Harry Houdini and Newport

 

Harry Houdini and Newport:

Harry Houdini's grand illusions and daring, spectacular escape acts made him one of the most famous escapologists. He was born Erich Weisz on March 24, 1874, in Budapest, Hungary and was one of seven children born to a Jewish rabbi and his wife. The Weisz  family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin when he was a child. When he was 13, Weisz moved with his father to New York City to find work. In 1894, Weisz launched his career as a professional magician and renamed himself Harry Houdini, but he soon became better known for his feats of escapology using handcuffs.

In 1899 he became a commercial success and was booked at some of the best vaudeville venues in the USA and soon was touring Europe. The shows drew large crowds, and he soon became the highest-paid performer in American vaudeville. Houdini developed acts which involved escaping from handcuffs and straightjackets whilst in water-filled tanks and nailed packing crates. He was able to escape because of both his ability to pick locks.

His visits to Newport

Hungarian-born Houdini first came to Newport in April 1905, spending a week-long residency at the city performing at the Newport Lyceum Theatre.  Houdini often got himself locked in police stations and then staged his escape from locked cells.

The Evening Express recorded on 20^th April 1905  

'Houdini Locked Up. 'HANDCUFF KING" ESCAPES FROM A CELL: About a quarter to four on Wednesday afternoon great crowds assembled in the vicinity of Newport Police-station. The cause of this was that Harry Houdini, now performing at the Newport Lyceum, was to try to escape from one of the cells of the prison. On Tuesday Mr. Houdini went to Chief- constable Sinclair and asked permission to do this. … Houdini, accompanied by Mr. A. I. Sinclair, Superintendent Brooks, and … (four are members of the corporation), and about half a dozen pressmen, made his way to the cells. The gaol-breaker was asked to undress himself in No. 9 cell and undergo the test in a nude condition. Mr. Houdini complied with this request, and entered No. 9 cell, and came from it perfectly nude. He asked the superintendent to lock his clothes in. Dr. McGinn and Superintendent Brooks carefully examined him, but their search revealed nothing. The cell, too, was carefully examined before he entered it. The only stipulation Mr. Houdini made in regard to the cell was that the small food trap should be left open. As the cell door locked from the outside only, this gave him a somewhat difficult access to the key-hole. Slipping inside the cell, the handcuff expert requested the chief-constable to lock him in. Pulling from his pocket a master key, a key that never leaves the possession of the chief- constable, Mr. Sinclair trebly locked him in. After a final examination, the small crowd of gentlemen returned to the end of the passage, where they could not see what method Mr. Houdini used to free himself. In exactly five minutes and a half Mr. Houdini appeared, after escaping from the cell, opening the enjoining cell, dressing himself, and opening a massive iron gate which is situated at the entrance to the cells. His appearance was greeted by the few present with a cry of surprise. How he escaped from the cell, entered another, and dressed himself, all in the short space of  five and a half  minutes was a mystery. Meanwhile, the thousands of people who were anxiously waiting outside were unanimous in their opinion that Newport Prison would be one too many for the "Handcuff King." When he left, by the Town-hall entrance, there was a scene of great enthusiasm. Mr. Houdini took the ovation coolly, uttering a quiet word of thanks and raising his hat. Vast crowds followed him to the Lyceum Theatre, where, after a parting cheer, he vanished beyond the stage door.'

Houdini leaps into the River Usk in March 1913. 

He announced at the Empire Theatre that he would leap from Newport Bridge into the River Usk, shackled with manacles. But the police refused to give the illusionist permission, writing in the local press that he would be arrested should he be caught. With thousands gathered on Newport Bridge and police out in force, Houdini set up a plan of action. Houdini placed a lookalike, along with the theatre manager and members of the press, in an open car to act as a decoy. While the police were distracted, Houdini made his way to the opposite side of the bridge – already striped and handcuffed – and leapt into the waiting waters of the River Usk. He freed himself and swam ashore. The Cambrian Daily Leader reported on 4 January 1913

'Police evidence was given that Houdini, after being warned not to perform bis feat, which had been publicly advertised, deliberately did so. Thousands of I people assembled on the bridge, causing serious obstruction to traffic. Houdini, after he had been turned back, went to the other end of the town, crossed by the transporter bridge, and drove up in a taxi at the opposite side of the bridge.' 

When he returned to the Empire that evening, he was greeted by a reception and the Argus stated it was a ‘triumphant vindication of Houdini’s pluck and resource’. He was soon summoned to court with charges relating to obstructing a public highway. Fittingly, the escapologist, was allowed to walk free after the magistrate at Newport Police Court dismissed the case.

In 1914, the following year, he returned to Newport  and accepted a challenge from four workers. The wording of the challenge said: that the previous year he had escaped from a packing crates but could have tampered with it as it was delivered to him before hand. This time they would construct the box infront of the audience and they would nail down the lid and rope the box. demolishing same. He took just two-and-a-half minutes to free himself.

 One wonders how much he was behind instigating stunts such as the one above as he was a clever self publicist.

Houdini thrilled audiences worldwide but he could not escape death and in 1926 he died of appendicitis.