Just days before his death, Houdini was in Montreal, where he boasted to a group of university students that he could withstand any blow to his abdomen. One student, skeptical of his claim, struck Houdini with unexpected force several times. Itโs believed this blow might have ruptured Houdiniโs appendix, though he initially shrugged off the pain.
After his death, eerie stories began to circulate. His wife, Bess Houdini, held seances every year on Halloween, hoping to communicate with his spirit. According to legend, the Houdinis had agreed that if there were life after death, he would send a message from beyond, using a secret code they had shared. Though Bess held seances faithfully for a decade, she claimed she never received the message.
@TheNewsOwl
This jogged a memory of a movie I remember watching about him with my grandma when I was little. I think Tony Curtis played him.
Happy Halloween
Houdini continued his tour, but by October 24, he was writhing in agony, ultimately being diagnosed with peritonitisโa fatal infection of the abdominal lining caused by his burst appendix. Despite his condition, he performed one last show in Detroit on October 24, before finally succumbing to his injuries on Halloween.