You're right, Mike...I could just see it...

I think they should let him be...I don't get the point of doing it...

Does it matter how he died...it was just his time at go...no questions asked...

It's amazing how the same week that the most expensive magic show ever produced is announced ( the Criss Angel - Cirque du Soleil extravaganza ), HOUDINI makes the bigger story in the news!

Apropos.

Houdini's grave is walking distance from my house in Queens .. I saw blue plastic tarps covering the fence and all around the grave on sunday ..... more later ....

Cardone,
I wondered about this because I noticed NYC local channels are covering the story via helicopters rather than just sending camera crews up to the site to take the shots...must be the tarps in the way....

Not an easy access cemetary. The place went bankrupt a long time ago.

The grave is right beside the street... The gate is usually open I have a picnic at the site about 2 times a year ...It is a great place to get inspiration , ideas, and think about the meaning of life......

Are they really gonna open that milk can after all these years?

If they open the milk can, they might find
Hardeen instead.

I was speaking to Houdini last night and he told me that this is all bunk. He does appreciate the attention though.

But...where was the mysterious Dr. Crandon and his 'serum' when Anna Nicole Smith died? That's what I want to know. Anna has yet to get back to me on this.


Rev. T.L. Robbins
Founder & Pastor, Church of the Parted Veil

Odd...I spoke to Margery last night and Walter sang,

"Oh Houdini won't talk no more, no more
He ain't goin' talk no more
Dig if you must, to bathe in his dust but
Houdini won't talk no more."

A much later lyric in the nearly endless song was reported by numerous sitters to be about "Houdini only talking to God" while many others clearly heard instead "Houdini only talking to Todd".

Here's a salvo from the other side.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1603660,00.html

Here is an article from England. One slight error, Ruth is the neice not sister. This brings up the ownership of the grave sites that would have gone to Bess as his wife, and continue to the iwfe's side of the family.

houdini's family

Dick Brooks & Dorothy Dietrich
Houdini Tour & Magic Show
Houdini Museum
Haunted, Mind Mysteries & THE Beyond!
Scranton PA

The following quote comes from teh TIME story-

"I'm sorry that Bess' side of the family feels that way, because this is not a publicity stunt in any shape or form," said Larry Sloman, co-author of "The Secret Life of Houdini." "This is not something frivolous. This is a serious scientific study."

The drawback here, of course, is this "serious scientific study" is taking place in front of a massive mock-up of the Sloman / Kalush book which has quite a few conjectures and darned few proofs.
This month's review of the book in GENII pretty much hits the nail right on the head as far as the murder theory goes.

Relatives of Houdini's widow may block magician's exhumation

Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers and wire reports

NEW YORK — The family of Harry Houdini's widow hopes to stop plans for exhuming the escape artist's remains, saying they are worried a disinterment to determine if he was murdered smacked of sensationalism.

"It is our firm belief that Bess Houdini would never approve of this," said a statement from her grandnephews, John and Jeffrey Blood. "The family believes this is likely being done to promote sales of a recent book on Harry Houdini suggesting he may have been murdered."

But a spokesman for Houdini's great-nephew, who supports the exhumation, and one of the new biography's authors were quick Tuesday to rebut the Bloods' suggestion.

"I'm sorry that Bess' side of the family feels that way, because this is not a publicity stunt in any shape or form," said Larry Sloman, co-author of "The Secret Life of Houdini." "This is not something frivolous. This is a serious scientific study."

Houdini, whose real name was Ehrich Weiss, was born in Budapest, Hungary, but considered Appleton his hometown.

Last week, Houdini's great-nephew George Hardeen announced his backing of an exhumation to determine if his world-renowned relative was poisoned. The biography suggested Houdini was possibly targeted because of his relentless public ridicule of the Spiritualists, a group that claimed it could contact the dead.

Houdini died on Halloween 1926 at a Detroit hospital, and is buried at a cemetery in the Queens borough of New York. Although no autopsy was ever conducted, his death certificate cited peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix as the cause of death. Prior to his sudden passing at age 52, Houdini received several death threats from people within the Spiritualist movement, recounted the biography, published in October 2006.

Hardeen, after reading the book, became convinced an exhumation was needed to resolve the mystery of Houdini's death. A team of top forensic investigators, including Prof. James Starrs and former New York City medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden, agreed to join the investigation on a pro bono basis.

Bruce Bobbins, spokesman for the Hardeen side of the family, said the Blood relatives — in an odd twist of phrase — "are not blood relatives of Harry Houdini and therefore have no legal standing on the issue."

Bobbins said the Hardeen contingent was willing to meet with the Bloods to discuss any concerns. But, he added, "We are still committed to moving forward in an expedient manner with the exhumation process."

The Bloods — their mother, Marie, was Bess Houdini's niece — said they were unaware of the plans for exhumation until they read an Associated Press article.

They e-mailed Joseph Tacopina, an attorney for the Hardeens, to express their opposition to the exhumation and said they were considering legal action.

"We are adamant against it," said Jeff Blood, who lives in upstate New York. "There's no need to have his body exhumed."

According to the Outagamie Historical Society, ship’s logs indicate that Houdini’s family moved to Appleton when he was a toddler. The family came to America because of a job opportunity for Houdini’s father, Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weiss, who became Appleton’s first rabbi.

Ler's throw another iron in the fire. The only known surviing letters between Houdini and his mother are in a pillow under his head? Think there is any interest in looking at those letters?

Richard

Kind of ghoulish to me.

Yeah I thought his whole "mommy dearest" thing was creepy.

Maybe in there we can find his true feelings. And maybe some notes about his wife too.

And... how about some spirit messages and predictions.

Maybe some strange bone joints?

It would be very nice if when x-rayed they find he had his spine replaced disc by disc with rubber or similar.

And MAYBE it ain't going to happen.

Come on folks, you know you really want to find him in there with signs of a struggle and some last minute notes scribbled on the envelopes by a burnt match... as he was actually buried alive.

Let's make this into a Poe or Lovecraft story.