Harry Houdini's mysterious Halloween death

DETROIT – There is an urban legend that Harry Houdini died in Detroit on Halloween after performing at the Majestic Theater.

That is not true. It's a myth. Don't be ridiculous. The truth is that Harry Houdini died in Detroit on Halloween after performing his final show at the Garrick Theater. Completely different.

The Garrick Theater was demolished several years later, but it once stood where the vacant First Independence Bank Building now stands, near the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Griswold Street. The theater was located in the center of what is now Detroit's financial and retail district.

There is another myth that Houdini died after being punched in the stomach by a fool. This is a little harder to prove or disprove.

Harry Houdini was a Hungarian immigrant who became one of the most famous people in the world as an escape artist, stunt performer and magician. There aren't many people who can be considered the greatest of all time in their respective fields, but Houdini was absolutely on that list.

Houdini's last show took place on October 24, 1926.

Act One: The Promise

On October 11, Houdini was performing in Albany, New York when a defective piece of equipment struck his leg. He finished the show, but it turned out he had broken his ankle.

Against his doctor's orders, he continued his tour. On October 22, he visited Montreal, where he spoke at McGill University. He invited some students to speak with him backstage, and since he was still recovering from an ankle injury, he spoke to the students from a couch.

Second act: The turning point

One of the students allegedly asked Houdini if ​​he could withstand being punched in the stomach, which he spoke about publicly. When he said it was true, the student allegedly punched the escape artist repeatedly and violently in the stomach.

Although he was visibly in pain, Houdini acted as if everything was fine. The next day, as he boarded a train to Detroit, he developed stomach cramps and his condition worsened.

Third Act: The Prestige

He had cold sweats and a temperature that rose to 104 degrees. Doctors told him to go to a hospital, but he insisted on performing at the Garrick Theater.

He had made a doctor's appointment before his show, but the train was late and he walked straight from the train to the theater.

Houdini collapsed immediately after the curtain closed and was taken to a hospital for surgery. Doctors discovered that his appendix had ruptured a few days earlier.

Houdini died on Halloween night at Grace Hospital. The official cause of death was given as peritonitis, an infection and inflammation of the abdominal cavity typically caused by a hernia. He was 52 years old.

It is unknown whether the Montreal beating caused his death or whether he was unaware he had appendicitis and assumed the pain was from the beating.

What absolutely contributed to his death was his insistence on not seeking medical attention until he collapsed after his final performance in Detroit.

Did he die after being beaten? Yes. Did he die? Because he was beaten? We don't know.