2015 was an amazing year for Harry Houdini Circumstantial Evidence (HHCE) because it was the year of the Grim Game, but also for the following other highlights:

Shared a couple paraphrased parts of the not widely known story treatment titled:  HOUDINI THE GREAT by Frank O’Connor and Dore Schary, dated January 3, 1936:

• HOUDINI THE GREAT Story Treatment Part I
• HOUDINI THE GREAT Story Treatment Part II

Discovered and shared some fascinating information on the famous Mirror Handcuff Challenge which included locating the original article with the identity of the Mirror Representative:

• Search for Pearson’s Weekly
• Houdini Presented with Silver Manacle and a Silver Bowl
• 111 Years Ago Today It Went Down!

Shared a not widely known story and some correspondence about Houdini and Ponzi Gwynne, the chicken that Jack Gwynne gave to Houdini, then back to Jack and finally to Hardeen:

• Houdini and Ponzi Gwynne Part 1
• Houdini and Ponzi Gwynne Part 2
• Houdini and Ponzi Gwynne Part 3

Shared full reports about my amazing Houdini travels and adventures to PA, NY, and SF:

• Trip to Scranton is Extra Special
• Trip to New York is Extra Special
• HHCE Report: The Official Houdini Séance 2015

Shared some evidence that Houdini set up roadshows with other magicians to promote The Man From Beyond.

• “The Man From Beyond” and a Personal Appearance of another Escape Artist

Shared some thoughts and answers to the following questions:

• When did Houdini’s Father depart for America and arrive in Appleton?
• How many times was Bess Houdini married?
• The so-called miracle of July 4, 1922?
• The last tricked “spirit” photograph of Houdini in 1926; Who are the spirits?
• When did Houdini first meet Arthur Conan Doyle?
• Houdini is struck in the stomach by Smiley. What?

Shared information on some of Houdini’s not widely known literary work:

• Houdini to Write Kellar’s Biography
• Case For and Against Psychical Belief
• Two series of Children’s Good Night Stories by Harry Houdini?

Shared some thoughts on trying to date some famous Houdini Photo’s

• Is this flipped photo really from 1904?
• 1900 vs 1904
• Pick a Date

Shared some info and behind the scenes shots of where the underwater footage of the Master Mystery was filmed, as well as some amazing publicity cards:

• “Seeing is Believing” by J. B. Waye
• The Master Mystery Press Booklet Publicity Cards

Shared some very interesting info on Houdini’s Last Interview he gave during the week of October 18-23, 1926 when he was performing at the Princess Theatre, Montreal Canada.  The interview took place in the same dressing room where Houdini got punched in the stomach:

• Houdini’s Last Interview

Honored Mom’s, Dad’s and Veterans:

• Happy Mother’s Day!
• Happy Father’s Day!
• Special Armistice Day Program

Shared some amazing photos of Houdini with his leading ladies from his movies:

• Happy Valentine’s Day to all the Ladies
• Ann Forrest as described by Houdini

Last but not least, I was blessed with another beautiful granddaughter.

• It’s a Girl!

Image courtesy of Houdini and John Hinson

I look forward to 2016 where HHCE will shift its focus from The Grim Game to some other areas.

Stay tuned!

The Official Houdini Séance 2015 – A day of science, history, escapes, and magic on Halloween

And I was there for it all at the Brava Theatre in San Francisco.

In September, Robert Strong who was producing The Official Houdini Séance with William Radner and Tom Boldt contacted me to see if I was interested in attending this event and if so he would provide me a VIP ticket.  I appreciated the offer, but I had already backed the Houdini Séance for 3 VIP tickets via Kickstarter and the proceeds were going to a good cause, Wonderfest, a non-profit that usually produces free science education events and online content.

Robert Strong also contacted me 5 days before the event to see if I was available for dinner Friday night (10/30) if he got a group together.  I appreciated this offer as well, but I wasn’t going to be in San Francisco until Saturday (10/31).

I also got a nice text from Fred Pittella (who I met in person in March at the Premier of The Grim Game in Hollywood and also at his Houdini and Escapes Museum in New York) asking me when I got in on Friday so we could spend some time which I also appreciated. I told him I would see him on Saturday.

On Friday (10/30), I worked and then drove up to San Jose from Los Angeles to visit my son and daughter-in-law who were going to attend the Official Séance with me on Saturday evening.

After spending quality time with my son, I took the bullet train Saturday morning from San Jose to San Francisco.  The hotel I was staying at in SF was only a mile away so I walked to it, checked in, got ready for the day of shows, and then took a cab to the Brava Theater in San Francisco.

I arrived just in time for The Greatest Halloween Magic Show of All Time featuring Robert Strong, Paul Draper, & Justin Willman.  I sat with Fred Pittella (New York resident) and Tom Boldt (Appleton resident).

Robert Strong kicked off the show with some great comedy magic routines (Bowling Ball from sketch pad, disappearing ketchup bottle, pom-pom stick and needle thru balloon).

Paul Draper then performed some great comedy mentalism which included 5 pieces of candy (1 white, 4 gold) and 5 members of the audience; a soap bubble that became solid; mind blowing revelations of two volunteer’s drawings that matched while his eyes were covered with coins and duct tape, and a beautiful Linking Rings routine he performed while singing.

MC Robert Strong then took the stage again where he did a plastic cup gag, a twisting arm illusion, and a time travel routine where two one hundred dollar bills are placed in one of three envelopes and then one by one shredded until the bills are finally revealed inside of a twinkie.

Justin Willman then closed the show with some amazing magic with a lighter, a light appears and then disappears LoL; 2 cups filled with coke (one on top of Justin’s head and one on his protégé head) get turned over with some funny results; the empty dented coke can then magically seals itself and becomes full again right before our eyes; Siri from the iPhone teaches a magic trick with a cloth napkin and a bandana (banana) that was hilarious; a bar stool from Houdini’s dressing room floats; and then a borrowed iPhone and the calculator app along with a number of members from the audience is used in an amazing prediction, where you had to be there to “Live in the moment” on 31 October 2015 at exactly 3:15pm.

After the show, Fred Pittella asked if I saw the Grim Game Ad’s on the table for the San Francisco Film Festival on December 5, 2015.  It is another opportunity for people to see The Grim Game on a big screen with live music.

Tom Boldt then asked if I wanted to join Fred and him for some ice cream.  We walked down the street where they got ice cream and I got a bite to eat. What a privilege and honor to talk to two Houdini experts and major collectors. We sat at the counter and talked about the Potter & Potter auction, Haversat auction, Houdini’s father in Appleton, Larry Weeks, The Grim Game, and missing footage of Terror Island and The Master Mystery.  It is a conversation that I will cherish.  Fred graciously picked up the check.

Well, it was time to head back to the theater for the discussion of “Skepticism and the Supernatural” with Jamy Ian Swiss and Michael Shermer.  It was here we met up with John Cox of WildAboutHoudini and the Great David Saltman of HoudiniFile.com.   Earlier that morning John Cox led an expedition to find a few San Francisco Houdini sites.  See his report for full details on this.

The Skepticism and Supernatural talk which I found very interesting was broken up into four parts: Part 1 – Shermer; Part 2 -Jamy Ian Swiss; Part 3 – Shermer and Swiss and Part 4 – Q&A

After the talk, I got a chance to talk with David Saltman before my son and daughter-in-law arrived to experience the Houdini Séance VIP treatment.  We shared our stories of how we got interested in Houdini and magic and the paths that led us to each have our own Houdini blogs.  I am only sorry I didn’t get to spend more time talking with David.

My son and daughter-in-law arrived and I introduced them to John Cox. We then went upstairs where they were having appetizers and wine for the VIP ticket holders.  As it turns out, my son knew the gentleman that was walking around doing magic and looked like Merlin; his name is Kim Silverman and he is the president of the Society of American Magicians in Palo Alto.

After some appetizers, we headed downstairs to the lobby to get a beer and experience the scientific experiments going on.  My son got to lie on a bed of nails.

It was now time to take our VIP seats for the show.

Robert Strong kicked off the show with some introductions and great comedy magic routines (Bowling Ball from sketch pad, vanishing hanky, and shackle handcuff escape).

Escape Artist Brian Brushwood of Austin was to perform next, but the Austin airport was closed due to flooding from a Hurricane.  Apparently Austin is the only thing Brian cannot escape.

John Cox was up next and he did not disappoint. His entertaining talk on Houdini’s background and history was well received by all. To John’s credit, he was able to share a lot of great information on Houdini (from early years to final years) in the short amount of time he was allotted. This also included information on Houdini’s four appearances (June 1899, September 1907, November 1915, and March 1923) in San Francisco. He left quite the impression with my son.

Next up was the Earnest Séance.  While they were setting up the table on the stage for that, Robert Strong entertained the audience with a card prediction that had everyone in the audience think of a card, and then change their mind to another card.  He then randomly had a member of the audience (my son) selected to come up on stage and his thought of card was the only one reversed in the deck.

Robert then introduced the members of the inner circle: William Radner, Tom Boldt, Bruce Averbook, John Cox, Midge Markey, Fred Pittella, Robert Somerdin, and two guest attendees (John Michael Zorko and Sophia Liu’s 11 year old son) from San Francisco.

Medium Terri Huberman then tried her best to summon Houdini and the spirits which included references to a mother and a brother that appeared to resonate with one of the members of the inner circle, but ultimately this spirit was not Houdini and the medium had to end the Earnest Séance because her time was up.

Next up was the Psychology part of the show with Melina Uncapher, a UCSF Neuroscientist.

This was followed by Magician/Skeptic Jamy Ian Swiss who made a strong psychic connection (LoL) with the audience by asking for a show of hands how many people in the audience have a mother and then asked how many of them had a brother.  He also played a recording of Harry Houdini’s voice introducing the water torture cell; talked about Houdini’s connection with Conan Doyle and Margery, discussed Randi’s million dollar challenge; and played a recording of Bess Houdini at the Final Houdini Séance.

Next up was Justin Willman who I met at a Houdini Historical Roast in Los Angeles earlier this year where he played Houdini.

He stole the show IMHO.  He performed some mind-blowing routines with a lighter, soup ladle, wireless printer, and borrowed iPhones.  He closed his part of the show with an amazing prediction where you had to be there to “Live in the moment” on 31 October 2015 at exactly 9:48 pm.

This was followed by Skeptic Michael Shermer who spoke on skepticism, science and doubt.

Next up was the Magical Séance part of the show with Mentalist Paul Draper, who was born on Halloween and sang “Asleep in the Deep” which the orchestra used to play when Harry Houdini was performing the Water Torture Cell.   The solo was a big hit.  He followed his solo with some spoon bending, ESP cards and slate writing.  The lights were then turned off.  When the lights were turned back on, the randomly selected audience members sitting around the séance table holding hands said they felt the table rise.

Robert Strong then thanked everyone for attending the 2015 Official Houdini Séance and hoped everyone had a great time.  We did!

The next day, my daughter-in-law planned a surprise Birthday and Sunday Football Watching Party for my son and all his friends at the Firehouse Gastropub in San Jose.  It was nice to see everyone before I had to drive back to Los Angeles.

All in all, it was a great trip.

I attended The Official Houdini Seance in 2012 and now have the pleasure of attending the 2015 Official Houdini Seance in San Francisco.  I plan to do a full report of all the shows and activities going on October 31st.  See below for details.  Hope to see you there.

***THREE GREAT SHOWS ON HALLOWEEN***
Get your tickets to all three before they disappear!

– Sat, Oct 31, 2015 at 2pm – The Greatest Halloween Magic Show of All Time!, with Robert Strong, Paul Draper, Brian Brushwood, & Justin Willman ($10)
Get your tickets here.

– Sat, Oct 31, 2015 at 5pm – Skepticism & the Supernatural, with Michael Shermer & Jamy Ian Swiss ($15)
Get your tickets here.

– Sat, Oct 31, 2015 at 8pm – The Official Houdini Seance ($39 to $69)
Welcome – Robert Strong, MC/Moderator
Escape Artist – Brian Brushwood, Scam Scool Creator
Background – John Cox, Houdini Historian
Earnest Séance – Terrie Huberman
Psychology – Melina Uncapher, UCSF Neuroscientist
Doubt – Michael Shermer, Skeptics Society Founder
Magic – Justin Willman, Magician
More Doubt – Jamy Ian Swiss, Magician/Skeptic
Magical Séance – Paul Draper, Mentalist

Get your tickets here.

More info here.

Thank you to all the generous sponsors!
Wonderfest – The Bay Area Beacon of Science
Robert Strong – The Comedy Magician
Bay Area Science Festival
Bay Area Skeptics
100th anniversary of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE)
The Great Houdini Escape Room
California Academy of Sciences NightLife
Champions of Magic Live!
The Mac King Comedy Magic Show
Clean Comedians
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
Rostami Magic – The World’s Most Creative Magic Apps
After Dark – Exploratorium

While doing some research on Houdini, I came across the following:

Besides being conceded to be the king of escape artists, Houdini has gained considerable recognition as a writer.  Of all his hobbies, his books are his foremost.  He has written many published books, including two series of Children’s Goodnight Stories, one printed in McClure’s Magazine and the other in the New York World; “The Unmasking of Robert Houdin”, a book on magic; a number of Christmas stories, published in England and several other volumes.  For two years, he was the editor of The Conjurer, the magician’s magazine.  [June 1919 Photo-Play Journal page 45]

I was particularly intrigued by the reference about two series of Children’s Goodnight Stories written by Harry Houdini, one printed in McClure’s Magazine and the other in the New York World.

A quick check of Houdini Strange Tales by Patrick Culliton and you will find at least one of the two series of children’s good night stories.  That is, you will find the story of “Bahl Yahn the Strong Man” which was first published in the May 28, 1907 edition of the New York Sunday World.

But what about the other series that is supposed to be printed in McClure’s Magazine.  The good news is that all of the volumes of McClure’s Magazine are searchable and available online.  The bad news is that despite an extensive search and individual review of each volume, I could not find one story written by Harry Houdini in McClure’s Magazine.  So what does this mean?  Either, it was published anonymously (under a pen name) or it never appeared in McClure’s Magazine.

FWIW, I did find “The Crackajack Story” by Harold Kellock in the November 1909 issue of McClure’s Magazine.  Harold Kellock was the author of “Houdini His Life Story from the recollections and documents of Beatrice Houdini” published in 1928.

Upon further searching, I found the following on page 57 of The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist:  Houdini:

THE LITERARY HOUDINI

As is the case with many great men, the gift of being able to do many things, and do each thing well, is Houdini’s, who besides his achievements as a mystifier has also won  wide recognition as an author.  That is he has found time to write a great deal is attested by his list of books, namely, “Miracle Mongers and Their Methods,” “The Unmasking of Robert Houdin,” The Sane Side of Spiritualism,” “The Right Way to do Wrong,” “Magic Made Easy,” “My Training and my Tricks,” “Paper Prestidigitation,” “Handcuff Secrets,” “Magical Rope Ties and Escapes,” “Good Night Stories for Children,” “Dan Cupid the Magician” (a series) and “Magicians’ Romances”.  Numerous magazine articles and stories swell his literary output to greater proportions. Editor for two years on standard work of magic, “The Conjurors Magazine.”

So it is possible that “Dan Cupid the Magician” may be the other series, but it was published in the Boston Evening Record (April 16, 1908) as opposed to McClure’s Magazine.  You can read the story in Houdini Strange Tales by Patrick Culliton. According to Mr. Culliton, “Dan Cupid the Magician is an unabashedly sentimental and romantic little story about a struggling young magician and the society girl with whom he falls in love.”

While, I didn’t find an unknown series of goodnight children’s stories by Harry Houdini, I did find out a lot more about the literary Houdini.

Bonus:

While searching for stories by Harry Houdini, I came across the August 1904 issue of the British monthly Wide World magazine that included “A One-Night Engagement” complete with illustrations and the infamous 1904 photo of Houdini:

Note: This story also appears in Patrick Culliton’s Houdini’s Strange Tales without the photo and illustrations.  According to Mr. Culliton, “while it was presented as a personal experience, it was almost entirely fictitious”.

Click on the pages below to read the rest of the story and see the illustrations with captions.

• Page 403
• Page 404
• Page 405
• Page 406

Here are two photos of Harry Houdini.  Believe it or not, one is from around 1900 and the other is from 1904.

Date: 1900

We know the one from eBay is from around 1900, based on the image appearing on the front-cover of a four-page brochure distributed along with the theatre program to patrons of the London Alhambra Theatre in 1900. This image can be found on page 13 of Christopher’s Houdini A Pictorial Life.

Date: 1904

And we know the other one from Harry Ransom Center is from 1904, based on the fact that it is dated 1904 and the evidence presented in an earlier post.

The suits are clearly different in the photos, as well as the pin affixed to his white shirt.

Special Thanks to John Cox for the reference on the image in Christopher’s Houdini A Pictorial Life.

On November 29 to December 11, 1926, there was a symposium, The Case For and Against Psychical Belief, at Clark University in Worchester, Massachusetts.

Mr. Harry Houdini was to have been a speaker in this symposium, but his untimely death prevented.

The ideas for a seminar had come to Dr. Carl Murchison (1887 – 1961) during a luncheon in the grill room of the Bancroft Hotel in Worchester, Massachusetts. The Clark University psychology professor was dining with Professor McDougall and Harry Houdini and began talking about spirit mediums, psychic phenomena, and other matters relating to psychical research. Professor McDougall and Mr. Houdini were on friendly terms, but disagreed “concerning certain matters that had become of wide social interest because of newspaper emphasis.”  Murchison suggested they and other noted authorities should argue the entire matter in a public symposium.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was unable to attend the symposium, but he submitted a paper, “Psychic Questions As I See It.” He believed the key to validating physical mediumship lay in ectoplasm.

Dr. Crandon presented his wife’s Margery astonishing phenomena.

In consultation with Mrs. Houdini, it was agreed that the best existing statement of Mr. Houdini’s convictions in this field are represented in the chapters on Slate Writing and other methods, Spirit Photography, Sir Author Conan Doyle and Houdini’s Conclusion from A Magician Among the Spirits.  This book was only two years old at the time, and Mrs. Houdini agreed that it still represented Mr. Houdini’s final convictions on the subject.

Source:

• The Case For and Against Psychical Belief, Carl Murchison, editor
• The Medium Who Baffled Houdini by Elaine M. Kuzmeskus

I thought I would share a tricked photograph of Houdini that I came across recently.

To debunk the “spirit photographs” that mediums were claiming as proof of their communication with the dead, Houdini manufactured his own.

I wasn’t sure if I had ever seen this tricked photo before.  I searched my library of Houdini books and found similar but different photos of Houdini with the same “Spirit Extras”.

• Christopher’s Houdini a Pictorial Life p 177
• Kalush’s The Secret Life of Houdini Laid Bare p 248

Neither Christopher nor Kalush identify the so-called “Spirit Extras”.

Christopher refers to it as the last tricked “spirit” photograph of Houdini in 1926.

Who are the spirit extras?  Feel free to guess. Bragging rights for the first one to get it correct in the comments.

On July 4, 1922, Houdini was enjoying an Independence Day picnic and fireworks display at the suburban New York home of his lawyer and friend Bernard Ernst:

…my greatest feat of mystery was performed in 1922 at Seacliffe, L. I., on the Fourth of July, at the home of Mr. B. M. L. Ernest.  The children were waiting to set off their display of fireworks when it started to rain.  The heavens fairly tore loose.  Little Richard in his dismay turned to me and said:

“Can’t you make the rain stop?”

“Why certainly,” I replied and raising my hands said appealingly, “Rain and Storm, I command you to stop.”

This I repeated three times and, as if by miracle, within the next two minutes the rain stopped and the skies became clear.  Toward the end of the display of fireworks the little fellow turned to me and with a peculiar gleam in his eyes said:

“Why, Mr. Houdini, it would have stopped raining anyway.”

I knew I was risking my whole life’s reputation with the youngster but I said:

“Is that so?  I will show you.”

Walking out in front I raised my hands suppliantly toward the heavens and with all the command and force I had in me called:

“Listen to my voice, great Commander of the rain, and once more let the water flow to earth and allow the flowers and trees to bloom.”

A chill came over me for as if in response to my command or the prayer of my words another downpour started, but despite the pleading of the children I refused to make it stop again.  I was not taking any more chances.

[A Magician among the Spirits]

Note:  Although there is no reason to doubt Houdini’s story, Ernst himself omits it from his book (Houdini and Conan Doyle) about his friend.

According to the New York Times, the local weather that July 4 was “extremely humid”, though with no mention of a storm.  In that same week, the Brooklyn Bridge was closed to automobile traffic after engineers discovered a slipped suspension cable that had “warped in the drought.” [Master’s of Mystery]

H A P P Y  4 T H  O F  J U L Y  !

How many times was Bess Houdini married?

“I’m the most married person I know, three times and to the same man”.

She claimed the marriage ceremonies were performed by Johh Y. McKane, “Boss of Coney Island”, a Jewish Rabbi, and a Roman Catholic priest.

According to Kellock:

Bess and Houdini wondered how they might get married.  She thought of a man with whom her father had once had some business – John Y. McKane.  The date as recorded by the bride was June 22, 1894.

However, on that date John Y. McKane was securely behind the bars of Sing Sing!

According to Christopher:

Following the civil ceremony on June 22, 1894, Harry and Bess, to please their parents, repeated their marriage vows in separate ceremonies before a Catholic priest and rabbi.

According to a story in The Coney Island Clipper, a small weekly tabloid devoted to news of the Island, for the issue of July 28^th, 1894, said in part:

“Miss Bessie Raymond, the petite soubrette, was married to Mr. Harry Houdini on July 22^nd by Rev. G.S. Loui, of Brooklyn.” Note the date of July 22^nd, not June 22^nd.

However, there does not appear to be any such person named Rev. G.S. Loui, of Brooklyn.

According to a Letter from Houdini in an envelope marked “Not to be opened until after my death”:

Rabbi Tintner of Mt. Zion Temple married me. His father, Mortiz [sic] Tintner buried my mother.  He was a lifelong friend of my own father, Rabbi Weiss.  I wish Rabbi Tintner to say the last farewell over me — the man who married me to the woman I have never ceased to love.”

However, Rabbi B.A. (Benjamin Abner) Tintner who conducted the funeral services would have been only 14 years of age in 1894 and much too young to have performed any marriages at that time. [Weltman]

According to Silverman:

The rabbi who married Bess and Harry was the father of the Rabbi (B.A. Tintner), who buried Houdini.

However, there is no source or date mentioned.

Note: Benjamin Abner’s father was Rabbi Moritz (Morris) Tintner.

According to Weltman:

He could find no record anywhere of any registered marriage between Harry Houdini (or Ehrich Weiss) and Willhemina Beatrice Rahner.

As for the marriage vows repeated before a priest and a rabbi, Weltman, for one regards this as unthinkable.  Weltman, a Jewish man himself, says categorically that no rabbi anywhere back in 1894 would have presided over the nuptials of a Jew and a Catholic.  And the same was true in those days of a Catholic priest officiating at such a mixed marriage. [Rauscher]

According to a reliable source at the Magic Castle:

Bess married her significant other and personal manager, Edward Saint, secretively sometime after Houdini died.

Note: Bess and Ed met in the early 30’s.

So Bess may have been married up to four times, one to three times with Houdini and possibly one time to Edward Saint. However, as far as I know there is no documentary evidence that shows Bess was legally married to Houdini or Edward Saint even once.  Perhaps one day, someone will publish some.

Anyway, Happy 121^st Anniversary Harry and Bess!

Mayer Samuel Weiss – photo by J. L. Koonz, Appleton, Wisconsin

Since today is Father’s Day, I thought I would do a post about Houdini’s Father, Mayer Samuel Weiss, born August 27, 1829, died October 5, 1892:

• When did Houdini’s Father depart for America and arrive in Appleton?

According to Hardeen notes for an unpublished Houdini biography:

Chapter one

Father insulted by prince Eric — challenged to dule- which was fought following morning and _ather killing his opponent Then fled to London and stayed there for a time after which he took sailing vessel to New York.

After reaching New York kept going to Appleton Wis.  where he had friends by the name of Hammel, one being Mayor of Appleton at thattime.. About 1874.

A short time passed and as there were no syniogues in the town, the Mayor wanted to send to Milwaukee for one, but up spoke Mr. S.M. Weiiss and said “why I am a Rabbi” and was given the job.

He at once sent for Mrs. W. and soon after her arrival Houdini was born April 6^th, 1874.  And he was named Ehrich Prach after Prince Ehrich.

[The Houdini Birth Research Committee’s Report]

Harry Houdini also gave dissimilar accounts of his father’s reasons for coming to America, and way of reaching America.

In one of them, Mayer Samuel had been an “honor student” in England who won a prize of a trip through America, given by Lord Rothschild.  On the train going to the Pacific coast, he met a congenial man who appealed to him to stop off at Appleton, in northern Wisconsin, as his father did, establishing himself as a rabbi there and making it his permanent home, and the birthplace of his son.

[Silverman Notes to Houdini]

Birds eye view of Appleton Wisconsin – 1874 shows a growing community along the Fox River

According to Weltman (Houdini: Escape Into Legend The Early Years: 1862-1900):

Soon after the American Civil War ended, between 1865 and 1866, the two sisters [of Cecilia], Rose and Sally, moved to the United States with their families and their mother, taking up residence in New York.  Rabbi Weisz, not having enough money to make the journey, had to stay behind.  He was to toil and save for several years before he would see his in-laws again [no date given].

Life in Budapest was hard.  One legend has it that Rabbi Weisz got into a duel with a Hungarian nobleman over an aspersion the nobleman cast on the Jews. It seems unlikely, however, that Weisz would have had the weapons or would have come into sufficient contact with nobility for this to have occurred, although as a people, Jews were forced to move from town to town and in fact, the birth records of his children list several different addresses.  In any event, with four children to feed, Rabbi Weisz needed more for survival.  It does seem likely, as has been reported, that answering an ad in a German periodical, Weisz was offered the position of Rabbi for a new congregation being formed in the small American town of Appleton, Wisconsin.  The purported annual salary of $750 being offered seemed like a fortune to the poor struggling Rabbi and his family.

According to Christopher (The Untold Story):

Shortly after this Samuel left Budapest [no date given].  It is said that a nobleman slandered him and his religion.  A duel was fought and his opponent was killed.  To escape arrest and the vengeance of the dead man’s family, Samuel fled to London and there embarked for the United States to seek refuge with Hungarian friends who had settled in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Cecilia, her mother, and the four children may have been there before Samuel arrived; if not, they joined him soon after.  There was no synagogue in Appleton.  When one was formed in the spring of 1874, Samuel became its rabbi at a salary of $750 a year.

According to Hilgert (Houdini comes to America):

Houdini, then Ehrich Weiss arrived in New York City with his mother and four brothers on Wednesday July 3, 1878 aboard the Frisia, a steamship of the Hamburg Line.

The Weiss family may have been met at Castle Garden by Cecelia Weiss’s sister, Rosalie Schonberger.  She lived in New York and may have helped the family to find a temporary place to stay before they left for Appleton. Mrs. Schonberger came to New York in the 1860s.  Her death certificate dated February 26, 1915 shows she had resided in the U.S. for 47 years, implying that she arrived in 1867 or 1868. The 1900 census shows the year of emigration to the U.S. as 1865.

On July 3, 1878, or some time shortly thereafter, the Weiss family was reunited with Rabbi Weiss.  Apparently within a few weeks the family set forth on their journey, probably by railroad to Chicago, Milwaukee and finally to their new home in Appleton, Wisconsin, where Rabbi Weiss was to lead a small congregation.  There Harry found his American home from which he was to go forth to become famous throughout the world as “the elusive American”.

Well, so far the above sources do not tell us when he actually departed for America or when he arrived in Appleton, Wisconsin.  Not to worry, Silverman (Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss) finally provides an answer:

When he departed Europe, Weiss (originally Weisz) was no longer young.  A rabbi with several years’ education at German universities and some training in law, he emigrated from Budapest in 1876, when he was forty-seven.  He temporarily left behind his family: his second wife, Cecilia Steiner [who was pregnant with Hardeen], a small, stocky woman twelve years younger than he; their four sons, ranging in age from infancy [Hardeen not born yet] to six years; and a fourteen-year-old son from his first marriage.  After two years in America he located a rabbinical post in the Midwest, where Cecilia and the children joined him.  They embarked from Hamburg, among 322 steerage passengers of the single-screw steamer Frisia, a fifteen day voyage reached New York City on July 3, 1878, in ninety-five degree heat.  By September the family had reunited and settled in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Note: The September date is apparent from the announcement of Mayer Samuel’s arrival in the Appleton Crescent, 28 Sep 1878.  And the 1876 date is based on a remark Houdini made that upon Hardeen’s birth [March 4, 1876], Cecilia wrote to Mayer from Hungary, “Da haben wire in Dezso.”; Since Hardeen was two when the family arrived in America, the separation must have lasted about that length of time.

Houdini and Hardeen 1877

If you are looking for additional information, I highly recommend you read the following posts by our friend David Saltman, who has done some extensive research on the subject:

• Who was Houdini’s Father? The Duel
• Houdini’s Father Escapes Budapest

H A P P Y  F A T H E R ‘ S  D A Y !