WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>Unsolved mysteries.

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<v Speaker 2>Perfect how indifferent to persons who may still be living.

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<v Speaker 2>Character names in some of these unsolved mysteries have been changed.

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<v Speaker 2>In several of these unsolved mysteries, the police have been

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<v Speaker 2>faced with the problem of a murderer who could gain

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<v Speaker 2>access to a room locked and bolted on the inside,

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<v Speaker 2>and then his crime committed leave that same room locked

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<v Speaker 2>and bolted behind him. There was one man to whom

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<v Speaker 2>these phenomena presented no problem. Harry Houdini, the master magician

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<v Speaker 2>of all time, and tonight's unsolved mystery is his famous

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<v Speaker 2>challenge to.

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<v Speaker 3>Death using.

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<v Speaker 4>Computatostat.

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<v Speaker 2>The scene is the Outskirts of Liverpool, England, at the

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<v Speaker 2>home of mister Henderson.

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<v Speaker 1>A group of.

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<v Speaker 2>Guests are assembled to meet mister Harry Houdini, and among

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<v Speaker 2>the guests is a Scotland Yard Detective inspector who has

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<v Speaker 2>been working on England's latest unsolved crime.

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<v Speaker 1>The guests have finished dinner.

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<v Speaker 2>The men are in the smoking room enjoying cigars and

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<v Speaker 2>coffee as their hostess, Missus Henderson, precedes the ladies into

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<v Speaker 2>the smoking room.

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<v Speaker 1>But I know you gentlemen haven't finished your coffee. But

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<v Speaker 1>the rest of us are really awfully anxious to hear

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<v Speaker 1>mister Houdini delighted.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course this idea of the inspector was in the

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<v Speaker 2>middle of telling us about the Scotland yards.

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<v Speaker 1>Lacest oh by all means that too, well, the thing

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<v Speaker 1>is really baffling.

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<v Speaker 5>Here we find a house, doors all bolted and locked,

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<v Speaker 5>windows barred, and everything tight. The note hasn't been picked

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<v Speaker 5>up off the front porch for three days that this investigate. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 5>we'd break open the door, find an elderly woman lying

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<v Speaker 5>before the heart, dead, murdered neil for two set on

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<v Speaker 5>the table, and eight witnesses who swear that no one

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<v Speaker 5>entered or left that house with or without the old woman.

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<v Speaker 2>But are your witnesses reliable? How can you be certain

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<v Speaker 2>that no one entered?

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<v Speaker 5>You don't know the old ladies neighbors, they see everything.

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<v Speaker 5>I suppose though, that you, mister Houdini, don't see anything

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<v Speaker 5>difficult about the locked and bolted doors. Since you're in

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<v Speaker 5>the habit of getting out of our priests.

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<v Speaker 1>Handcuffs now, jail, cell.

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<v Speaker 6>I am not quite as bad as you make me

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<v Speaker 6>out to be.

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<v Speaker 1>After all, I make no secret of the fact.

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<v Speaker 6>That I get out of.

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<v Speaker 2>Handcuffs themselves and locked safes and all the rest of

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<v Speaker 2>it by trickery and sleight of hand.

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<v Speaker 1>But couldn't a murderer who murdered the old woman had

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<v Speaker 1>done the same thing.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, used the same dot trickly to get out

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<v Speaker 2>of the room and house.

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<v Speaker 5>But what mister Houdini means is that the equipment he

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<v Speaker 5>uses is all specially prepared. But I saw mister Houdini

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<v Speaker 5>myself locked in a steel vault on the stage, and

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<v Speaker 5>it wasn't a fat vault because the manufacturers were there

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<v Speaker 5>and testified that it was a genuine seat.

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<v Speaker 2>And yet you got out of.

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<v Speaker 1>That, Misrudini.

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<v Speaker 2>But it was trickery just the same. You see, the

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<v Speaker 2>safe had to be brought on to the stage before

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<v Speaker 2>the performance started, well before the curtain went up. I

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<v Speaker 2>had removed the strong steel springs and substituted Greek soft

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<v Speaker 2>springs in their place, and so opening the safe was simple.

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<v Speaker 2>I replaced the original steel springs, of course, before the

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<v Speaker 2>safe was returned to the manufacturers. Simple, very yes, inspector,

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<v Speaker 2>that trick is simplicity itself. And yet there are people

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<v Speaker 2>who insist that you must be a spirituist capable of

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<v Speaker 2>who shall we say, disembodying yourself. These people who make

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<v Speaker 2>these claims are fake spiritualists. They're just furious at me

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<v Speaker 2>because I exposed their trickery. But yes, but what I

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<v Speaker 2>have determined to do a trick one in which I

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<v Speaker 2>shall not use a trick box or a trick lope,

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<v Speaker 2>and I shall do it underwater. Listen, I shall be

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<v Speaker 2>placed in an ordinary packing case. It may be examined

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<v Speaker 2>by experts while it is being manufactured, so that there

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<v Speaker 2>can be no trickering. Then, when I am placed inside,

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<v Speaker 2>the lid consisting of three pieces, will be nailed in place.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, we follow.

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<v Speaker 6>Then the box or the.

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<v Speaker 2>Case will be roped, lifted on a tackle to the

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<v Speaker 2>deck of a togboat, moved out to the middle of

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<v Speaker 2>the harbor, and lower it into the water. Great great way, Oh,

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<v Speaker 2>I can see if remove in one to two minutes

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<v Speaker 2>and eight seconds, the.

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<v Speaker 5>Box will be raised to the surface, and the world

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<v Speaker 5>will have lost the greatest medicine of the aid.

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<v Speaker 1>You, mister Houdini, will.

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<v Speaker 2>Be drown No, sir, I I shall be seated on

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<v Speaker 2>the lid of the steel nailed.

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<v Speaker 6>Und rope box.

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<v Speaker 1>You'll be drowned.

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<v Speaker 6>I shall not be drowned.

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<v Speaker 2>And if I am, it will prove what I never

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<v Speaker 2>mind fat at present.

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<v Speaker 6>Tomorrow, Yes, tomorrow for noon.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you mean tomorrow, saw noon?

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<v Speaker 2>I shall do thisonal trick tomorrow for noon at the

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<v Speaker 2>docks in the.

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<v Speaker 6>Mouth of the Murder River. I shall call it.

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<v Speaker 1>Let me see, ah ah, I have it.

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<v Speaker 6>Harry Houdini in the Challenge to Death.

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<v Speaker 2>Not only was Harry Houdini the master of magicians, but

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<v Speaker 2>also he was a master showman.

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<v Speaker 1>The morning's papers.

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<v Speaker 2>Carried the story of his challenge to death. The police

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<v Speaker 2>tried to interfere on the ground that he was endangering

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<v Speaker 2>his life, but arrangements went ahead, and at five minutes

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<v Speaker 2>to twelve on the crowded in noisy waterfront, the tug

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<v Speaker 2>boat Elsie whistled that she was ready for her part

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<v Speaker 2>of the experiment.

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<v Speaker 6>The tug's already, mister, and everything is ready here.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, we're already.

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<v Speaker 2>Then then I suppose i'd better get inside of the box.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh I wish you wouldn't, mister Hudia.

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<v Speaker 6>I'm afraid. No, but no, no, no, do not be afraid.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I'm just as afraid, mister.

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<v Speaker 6>Now now, now, now, I am.

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<v Speaker 2>Depending on you to see that everything is done properly.

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<v Speaker 1>Harry Houdini stepped into the wooden picking case.

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<v Speaker 2>Two burley carpenters stepped forward, placed the three planked lid

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<v Speaker 2>in place, and nailed the lid down.

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<v Speaker 1>With every blow of the hammer, those of the waiting

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<v Speaker 1>crowd feel their hearts beat faster. A stout one inch

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<v Speaker 1>rope is tied about the packing case. The hook of

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<v Speaker 1>the hoisting.

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<v Speaker 2>Lion is slipped about the rope and got a signal.

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<v Speaker 2>The derek hoists the packing case and its human cargo

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<v Speaker 2>over the edge of the dock.

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<v Speaker 6>Oh, I called it fear.

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<v Speaker 1>I couldn't sleep all night. Thirty seconds. Time seems to

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<v Speaker 1>be standing still. He must have been done long enough

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<v Speaker 1>to get house. He hasn't had time to do anything yet.

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<v Speaker 1>One minute. I think we've got to hoist the packing case.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, we should never have let him do this. Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>you can't do that.

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<v Speaker 1>I have my owners, mister Houdini. You can't let him

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<v Speaker 1>down after all in the stirments.

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<v Speaker 2>Are they going to hoist him up now?

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<v Speaker 1>No? Not yet? One minutes and thirty seconds.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, this is awful.

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<v Speaker 1>It's like a telling an execution.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, only worse if the packing case should slip off

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<v Speaker 2>the hook and go to the bottom. Yes, oh, I

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<v Speaker 2>haven't followed that.

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<v Speaker 1>And if it's already done that and landed up.

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<v Speaker 6>That dog.

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<v Speaker 2>Two minutes one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ict.

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<v Speaker 7>Away the dripping cases hoisted out of the water, and

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<v Speaker 7>there seated on the lid holding to the rope is

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<v Speaker 7>Harry Houdini.

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<v Speaker 2>The tugboat moves to the wharf. The packing case is

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<v Speaker 2>examined and found nailed in place. Once again, Harry Houdini

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<v Speaker 2>has been successful. In just a moment, you will hear

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<v Speaker 2>the solution to the mystery of Harry Houdini's trick, the

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<v Speaker 2>challenge to death, Ladies and gentlemen. Inasmuch as any solution

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<v Speaker 2>must have necessity based opposition, liberties of time, place and

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<v Speaker 2>character have been taken in.

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<v Speaker 1>The solution for what you have been waiting.

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<v Speaker 2>The scene is once again mister Henderson's home in Liverpool, England.

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<v Speaker 2>Mister Harry Houdini is explaining his most famous and spectacular trick.

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<v Speaker 1>The challenge is to death.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, of course, mister Rudini, we all saw the trick performed,

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<v Speaker 2>but even now it still seems impossible. As the inspector

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<v Speaker 2>said yesterday, once a thing is explained. It is simplicity

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<v Speaker 2>get sent. You see, I know much from study that

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<v Speaker 2>the audience reaction is of two widely different qualities.

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<v Speaker 1>How has that, mister Houdeney to begin with?

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<v Speaker 2>When the trick, any trick, is commenced, the attention is

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<v Speaker 2>all directed toward the article employed. The box is examined

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<v Speaker 2>to see that it is genuine, the hope to see

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<v Speaker 2>that it is strong, and the nails to see that.

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<v Speaker 6>They are real.

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<v Speaker 2>But ah, and here is the great point. When the

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<v Speaker 2>trick has succeeded, the audience has eyes only for the

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<v Speaker 2>performer of the trick.

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<v Speaker 1>Not even then, I still don't see.

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<v Speaker 2>I am explaining to you now the process of thought

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<v Speaker 2>that precedes the working out of the details, knowing that

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<v Speaker 2>the audience will watch me once the trick is over,

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<v Speaker 2>I in turn know that if I re moved myself

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<v Speaker 2>from the vicility of the packing case while it is

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<v Speaker 2>being brought ashore, no one will pay the slightest attention

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<v Speaker 2>to it. They are all too busy seeing that I

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<v Speaker 2>personally am not up to any more tricks. They ignore

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<v Speaker 2>my assistants who are guarding.

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<v Speaker 6>The packing case.

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<v Speaker 2>Let esn't explain how you got out? Getting out of

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<v Speaker 2>the case. That was easy. It was getting the lid

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<v Speaker 2>back ready for inspection that was the chief worry.

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<v Speaker 6>You see.

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<v Speaker 2>When I stepped into the packing case, I carried with

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<v Speaker 2>me a very small, but very powerful pair of nail cutters,

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<v Speaker 2>thin enough to slip between the lid and the case.

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<v Speaker 2>And as soon as the nails were driven home by

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<v Speaker 2>the carpenters, I cut them between the lid and the box.

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<v Speaker 2>As soon as the packing case was submerged, I slipped

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<v Speaker 2>the three boards of the lid to one side and

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<v Speaker 2>clambered out. Then I replaced the three boards and sat

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<v Speaker 2>on them to hold them securely in place. When the

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<v Speaker 2>box was hoisted to the deck of the tug boat,

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<v Speaker 2>I left my assistance to removed the cut nails and

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<v Speaker 2>replaced them with the same type of nails. All this

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<v Speaker 2>they did hidden behind the canvas covering on the ship's rail,

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<v Speaker 2>while the.

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<v Speaker 6>Crowd was watching me at the stern of the boat.

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<v Speaker 2>And if you got out as easily and as quickly

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<v Speaker 2>as that, why did you keep us in suspense?

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<v Speaker 6>My friend? For that very reason.

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<v Speaker 2>To keep you in suspense, else there would be no

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<v Speaker 2>reason for my calling the trick that challenged to death.

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<v Speaker 2>You said, something yesterday that if you were drowned, it

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<v Speaker 2>would prove something I did. It would have proved for

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<v Speaker 2>all time that I was not a spiritualist using my

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<v Speaker 2>astral body to perform disappearance tricks.

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<v Speaker 4>Temple at.

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<v Speaker 8>My time just a spect.

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<v Speaker 9>Compete at the Stas

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<v Speaker 4>Had sent a still b