El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-11-30
THE THREE HERRMANNS.
Carl, Alexander and Leon a Family {
MagicianS.


The trans mission from one genera
tion to another in the same family of
some peculiar gift or faculty has never
been more striki1gly exempli6ed
than 10 the Hermann family. For
several genera tiOns back, without
break, in con =ecut;~e succession, the
Herrmanns have been conspicuo US and
world-famed masters Of the impene-
| trable mysteries watch in mo Tern
IL a cent days, were v1ewe1 with re-
igious awe when practiced by the
magi of the Persians.
Possibly the best known Hermann
in this country was Alexander Herr
mann, called "He-rmann the CIR, at
who died suddenly in his: fs nous private
car, last December, in Rocb ester, N.
Y. He died only three days before he
wss to have com mence as engagement
at the Great Nor thern and the demise
of the great magician left vacant a
pace in the field of American NEGRO
| NANCY which it is expected his nephew
Leon, will wortbily succe ,ded to.
The msin-spring of the Hermann
house of magic was q German physi-
clan. When not engaged in pbysi ing
his patients back to health he scent
his time devisipg weird illusions ard
! connecting curious tricks with which
y
He afterwards took up his residence in
Paris, where he developed a wonder
full eXpertness:b but this Hermann never
appeared in public. He performed his
| feats for the amusement of friends
aloe, at informal GATHERINGS at his
| home. He was fat ler of no less than
eight sons and an equal number of
daughters. Carl, the eldest son, pos
ses>ed from childhood talent for
| sleie hit -of-hand. and, as he grew older,
determined to make it his profession.
| He was wonderfully successful and his
name and fame as a magician WAS
Known throughout the world when
death seized him, seven or eight years
ago.
Carl. it was, who made up lis mind
| that his brother Alexa, der should also
be come prestidigitateur. The oppos-
itiOn of the family to such step was
| very great, the father positively and
emphst caliy refusing to consider it for
| q moment. To carry out his cherished
design that Alexander should pe~pet-
| uate his name in the field of legerde-
| main it is authori' atively stated that
Carl literally kidnapped Alexander and
CARR d him away to Russia. H
| t. aimed him for the end in view, aud
| no'ed with delight mis- brothers adapt
| ability and extraordinary talent IN
sleight-Of-hand. In St. Petersburg
Alexander m ade his first appearance.
They travelled over the greater part
| OF the world together, and freque ntly
appeared before royalty itself. The
| two brothers came to America in 1861,
| and fifteen years later Alexander :
came citizen of the United States, BE-
| ing naturalized in Boston, Carl and
Alexander then started on a tour of
| the world, in the course of which
they appeared 1000 consecutive nights
| in London.
Alexander returned to America, and,
from 1874 to 1888, toured the United
States. He afterwards VISITED South
America, accompanied by his youthful
and beautiful wife, Nine. Abel ide,
new herself a prestidigite. Don Pedro,
the emperor, ATTENDED every perform
anoe but one. So delight d was the
old emperor with Alexander and his
wife that he decorated the former with
the cross of Brazil, AMI t. Nine. Herr
mann he presented a magn 6cent but
terfy brooch for the hair, the intrins C
value OF which amounted to several
thousand dollars. Ten thousand dollars
| would not be taken today for it by
Nine. Hermann.
Like bis brother Carl, Alexander
commenced a few Yeas ago to look
about him for successor. He realized
! that in all human prOba bility he could
not live many years, and the desire to
leave SUI cessor for the work he loved
| so well seized him He went to Eu~ ope
especially to see his nephew, Leon, and
so struck wss the great magician with
, Icons deftness and d-xterify in &C.
comPl1shipg illusions that be at once
declared him his successor. Hence,
when Alexander suddenly did last
year, his mantle fell upon Leon. y. :
Engineer John Cherry, of the IT,. &c
p cane in this morning from Big
Springs on lay-cff. :