Seeks Double Insurance on Plea that Magician Was Struck by McGill Student

Special to The New York Times.

MONTREAL, Quebec, Feb. 25–It is reported here that Mrs. Houdini, widow of the magician, is seeking double liability insurance on her husband’s life on the ground that he died as the result of a blow in the abdomen received while on his visit to Montreal.

Mrs. Houdini is said to have affidavits from three students of McGill University that when in Houdini’s dressing room at the Princess Theatre here, the week before he died, one student struck the magician a friendly blow in the abdomen. Rupture of the appendix is said to have resulted.

At the time Houdini was stricken with his last illness, the report was that a newspaper man had struck the actor while in the theatre dressing room. That was denied. A second report was that Houdini had been struck while giving a lecture before the students at McGill University. That was denied by the university authorities.

This is the first report that has come to Montreal alleging that a McGill student struck Houdini a playful blow at the theatre.

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