Brownwood Bulletin A tense crowd watched Saturday afternoon as a local man tested fate and was successful in escaping from a straightjacket while being hung upside down on a wire. About 100 spectators gathered to watch Darren Smith, a senior at Howard Payne University, perform the trick for the first time ever in public. “I have been doing this with my ministry for about a year, but this is the first time I have ever done this in public,” Smith said. Was he apprehensive? It did not seem so as assistants strapped the straight-jacket on and blindfolded him. Then, assistants secured a steel cable, which was attached to a HPU bucket truck, around his legs and he was slowly brought up and suspended upside down in mid-air. From start to finish, it took Smith about five minutes to wiggle his way out of the straight-jacket. After he completely removed the jacket, he was lowered to safety. Smith said he was inspired by performers in the past. “I guess you could say this is a bit Houdini-esque,” he said. The entire event took place outside the KHPU studios and was on the air live as it happened.
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