| Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Houdini Photographed at the Auto Club, London, England | [Frontispiece] |
| PAGE | |
| John D. Fox and His Wife | [10] |
| The Fox Home at Hydesville | [10] |
| Leah Fox Fish | [14] |
| Katie Fox Jencken | [14] |
| Margaret Fox Kane | [14] |
| Elisha Kent Kane, M.D. | [14] |
| Ira Erastus Davenport and Houdini, Taken on July 5, 1911. The last photograph of the old showman | [26] |
| Facsimile of Portions of a Letter Written to Houdini by Ira E. Davenport | [28] |
| Daniel Dunglas Home | [44] |
| Diagram Showing Arrangement of Rooms, Windows, Etc., Where Hume’s Reputed Feat of Floating Took Place | [47] |
| Eusapia Palladino and Her Seance Table | [60] |
| Ann O’Delia Diss Debar | [76] |
| Henry Slade | [88] |
| Locked Slate Used by Dr. Henry Slade in His Writing Tests at Philadelphia | [96] |
| Sketch Showing Slade’s Seat at the Table, Different Positions of Slates, Location of Sponge, and Method of Moving Book | [98] |
| Writing on Honest Slates by Means of Wedge and Wire | [104] |
| Houdini, Mrs. Houdini, and Mr. Teale, Demonstrating a Method of Switching Slates over a Sitter’s Head | [106] |
| Rapping Mechanism in Heel of Medium’s Shoe | [111] |
| Tube and Piston Arrangement for Making Raps | [111] |
| So-called “Spirit Extra” on Photograph of Harry Price Made by William Hope of the Crewe Circle | [130] |
| Houdini and Alexander Martin | [134] |
| Photograph of Houdini Made by Alexander Martin, at Denver, Colorado, on May 10, 1923, Showing So-called “Spirit Extras” | [136] |
| Mme. Bisson, Mrs. Feilding (Tomchick), and Mlle. Eva | [170] |
| Kellar and Houdini | [224] |
INTRODUCTION
From my early career as a mystical entertainer I have been interested in Spiritualism as belonging to the category of mysticism, and as a side line to my own phase of mystery shows I have associated myself with mediums, joining the rank and file and held seances as an independent medium to fathom the truth of it all. At the time I appreciated the fact that I surprised my clients, but while aware of the fact that I was deceiving them I did not see or understand the seriousness of trifling with such sacred sentimentality and the baneful result which inevitably followed. To me it was a lark. I was a mystifier and as such my ambition was being gratified and my love for a mild sensation satisfied. After delving deep I realized the seriousness of it all. As I advanced to riper years of experience I was brought to a realization of the seriousness of trifling with the hallowed reverence which the average human being bestows on the departed, and when I personally became afflicted with similar grief I was chagrined that I should ever have been guilty of such frivolity and for the first time realized that it bordered on crime.
As a consequence my own mental attitude became considerably more plastic. I too would have parted gladly with a large share of my earthly possessions for the solace of one word from my loved departed—just one word that I was sure had been genuinely bestowed by them—and so I was brought to a full consciousness of the sacredness of the thought, and became deeply interested to discover if there was a possible reality to the return, by Spirit, of one who had passed over the border and ever since have devoted to this effort my heart and soul and what brain power I possess. In this frame of mind I began a new line of psychical research in all seriousness and from that time to the present I have never entered a seance room except with an open mind devoutly anxious to learn if intercommunication is within the range of possibilities and with a willingness to accept any demonstration which proves a revelation of truth.
It is this question as to the truth or falsity of intercommunication between the dead and the living, more than anything else, that has claimed my attention and to which I have devoted years of research and conscientious study. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle says in one of his lectures:
“When one has a knock at the door, one does not pause, but goes further to see what causes it and investigates, and sooner or later one discovers that a message is being delivered,...”
So I have gone to investigate the knocks, but as a result of my efforts I must confess that I am farther than ever from belief in the genuineness of Spirit manifestations and after twenty-five years of ardent research and endeavor I declare that nothing has been revealed to convince me that intercommunication has been established between the Spirits of the departed and those still in the flesh.
I have made compacts with fourteen different persons that whichever of us died first would communicate with the other if it were possible, but I have never received a word. The first of these compacts was made more than twenty-five years ago and I am certain that if any one of the persons could have reached me he would have done so. One compact was made with my private secretary, the late John W. Sargent, a man of mature years. We were very much attached to each other. The day before he underwent an operation he said to me:
“Houdini, this may be the end. If it is, I am coming back to you no matter what happens on the other side provided there is any way I can reach you. And if I can come, you will know it is I because I am going to will it so strong that you cannot be mistaken.”