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!