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Magicians, illusionists, mentalists, and escape artists all perform daring acts that thrill audiences. However, this very danger can lead to fatal accidents, whether performed by amateurs or seasoned professionals. Here are 10 tragic deaths during such performances.
10. Charles Rowen
Charles Rowen, also known as 'Karr the Magician' or 'Karr the Mysterious,' was a South African escape artist and magician. His most notable feats included escaping from straight jackets and plunging into piles of broken glass.
In 1930, Karr performed in Springfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa, attempting a dangerous stunt where he was strapped into a straight jacket while a car sped toward him. The car was driven from 180 meters (200 yards) away, accelerating to 72 kilometers per hour (45 mph). This gave Karr roughly 10–15 seconds, depending on how fast the driver reached full speed, to escape and get out of the car’s path.
But he was too slow.
Karr couldn’t escape in time and was hit by the car, nearly having his leg severed. This tragic event unfolded before a large crowd, including small children. Before his death, Karr absolved the driver of any blame.
9. Madame DeLinksy
The Gun Trick is a performance where a magician appears to be shot by a gun, creating the illusion that they either stopped or caught the bullet with their body. This trick, particularly the bullet-catching variation, is among the most perilous in a magician’s act. Even though the trick is an illusion, it still places the performer in danger. No bullets are actually fired, as catching bullets is impossible, yet at least 15 fatalities are linked to this stunt.
A notable death occurred in November 1820 when Polish magician Madame DeLinsky and her husband performed in Arnstadt, Germany, for Prince Shwarznberg-Sonderhausen. Their version of the Gun Trick involved Madame DeLinsky facing a firing squad of six men, supposedly stopping all six bullets. However, one soldier mistakenly loaded a live round. Madame DeLinsky was shot in the abdomen and died two days later.
8. Benjamin Rucker
Benjamin Rucker, known by his stage name Black Herman, stands apart from the other magicians listed here because he died of natural causes—though many didn’t believe it.
Black Herman was the most prominent African American magician of his era. Due to Jim Crow laws, his performances were mainly for black audiences in the South, although his popularity spread far and wide. One of his signature illusions was being buried alive, only to be exhumed three days later to continue his show. This act made it hard for anyone to believe he truly died after suffering a heart attack following a performance in April 1934. Capitalizing on the disbelief, Black Herman’s promoters charged attendees to enter the funeral, proving he had indeed passed away.
In a similar incident, magician and comedian Tommy Cooper had a heart attack while performing on stage, causing the audience to think it was part of the act. However, there were no charges for entry to his funeral.
7. Dr. Vivian Hensley
Nothing mars the world of magic more than an amateur getting in over their head while attempting a dangerous trick. Forty-three-year-old Vivian Hensley, a dentist from Brisbane, Australia, should have known better than to put non-food items into his mouth. Tragically, he died a painful death from something he swallowed.
Dr. Hensley was performing his signature trick, "swallowing the rusty razor blade," for his young son. The trick involved him pretending to slip the blade into his mouth, when in fact he hid it down the sleeve of his coat. On July 6, 1938, he made a mistake and accidentally swallowed the razor. His wife made him consume cotton balls while rushing him to the hospital. Despite multiple X-rays and two surgeries, the doctors couldn't locate the razor, and he passed away four days later.
6. Janaka Basnayake
Human beings require water, food, and, most importantly, air to survive. This brings us to the tragic story of 24-year-old Janaka Basnayake from Sri Lanka, who attempted to break the world record for the longest time spent buried alive.
Typically, magicians who perform this feat use an escape illusion so they don't actually stay buried. The exception is David Blaine, who spent six days buried alive with a team of experts. Basnayake, however, was not a professional. On March 5, 2012, he had his family bury him in a pit three meters (10 feet) deep, covering it with soil and wood. After being buried for seven and a half hours, he was dug up, found unresponsive, and rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead.
The unfortunate reality is that The Guinness Book Of World Records doesn't even acknowledge this feat, deeming it too risky and discouraging others from attempting it.
5. Royden Joseph Gilbert Raison De La Genesta
Royden Joseph Gilbert Raison de la Genesta, or simply Genesta, was a magician from the United States, known for performing the iconic milk can or water barrel escape. In this trick, the performer is locked inside a large milk can or water barrel filled with water, and the challenge is to escape before drowning.
Tragically, in 1930, while traveling to a performance, Genesta’s milk can was damaged, reducing his available space and restricting his movements needed for escape. Unable to free himself, he tragically drowned. His death had a profound impact on other escape artists like Houdini, and it made the water barrel escape even more perilous, heightening its allure as a dangerous spectacle.
4. Jeff Rayburn Hooper
On July 7, 1984, 23-year-old magician Jeff Rayburn Hooper was rehearsing an escape trick he intended to perform later that day at the Winona Lake Bible Conference. The stunt involved escaping from shackles while being submerged in the lake. Sadly, Hooper wouldn't make it to the show.
During practice, Hooper handcuffed himself and plunged into Winona Lake near Fort Wayne, Indiana. He swam about 100 yards from the shore and managed to release himself from the shackles. When he surfaced, he called out to his assistant for help, but due to strong winds, he couldn't make it back to the shore. The rescuers faced difficulty as well, as the winds prevented them from reaching him. Tragically, he drowned in 1.6 meters (6 ft) of water.
3. Sigmund Neuberger
Sigmund Neuberger, better known as the Great Lafayette, was a renowned German magician who became the highest-paid performer of his era. The Great Lafayette had a deep affection for animals, especially for his terrier, Beauty. Beauty had been a gift from the famous magician Harry Houdini, who admired Lafayette. He pampered the dog with a luxurious suite, five-course meals, and a collar adorned with diamonds.
Just four days before his Edinburgh show, Beauty passed away. Lafayette made a unique arrangement with the city council, promising that upon his death, he would allow his own burial there if they agreed to bury Beauty in the nearby Piershill Cemetery. On the opening night of his performance, May 9, 1911, a fire broke out while he was performing his signature act, 'The Lion’s Bride.' He managed to escape the building but rushed back in to save a horse involved in the performance. Tragically, ten others perished because the side doors had been locked before the show, as Lafayette didn’t want anyone sneaking in.
Lafayette was laid to rest next to his beloved dog, Beauty.
2. William Elsworth Robinson
William Elsworth Robinson, better known by his stage name Chung Ling Soo, was an American magician who adopted the persona of a Chinese magician and remained in character at all times. He never spoke English on stage and always used an interpreter when speaking to journalists. By the time of his death, he had become one of the world’s most famous magicians.
The tragic incident took place at the Wood Green Empire in London on March 23, 1918. Chung Ling Soo was performing his version of the bullet catch. Unfortunately, he had failed to properly clean the gun after his previous performance, leading to a buildup of gunpowder in the ramrod tube. This caused enough pressure to fire the bullet into his chest. Breaking character for the first time, he uttered, 'Oh my God, bring down the curtain. Something has happened.' He passed away the following day in the hospital.
This magician may seem familiar because he is portrayed as a character in the movie The Prestige.
1. Joseph W. Burrus
Joseph 'Amazing Joe' Burrus, aged 32, had one lifelong ambition: to surpass his idol, Harry Houdini, in fame. On Halloween night in 1992, the anniversary of Houdini’s death, Burrus attempted the escape that Houdini had failed—being buried alive. He had himself handcuffed, placed in a homemade coffin, and buried two meters (7 ft) deep under seven tons of dirt and cement (roughly the weight of a male African elephant).
Remarkably, no one could convince him that it was impossible and that he needed an illusion to survive the trick. During his preparations, a reporter pointed out that cement dries faster at the bottom than at the top. So, even if he didn’t get crushed by the weight, he would have to dig through several feet of dirt before dealing with a rapidly hardening cement layer—all while trying to breathe.
However, the cement proved to be a secondary concern. The dirt and cement collapsed on him and he was tragically crushed before he could even escape the coffin. WARNING: The link provided shows the actual footage of Burrus's death. Viewer discretion is advised.
+ Washington Irving Bishop
Bishop was raised in a family deeply involved in spiritualism, with his mother being a practicing medium. As an adult, he worked for a psychic, only to later devote himself to exposing their tricks. However, he eventually abandoned his mission to expose psychics and transformed into a mentalist. In contrast to the charlatans he had once sought to expose, Bishop openly admitted to his audiences that he had no supernatural abilities. His success grew rapidly as he employed muscle reading—where he would hold an audience member's hand and, through subtle muscle movements, would ask them questions to perform surprisingly accurate readings.
On May 12, 1889, while performing at the Lamb Club in New York City, Bishop suddenly collapsed. He had suffered a cataleptic episode, a condition where someone appears to be in a coma-like state while still alive. After regaining consciousness, he requested to finish his performance, but soon lost consciousness again and ultimately passed away.
That’s where things get a little murky.
Due to his catalepsy, many people speculated that Bishop may not have actually died. Some, including his own mother, believed that the autopsy was what killed him. The doctors were particularly eager to examine his brain, hoping to uncover the source of his 'mind-reading powers.' Sadly, they never had the chance to study it.
