Harry Houdini Jocelyn Gordon Whitehead
Jocelyn gordon whitehead was the mcgill university student who punched houdini in his dressing room at the princess theater in montreal on october 22 1926.
Harry houdini jocelyn gordon whitehead. Wednesday january 11 2012 this is j. He was the college student who was in his 30s at the time who punched houdini several times in the abdomen in his dressing room in montreal. At some point a student named j.
On a recent television it was claimed houdini was murdered by jocelyn gordon whitehead. Whiteheads blows either started contributed or covered up the appendicitis that would take houdinis life nine days later. Although whitehead was never charged with a crime he did have to sign an affidavit for houdinis widow so she could collect life insurance from the new york life insurance company under the double indemnity clause.
This led to a ruptured appendix and houdinis eventual death on october 31 1926. Houdini accepted the challenge as he had so many others. We do however belive j.
Gordon whitehead arrived and asked houdini if it was true that he could resist hard punches to his abdomena claim the magician had supposedly made in public. Joscelyn gordon whitehead was not a magician. Gordon whitehead meant to hurt houdini.
Jocelyn gordon whitehead asked would you mind if i delivered a few blows to your abdomen mr. We do not believe that is so. Witnesses to an incident at houdinis dressing room in the princess theatre in montreal speculated that houdinis death was caused by a mcgill university student jocelyn gordon whitehead november 25 1895 july 5 1954 who repeatedly struck houdinis abdomen.
Houdini reportedly granted permission for whitehead to strike the magician but they did seem to cause discomfort and as such houdini claimed that he was not properly prepared for the punches and nor did he anticipate whitehead to strike with such force. We believe it was a attack by a disgruntled person who was bent on hitting houdini.