The NEW BERN
PUBLI8HID WIIKLY
IN THI HIART OP
EASTERN NORTH
VOLUME 9
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1966
NUMBER 3b
A magician wno appeared on
NBC's Today Show the other
morning paid high tribute to the
late Harry Houdlnl, greatest of
all escape artists. It must have
brought back memories to New
Bernians who are in their fif
ties or older.
This editor recalls that as a
boy he raked leaves to get the
price of admission for the first
Installment of a Houdlnl serial
starting at the Athens (now
Tryon) Theatre. It proved so
wondrous, we labored each Sat
urday after that for the dime
that entitled us to see the latest
thrilling episode.
Houdlnl, If our recollections
are correct, made several seri
als, and measured by juvenile
standards they were all magni-
ficlent. Like the one and only
Lon Chaney, who specialized
In horror rather than amazing
feats of deception, the Great
Houdlnl was in a class by him
self.
Getting back to the magician
on the Today Show, he couln’t
cite an instance for Hugh
Downes in which Houdlnl met
his match, although he admit
ted that all such performers do
fall at one time or another.
We’re no authority on the In
comparable escape artist, but
filed away In our memory Is
an occasion when Houdlnl al
most mgt d«aJllJKhUe.®ftrform-
ing for a large gathering of
Boy Scouts. Rest assured he
never forgot this near tragedy.
The act, dreamedupbyHoud-
Ini, called for him to be tied to
a stake. A fire was kindled
around him, and his problem
was to loosen the bonds before
the flames reached him.
One of the Scouts got the Idea
of using fishing line from a rod
and reel Instead of rope,
and Houdlnl—wanting to be a
good sport—agreed against his
better Judgement. It was the
biggest mistake of his life.
Everything went wrong. An
unexpected breeze fanned the
flames, and the fishing line,
tied In expert knots, refused to
yield as quickly as Houdlnl
had counted on. No one realized
his predicament, but before he
escaped in the nick of time, his
body was criss-crossed with
deep lacerations. Not until
it was over did his youthful
admirers know that they had
come close to seeing a man
actually burned at the stake.
One of Houdlni’s amazing es
capes saw him trussed up com
pletely, locked Inside a trunk,
and tossed overboard. He was
able to survive during hls stay
beneath the water because he
had learned how to achieve sus
pended animation. He made full
use of the limited oxygen avail
able to him, before he gained
his freedom and rose to the sur
face.
Despite his astounding feats,
he made no claim to being a sup
erman, and took no stock in the
claims of fortune tellers, cry
stal gazers and others who pro
fessed to have supernatural
powers. In fact, he delighted In
exposing the secret manipula
tions of all quacks.
Before he died, forty or so
years ago, he confided to his
wife that he would attempt to
get through to her from the
spirit world. Many approached
her in tlie years that followed,
with messages they insisted
were from her husband, but the
words that Houdlnl and hls wife
(Continued on page 8)
ON rrs WAY—^New Bern’s historic John Wright Stan
ley home, where George Washington slept while visit
ing our town, rounds the intersection of Hancock and
Broad Streets, enroute to the new location selected
for it on George Street near Tryon Palace. Note work
men, shivering in Monday’s chill, early morning air,
perched on the roof. The structure once stood at the
site of New Bern’s present post office, and later on
New Street.—^Photo by Billy Benners.
WAIT FOR ME—^Tagging along like a tot followin
her older sister, a smaller house that nestled behin
the large structure once used as the New Bern -
Craven County Library plays follow the leader at the
rorn^T of Bvnad and George St.reAts. At the ridht is
the Cole-Waldrop home, and on the left is what was
once St. Luke’s Hospital. In the dim distance is the
spire of Craven County Courthouse.—^Photo by Billy
Benners.