Houdini on TV - Arthur Moses Collection - German Slander Cuffs

Tonight (4-30-23) an episode of the popular Collectors Call TV show ran their story with a look at the impressive collection of Arthur Moses.
In the show, an expert comes to the location and appraises some of the items and gives their opinion of its value.
At the end, the expert offers to make a trade for a unique item they own and brought with them.   Will the collector trade with the appraiser?
That is the premise of the show.
Arthur has a very famous Houdini collection and I believe he met John Bushey on occasion as both men had a massive book collection on the subject.

In the attached video, I was surprised to see one of Houdini's oldest books in his collection being discussed.     
The conversation took a pleasant turn, and the German Slander Trial(s) of 1902 were mentioned.
Houdini had to prove to the Cologne judge that he was able to free himself from padlocks and handcuffs after the police accused Houdini of fakery or fraud.  At one of the trials (there were 3), he opened or escaped from these handcuffs in front of the judge and one of Houdini's assistants grabbed the cuffs just after the judge announced that Houdini as well as the public were owed an apology from the Sergeant from the Cologne Police for slandering Houdini's good name.
A full-page apology was ordered and printed in the Cologne newspaper, in the name of the Kaiser.

As the current caretaker of these important cuffs, I am honored to know that over 100 years later, they are still talking about one of my most prized possessions!

The poster was made quickly after Houdini's victory and it shows the court room, the cuffs and Judge.  The dates of each trail is also shown.

Interesting story, Mark, thank you for sharing. 

I'm always a little weary when I hear the name Houdini. He was an outstanding performer and artist, no question about it. As an illusionist, as far as I know (and I'm really not the expert here), he did break into offices to learn about cuffs and locks, or asked his associates to do it, and he also bribed people for keys, which was part of the case against him if I understand correctly. This is also mentioned in a German article about the event (https://yeswe.koeln/magier-houdini-klag ... htmeister/, sorry, old gothic font). He was not super-human, after all. He needed ways to defeat the cuffs.
One thing that Houdini knew how to do exceptionally well was to market himself, as a showman. The Cologne stunt earned him a lot of publicity; but keep in mind that the postcard pictured above is not a German publication; it was - again -  made by Houdini (and his team). The German is grammatically correct, but it sounds phony. I can't imagine an apology "in the name of the Kaiser" ("Kaiser von Deutschland" sounds funny, too); Houdini exploited the events and put "a little spin" on them  -"Now certified by the German Kaiser - (note the fake document seal on the bottom). Well. It's what put bread on his table.

Thank you Nils,


The link was riddled with advertisements and cookies, so I pasted the content here.

There are names that I never heard of before, so this is a nice addition to the story.  Thank you!




SHOW TRIAL IN COLOGNE – How Houdini becomes world-famous as a magician
By STEPHANIE KAYSER

Cologne – NO MAGIC. A trial before the Cologne District Court made Harry Houdini (then 27) world famous. The young magician at the time is suing a Cologne constable for "public insult". The beginning of a world career.

In 1901, the Rheinische Zeitung reported on the performance of the young magician Harry Houdini in Cologne. He is said to have cheated on his magic show.  A Cologne constable testifies to the incident.

Right from the start. The performance of the Circus Corty-Althoff 1901 in Cologne. Houdini (1874-1926) frees himself from police handcuffs behind a curtain. Supposedly only with the help of a file. At least that's what the "Rheinische Zeitung" wrote on July 25, 1901. The title: "The Unmasking of Houdini".
The Cologne policeman Werner Graf testifies in the article that the magician tried to get the handcuff keys with bribes. Houdini reacts indignantly.
At that time, the magician had been traveling in Europe for a year. He frees himself from handcuffs in police stations. The fact that someone can do this with all models is new.



IA PROCESS WITH A SHOW FACTOR

Houdini wants to reclaim his "good magician name" in court in Cologne.
"Stocky, strong, well-trained body, pale blue piercing eyes, with a charisma that said: 'I know what I want and what I want, I can achieve it!'" is how his lawyer Dr. Schreiber later described him.
Houdini denies all allegations. Everything is an act of revenge by the police because it ridicules their handcuffs. The trial began in February 1902.

After two days of unclear testimony, District Judge Wickel asks the magician to prove his skills. But because the trick is a "trade secret", Houdini only needs to show it to the judge and the jurors.
In the hall you can hear a few quick beats. Houdini squats behind the judge's bench. A few seconds later, he is standing upright again – and without handcuffs in the courtroom. Constable Grauf and newspaper editor Merfeld are then sentenced to fines for public insult.
Houdini's trick at the time: He attached a metal plate to his shin. If you hit the Prussian police shackles hard a few times, the lock will pop open.


The marketing coup

The convicted guard appeals. Again, Houdini has to prove himself in front of the judge, again it works. This time supposedly thanks to a special tool in miniature form. Sergeant Graf is sentenced to 30 marks for insult. But that's not all...
The court decrees that the court ruling must be published in ALL Cologne newspapers. A sensational PR coup for Houdini, and even "IN THE NAME OF THE KING". This verdict becomes a career turbo boost for Houdini.

Houdini becomes the first superstar in the United States. He died at the age of only 52 as a result of a ruptured appendix.


This is reported by the Kölnische Zeitung

Speaking of Houdini,  here is a cool picture of Mr. and Mrs. Houdini-Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh at home in 1950.

Well done, Mark! Thank you!

Here is a bit more on these cuffs.
In my undated book, The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist (1922, Revised Edition, I think) there are a few pages that discuss the trial. 
The books are known as "Pitch Books" and were sold at Houdini's public appearances.
Some are known as "Life History and Handcuff Secrets.
John Bushey had a most complete collection of these that I know of and these books came in many, many variations.
I do not know why some are labeled "The Adventurous Life of a Versatile Artist'" and others are known as "Life History and Handcuff Secrets". 
The content seems to be the same or very close.

Arthur Moses published a book about these pitch books and wrote a dedication for John.
Fred Patella contributed to the book as well.




On Aug 23, 2014, Potter and Potter auctioned off this book, Houdini’s German Slander Trial Archive, 1902 (sold for $26,000)

This book translates the handwritten account and details the proceedings, which includes escapes by Houdini from locks and chains, as well as a demonstration of how to escape handcuffs.

I still wish I knew who bought it. 
I hoped that the winner would have translated it and made it available by now.