Was Harry Houdini Murdered ? - They Want To Dig Him Up

Was Harry Houdini Murdered ? - They Want To Dig Him Up

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Eighty-one years later, Houdini's great-nephew wants to exhume the escape artist's body to determine if he was poisoned by enemies for his efforts to debunk their claims of contact with the dead.

A team of top-level forensic investigators would conduct new tests once Houdini's body was disinterred, a relative told The Associated Press.

"It needs to be looked at," said George Hardeen, whose grandfather was Houdini's brother, Theodore. "His death shocked the entire nation, if not the world. Now, maybe it's time to take a second look."

The circumstances surrounding Houdini's sudden death were as murky as the rivers from which he emerged unscathed, escaping from chains, locks and wooden boxes. The generally accepted explanation of Houdini's death is that he suffered a ruptured appendix from a punch in the stomach, leading to a fatal case of peritonitis.

But no autopsy was performed, and when the death certificate was filed on November 20, 1926, Houdini's body -- brought by train from Detroit to Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal -- was already buried in Queens.

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It seems that there may be some support for the idea that Houdini was poisoned by someone he attempted to expose as a fake.

The likeliest murder suspects were a group known as the Spiritualists, which became Houdini's nemesis in his final years. The magician devoted large portions of his stage show to exposing what he said were fraudulent seances by the group. The movement's devotees included Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle.

If any of this is true, it would add even more intrigue to the life of a very unique man.

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I don't think whatever knowledge gained is worth desecrating his remains. If he was murdered, his killers are obviously long dead. No justice can be served.

I have read however that Houdini's secrets went to his grave with him, literally. Perhaps this is the real motive for this effort?

As you all know, houdini was debunking fake psychics and mediums. Now Sir Conan Arthur Doyle (the author of sherlock holmes) and houdini were friends.. Doyle was well known for being a leader amongst spiritualists. The two constantly had 'friendly fights', with the friendship turning into a bitter rivalry when Doyle stated publicly " i have talked to houdins mother from beyond the grave". He then, apparently, received death threats from a group called 'The Spiritualists'

Apparently evidence exists that he may have been poisoned by arsenic or another deadly substance, and the Spiritualists are his most likely enemies. The other oddity noticed by a doctor is that Houdini’s death certificate notes his appendix as being on the left side, rather than the right. The truth about the “Handcuff King”’s demise could come forth through the exhumation of Houdini’s body. Such an investigation has been requested by the great-grandnephew of Houdini, George Hardeen.

Maybe Houdini will reveal his last secret.