Herrmann the Magician; His Life, His Secrets (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1897. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II. The Life and Career of Alexander Herrmann. Immediately following the death of Alexander Herrmann which occurred suddenly December 17, 1896, in his private car at Great Valley, N. Y., and was due to a heart trouble of long standing, the press of the world became crowded with matter concerning him. Innumerable biographical sketches and thousands of anecdotes and incidents of his remarkable career were printed within a week. His family and his personality was discussed. Much that was true and much that was false, was given to the public, but it was all done in a kindly spirit and largely eulogistic. From this mass of documents and from his own personal knowledge, the author has compiled the facts with regard to Alexander Herrmann, in a painstaking and conscientious way, and from the best possible sources, as to reliable details this life-sketch was made. There have been a diversity of statements concerning the birthplace, parentage and real name of Alexander Herrmann, but probably of all these the man's own statement is most to be trusted and reasonable people would prefer to accept it, especially as there never existed any cause for his adopting an alias. He lived an honorable and innocent life and his career has been public property as to the facts, ever since he was a small boy. It has been stated that in a law-suit which he once had, it came out that his real name was Nieman, and that he had been adopted by Carl Herrmann because he was a remarkable lad in Herrmann's business, and having become even more proficient than his tutor, adopted the family name of Herrmann. Nearly all of the evidence is to the contrary, however, and a name in a lawsuit, under many circumstances, is no more significant than "John Doe" or "Richard Roe," fictitious names that ...