The Genii Forum

Isn't there a statute of limitations on stupid publicity stunts?

If not, there should be.

Gord

I have to agree that Houdini would be loving this attention!

Tony Brent
Outta Control Magic Show
Orlando

Wasn't this supposed to happen some time last year when "The Secret Life of Houdini" was released?

I think it would absolutely rock if they dug up the coffin and the corpse was gone!! Now THAT'S an escape.

Better yet, David Blaine comes out of the coffin. Coffin has to be more comfortable than a glass box, right?

Hello, is this thing on ...

I wonder if the exhumation goes through, and they find NO evidence of poison, will the authors refund the money to the 14 people who bought the book?

That's the bigger question.

Adrian

OK. Best exhumation story I know:
In 1900, to satisfy the clamor of persistent conspiracy theorists, Abraham Lincoln's only surviving son (I can't remember which one, possibly Robert) allowed his father's body to be exhumed, to prove that it was indeed The Great Emancipator interred in the grave. When the coffin was opened, 35 years after Lincoln's death, the body looked exactly as it had on the day the coffin was closed! Not a trace of decay had taken place. The explanation was that in order to keep the body fresh during the long train trip back from Washington DC to Illinois, with stops in every town along the way for public viewings, it was continually re-embalmed on the way from one stop to the next. By the time it was buried, it was so thoroughly pickled it couldn't rot. When the body was re-interred, Lincoln's son had the grave poured full of concrete to prevent anyone from ever again disturbing his father's eternal rest.

In an earlier thread about the previous exhumation hub-bub I noted (rightfully I believe) that if it turned out Harry Houdini HAD in fact been poisoned by those damned spritualists, he would want us, his magi brethren, to avenge his death!

Grab your torches and pitchforks!!

P.S.
And of course, nothing would give H.H. more glee than to know his name is still very much alive.
(You heard it here first: that guy seems to have been pretty good at getting publicity.)

P.P.S.--I can't wait for the arrival of my new boxed set of Houdini dvds!:


Click Here to See Houdini DVDs

Again, it won't happen. We are coming up again on two more Houdini anniversaries, thus we have the BS from "Boys With Shovels".

Thankfully this has even less legs than first sorry publicity stunt.

I realize this is nothing more than a publicity stunt but it does beg the question as to who has the authority to exhume the body--a state or county prosecutor, a relative, an executor, some combination of law enforcement and estate people??
Anyone know enough about this type of law to answer this question??

There's enough ambiguity surrounding the exact cause of Houdini's death for questions to remain. Considering his place in the history of pop culture and Americana during the last century, I see nothing wrong with doing tests on the body. If he was poisoned, and it can be proven, a lot of history changes. If not, then no harm done.

It doesn't matter what the motives are of the people behind the action to exhume the body. All kinds of good things have happened in the world even though the people behind the scenes had lousy motives.

With only one story on the entire net in 3 days, I think this will fade even quicker than the last publicity push. :sleep:

With Houdini's burst appendix, he was dead man walking. Maybe the spirits had a poison to rupture an appendix? :o

The absurdity of a disembodied spirit (in other words, a dead guy) making dire predictions and terrifying threats about someone's impending death has always struck me as rather rollicking. "Beware! Soon ye shall be a dead guy! Just like - um, come to think of it - me!" I mean, wasn't the entire point of seance culture an attempt to prove that death is nothing to fear?

Unless, of course, the spirits merely meant that soon Houdini would be consigned to oozing ectoplasm and throwing tambourines around a darkened room, and they were just acknowledging that their role in human affairs did kind of suck.

Arnie,

I know about this because our IT group is building the new Vital Statistics system for the Commonwealth of KY. Here is the KY Adm. Regulation for disinterment of an individual

901 KAR 5:090. Burial and disinterment of dead bodies.



RELATES TO: KRS Chapter 213

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 194.050, 211.090, 213.076

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS Chapter 213, relating to vital statistics, authorizes the Cabinet for Human Resources to regulate the disposal, and disinterment of dead bodies. The purpose of this administrative regulation is to establish uniform requirements for the interment, disinterment and reburial of dead bodies in Kentucky.

Section 1. Interment. (1) Where the disposition of the body is by burial and the outer container for the body is made of concrete, metal, fiber glass, or other impervious material and it is hermetically sealed, all parts of such container shall be buried to a depth of at least two (2) feet below the level of the natural surface of the ground. All other burials shall be at least three (3) feet below the level of the natural surface of the ground measured from all parts of the outer container.

(2) Where impenetrable rock is encountered the local health department may, upon proper application, grant a variance to the depth of burial requirements of this administrative regulation.

3) The depth of burial requirements of this administrative regulation do not apply where interment is in a mausoleum.

Section 2. Disinterment. (1) When one (1) or more bodies are to be disinterred for reburial in the same cemetery, a disinterment-reinterment permit shall be procured upon proper application from the local registrar.

(2) When one (1) or more bodies are to be disinterred for reburial in a different cemetery or for other disposal, an application for a disinterment-reinterment permit shall be made to the State Registrar of Vital Statistics. The application shall contain the following information:

(a) Name of deceased, if known;

(b) Date of death;

(c) Original grave site;

(d) Proposed grave site;

(e) Approximate date of removal;

(f) Name of the person or firm who will remove the body or bodies;

(g) A statement by the applicant that he has obtained written permission from all members of the same class of the next-of-kin or an order from a court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the remains; and

(h) A statement by the applicant that he is familiar with and will abide by all applicable laws and administrative regulations relating to the establishment and abandonment of cemeteries and the custody, handling, and disposal of human remains.



Section 3. Reburial. (1) All disinterred human remains intended for reburial, and all other contents of the grave, shall be enclosed in a container constructed of strong material and of sufficient size to hold the remains without altering their shape or size. If the human remains are not thoroughly decomposed, the container shall be sealed to prevent the escape of liquids or gas.

(2) The depth of burial requirements of Section 1 of this administrative regulation shall apply to all reburials except that human remains which are thoroughly decomposed need be reburied only to such a depth so that no part of the container is less than two (2) feet below the natural surface of the ground. (VS 2-1; 1 Ky.R. 1270; eff. 7-2-75; Am. 16 Ky.R. 933; eff. 1-12-90; 20 Ky.R. 656; 970; eff. 10-21-93.)

Thanks Terry

So it looks like (at least in KY) anyone who applies for a permit with the blessing of all next of kin. But "next of kin" is such a broad category, it makes one wonder what a legal definition of this would be.

In KY, next of kin is considered blood relatives.

In the Houdini situation, Hardeen family would have control before the Blood family.