The Right Way to do Wrong - An Expose of Successful Criminals
4/5
()
About this ebook
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini (1874–1926) was born Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary. He was a magician, escapologist and performer of stunts, as well as a sceptic and investigator of spiritualists. He produced films, acted, and penned numerous books.
Read more from Harry Houdini
On Deception Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Weird Tales: Best of the Early Years 1923-25: Best of the Early Years 1923-25 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Houdini's Paper Magic: The Whole Art of Paper Tricks, Including Paper Folding, Paper Tearing, and Paper Puzzles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMiracle Mongers and Their Methods Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist: Houdini Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Miracle Mongers, an Exposé Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Magician Among the Spirits Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Unmasking of Robert-Houdin Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Right Way to Do Wrong Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Harry Houdini's Paper Magic: The Whole Art of Paper Tricks, Including Folding, Tearing and Puzzles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Unmasking of Robert-Houdin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMiracle Mongers and Their Methods Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Miracle Mongers, an Exposé Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Right Way to do Wrong - An Expose of Successful Criminals
Related ebooks
Beggars, Cheats and Forgers: A History of Frauds Throughout the Ages Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Modern Con Man: How to Get Something for Nothing Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5SRSLY, WTF?: How to Survive 248 of Life's Worst F*#!-ing Situations EVER Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCon Artistry: How to Spot and Deal with a Con Artist to Avoid the Different Types of Scams Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5WTF?: How to Survive 101 of Life's Worst F*#!-ing Situations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Fine Art of Getting Even Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Saving Face: How to Lie, Fake, and Maneuver Your Way Out of Life's Most Awkward Situations Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Dealers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dracula Was a Lawyer: Hundreds of Fascinating Facts from the World of Law Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Paranoid's Pocket Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Become a Federal Criminal: An Illustrated Handbook for the Aspiring Offender Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Right Way to Do Wrong Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Little Book of Scams: Swindling for Fun and Profit! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Robertson's Book of Firsts: Who Did What for the First Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Admit It, You’re Crazy! Quirks, Idiosyncrasies and Irrational Behavior Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How To: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know Fully Illustrated Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Carny Sideshows:: Weird Wonders of The Midway Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dictionary of Last Words Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Bullsh*t Artist: Learn to Bluff, Dupe, Charm, and BS with the Best of 'Em Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Field Guide to Gestures Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5400 Things Cops Know: Street-Smart Lessons from a Veteran Patrolman Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Forbidden Knowledge - College: 101 Things NOT Every Student Should Know How to Do Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Snark Handbook: A Reference Guide to Verbal Sparring Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Art of Cheating: A Nasty Little Book for Tricky Little Schemers and Their Hapless Victims Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Percentages: Over 500 bizarre, obscure, random, surprising, and 100% enlightening facts on just about everything nothing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Most Forbidden Knowledge: 151 Things NO ONE Should Know How to Do Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Con Artists & Hoaxes For You
My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Billion Dollar Whale: the bestselling investigation into the financial fraud of the century Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Cults: Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Manhattan Cult Story: My Unbelievable True Story of Sex, Crimes, Chaos, and Survival Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Real Lolita: A Lost Girl, an Unthinkable Crime, and a Scandalous Masterpiece Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bitter Blood: A True Story of Southern Family Pride, Madness, and Multiple Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Get Rich or Lie Trying: Ambition and Deceit in the New Influencer Economy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors: Ann Rule's Crime Files Volume 16 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Son of Seven Mothers: A True Story by a 'Cult Survivor' Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Practice to Deceive Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Love Lies: A True Story of Marriage and Murder in the Suburbs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5100 Hoaxes & Mistakes That Fooled Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hit List: An In-Depth Investigation into the Mysterious Deaths of Witnesses to the JFK Assassination Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Epstein: Dead Men Tell No Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Spy in Plain Sight: The Inside Story of the FBI and Robert Hanssen—America's Most Damaging Russian Spy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dirty John and Other True Stories of Outlaws and Outsiders Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5American Cults: Cabals, Corruption, and Charismatic Leaders Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Sucky Love Story: Overcoming Unhappily Ever After Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Mailbox Conspiracy: The Inside Story of the Greatest Corruption Case in Hawai'i History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDon't Look Behind You: Ann Rule's Crime Files #15 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Deal with the Devil: The Dark and Twisted True Story of One of the Biggest Cons in History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Madoff Talks: Uncovering the Untold Story Behind the Most Notorious Ponzi Scheme in History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Right Way to do Wrong - An Expose of Successful Criminals
2 ratings1 review
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book combines excerpts from Houdini's out-of-print book 'The Right Way to Do Wrong' with articles by Houdini on the practice of magic and other entertainments in his time (late 19th and early 20th century). The book excerpts were the most interesting to me, covering criminal activities in some detail, including various forms of con game, but also burglary and sometimes elaborate heists. There are articles explaining how Sword Swallowers and other side-show attractions perform their tricks, and a bit about Houdini's own escape techniques. A surprising article gives practical advice on breaking ciphers, one of Houdini's less well known talents. Other articles discuss his encounters with some of his imitators and rivals: all prove to be frauds compared to Houdini, the self-proclaimed "Handcuff King and Prison Breaker".
Book preview
The Right Way to do Wrong - An Expose of Successful Criminals - Harry Houdini
THE
RIGHT WAY
TO DO WRONG
AN EXPOSE OF
SUCCESSFUL CRIMINALS
By
HARRY HOUDINI
First published in 1906
Copyright © 2020 Read & Co. Books
This edition is published by Read & Co. Books,
an imprint of Read & Co.
This book is copyright and may not be reproduced or copied in any
way without the express permission of the publisher in writing.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library.
Read & Co. is part of Read Books Ltd.
For more information visit
www.readandcobooks.co.uk
Contents
Harry Houdini
PREFACE
SHOT ONE
INCOME OF A CRIMINAL
SHOT TWO
PROFESSIONAL BURGLARY
SHOT THREE
DIFFICULTIES OF BURGLARY
SHOT FOUR
BURGLARS’ SUPERSTITIONS
SHOT FIVE
THIEVES AND THEIR TRICKS
SHOT SIX
THE ARISTOCRAT OF THIEVERY
SHOT SEVEN
PICKPOCKETS AT WORK
SHOT EIGHT
BEGGARS AND DEAD BEATS
SHOT NINE
BEGGING LETTER SWINDLES
SHOT TEN
TRICKS OF BUNCO MEN
SHOT ELEVEN
THE GAME OF WITS
SHOT TWELVE
FAKE! FAKE! FAKE!
SHOT THIRTEEN
BOGUS TREASURES
SHOT FOURTEEN
FAMOUS SWINDLES
SHOT FIFTEEN
THE FAIR CRIMINAL
SHOT SIXTEEN
THE BRACE
GAME
SHOT SEVENTEEN
CHEATING UNCLE SAM
SHOT EIGHTEEN
HUMBUGS
SHOT NINETEEN
HOUDINI
SHOT TWENTY
CONCLUSION
Harry Houdini
Houdini was born as Erik Weisz in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, on March 24th 1874. He was one of seven children, and when he was four years old the family moved to the United States. They first lived in Appleton, Wisconsin, where Weisz’s father served as the local Rabbi – and thereafter New York City. As a child, Ehrich Weiss (the family changed the spelling of their names on arriving in America) took several jobs, making his public début as a nine year-old trapeze artist, calling himself ‘Ehrich, the Prince of the Air!’ Weiss was also a champion cross country runner in his youth, demonstrating a high level of fitness which would stand him in good stead for later escapes. Several years subsequent, at the age of seventeen, Weiss became a professional magician and began calling himself ‘Harry Houdini’. At first though, Houdini had little success, playing in dime museums and sideshows, focusing initially on traditional card tricks, and even doubling as ‘The Wild Man’ at a circus.
Houdini’s big break came in 1899, when he met manager Martin Beck in rural Woodstock, Illinois. Beck was impressed by Houdini’s handcuffs performance, and advised him to concentrate on escape acts. Houdini was immediately booked for the Orpheum vaudeville circuit. Within months, he was performing at the top vaudeville houses in the country. In 1900, Beck arranged for Houdini to tour Europe, and this really was the start of his stardom. After some days of unsuccessful interviews in London, Houdini managed to interest Dundas Slater, then manager of the Alhambra Theatre. He gave a demonstration of escape from handcuffs at Scotland Yard, and succeeded in baffling the police so effectively that he was booked at the Alhambra for six months. From here on, Houdini’s success exponentially grew. In 1901, Houdini introduced his own original act, the Milk Can Escape. In this act, he was handcuffed and sealed inside an over-sized milk can filled with water, and made his escape behind a curtain. As part of the effect, Houdini invited members of the audience to hold their breath along with him while he was inside the can. This act was followed by many more, most notably the 1904 escape, where thousands watched as he tried to escape from special handcuffs commissioned by London's Daily Mirror, keeping viewers in suspense for an hour.
Another stunt saw Houdini buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the surface, emerging in a state of near-breakdown. Houdini performed at least three variations on this ‘Buried Alive’ stunt during his career. The first was near Santa Ana, California in 1915, and it almost cost Houdini his life. He was buried, without a casket, in a pit of earth six feet deep. He became exhausted and panicked while trying to dig his way to the surface and called for help; when his hand finally broke the surface, he fell unconscious and had to be pulled from the grave. While many suspected that these escapes were faked, Houdini presented himself as the scourge of fake magicians and spiritualists. After extensive research, reasonably early on in his career, Houdini published The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin (1908), in which he called his former idol Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin a liar and a fraud for having claimed the invention of automata and effects such as aerial suspension.
As President of the Society of American Magicians (from 1917 until his death in 1926), he was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists. Houdini was the Society’s only president to serve for more than one year – greatly growing the success of the organisation, which now embraces 6,000 members and 300 assemblies world-wide. In his lifetime, Houdini also made several movies, but quit acting when it failed to bring in money. He was also a keen aviator, and aimed to become the first man to fly a plane in Australia. In 1909, Houdini became fascinated with aviation and purchased a French Voisin biplane for $5000. After crashing once, he made his first successful flight on November 26 in Hamburg, Germany. The following year, Houdini toured Australia, bringing along his Voisin biplane. It is an area of great debate whether he was efficacious in his flight however. Fitting for a man with such a taste for the spectacle, even the circumstances of his death in 1926 were dramatic and mysterious.
In his final days, Houdini suffered from an acute fever and appendicitis, but refused advice to have immediate surgery, optimistically holding to a strong belief that he would recover. Houdini instead carried on with a show at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit, Michigan. Despite this optimism, his last words before dying were reportedly: ‘I'm tired of fighting.’ Eyewitnesses to an incident at Houdini's dressing room in the Princess Theatre in Montreal gave rise to speculation that Houdini's death was caused by a McGill University student, J. Gordon Whitehead, who delivered a surprise attack of multiple blows to Houdini's abdomen. One witness described Whitehead asking Houdini ‘whether it was true that punches in the stomach did not hurt him’, and then delivering ‘some very hammer-like blows below the belt.’ Harry Houdini died of peritonitis, secondary to a ruptured appendix at 1:26 p.m. on October 31, aged fifty-two.
PREFACE
O would the deed were good!
For now the Devil, that told me I did well,
Says that this deed is chronicled in Hell!
—Shakespeare
THERE is an under world—a world of cheat and crime—a world whose highest good is successful evasion of the laws of the land.
You who live your life in placid respectability know but little of the real life of the denizens of this world. The daily records of the police courts, the startling disclosures of fraud and swindle in newspaper stories are about all the public know of this world of crime. Of the real thoughts and feelings of the criminal, of the terrible fascination which binds him to his nefarious career, of the thousands—yea, tens of thousands—of undiscovered crimes and unpunished criminals, you know but little.
The object of this book is twofold: First, to safeguard the public against the practises of the criminal classes by exposing their various tricks and explaining the adroit methods by which they seek to defraud. Knowledge is power
is an old saying. I might paraphrase it in this case by saying knowledge is safety. I wish to put the public on its guard, so that honest folks may be able to detect and protect themselves from the dishonest, who labor under the false impression that it is easier to live dishonestly than to thrive by honest means.
In the second place, I trust this book will afford entertaining, as well as instructive reading, and that the facts and experiences, the exposés and explanations here set forth may serve to interest you,