Halloween in Detroit is synonymous with Harry Houdini and the séance due to his death in an area hospital in 1926. I'm guessing that most people know that Houdini died from appendicitis after taking a flurry of punches from a student and failing to get immediate treatment. His wife and he had a death pact whereby he would contact her from beyond the grave. She attempted to each Halloween for a decade after his death with varying results according to which source one consults.