuff that is placed upon me-
/ do not merely slip them over my hands
] have large hand. If a lock is plugged
or broken or is not in proper working or.
der or for any other reason cannot be un-
locked it is barred. This Is only reason.
able, for I do not pretend to have magic
powers. My methods are of the simples
and are all perfectly natural. Since
open the cuffs it is part of my challenge
that they must not be faxed" or tam
pered with. To insure this demand tn,
right to inspect every manacle before i
is placed upon me.
Last Monday evening Tom Rico sen
his nephew, Louis Rico to the Orpheun
with a pair of tampered cuffs. When m.
invitation was given Louis Rico and 9th
ers came upon the stage. Louis Ric'
showed me a pair of regulation cuffs II
perfect working order. When held ou
my hands to him to be manacled he sub
stituted another pair while my back ha,
been turned. One of these was on m.
wrist and my assistant gave me secre
cue, which he had been instructed t.
use to warn me of danger. 1 then too
the other cuff and snapped it. Rico wa
nonplused
u I demanded that he unlock the cuff an
permit me to examine it. He replied tina
ne had not the key for it. q afterwar
learned that he had the key in his pocke
at the time.) He said he would have t
send for Tom to bring the key He sen
Off a messenger to the police static
and I took the opportunity to tell tn
audience what had taken place.