Here was I, standing absolutely nude before a terrified, miserable
object.
Poor fellow! what a shock it was for him. He was an Irishman just
recovering from a drunken bout.
"'Arrah!' he said, when he had recovered; 'I thought it was the divil.'"
The shivering prison-breaker hurried the wretched prisoner out of cell
No. 14 into No. 15 and locked him in. Then he ran along the passage to
greet the head constable and the other officials.
Only 6 minutes had elapsed since he had been locked in the cell naked
and handcuffed. The cell door was inspected and found uninjured.
Then one of the gaolers, walking along the corridor, espied door No. 14
open and a prisoner gone.
"That's all right," said the irrepressible Houdini. "I've had him out
and locked him up in No. 15." Hearty laughter followed the narration of
this achievement, and the officials went to No. 15.
So securely had the Irishman been locked up that it was necessary to
call upon Houdini to unfasten the door. The Irishman was found in a
somewhat bewildered state, but he probably "sobered" quicker than he
would have done in less eventful circumstances.
Houdini left the bridewell the proud possessor of the certificate which
is reproduced at the head of this article.