The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-09-14
SEEK CONTACT
WITH ; DEAD
MAGICIANS
By EDWARD S. SULLIVAN


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. IA
0N.S).-Ghostly wordless whis-
pers at notwithstanding flashes
Of dancing light.
Are they signs that the worlds
three greatest magicians are try
ing to keep their compact to COM
rnunicate with the world from be-
yond the grave, or mere illusions
like those with which the ma
gicianS amazed audiences in life?
This question was pondered to-
day by Lawrence Carter. 39-year-
old son of Carter the Great,
master Of magic, who died in Bonn.
bay last February.
Revealing that after his fathers
death he experienced weird phe-
nomena even stranger than those
related by his mother several
months ago, young Carter, who is
carrying on his fathers work, dis
closed plans to join Mrs, Harry
Houdini, widow of Carter the
Greats close friend and fellow
magician, in a Halloween seance
in Hollywood in an attempt to an
Swer the question once and for all.
The widow of Howard Thurston,
King of the Cards." also has
been invited.
Tells Weird Tale
Staying at the home here Of
his mother, Mrs. Corinne Carter,
the magician'S son related
strange and terrifying expert
ence. He said:
"AbOut three days after my
fathers death was in bed in
my hotel room in Bombay, 60
ing over some of his papers.
Suddenly there was a blind
ing flash of light. 1t seemed to
pulSate everywhere in the room,
yet to come from nowhere. AS
1 sat up, startled, it vanished.
Then, right at my ear, came
quick, urgent whispering, as
though someone were trying to
tell me something and couldn't
frame the words Of strange
language.
my hair stood on end, and
was bathed in cold sweat.
"The next day I went to see
the Catholic priest who had at
tended my father in the hos
pitaI. He advised me to have
masses said for the repOSe Of his
soul.
"a week later the experience
was repeated. This time the
room seemed to turn deathly
cold.
at left me shaken and i'll.
took strong Swig of whisky.
"Three weeks later, in Cal
Cutta, exactly the same thing
happened. After that, / couldn't
sleep without light burning.
"When 1 came back to San
Francisco, I told my mother of
my experience. / learned then
for the first time that a few days
al GCE udu , OCoSA-0UOuk bAC
same time the first phenomenon
occurred in my room, she had
been awakened at midnight by a
sibilant whispering close to her
ear. She lay awake, called aloud
for the voice to repeat itself,
but she never heard it again.
That very day, she received a
letter from my father, written
. few weeks before he died."
Carter the Great, Thurston and
Houdini, students of psychic phe-
non1ena, entered into an agreement
years ago that the first to die
should make every effort to pierce
the veil and communicate with the
others. They passed on one by
one. The experiences of Carriers
wife and son were the first to be
reported.
Plan Seance
Young Carter, who is staging
his fathers magic show in Cali
fornia, said he and his mother will
accept Mrs. Houdini's invitation
for the Halloween seance at her
Hollywood home if his stage en-
gagements will permit. He said:
81 have an open mind. I don't
know whether my father is
actually trying to reach us, or
whether these things were tricks
of my imagination. I never had
such experiences before"
Mrs. Carter expressed Skepti-
cisn.