MAGIC SHOP - Daytona Magic, Inc.

February 19, 1902. A courtroom in Cologne Germany. The judge calls upon one of the German Transport Police, a highly respected officer named Lott to come forth and place the dreaded 'transport chain' on the young American escape artist who dared sue Schutzman Werner Graft. Graft was a High German police official who had written an article that was published in the respected newspaper, the RHEINSICHE ZEITUNG that stated that the American escape artist was a fraud. The American responded with a lawsuit attacking Graft. The courtroom scene was the culmination of the law suit. In common English, the escape artist was being told to 'put up or shut up'. Failure to escape would have meant that the performer would have to leave the country. The press was in force in the courtroom. Lott 'who knew his business,' took out the transport chain and tightened it around the wrist of the escape artist. The spectators knew that escape was impossible. Lott looked on with glee. He was soon to have the lawsuit against him dismissed.

NO ONE HAD EVER ESCAPED FROM THE TRANSPORT CHAIN! There was a stillness in the courtroom as Loft put the chain on the ESCAPE ARTIST. Slowly Lott pulled to tighten the chain, then he locked the chain with his own heavy padlock. There was no way escape was possible unless the padlock was tampered with. BUT in moments the young escape artist was free. And he performed the escape in full view of the judge, press and the most astonished members of the German Police force.

The escape artist used the lawsuit (which was brought to an even higher court before he won it) as a means to gain publicity the world over. He printed colorful posters proclaiming his victory over the German police restraints.

Later the escape artist wrote about the method he used to escape ...... sheer force' As you shall learn, the secret to the chain escape is not sheer force, but a simple control by YOU, the escape artist. What actually took place when Lott, .who knew his business' put the chain on the young American will never be known, but the world knew of the event that through his publicity brought INSTANT FAME to the young American, HARRY HOUDINI.

The method HOUDINI said he used is very far from the truth. What is true is that HOUDINI made the courtroom drama into the stuff legends are made from: HOUDINI STRETCHED A SHORT LENGTH OF CHAIN AROUND THE WORLD!