• From blowing yourself up on stage to sword-swallowing gone wrong, we count eight people who tragically
died while performing magic tricks!
8 – Sigmund Neuberger, • Sigmund Neuberger, AKA the Great Lafayette,
was the highest paid magician of the early 1900s.
But even seasoned professionals can make fatal mistakes…
• One night while Sigmund was performing his signature trick the lamp above his sparked
and created a huge fireball.
In no time at all the stage became engulfed in flames.
This extra terrible for Sigmund because he had locked the side doors to the stage to
stop people from learning how his tricks were done.
Luckily Sigmund managed to unlock the doors and help the theatre staff escape.
He even got out himself – but then he stupidly went back to save his horse and got caught
in the flames…
• The audience thought all this was part of the show and refused to leave.
It took the orchestra playing ‘God Save the Queen’ for them to finally get the hint
and evacuate.
After the terrible tragedy, Sigmund was cremated – along with his poor body double who was
trapped under the stage.
7 – Janaka Basnayake, • Janaka Basnayake was so committed to breaking
the world record for the longest time spent buried alive that he ended up permanently
six feet under.
• The Sri Lankan had come to America in 2010 to fulfil his dream of being a world-famous
magician.
Two years later, he roped in a family member to help him perform what should’ve been
his biggest trick ever.
• The family member dug a ten-foot hole for Janaka to lie in.
They then covered it up with wood and soil and left him there for seven and half hours.
When they dug him up, Janaka had stopped breathing.
He was rushed to the hospital, but there was nothing they could do.
Definitely don’t try that one at home, kids.
6 – Balabrega, • In the year 1900 the Swedish magician
Balabrega met an explosive end while performing in Brazil.
• He’d planned to blow audience’s faces off with an incredible pyrotechnic illusion
called ‘The Moth and the Flame’.
Basically six women dressed as moths would disappear into an enormous candle flame.
Unfortunately Balabrega couldn’t get his hands on the gas he usually used, so he bought
some untested gas-bags of acetylene instead.
• During the show, one of the untested gas-bag exploded, killing him and one of his assistants
instantly.
The scene was bloody and gruesome, with blood and body parts landing all over the audience.
5 – Jeff Rayburn Hopper, • In 1984, Jeff Rayburn Hopper attempted
an elaborate underwater escape trick but ended up sleeping with the fishes.
• He was submerged in Winona Lake and swam out a hundred yards from shore.
He escaped his homemade shackles in next to time, but his nightmare was just beginning.
• Jeff picked a really crappy day to take a swim in the lake.
The winds were very strong, which made it impossible to swim to shore.
He tried calling for help but his assistant couldn’t hear him.
His audience saw that he’d managed to free himself and assumed he was fine.
By the time they realised he was in trouble it was too late.
The wind prevented them from reaching him in time and he drowned in six feet of water.
4 – Benjamin Rucker, • Benjamin Rucker was another one who tried
burying himself alive but failed to get the ‘alive’ part right.
• To market his upcoming exhibition, Benjamin, AKA the Dark Herman, was publicly buried and
then dug up in front of an audience three days later.
At first the trick was a success.
They dug him up and he was alive and well.
He led his astounded audience to a nearby theatre where he continued the show.
• But a short time later Benjamin suffered a heart attack and died on stage.
His audience, who had just seen him defy death, refused to believe it.
They clapped along, thinking it was part of the show.
The creepiest part is that the promoters had been advertising the show as ‘The Memorial
of Dark Herman’.
How, um, appropriate.
3 – Washington Irving Bishop, • If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
After working for a fake medium, Washington Irving Bishop tried to make a living exposing
spiritual frauds.
He soon realised he could make more money being a psychic himself.
The job eventually led to his demise – although he strangely didn’t see this coming…
• In his public demonstrations, Washington would do readings using an audience member’s
hand.
He would feel for acute muscle movements that would reveal whether the person was going
to win the lottery or fall down some stairs.
• In 1889, Washington collapsed in the middle of a show in New York.
He fell into a coma-like state, which people mistook for death.
Not realising he was still alive, officials performed an autopsy and killed him.
They were hoping to study his brain to see if it was special.
Obviously they weren’t using their own brains when they made that call.
2 – Vivian Hensley, • When your parents tell you not to play
with knives listen up because it’s for a damn good reason!
Amateur magician Vivian Hensley liked shocking audiences by swallowing dangerous blades.
But one day the trick went about as wrong as it possibly could.
• The Australian magician was performing the trick for his young son.
But instead of hiding the blade up his sleeve like he was supposed to, Vivian lost his grip
and dropped the sharp razor blade into his mouth!
He accidentally cut his tongue and throat, causing blood to gush everywhere, and died
from the ensuing complications.
His poor son was obviously traumatised.
• The craziest thing is Vivian actually worked as a dentist!
He really should’ve known better than to stick dangerous objects in his mouth…
1 – Charles Rowen, • Charles Rowen was a South African magician
who was famous for getting out of straitjackets, leaping out of the way of speeding cars and
jumping into huge piles of broken glass.
I know, right?
What could possibly go wrong!?
• In 1930 he was performing a very dangerous stunt where he’d get out of his straitjacket
just in time to dodge a speeding car.
Hundreds and thousands of people watched as he attempted to get out of his restraints.
They then saw him stumble, fall and get mowed down by a car travelling seventy kilometres
an hour.
His leg was almost severed in the gruesome incident.
• As he laid there dying, Charles took full responsibility for the mistake and exonerated
the driver.
A legend
and
a gentleman.