Houdini's Last Escape
Houdini's Last Escape is an article written by Arthur Conan Doyle published in the magazine Ghost Stories in march 1930.
Editions
- in Ghost Stories (march 1930 [US])
- in A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (june 1999 [UK])
Plot summary
This article presents Arthur Conan Doyle's account of the alleged posthumous communication from Harry Houdini through the medium Arthur Ford. Conan Doyle argues that the transmission of private code words known only to Houdini and his wife Beatrice strongly supports the reality of spirit communication. He also acknowledges objections and possible doubts, but ultimately treats Mrs Houdini's acceptance of the message as sincere and as major evidence for survival after death.
Houdini's Last Escape
Did the world-famous wizard and skeptic really speak from the Beyond? Here is an authoritative answer.
A year or two ago I laid a narrative before the public, in which I ventured to ascribe a psychic origin to certain of the so-called 'tricks' of the late Harry Houdini. I gave my reasons pretty fully, and though they were naturally ridiculed in certain quarters, no facts have appeared since which would cause me to alter my opinion. But there has been a notable event which may make the name of Houdini famous in psychic research in a manner very different from anything which he contemplated in his earthly lifetime.
I do not, of course, expect all the readers of this article to be Spiritualists, or even to be free from antipathy to our views, but I would ask their indulgence while I lay the facts before them, and beg them for the moment to view them from our angle and to realize what, to put it at the lowest, these facts may mean.
It was always my opinion that a man with the tremendous individuality of Houdini would soon make his way back to our human consciousness in order to carry consolation to his beloved. wife, and also to atone for the mischief which he did upon earth by his furious denial of spirit intercourse. In so far as he destroyed fake mediums, he did work with which we could all sympathize. But his opposition got beyond all bounds or reason; and he was so obsessed by his feelings that he would even, as in the case of the Crandons, manufacture evidence in order to support his case.
With such a record it is natural, from the point of view of a believer in these things, that Houdini should not have been allowed to do all that he might wish when he passed over into the spirit world, for law and discipline exist there, and what one does is always by permission.
However, there is a term to any prohibition of the sort. This term has apparently been reached, and has ended in what seems to be one of the most remarkable examples of return from the grave in the whole history of the subject. The episode is of enormous and world-wide importance, if such a claim can indeed be substantiated, for what one can do another can do, and the whole world is waiting for an unassailable case where loving souls have joined hands through a rift in the veil. Such a proof knocks the bottom out of the whole materialistic philosophy, and greatly strengthens the basis upon which all revealed religion is built.
It is known that in Houdini's life-time he had a password with his aged mother, whom he held in great affection and veneration. This password was known only to Mrs Houdini, who, as a loving and loyal wife, shared her husband's views. Houdini received alleged messages from his mother, some of which I have reason to think were true, but he disregarded them because he never seems to have considered that in a rush of motherly love, so deliberate and cold-blooded a thing as a password might well, after so many years, be omitted or forgotten.
I claim that no mother who had only a few moments in which to express her feelings would remember what would seem to be so trivial and unnecessary. It was different, however, when Houdini himself passed across. He had arranged these passwords, and he was a man of method. I had very little doubt that he would find a means to prove his own continued existence by getting them through.
The theory as to communication, which may or may not commend itself to the reader, is that it is a question of finding the particular vibration which corresponds to that of the communicant. Our experience with wireless, and with the extreme delicacy of vibrations. and the need for accuracy, suggests a rough analogy. The particular instrument, or receiving station, on this occasion, was one Arthur Ford, concerning whom one might say a few words, for his individuality is an interesting one.
When first I met Arthur Ford I could hardly believe that this was indeed the already celebrated medium. He is a young, clean-shaven, fresh-faced man, carefully dressed, with all the appearance, and indeed the habits, of the man of the world who thoroughly enjoys the things of this life. He is gentle, sympathetic and likely to be popular with the ladies. His manner is silky. His voice is low. He is a man. who would be popular in any company, however cosmopolitan, and who would be quite at home in the gayest circles.
I do not know why a great medium should not possess all these mundane qualities, and yet in Arthur Ford they came as a surprise. It was only later, when I saw him facing a great audience, and giving to them messages which he could have got in no normal fashion, that I realized the quality of his psychic powers.
This gift manifests itself chiefly not by clairvoyance, but by clairaudience-which means that he hears a voice. When asked whose voice it is, he refers it always to a college friend named Fletcher, who died young, and who for some reason (possibly again a similarity of vibration) has attached himself to his former classmate. It is a curious and instructive sight to see Ford with his head aslant and expectant face, listening for that inaudible voice, and then giving forth some message which is eagerly acclaimed as evidential by some stranger who receives it.
It was this Arthur Ford who last year received through his old friend the information that the code-word arranged in their lifetime between Houdini and his mother was the word 'Forgive'. To make the account complete I should give the exact wording of this first message. It came in New York on February 8th, 1928. Ford, being in trance, his control Fletcher spoke through him as follows:
'There is a woman here whom I have not seen before. She is eager to say one word. She tells me that she is the mother of Harry Weiss, known as Houdini.'
Then he quoted her message verbally: 'For many years my son. waited for one word which I was to send back. He never got it. He always said that if he got that he would believe. The code which he gave to his wife can come only from himself, yet the conditions. which have developed in the family make it necessary for me to get my code-word through first. If the family acts upon that he will be free, and able to speak for himself. This is the word: "Forgive". His wife knew the word, and no one else in all the world knew it. Ask her if the word which I tried to get back all these years was not "Forgive"? I have tried many times to say it to him. Now that he is here with me I can get it through. Tonight I give it to you, and Beatrice Houdini will declare it to be true."
When I heard of this I cabled to Mrs Houdini, with whom I was on terms of friendship, and received her assurance that the word was correct. I found out afterward, however, that the lady had, a year or so before, disclosed the word to a reporter of The Brooklyn Eagle; and though I am prepared to accept Ford's word that he knew nothing of this, and though other facts came through which had not previously been disclosed, still I feel that the evidence was greatly weakened by this previous disclosure. Besides, in the considerable. time which had elapsed since the mother's death there might have been some leakage elsewhere, and Ford's subconscious memory might have retained more than he was aware of.
On the whole, therefore, although I was impressed, I waited for some more complete development. There was still the more recent and more intimate secret between the husband and wife. Some attempts had already been made to solve it, and I had myself sent on one or two messages which had been forwarded by different mediums, but it is very easy to make mistakes in such matters, and all of them were decisively rejected by Mrs Houdini.
Then at last came victory which seemed to be clean-cut and decisive. If our materialistic Press had any true sense of proportion, they would recognize that one of the outstanding events of modern times might reasonably be claimed as having taken place. Yet so far as I know there was no British daily paper which found space amid its chronicle of ball games and petty crimes for any allusion to so remarkable an event which impinges upon the future of all of us. It was treated, I understand, more liberally in America.
The cipher came through, and was admitted by Mrs Houdini to be correct. I owe the following particulars to Mr Fast, who was present at the final séance; and the general facts are corroborated by Mr John W. Stafford, Associate Editor of the Scientific American, who himself played a part in them.
The first sign of success came toward the end of 1928. Fletcher, the control, intimated that Houdini's conditions upon the other side were still such that it was most difficult to get into communication with him, but that he was anxious to get a message through, and that it would come in bits.
As a first instalment the word 'Rosabelle' was shouted by the medium, who was in deep trance. This word is going to unlock all the rest,' said Fletcher; but it was intimated that it was only a beginning, and that there would be further stages at an early date. From that day onward a succession of sittings were held, and word followed word, until on January 3rd of last year, Fletcher triumphantly announced that his task was done.
'This is the last!' he cried. 'You now have the ten words. Go over them carefully. This man,' he added, as if Houdini was eagerly waiting at his side, 'wants to dictate the exact message which you are to take to his wife.'
The following message was then dictated:
- 'A man who says he is Harry Houdini is here and he wishes to send to his wife Beatrice the ten-word code which he agreed to send if it were possible to communicate. He says you are to take this message to her and upon the acceptance of this message he wishes her to follow out the plan they agreed upon before his passing. This is the code:
- ROSABELLE — ANSWER — TELL — PRAY — ANSWER — LOOK — TELL — ANSWER - ANSWER — TELL
Such was the strange message given forth by the entranced man in the presence of Mr Fast, Mr and Mrs Stafford, and Mrs Helen Morris. The message was at once conveyed to Mrs Houdini by Fast and Stafford, both of whom were complete strangers to her. Deeply moved, she declared that the message was correct, and that the code had been solved. She was too overwhelmed to say more, and the ambassadors, who were in the strange position of carrying words from one sphere to another and being intermediaries between husband and wife, withdrew.
It had been agreed between Mrs Houdini and her husband, before his decease, that if the code was solved she should then have a sitting with the medium who solved it. These pre-arrangements must show how superficial were the objections to Spiritualism and the declarations of complete incredulity given by the great magician in his lifetime.
A séance was accordingly held two days later, at which seven people, including a representative of the United Press, were present. The control soon made his presence manifest, and he announced the presence of Houdini. That the latter could not easily speak himself through the medium is natural enough, as the use of so delicate an instrument is not always acquired in a moment.
This man is coming now,' said Fletcher, 'the same man who came the other night. He says that I am to say "Hello, Bess, my sweetheart!" He comes because he wants me to repeat the message, and finish it for you. He says that the message is in the code that you used in one of your secret mind-reading acts. He wants you to tell him whether it is right or not."
'Yes, it is,' said Mrs Houdini tremulously.
'He smiles and says "thank you", and that he can now go on,' said Fletcher. 'He tells you that you are now to take off your wedding ring, and tell them what Rosabelle means.'
Mrs Houdini at once sang a little jingling love song which centred upon the word Rosabelle.
'He says "I thank you, darling", said Fletcher, and he adds that the first time he heard you sing that was in the first show you acted together years ago.'
Mrs Houdini agreed.
'Then he smiles and shows me a picture, and draws aside a curtain, and says "I draw the curtain so".'
This appears to have been some part of their private stage ritual, for the wife at once repeated, 'Je tire la rideau comme ça. It was none the less very appropriate to that curtain of death which he had. just removed.
'And now he says that the nine words besides "Rosabelle" spell a word in our code.' He then proceeded to explain the code, which was a very complex one, but was made quite clear by Fletcher. It would appear that each of the words given represented a letter, and that the final reading was "Rosabelle, believe".
'Is that right?' asked Fletcher. Mrs Houdini burst into tears. 'Yes, it is right,' she said.
Then Houdini wound up by a final confession of faith.
'Tell the whole world,' said he, 'that Harry Houdini lives, and will prove it a thousand times more. I am breaking through the chains. now, and am making my last escape. Tell all those who lost faith because of my sincere mistake, to lay hold again of hope and to live with the knowledge that life is continuous."
So ended this episode, which may well be tremendous in its implications, however simple in its recital. Mrs Houdini afterward signed a statement verifying the whole procedure. As to her complete sincerity, her deep devotion to her husband's interests and her loyalty to his point of view, no one who has ever met them could have a doubt. An attempt was made by one of the New York papers to imply that there was a conspiracy between the medium, Mr Ford, and the lady; but the attempt to find evidence for so monstrous an assertion broke down completely, and a board of investigation found unanimously in favour of Ford's complete honesty.
While the matter was under discussion, and before the facts had been fully vindicated, Mrs Houdini, on her own initiative, and without the knowledge of Mr Ford and the others, wrote the following letter to the press, which bears the imprint of absolute sincerity in every line of it:
- Dear——
- This letter is not for publicity. I do not need publicity. I want to let Houdini's old friends know that I did not betray his trust.
- I am writing you this letter personally because I wish to tell you emphatically that I was no party to any fraud.
- Now regarding the séance. For two years I have been praying to receive the message from my husband; for two years every day I have received messages from all parts of the world. Had I wanted a publicity stunt I no doubt could have chosen any of these sensational messages. When I repudiated these messages no one said a word, excepting the writers, who said I did not have the nerve to admit the truth.
- When the real message, THE message that Houdini and I agreed upon, came to me, and I accepted it as the truth, I was greeted with jeers. Why? Those who denounced the entire thing as a fraud, claim that I had given Mr A. Ford the message. If Mr Ford said this I brand him a liar. Mr Ford has since stoutly denied saying this ugly thing, and knowing him as well as I do, I prefer to believe Mr Ford. Others say the message has been common property, and known to them for some time. Why do they tell me this now, when they knew my heart was hungry for the true words of my husband?
- I have no way to tell to the world the truth or the untruth, for I have no paper at my beck and call; every one of them has a different opinion of how the message was obtained. With all these different tales I would not even argue. However, when anyone accuses me of GIVING the words, after my beloved husband and I labored so long to convince ourselves of the truth of communication, then I will fight and fight until the breath leaves my body.
- If anyone claims I gave the code, I can only repeat they lie. Why should I want to cheat myself? I do not need publicity. I have no intention of going on the stage or, as some papers said, on a lecture tour. My husband made it possible for me to live in the greatest comfort. I don't need to earn money. I have gotten the message I have been waiting for from my. beloved-how, if not by spiritual aid, I do not know.
- And now, after I told the world that I had received the true message, everyone seems to have known of the code, yet never told me. They left it to Mr Ford to tell me, and I am accused of giving the words. It's all so confusing.
- In conclusion may I say that God and Houdini and I know that I did not betray my trust. For the rest of the world I really ought not to care a hang, but somehow I do, therefore this letter. Forgive its length.
- Sincerely yours,
- Beatrice Houdini
One last word I would add. Why should there be such bitter, and, as I hold, insensate, opposition to such experiences? If these loving hands can meet through the veil, then ours also can do so. Is that a sad or an irreligious thought?
Here we have apparent proof that there is no real severance-that under proper conditions, as exact as those which regulate all great natural laws, there can be reunion. As Houdini is today, you and I will be tomorrow. Is it then a message to be slurred over or obscured, that Death does not disconnect us or break our natural feelings?
In this case a deliberate test was proposed. If it had not been fulfilled it would have been counted a strong argument against survival. But apparently it was fulfilled. Surely it cannot be dismissed as if it never occurred.
It is true that in the last analysis we are dependent upon the veracity and honesty of Mrs Houdini. But I, for one, am not cynical enough to question those.
