The poster above lists a third trial on Sept 26, 1902.

According to The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist:

It being a disgrace for Schutzman Werner Graff to have this punishment on him, with the assistance of the police, he took it to the highest court in Germany, ” Oberlandesgericht, ” and there [Third Trial] the learned judges again gave Houdini the verdict from which there is no appeal.

According to Kellock:

Werner Graff took an appeal to the highest court.  There was much legal argument.  Houdini, the Schutzmann admitted, had indeed opened certain cell doors and handcuffs, but Houdini advertised also that he could open safes, and he had not opened a single safe in Germany.  Therefore, Werner Graff contented, the libel should be dismissed.  Houdini’s attorney ridiculed this argument.  Houdini, he said, had opened all of the Werner Graff’s locks, and he could open safes as well.

Finally the justice wearied of the argument.  He declared that he had a safe in his chambers, which offered an easy means of settling the dispute.  If Houdini could open it, obviously Werner Graff had lost his case.  If Houdini failed to open it, there was merit to the Schutzmann’s contention.

Houdini was in a dilemma.  He had never tackled a German safe, and he suspected that this untested strongbox might have a secret in its combination that would prove beyond his skill.  There was nothing to do, though, but accept the test.  He requested that he be permitted to work at the safe alone, and this plea was granted.

The justice himself led the way to his chamber, and indicated a heavy steel chest of German make against the wall.

Glancing significantly at his watch, he said: “You will summon the court as soon as you are ready.” Then he closed the door as soon as you are ready.” Then he closed the door and Houdini was alone in the room.

For a minute or so, Houdini dared not take a step toward the formidable box.  Was his continental career to end ignominiously in that room? He forced himself to cross the room, and he gave a vicious yank at the safe door.  It swung open — it had not been locked.

After a decent interval he called in the court to reveal his task completed.

Werner Graff was fined thirty marks, as well as all costs of the three trials, but most humiliating of all, he was compelled to publish a public apology, “in the name of the Kaiser,” in all the principal German newspapers, and Houdini was permitted to insert notices of the verdict in all the newspapers in Cologne at Graff’s expense.  German judges had a sense of the realities.

Thereafter in Germany Houdini was more than a handcuff king and distinguished Ausbrecher.  He was the young man who had actually whipped the Polizei in a court of law.

So was there a third trial and did it include an escape from a safe?

FWIW: Silverman does not mention the third trial with the safe.

That said, the definitive answer is most likely in the Houdini’s German Slander Trial Archive, 1902 that sold for $26,000 at the Potter and Potter auction on Aug 23, 2014.

No Houdini biographer to date (which includes Silverman) has had access to this folio.  Hopefully the next major Bio will include any new information from this folio and answer any unanswered questions.

Related:

• German Berliner Handcuffs used during trial?

According to The Great Houdini Handcuffs and Legirons:

These are the cuffs [lock?] that Houdini had to open during his trial in Klon, Germany, February 19, 1902 [July 26, 1902].  After Houdini escaped he handed them to the judge.  One of Houdini’s assistants, Franz Kukol, managed to get hold of them and passed them back to Houdini who fleeced them out of the court room.  Kaiser Bill’s best policemen never knew what became of them. The cuffs got locked again in all of the excitement and have never been opened since.  Houdini said there was not another set like these in the world because the Supreme Court of Germany had these custom built for the trial.

Is the German Berliner Handcuffs really the “special lock” that got built [used] for the trial on July 26, 1902, that after it was once locked, no key would open it?

The story of the trial(s) appears in The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist – Houdini. Below is the text:

OFFICIAL POLICE NEWS FROM GERMANY!

HARRY HOUDINI, THE AMERICAN HANDCUFF KING, SUES

THE COLOGNE POLICE FOR LIBEL, AND WINS! ! !

A Condensed History of the Lawsuit Against the Cologne Police!

The police of Germany are very strict in matters of false billing or misrepresenting exhibitions to the public, and the case of the well-known Dr. Slade, also a well-known American ” thaumaturgic” performer, as also an equally familiar “magnetic ” woman, and several others who have clashed with the German police will probably also call in mind the latest case of the flower medium, Mrs. Rothe, who was sentenced to two years in prison and 500 marks fine.

What for? Well, she deceived the public in telling them that she could obtain communications from the spirit world.

This the police claim was obtaining money under false pretense, and there you are.

The Cologne police claimed that Houdini was also traveling about misrepresenting, and that all he did was “swindle.” The chief one was Schutzmann Werner Graff, who openly published a false story in the Rheinische Zeitung, which put Houdini in a very bad light, and, as a man of honor, Houdini could not overlook the insult.

He claimed that he had been slandered, and asked an apology, also a retraction of the false stories, which all the press of Germany had copied; but was simply laughed at for his trouble.

Engaging the best lawyer of Cologne, Herr Rechtsantwalt Dr. Schreiber, Louisenstrasse 17, this able lawyer defended Houdini in all three instances.

 

The first trial occurred in Cologne, Feb. 19, 1902; in this trial Houdini charged the Schutzman Werner Graff for publicly slandering him, whereupon, as answer, Herr Graff told the judge and jury that he was willing to prove that Houdini was misrepresenting, that he could chain Houdini so that he could not release himself. Houdini permitted himself to be chained by Herr Transport Police Lott, and to show how easy it was he willfully showed to the judge and jury how he opened [“escaped”] the chain and [“opened”] lock. [Note: “Escaping” the chain and “opening” the lock were two separate demonstrations during the first trial according to Silverman]

After a four days’ trial, Houdini won the lawsuit, and the Cologne police were fined, and were to publicly apologize to Houdini, “In the Name of the Kaiser.”

Instead of so doing, they took it to the higher court, ” Strafkammer” [where again the court put Houdini to the test of opening one of Graff’s prepared locks]. At this trial they had specially manufactured a lock, which was made by Master Mechanic Kroch, a lock that when once locked nothing would open it; even the key could not open the lock.

The police asked that Houdini should show his ability by opening this lock after it had once been locked.

The following is a free translation of what the press had to say at the second trial.

In the highest court (Strafkammer zu Koln Yuli 26, 1902) [July 26, 1902] Police Officer Werner Graf! Was found guilty of Slandering Harry Houdini, heavily fined, he must pay all costs, and insert an advertisement in all of the Cologne newspapers, proclaiming his punishment, at the same time, ” IN THE NAME OF THE KING,” openly apologize to Houdini for insulting him.

This open apology is the severest punishment that can be given to a royal official, and as the lawsuit has been running over a year, the costs will run into the thousands of marks.

The case was first tried in the Schoffengericht Koln, Feb, 19, 1902, and Werner Graff was found guilty, but he took it to the highest court, and again Houdini won.

The Cologne police claimed that all Houdini advertised to do was misrepresentation (this was the cause of the lawsuit); for the trial they had a special lock made that, after it was once locked, no key would open it.

This lock they challenged Houdini to open, to prove that he was not misrepresenting.

Houdini accepts the challenge, walks into the room selected by the jury where he could work unhindered. In four minutes, with a quiet smile, reenters the court room, and hands the judges the prepared lock opened.

Among the thirty police officials that testified against Houdini were some of the highest officials of Cologne, but Houdini won; in fact, he was “one ” too many for them.

It being a disgrace for Schutzman Werner Graff to have this punishment on him, with the assistance of the police, he took it to the highest court in Germany, ” Oberlandesgericht, ” and there [Third Trial] the learned judges again gave Houdini the verdict from which there is no appeal.

According to Kalush:

One of the Cologne papers covering the sensational trial indicated that Houdini “had brought an entire suitcase filled with cuffs and locks and made all sorts of experiments to prove his skill.”

…

On March 1, 1902 Houdini wrote Bard again to crow about the verdict.  “I win my case hands down… [Graff] swore to a whole pack of lies, and when the other witness [Lott] came in, why I made him look like a dummy, and he gave the whole plot away.”  After some self-righteous indignation over his honor, Houdini admitted how he came out on top.  “What really saved my cas[e], was that I showed the judge how I opened my cuffs, and that was really the best thing that I could have done.”

According to a snippet of the Aug 23, 2014 Potter and Potter auction description for Houdini’s German Slander Trial Archive, 1902 (sold for $26,000):

“These reproduce the handwritten account and detail the proceedings, which included escapes by Houdini from locks and chains, as well as a demonstration of how to escape handcuffs.”

So I will ask the question again:

Is the German Berliner Handcuffs really the special lock that got built [used] for the trial on July 26, 1902, that after it was once locked, no key would open it?

Or could the German Berliner Handcuffs be a Houdini creation?

According to a comment on Handcuffs.org regarding some thoughts on the Houdini Berliner:

I was at one of the Cannon Conventions and got to handle the cuff.  We are talking about the Houdini cuff.  There is a magazine called the Virginia State Trooper (or close to that) and Hardeen was interviewed.  I believe this is 1949.  In the discussion, Hardeen asked Houdini what is the cuff and why does it not have a key? Houdini replies, this is the only cuff like it in the world and I had to pick it open in the court room in Cologne in front of the judge.  This quote is not perfectly quoted and is from memory. I can quote this accurately if desired. At some time after this went to press a key was made for these cuffs [and it worked perfectly].

Next week we will explore the third trial.

I recently acquired this Rare NYPD 104th Precinct Detective Squad Houdini’s Final Rest Challenge Coin.

And it made me reflect on the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks of 2001 that caused more law enforcement line of duty deaths than any single incident in American history.

It also got me thinking about Houdini’s Connection with the Police.

Bob Loomis new book, Houdini’s Final Incredible Secret (which I highly recommend) has a section titled, Using the Police, that references a number of sources that document Houdini’s Connection with the Police.  Below are a couple of the sources:

• In their book, Ernst and Carrington tell us that Harry always worked hand-in-glove with the police, and they availed themselves of his expert knowledge on more than one occasion.  Houdini’s police connection was confirmed in a July 4, 1925 letter he wrote to fellow psychic researcher Harry Price.  The letter (from the files of The Harry Price Library at The Univerisity of London) states:

“You know I am instructor here to the Police Academy to about hundred and fifty detectives.

 

• Silverman said Houdini cultivated lawmen and stayed abreast of their affairs. He bought tickets to the Policeman’s Ball; and, as President of the Society of American Magicians, he arranged a benefit dinner for the widows and orphans of slain policeman. The Commissioner of Police attended that meal.  Houdini even owned a New York City Police Department pass that authorized him to cross “all police lines”.  My favorite quote from Silverman is the statement: “He of course knew his way around police and other law enforcement agencies and was able to enlist their help.”

Image courtesy of Library of Congress

Our friend, David Saltman at Houdinifile.com did a nice post that also references a number of sources that document Houdini’s Connection with the Police.

• HOUDINI, DETECTIVE

In the 1920’s, Houdini wanted to write three books of magic for beginners. Each book would be dedicated to clearly demonstrating simple magic tricks that the reader could do. Magician Walter Gibson collaborated on the project.

Gibson had just done research on such tricks for Howard Thurston for the ghost-written book 200 Tricks You Can Do and had literally hundreds of extra tricks as a result of his research: thus there would be no duplication in Houdini’s books.

The first book was to be composed of simple card tricks that could be done with an ordinary pack. The second book was to contain tricks with special packs of cards.  The third book was to cover simple tricks of various types. By early October, Gibson had the first book complete and was ready to deliver it when news came of Houdini’s sudden death in Detroit, on October 31, 1926.

Later, the book was published by the E.I. Company under Gibson’s own name, with the title Popular Card Tricks. This forty-eight page book included 91 various card tricks with suggestion on presentation.

The material for the second was all outlined and twenty years later, Gibson wrote up many of the tricks for a series of articles in a revival of Houdini’s old Conjurer’s Magazine, which he edited, with Hardeen as Emeritus.

The third was published in 1927 by Houdini’s wife who found the manuscript among his papers. It was titled, Houdini’s Book of Magic And Party Pastimes.

Later, another publisher, Whitman obtained rights to the manuscript in 1933 and arranged to print it in the Big Little Book (BLB) format but the material proved insufficient to fill the required number of pages. So, the first 114 pages are from the Houdini manuscript.  The added tricks and puzzles are from other magicians.  The BLB title page retains the original 1927 copyright date.

UPDATE:

Published during the “Houdini renaissance” of 1976, there is also the paperback edition of Houdini’s Book of Magic with a great cover (above) and intro by Gibson in which he tells the story of how the book came to be.  It also carries the 1927 copyright.

Source:

• eBay listing for Houdini Big Little Book of Magic
• The Great Houdini’s Book of Magic with Introduction by Walter B. Gibson [1976]
• Walter B. Gibson and the Shadow by Thomas J. Shimeld

To answer that, we first need to know when Houdini legally changed his name from Ehrich Weiss to Harry Houdini.

He petitioned the courts for a name change, which would go into effect during his Atlantic crossing.

July 5, 1913 The Billboard page 13

On July 8^th, 1913, he departed NYC on the Kronprinzessin Cecilie (after giving his mother a farewell kiss) and landed in Hamburg about a week later, where he and Bess took a midnight train to Copenhagen.

Now, we just need evidence of his first performance. According to a number of sources, Houdini opened at the Cirkus Beketow in Copenhagen.

16 July 1913 Ad promoting Houdini (Copenhagen newspaper Ekstrabladet)

At 8 pm (CET), Jul 16^th, 1913 Houdini performed in Danish, before a circus audience at the Circus Beketow in Copenhagen that included the princes of the royal family.

And then at noon (CET), the next day at a Press reception, Houdini received news of his Mother’s Death, who had passed away 15 minutes passed midnight in Asbury Park NJ, which was 6:15 am (CET) in Copenhagen.  The shock of Houdini’s mother death had been followed with an attack of a “chronic kidney disease”  and Houdini was released from his contract and returned to the states.

However, the performance in Copenhagen was not his first appearance with the legal name of Harry Houdini.  You see, he performed at Sea on July 12^th 1913 at 9 pm as evidenced by the following program:

Swann 2006 Catalog Lot 166 – Program for a performance by Houdini onboard the Kronprinzessin Cecilie.

For reference and additional information, please refer to the following sources used in this post:

• Houdini: the Copenhagen Affair by Johan Ahlberg (courtesy of Handcuffs.org)
• Houdini The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Silverman, pages 179-180
• Houdini The Untold Story by Christopher page 132

According to Margery, the Witch of Lime Street:

During the magician’s last visit to Lime Street the two of them sat briefly alone in her son’s room, where she suggested that he, clearly exhausted, could take a nap prior their final Charlesgate séance.  While reclining on John’s bed, Houdini told her about his most wondrous effect.  It had occurred, he recalled, on the Fourth of July at Seacliffe, Long Island – when rain began to fall just as his nephew and other children were preparing to set off fireworks.

See my post from last fourth of July to read about Houdini’s most wondrous effect:

• The so-call miracle of July 4, 1922

H A P P Y  4 T H  O F  J U L Y  !

Source:

• The Witch of Lime Street (page 412), by David Jaher

In July of 2002, the Society celebrated its Centennial Year in New York City and issued a collectible Houdini Card.  The back of the card reads as follows:

The man who would become “Houdini” was born in Budapest, Hungary, and immigrated to Appleton, Wisconsin as an infant.  He later moved to New York. Early on, he was inspired by Robert-Houdin books (he took his stage name from Houdin). He worked his way up as a Vaudeville entertainer.  His accomplishments included: highly successful overseas and American tours; crusades against spiritualists; developed and named the tenth branch of magic–“escapology”; starred as a movie actor and owned a movie company; and wrote many books and articles.  As National President (1917-1926), he promoted the S.A.M. and encouraged local clubs to affiliate.  He was elected to the S.A.M. Hall of Fame.

Also in July of 2002, on the 3^rd, the US Postal Service issued a Houdini Commemorative Stamp during the Centennial Celebration.  The Houdini postage stamp contains a hidden image (4 chains wrapped around Houdini’s body) that can only be seen with a special stamp decoder the United States Postal Service sells.

Above is an amazing framed photo of Harry Houdini’s father that I got to see in person during my special visit with my friends Dorothy Dietrich (foreground) and Dick Brookz (background) at the Houdini Museum in Scranton, PA.

This picture of his father, along with the one of his mother (pictured above) hung on the wall of Houdini’s New York home at 278 West 113^th Street in Harlem.

H A P P Y  F A T H E R ‘ S  D A Y !

In May, I shared an ad for Houdini’s Grand Magical Review that shared 6 effects.  The above ad from 102 years ago today shares the same 6 effects plus two additional effects, Lady Godiva and DeKolta’s Marvelous Cube.

• Lady Godiva – A lady and pony disappear.
• DeKolta’s Marvelous Cube – A large black die, about eight inches square, with white spots painted on it expands in a fraction of a second to a giant die about a cubic yard.

This appearance at the Empire Theatre in Nottingham was most likely the last time Houdini presented his Grand Magical Review.

Some of the other places he presented it were at Tivoli Theatre Barrow-in-Furness, Empire Theatre Leeds, Empire Theatre Bristol, Palace Theatre Oldham, Palace Theatre Hull, and King’s Hall Dover.

Source:

• The Repro 71 Harry Houdini Portfolio
• Hiding The Elephant by Jim Steinmeyer
• The Illustrated Houdini Research Diary Part 4: 1911 to 1915 by Frank Koval
• Houdini The British Tours by Derek Tait, 2011

Image courtesy of David Saltman at HoudiniFile.com

Below are snippets from a 2010 article on Milwaukee published by Pete Ehrmann that said Harry Houdini was better at magic tricks than bicycle racing:

Draped in chains and locked in a trunk that was tossed overboard, Harry Houdini would be free and swimming to the surface before the trunk sank to the bottom. No jail cell or straitjacket could hold him. But 117 [122] years ago, the great escape artist was just another guy who cried uncle riding a bicycle from Waukesha to Milwaukee in the most grueling race in the country.

A shade longer than 16 miles, the Waukesha Road Race [WRR] started at the Waukesha County Courthouse in what was then a resort village accessible from Milwaukee only by train or horse, and proceeded east along the Waukesha Road (now Highway 18, or West Blue Mound Road) to Brookfield, then east along Watertown Plank Road through Wauwatosa and finished at North 28th Street and West Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee.

…

Nineteen-year-old Houdini — then still known as Erich Weiss, an avid bike racer, swimmer and boxer — started the race in ‘93. “But he was faster with his hands than with his feet,” Milwaukee cyclist Ed Aldridge recalled in a 1928 interview, and couldn’t overcome the hazardous course.

“For the first mile from the starting point — the Courthouse in Waukesha — the road is level and quite smooth and hard until the first hill is reached,” reported The Milwaukee Journal in 1892. “Though generally hard to climb, owing to the cinders and dust, wheelmen will find it a much more difficult task this year, as the road has been recently covered with about three inches of soft, loose gravel.”

Except for the choking dust, it was relatively smooth sailing until the riders pedaled out of Wauwatosa on Stone Quarry Hill, “about 100 feet long and very steep, besides being very rough.”

Click the link below to read the article in its entirety:

• LINK: Houdini was better at magic than cycling

Was he even in Milwaukee on July 4th,1893 when the WRR was held that year?

• One would think that 1883 [to 1886] when he was living in Milwaukee would make more sense, except the first WRR started August 9th, 1890.
• According to The Metamorphosis by Bruce MacNab, Houdini was in Chicago in May 1893 and then spent the rest of the year playing third-rate theatres throughout the northern states.
• According to Entertainment in Early Milwaukee by Larry Widen, Houdini performed at all of Milwaukee’s dime museums between 1892 and 1898.

Thoughts?

Related:

• Houdini’s Forgotten Years by David Saltman
• Houdini and the Olympics by Joe Notaro