During the early 1980s, I knew a man called Peter who billed himself as "the man with the million dollar mind" Part of his repertoire was the Bullet catch.

In Peter's presentation he was fired at by a female assistant using a .22 calibre rifle. The usual establishment of a real bullet was done with members of the audience.

Between Peter and the rifle was a balloon propped up on a stand. Peter had glasses to protect his eyes and used motorcycle gloves on his hands. He moved his hands in front of his face to stop the debris hitting him.

When the shot rang out, the balloon burst, Peter reeled back and then displayed the bullet between his teeth, but....

One night he wasn't that lucky, he moved when the rifle was fired. A near fatal shot to the side of his head. The projectile passed across his cheek and under his ear. Blooded gush from the wound and staggered about.

Peter's story got into the news. Television, radio and the press all covered it. Thank goodness he was alive as many people now knew of him and wanted to see his death-defying trick.

At this point the story is as true as how it was covered by the press. The old adage ` Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story ' applies here.

Peter's wound was self inflicted, an accident. It had nothing to do with the rifle. His method of getting the duplicate bullet into his mouth was simple and this is why he really wears the gloves. On the back of the gloves are straps and buckles. Behind one of the straps was kept the bullet. While Peter passes his hands across his face, he pulls the bullet from the strap with his teeth.

On the night in question, Peter accidentally dragged one of the buckles across his face and opened his cheek. By the time it really started bleeding the gun went off.

As Peter was `in shock' from the near death experience, he was not in a position to correct the press from their assumption that it was the bullet.

What the readers got was fiction but it was the best free press Peter ever got.

You are probably wondering how this fits in with escapes and if I still have your attention, read on.

Several people I know personally have commented, "Why would you get into something if you couldn't escape". The inference being that "you wouldn't do it (possibly risk your life) if you couldn't get out"

In Australia escapes are viewed a bit different to the elsewhere. Here people are not as much interested at how one gets out, all the struggling and grunting stuff. They are more interested in if you can get out.

It was pointed out by a colleague in escapes, that clocks that count down and legendary time limits don't work.

If a clock is counting down from, let us say four minutes. Then the audience should leave for refreshments and come back with ten seconds to go. That's when the action will take place. The same can be said for time limits, example; "The great `Iniduoh' did this escape in three and one half minutes, I try to beat that time" If the escape artist wants the credit for being better than `Iniduoh' of course he will beat it. So the audience have been told the time when they should pay attention.

It is my belief that some escapes could be made more exciting if they in fact controlled accidents. The story of Peter, the man with the million-dollar mind wasn't a controlled accident but the aftermath is what I'm on about.

The biggest thrill I got from the Tony Curtis Houdini movie was when the chains broke on the box over the river.

If it can be arranged, and this depends on the type and set up of the escape for what appears to be an accident, this could add another dimension to the escape.

For example: The escape artist is to escape from restraints while locked within a container. Water can be pouring from another receptacle above the first to make the lower container slowly fill. It the tap broke off or the water tank tipped forward on its stand, the container below would instantly fill and give great danger to the escape artist.

Another example: A packing case with the performer within. The packing case is mounted inside a cover box that is to be lifted by a crane to the height of one hundred feet. The base of the cover box is trap door, like that of a gallows. The trap is held closed by a pin which is in turn tied to a rope ( one hundred feet in length ). The other end of the rope is connected to a heavy weight.

The performer is restrained and placed in the packing case, this is then put into the cover box. The audience is then told that the box will be lifted to one hundred feet and that the escape artist must get out before the rope pulls tight and the pin is pulled.

As the crane is lifting the box, the announcer can point out that there is a problem with the rope tangling or being caught around the weight. The audience will appreciate the pending disaster.

At about the eighty-five foot point the trap could be released and the packing case would drop. The smash would shake the crowd. Food for thought?