The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-17

ROCHESTER, N. Y, Dec. II, 1885,
Hermann. the magician who gave a per-
formance here last night at the Lyceum
Theatre. died this morning at Great Val
ley. while en- route to Bradford, Pa
Mr. Hermann was perfectly well when
he took the Buffalo, Rochester and Pitts
burg train here at 7:s0 this morning. As
the train approached Great Valley, a few
miles this side Of Salamanca, he suddenly
expired The car containing the body was
switched off at Salamanca and medical
aid summoned.
It is not yet known in this city what
caused the magician's death. When he
took leave of Manager Pierce of the
Lyceum after the performance last night
was entertained at the Genesee Valley
Club later and seemed to be all right when
accompanied to his special car by sew
eral of his Rochester friends.
One of the last acts of Mr.. Hermann
was to extend financial aid to a stranded
theatrical company in this city. The
american Cousin Company" broke up at
the Academy here last week and yester-
day Mr. Hermann was made aware or
the fact and immediately telephoned the
hotel where the company were stopping
10 send him the bill of $50 and to tell all
the members to come to his show last
night and he would have their railroad
tickets to New York all ready for them.
Alexander f. Hermann, the famous
magician, was a German His father was
a celebrated physician in his day and
had very large practice in Paris, where
he settled soon after his marriage. Herr
mann was born in Paris about fifty years
ago. His father was one of the best
magicians in Europe, but made no use Of
uerrmanr,s eldest h%other a,3onted
magic as a profession when boy and
wanted Alexander to act as his assistant.
His father objected and Alexander was
kidnapped by his brother and taken to
of age Within three years he was far
more clever than his brother, and at the
age of fourteen he ceased to act with
him, went alone TO Spain and made his
debut before the Queen.
From this time Hermann was the re-
cognized master of l2nd ma gic. He made
his first appearance in America at the
Academy of Music, New York, about
twenty-five years ago, and since then he
took out his papers of citizenship and fixed
his permanent residence in this country.
He made three tours of the world and
possessed medals and tokens from the
Spanish, German, French Chinese and
Russian as well as he did English
He wrote great deal for newspapers
and magazines built two theatres was
interested in many theatrical ventures,
and made and lost great deal of money
on Wall street. He always Travelled in his
own parlor car, carried from four to
five horses in a car built for their accom-
modation. He owned one of the largest
steam yachts in the New York Yacht Club
and park and villa on Long Island
Sound, and he belonged to over 100 clubs
in Europe and America
He leased McCaulls Opera House in
Philadelphia in the fail of 1888, and
changed its name to Herrmann's Thea
ter After holding the playhouse for a
year he disposed it to other parties. He
took the old San Francisco Minstrel Hall
in New York, fitted up al large expense,
rnann's Theatre The building was bad
ly damaged in January, 1891, by a fire
which destroyed the Fifth Avenue Thea
f,-a