Houdini's 1926 Detroit death triggers new century of ghost hunts

Harry Houdini died in Detroit on Oct. 31, 1926, ending a career that included 19 performances in the city between 1894 and 1926. The magician's passing marked the end of a tenure that saw him rise from a minor act to global fame through his escape stunts. His death in the Motor City has since generated a century of local lore and ongoing attempts to contact his spirit.

Houdini's final days in Detroit were physically taxing. According to Jeremy Dimick, a curator at the Detroit Historical Museum, Houdini struggled to perform his scheduled shows. Dimick stated that Houdini lacked the strength to apply his stage makeup and collapsed during intermissions at the Garrick Theater. He was eventually carried from the theater to his hotel, where doctors later determined he had ruptured his appendix.

The physical toll began in Montreal prior to his Detroit arrival. A college wrestler accepted Houdini's challenge to take punches to the stomach. The impact likely caused internal damage that worsened in Detroit. Houdini proceeded with his shows due to financial contract pressures, despite doctor's advice to rest. He underwent two surgeries before dying on Halloween.

Dorothy Young, who served as Houdini's stage assistant at age 17, provided historical context for his methods. Young died in 2011, years after Houdini. She noted in a 2004 interview that Houdini's wife, Bess, stood in the wings during the Water Torture Cell act because of a secret code in case Houdini failed. Young recalled that she always watched the act because it was exciting.

Bess Houdini spent a decade holding séances to speak with her husband. She stopped after a specific Halloween session ten years after his death. In a movie cameo years later, she explained that the lack of contact proved Houdini's belief that the dead could not return. Her actions contrasted with Houdini's lifelong work exposing psychics who preyed on the grieving.

The physical locations associated with Houdini's death have largely disappeared. The Garrick Theater, his hotel, and Grace Hospital are gone. The funeral home that embalmed him became a girls' art school, which also closed. Juanita Hammond, the former head of that school, described a locked storage area with an indented floor used to drain fluids from corpses. She said some students believed Houdini's presence remained in the building.

John Sherwood of the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Mich., continues to use Houdini artifacts for séances. He possesses a metal milk can from Houdini's workshop that was used in his escape acts. Sherwood said participants have attempted to contact Houdini using the can, sometimes placing a lox and bagel sandwich inside. He plans to hold another séance this Halloween, suggesting the centennial may encourage the magician's appearance for publicity.