Mexborough and Swinton Times March 16, 1928
INO in the strait jacket from which, suspended head downwards by a rope at the top of Blackpool Tower, he proposes to demonstrate his ability in “escapology” next week.
Mexboro’s sons have distinguished themselves in many roles, but a unique place in the list must be given to Mr. T. R. Middleton, who has forged a career out of the humble beginnings of a Denaby Main miner and is now making for himself a name as a variety “star.”
Till about eight years ago Tommy Middleton, sleight-of-hand and card expert, was a popular entertainer in all parts of the district. His home is still at 47, Herbert Street, Mexboro’, and his father, Charles Middleton, still works as a deputy at Denaby Main. But the son is now “Ino, the Wizard of Escapology,” whose engagements on the halls run well into 1929, and whose feats of escape have made him a worthy successor to the famous Houdini.
A Lucky Accident.
Mr. Middleton was born at Hoyland, but was taken to Mexboro’ by his parents when ten years old, and he is an old Garden Street school boy. About eight years ago he left the pit and the local concert room to try his fortune as a conjuror. He did pretty well at it: but last October an accident caused him to take up a new line. By mistake he was locked in a cupboard in a theatre in Ireland. Necessity brought a way of escape from an unpleasant situation, and with that came the notion to turn to “escapology” as a promising line of success with the music hall audience. Mr. Middleton’s quick wits and adaptability soon put the notion into operation, and `Ino” made his bow at Manchester in the fall of last year.
Escape From a Concrete Coffin.
He struck immediate success, and already has out a world challenge of £100 to anyone who can equal his most amazing feat: an escape in six minutes from a concrete coffin made by Tarmac, Ltd., at Wolverhampton, which “Ino” undertook in answer to a challenge in that town. The coffin weighs 8 cwt., and is of the kind used for enclosing high, tension electric cable joints buried in the earth. The coffins are built round the joints’ and ‘bitumen is poured in after the construction, is completed. The lid alone weighs 2 cwt., and the inside measurements are 74in. by 18in. by 23in.
Committee Mystified.
When the feat was done at Wolverhampton metal bands were placed over each end of the coffin after “Ino” entered it, and they were locked and the key handed to a representative of Tarmac Ltd., who formed one of the committee of inspection on the stage during the escape. ‘
‘Ino’ was physically distressed after his escape, but revived after a drink of water. One member of the committee’ on the stage at first suggested the escape was a fake, but afterwards withdrew and apologised, and all the other members satisfied about its genuineness. A representative of “Tarmac” examined the coffin immediately after the escape, found the metal bands intact, and confessed himself completely baffled. He declared it impossible for anyone to get out of the coffin without aid but also confessed that he could not see how any assistance could possibly have been given to Ino.
Mr. Middleton claims that this feat surpasses any of Houdini’s – in fact Houdini refused to accept a similar challenge himself. Mr. Middleton also outdoes all predecessors in the craft by extricating himself from his handcuffs and leg irons et cetera in full view of the audience, and still leaving them completely mystified as to the method of escape
Slipping The Handcuffs.
Mr. Middleton accepted a challenge in Ireland from the National Guards to get free of six pairs of their handcuffs. Those handcuffs are not of the regulation English pattern; they are the figure eight design, in one piece, without connecting chain between the links. He carries the following certificate as the result of the effort:—
Keinlaugh, Co. Leitrim,
March 6, 1927.
This is to certify that Ino has this day escaped from six pairs of handcuffs in which he was firmly secured.
- FINNEVEN, Sergt. H. DAHERTY, Guard. C. DUFFY Guard. J. CREIGHTON, Guard.
A Blackpool Tower Thrill.
“Ino” is the only English escapologist, and his only rival at present for the mantle of Houdini is Murray, the Australian; but at the halls at which he has followed a visit by that artist he has gained rather than lost in reputation. One of the details in which his performance is distinguished from that of the Australian is his escape from a ‘strait jacket while suspended head downwards.
To excel this, “Inn” will do the feat, next week at Blackpool—where he is fulfilling a looking—but this time suspended at a dizzy height from the top of the Tower. The nerve and skill required for such a feat of sufficient indications of the mark that Mr. Middleton is making in the annals of sensational music hall feats.
He has already got out of a strait jacket adjusted by two atrium attendants at Wrexham, while suspended 30 feet in the air; and did it in 29 seconds.