The Search for Margery

NOTES ON A STRANGE WORLD MASSIMO POLIDORO The Search for Margery hile researching material the book was "superb" but wanted to conversation between two people who for my book Final Stance: "point out, though, that it was not ever could have been "very close" to those The Story of the Strange proven that Mina provided 'sexual two giants. W favors' to members of the stance circle. Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Massimo Polidoro: Anna, I must say Doyle (Prometheus Books, 2001) I Ken is careful to point this out himself. that I am an admirer of Margery and I made several attempts at locating some Bird [Malcolm Bird, secretary of the think that the idea of her faking the phenomena was probably more a mat- Scientific American Commission] later of the relatives of the medium ter of a difficult relationship with her "Margery," whose role was so promi- made that claim, but I would argue that husband than an attempt to deceive the nent when Houdini and Doyle were a man desperate to salvage his own rep- public. What do you think? friends and later enemies. Margery (Mina Crandon was her real name) was the wife of Dr. LeRoi I made several attempts at locating some of Goddard Crandon, a wealthy Boston physician, who, in 1924, entered the the relatives of the medium "Margery," whose contest announced by Scientific American role was so prominent when Houdini and according to which $5,000 would be paid to anyone able to demonstrate psy- Conan Doyle were friends—and later enemies. chic powers under scientific controls. The only catch was that Houdini was a member of the committee, and that proved to Anna Thurlow: Please, do not feel be enough to scare away most tricksters utation and is willing to do so by com- any anxiety over offending me regard- eager to win die prize by any means. menting on such personal matters is ing whether she was "authentic" or not—I do not believe in supernatural I knew that Margery had a son and perhaps not the most trustworthy source phenomena. I am, however, fasci- that he was probably still alive, but of information." nated with the pageantry and ritual of though I tried many times to contact him I was quite excited to get a chance to it. I know that for whatever reason I was never able to get a reply. The dead- speak to someone who had had she started it (and I agree with you, I line for the book finally came and I Margery as grandmother and I thought do not think it was with intent to deceive but rather for reasons more closed it without the information I it would be very interesting to hear the psychologically complex), it con- wished to include. perspective of a member of the family quered her mentally in the end—after Then, in March of this year, I who was not as involved in the case as Dr. Crandon died (even though he received an e-mail from an Anna Dr. Crandon. To me it looked almost as was my great-grandfather, we've Thurlow, who introduced herself as if, eighty years later, the contemporary always called him "Dr. Crandon") she Margery's granddaughter. She was writ- "representatives" of Margery and ing me because she had read a review I Houdini had a chance to meet and dis- Massimo Polidoro is an investigator of the wrote for the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER on cuss what went on during those famous paranormal author, lecturer, and co- Ken Silverman's book on Houdini (SI seances in Boston. So, imagine you founder and head of CICAP, the Italian 21(3), May/June 1997). She thought could step back in time and listen to a skeptics group. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November/December 2002 19 continued automatic writing on her very dangerous game." His room at 10 judgment. But Mina did drink herself own, as if it was the only company Lime street was right next to the stance to death by her early fifties (although she had, which I find very sad. room, and he could hear everything. the toll of drink and depression, as I They locked him in every night (as gather, made her seem much, much MP: Did you have a chance when you well as the servants) to prove to the sit- older). But yes, my grandfather was were a kid to know Mina personally? ters that the seance circle was con- terribly ashamed of her, as I think AT: I never knew Mina, nor did my trolled. I think he was around twelve most children of alcoholics are, even mother, as Mina drank herself to years old. So I imagine, for him, how- without having had the whole world death so early on. But my grandfather ever much a rationalist he was, it must know very intimate things about her. John Crandon (Mina's son and my have nonetheless been absolutely terri- By the time she died, my grandfather mother's father) was greatly influ- fying. Seeing him re-live that was chill- was already married. enced and shaped by her. He was a ing enough for me to not ask again. MP: Could this Button you are refer- very unhappy man and both obsessed My mother told me that the public ring to be WH. Button, the then- with and ashamed by her. She was outcry on this arrangement was such President of the American Society for rarely spoken of in the family but my that Mina had to send my grandfather Psychical Research? mother gathered many stories and away, which they did—to Andover (a passed them on to me. I've been wor- boarding school). When 1 asked him AT: You are right! I was shocked to ried about the veracity of the stories, once about how it was done, he said, realize that he was the head of the but where I've been able to verify "mirrors." But he didn't explain more ASPR—my mother had thought he diem, they've turned out to be true. than that. was a lawyer. All of the papers I have More immediately, however, the psy- from later in Mina's life were archived, MP: Did you have other chances to chological impact of my greatgrand- sorted, and stored by him—the talk about Mina with John? parent's dysfunctionality and the envelopes all have his name and conflict with Houdini was deeply im- AT: I've asked my grandfather about address on them. I am now curious as printed on the family. Mina over my whole life, but he really to what date he starts the archiving as didn't like to talk about it. The conver- opposed to Dr. Crandon. I never MP: Is John still living? sation I relayed to you took place in really thought about it, but Dr. Crandon's papers seem to peter out AT: Yes, my grandfather is still living 1997, I think, just before he really slipped mentally; he must have been in around 1926 (presumably around the although not mentally competent; time that Dr. Crandon no longer even before, however, he rejected any- his early eighties, and I was in my late twenties. The question about the mir- believed in Margery?) even though he one's attempt to contact the family— didn't die until 1938. I wonder if which is why you wouldn't have been rors was the same day—I asked him it he believed in it (no) how they did it Button "took up the cause" and per- able to find any of us. My mother, on haps that is how Mina and he became the other hand, was fascinated by (mirrors) and how he felt about being in the room next door (wouldn't say). involved with each other. She moved Mina and was preparing to write a to New York to be with him. book about women, spirituality, and He was very rattled and the nurse told me that he had nightmares all that Coincidentally, she lived on W. 116th class in Boston, with Mina as the cen- street, and of course Houdini had tral figure. My mom died of cancer in night. Sid Radner (of the Houdini seances) was very interested in talking lived on W. 113th street. My mother 1995, just before Ken's book came and I also lived on W 113th street for out—she would have been thrilled to with him, but after that, I really felt that he couldn't remember enough for almost fifteen years, only two blocks read it, as he uncovered so much away! more than we knew. I've been very it to be worth the emotional turmoil it grateful to him for answering so many obviously caused him. of the questions that my grandfather MP: Since you are talking about never would. There is only myself and MP: Dr. Crandon died in 1939 and houses: While on my search for mate- my mother's brother. Mina in 1941, however we know that rial and information for my book I she went into depression and drank went to Boston and tried to locate the MP: It must not have been easy for a quite heavily. What were those two house where Mina lived and where kid like J o h n , your grandfather, to live years alone like for her? the famous seances with Houdini and in a house were all those strange the Scientific American team took AT: After Dr. Crandon died Mina had things went on.

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