Sold – Houdini Expresses Interest in Seeing a Collection Related to the Lincoln Assassination

Anton Heitmuller, a Washington businessman over the course of half a century (from 1890-1940), billed himself as “Specializing in Selling Collections of Autographs,/Manuscripts, Historical Broadsides and/Curios”. He had a knack for self-promotion, a knack done him one better by Harry Houdini. Both Heitmuller and Houdini had an interest in Abraham Lincoln and the Lincoln assassination, and Heitmuller had artifacts related to John Wilkes Booth and a collection of items of Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was implicated in the assassination for treating Booth for his broken leg assassination night. Heitmuller saw a promotional opportunity for both he and Houdini in showing these materials; Houdini showed some interest but being at the height of his career, found it hard to find time to get to Washington to see the artifacts.

Typed Letter Signed beneath a printed message, on his pictorial Lettergram notepaper, Milwaukee, circa September 30 (1923), to Heitmuller. The printed message stated, “Please pardon any incivility in this letter. It has been rushed to you under stress of business and written in the dressing room. Therefore all formalities like Dear Sir, Dear Madame. etc. have been omitted, not to be curt or brusque; but that it is deemed better to let you hear from me in a lettergram of a few words than not at all.” The typed letter reads, “I am on the road for the next four months, and there is a possibility of my reaching Washington about March or April. It all depends upon booking possibilities. Just rushing this to you to give you an outline of my route.”