You can trick people but you can never trick death. There comes a point where not even magic can save the magician. These legendary Magicians lost their lives while performing on stage.
Great Lafayette
Great Lafayette is a famous German magician and the highest paid of his time. He loved animals. One day his friend Harry Houdini gave him a dog, the Beauty. He bestowed it royal treatment including five course meals and a diamond -speckled collar. One day the dog died. It was buried at the town cemetery and he requested that upon his death, he be buried beside it.
Two days later, a fire broke during a show opening. He escaped unharmed but for a moment. He remembered that a horse he had brought for the performance was trapped in the building. He dashed in to the building and never came out alive. His wish was honored and he was laid to rest beside his dog.
Joseph Burrus
Joseph Burrus also known as “Amazing Joe” is another unfortunate magician who lost his life in a fateful stunt. On the Halloween night of 1991, he decided to outshine his hero Harry Houdini. He shackled himself and lay in a homemade coffin. The coffin was then lowered to a 7 feet deep grave. It was then covered with seven tons of soil and cement. Unfortunately for him, the overlying weight collapsed and shattered his body to death.
Charles Rowen
Charles Rowen, a renowned South African magician met his fateful death in 1930. He was performing a stunt that involved jumping out of a moving car. At a speed of 70 KPH, he was supposed to jump out of the car and amazingly survive. However, that was not the case. Instead, he delayed and as the car gained more speed he stumbled outside the car and was crashed over its wheels. It was such a horrible site for the mammoth crown that was present at the show.
Janaka Basnayake
The 24 year old magician Janaka Basnayake from Sri Lanka lost his life in March 2012. This happened as he was trying to break the world record by being buried alive. He convinced his family to bury him in a 10 feet deep pit and cover it with soil and wood. However after 7 ½ hours they got worried about him and dug him up. By then, he was conscious. They rushed him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Madame Delinsky
Madame Delinsky met her fateful death in November 1820 while performing the bullet Trick. She and her Polish husband asked six men to load their rifles with empty rounds of ammunition. They were to shoot at her and she was supposed to catch or stop all the six bullets with her body. One solder however used a live bullet and shot through her abdomen. She passed away two days later while receiving treatment.
“Don’t try this at home,” they say. Now you know why.