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Very few understand death.
Out of that few even less can cheat it. One man has
done that, repeatedly. In the book, The Life
And Many Deaths Of Harry Houdini by Ruth
Brandon, Houdini is described as Superman. Doing the
impossible, and defying death. In reality he was a
skilled magician, performer and a truly fearless man
that began his career in magic at an early age. He
started in show business early. His mother disapproved
and apprenticed him to a locksmith, at the time, unknowingly
making the escape artist. While he was apprenticed,
he learned a very important lesson, also the key to
his future.
Houdini discovered that
locks had weakness. A story goes that the locksmith
assigned him the task of freeing a unfortunate man
out of a pair of handcuffs. Instead of filing he
used is "secret method." Later in his
life he discover many "secret methods"
to opening locks. Many of them discovered at a later
age, when he worked with a friend who owned a locksmith.
Being extremely intelligent Houdini soon knew more
about handcuffs than his friend with more than thirty
years of experience. His friend bought Houdini several
types of handcuffs. Houdini would often spend six
hours investigating locks. Soon he was able to open
many handcuffs with 4 self created picks. His career
then started out as more of a circus freak. But
soon Houdini discovered one of the most amazing
forms of magic, strait jacket escape. Houdini was
invited to a Insane Asylum and saw a man struggle
with all his might to escape a straight jacket.
Houdini the started to escape from Straight Jackets
from behind curtains. The audiences were displeased
so he then escaped in full view. Which is still
the best way to perform the trick.
Houdini's death once
a mystery, has slowly unraveled . His best tricks
became his death. Houdini was asked by a man if
it was true that Houdini stomach could take many
hits. Houdini replied that it was true, with that
said, the man began to immediately punch Houdini
in the stomach. Unable to prepare himself Houdini
signaled to stop after at least 4 dangerous blows.
The blows were sustainable but they were combined
with ptomaine poisoning, after he tried to break
his straight jacket escape time. He went on with
the show in pain and agony and continued to accept
shows. On the train ride to a show, he was no longer
able to hid his pain. His doctors repeatedly urged
him to call an ambulance, but he refused. He replied,
"I will do this show even if its my last."
He performed the show in his condition, a 8 day
old fractured ankle, and a temperature of a 104.
Later in the show he stop and was diagnosed at the
hospital. Then at Halloween he died, still a man
of mystery.
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