Scranton, PA, November 04, 2011 — At 2:47 PM on October 31, 2011 Michael Williams posted a story at Sevier County News. http://seviercountynews.com/houdini-museum [Sevier County News] He had just spoken to magician/escape artist and Houdini expert Dorothy Dietrich. She had just finished her annual Original Houdini Seance that she begins every Oct.
Scranton, PA, November 04, 2011 — At 2:47 PM on October 31, 2011 Michael Williams posted a story at Sevier County News. http://seviercountynews.com/houdini-museum [Sevier County News] He had just spoken to magician/escape artist and Houdini expert Dorothy Dietrich. She had just finished her annual Original Houdini Seance that she begins every Oct. 31st at 1:26 PM, since the mantel was passed down to her. Dorothy, who performs at the Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA when not performing on the road, felt drained after the long emotion packed one hour ordeal of attempting to reach Houdini. The tradition of doing the Houdini Seance was passed down to her from Houdini's wife, through Walter B. Gibson who was a Houdini biographer and writer of the famous Shadow series.
Here is the quote from Michael Williams, "Today at 1:26 p.m. the exact moment Houdini died, a seance was held at the Houdini Museum in Scranton Pennsylvania. Did Houdini return? According to Dorothy Dietrich, director of the Houdini Museum, during the seance, the candelabra that was used, suddenly began to burn brightly. After the seance ended and the attendees left the museum, a hawk was sighted sitting on the chimney outside the museum. Coincidentally. Houdini used a hawk in his show shortly before he died. Was this a sign from Houdini? If so, it wasn't the first. Dietrich recounted another instance that occurred on the fiftieth anniversary of Houdini's death in a picture of Houdini performing his water torture trick fell from the wall. No one was near the picture when it fell."
Many witnesses were there to attest to the event. The flames burned extremely high. Devin Knight, one of the inner circle noticed it first. He asked Houdini to make the flames go higher and they did. It was at the exact same time as the fire was discovered at Hollywood's Magic Castle. Could the Magic Castle fire have been a sign from Houdini? A way of letting them know he took notice? Dorothy Dietrich said "I wouldn't think so. It is very sad. I guess it is just one of those many strange Houdini happenings that only seems to add to his legendary status. Houdini loved magic and magicians. Houdini was a visionary who took a small local magic club and opened branches all over the world. It was an idea no one had ever thought of. The fine magic organization still exists today with thousands of dues paying and contributing members worldwide, thanks to Houdini. Strangely just 15 years ago the Houdini Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls burned down that held Houdini's famous Water Torture Cell along with other props that Houdini, in his will, requested to be burned by his brother Theodore Hardeen. His brother sold them and yet somehow, Houdini got his wish." Museum co-director Dick Brookz said he had a call from someone who said "the fire could have been Houdini reprimanding magicians all over the world for, until now, not caring for his grave site as he did for others during his lifetime."
Dorothy Dietrich recently, in a story reported worldwide in The New York Times, along with Paranormalist Dick Brookz and Steve Moore, retired escape artist, had gone secretly into the cemetery where Houdini is buried and replaced his statuary bust that had been missing for 36 years. The three have come to be known as the "Houdini Commandos," with like minded followers joining throughout the world to do similar good work.
Dorothy Dietrich added "Previously on the 75th anniversary seance, that was televised, the candelabra burned hot enough to create a large wax drip on the side of the candles. When I asked Houdini to move something on the table, or make a noise, the large wax piece hit the table with a loud thud, and everyone at the table jumped. It was a very startling moment. And oddly this is not the first sighting of a hawk. In August this year, the Houdini Commandos were at Houdini's grave site cutting the grass and doing the final measurements needed to surreptitiously install Houdini's new statuary bust. A hawk flew in and perched overlooking Houdini's bust. The hawk stayed there watching for a long time until our cameras got too close, and it flew away."
Dorothy Dietrich [http://dorothydietrich.com/ ] is a celebrity magician will appear as a Houdini expert on The Travel Channel's "Mysteries at the Museum" on November 7 and on The History Channel's Brad Meltzer's "Decoded" on January 4, 2012.
The Houdini Museum is a 501 C-3 non profit in Scranton, PA. It is the only building in the world dedicated to Houdini.
Contact :
Penny Wilkes
Houdini Museum
1433 N. Main Ave
Scranton, PA 18508
(570) 342-5555
[email protected]
http://www.Houdini.org