Houdini didn't end Margery's Career

The Scientific American Investigations and then Houdini's out right war on Margery the Medium were not her undoing. She continued for sometime afterwards. She was also continually scrutinized and tested. It was during one of the later tests that things went bad for her.

Margery, whose real name was Mina Crandon, always spoke through her spirit guide Walter. It turns out that Walter was her deceased brother. Walter was a character in real life and no less the character in his spirit form. He was outlandish and abrasive and had no problems challenging the challengers. During one of the Scientific Investigation tests Walter called out Houdini specifically for hiding a ruler in the wooden box in which Margery was secured. Sure enough upon investigation a ruler was found. Houdini denied the charge. Years later, Jim Collins, one of Houdini's assistants admitted that he put the ruler in the cabinet after Houdini told him to do it. Houdini was determined to get Margery no matter the means or the method.

Margery did have a number of unusual manifestations that took place in her seances. Of course the spirit voice of her brother Walter was the one consistent one. But at some point she also had ectoplasm exude from her body. She and her husband asked the investigators not to touch the ectoplasm as it would cause Margery harm. One article I read said that after an investigator did touch the ectoplasm, Margery suffered great pain for days following. Among the other manifestations; objects moved on their own, lights came on and off, ghostly hands touched those of the other sitters and many more.

The committee was divided on their decision as to whether Margery was legit or not. This of course enraged Houdini, which led to him going after her on his own at the Symphony Hall exposure. In late 1926, Houdini was contacted by investigators again about Margery and he considered getting involved in the case again but he never did because he died in October of that year.

Margery continued her seances and continued being investigated. In 1929 she exhibited a new spirit phenomenon. A block of hot wax was set on the table in front of Margery and she caused her spirit guide Walter to leave a wax impression of his finger prints. Amazing! Except it was discovered at a later date that the finger prints were actually those of her dentist, the man who provided the wax originally. This revelation seems to be her ultimate undoing.

One of the wildest things is reading the reports of these investigations. Some are really pro-Margery and anti-Houdini and others are anti-Margery and anti-Houdini. Houdini doesn't seem to come out very well in many of the articles I've read.

A final note, apparently Walter was not done speaking. In 1994 Walter spoke again through a medium and said that it was Dr. Crandon who set up the fraud because so many people were out to get Margery. Really? I mean, really?

Margery's House in Boston on Lime St Today

To read more about Margery online:
http://pennyforum.netfirms.com/aom/aom_p25.html
http://www.prairieghosts.com/margery.html
http://www.historynet.com/mina-crandon-harry-houdini-the-medium-and-the-magician.htm
http://www.unexplainedstuff.com/Mediums-and-Mystics/Mediums-and-Channelers-Mina-margery-stinson-crandon-1888-1941.html

The Mystery of the Houdini Hole

Lincoln Square Theatre Decatur IL Today

There is a hole cut in the stage of the Lincoln Square Theatre in Decatur Il that is referred to as "The Houdini Hole"by the theatre people and the locals in town.  Legend has it that this hole was cut into the stage to allow the water to drain out from his Water Torture Cell. Houdini did stipulate in his performance rider that he required a hole be cut in the stage no less than 8 inches by 8 inches. However, there is no newspaper record of Houdini ever being in Decatur. One local man said it was before Houdini was famous which was why it wasn't in the papers. But Houdini was more than well known by the time he was doing the Water Torture Cell.

This hole should probably be called "The Blackstone Hole" because Blackstone Sr. played this theatre a number of times over the years. I got the impression that the hole was larger than 8x8 and was probably large enough for a person to go through. That would be ideal for a magician of the time, but not for Houdini.

In fact, the Lincoln Square Theatre is the very theatre where in September of 1942, Blackstone was doing a matinee performance with an audience of 1000 + kids and parents and they received word that the building next to the theatre was on fire. Blackstone calmly told the audience that in order to show his greatest trick, he would need to do it outside. He was able to get everyone out of the theatre in a quick and orderly manner without anyone getting hurt. While that was going on, Blackstone's crew was busy taking their props off the stage and getting them outside into the alley.

Sadly one person did die that day. Ted Banks, who was a close friend of Blackstone and also the show's stage manager, He died of a heart attack that evening in his hotel room. The crew didn't find out until the next morning when Ted didn't show up at the theatre. He died at the St. Nicholas Hotel which was walking distance from the Lincoln Square Theatre.

St. Nicholas Hotel on the left

Margery and The Bell Box(s)

On January 2 & 3rd 1925 Houdini had challenged Margery the celebrated Boston Medium to appear on stage with him at Symphony Hall. He had become fed up with the Scientific American Magazine's ability to come to a decision on Margery. Taking matters into his own hands he offered up the challenge and put $10,000 in bonds on the line. The challenge was for her to appear on-stage with Houdini at Boston's Symphony Hall and create manifestations that he could not show to be fake. In the event that Margery did not show up, he would spend the time exposing her methods to the audience. Margery did not show up either night and Houdini went about doing his exposure show to the delight of the crowds.

Let me begin with Symphony Hall. This location still exists and is still used today. The address is 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. It's a beautiful building and apparently one of the best buildings ever made for music and acoustics. Houdini packed the house. At least one of the nights Anna Eva Fay another celebrated medium and friend of Houdini's was in attendance.

Houdini brought the 'Margery Cabinet' on stage and proceeded to demonstrate how she caused her manifestations to take place. Among the things he did was ring bells and also cause a 'bell box' to ring as well.

The photo of Houdini in the Margery Cabinet with the Bell Box in front is quite famous. I've seen this photo many times over the years. I've seen a few other black and white photos of the Bell Box as well so if I ever saw the Bell Box in real life I would certainly know it. A couple years ago I stumbled upon the Bell Box, or the supposed Bell Box, in a magic collection. It was on display with a note (see photo below). I immediately wondered to myself, "Was there more than one Bell Box because that is not the one I recall in the photos". I didn't say anything to the owner. I figured that maybe my memory had betrayed me and I was wrong. When I got home I dug up a photo of the Bell Box and sure enough, I was right. What I had seen was not the Bell Box in the photo. I asked around and everyone I asked could only recall one Bell Box.

Thank you Kenneth Silverman! His book solved the issue. There were two! One was legit, that's the one Margery was faced with. The other was gimmicked to ring, that's the one Houdini had on stage with him at the Boston Symphony Hall. By the way, there were also two Margery Cabinets as well, one tight as a drum and one gaffed.

I also found a picture of the second Bell Box in action though I'm not quite sure who that is in the photo. For those wondering what the difference between the boxes is, please notice where the opening of the bell box is on the photo with Houdini. It appears to have a 2.5 or 3 inch flap that opens on the top. But the other box opens at the end and has an additional board underneath it, and it's maybe 5 inches long. Though the rectangular shape of the boxes is the same, the tops are different. But again, thanks to Kenneth Silverman's book the mystery is solved! (Incidentally, I might have it reversed, the one in this photo could be the one Margery faced and the one in the photo w/ Houdini could be the gimmicked one. Regardless, there are two Bell Boxes)

To read more cool news about Margery, check out John Cox's site at http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2010/12/witch-of-lime-street-will-haunt.html

In the Salon de Magie Collection