Brad Jeffers wrote:By their own accounts, Edwin Hood, ...
The item quoted reads as a report by his son more than a direct statement by E. Hood.
"H.C. Evans & Co" - I can see one H and one O, no D...
What's the other name?
Brad Jeffers wrote:By their own accounts, Edwin Hood, ...
Brad Jeffers wrote:By their own accounts, Edwin Hood, Marshall Smith, Del Adelphia, and Hugh Johnson are all people who had face to face contact with Erdnase.
Who else is on this list?
there really was no "Mr. Evans" — the company name was derived from a reverse mangling of the founder's own
Jack Shalom wrote:there really was no "Mr. Evans" — the company name was derived from a reverse mangling of the founder's own
Is the founder someone other than Hood? If so, who?
Scott Lane wrote:I am sorry to jump around in trying to present the James Andrews case but it may be best to turn our attention to a magician named James Harte. Does anyone know on this thread when Harte came to the US and the circumstances surrounding his alleged connection to Erdnase?
Scott Edward Lane
Scott Lane wrote:The first copy of EATCT magicians have documented was purportedly given to magician Edgar Pratt by James Harto.
Scott Lane wrote:Associates the Taylor brothers confirmed that Harto spoke of his involvement with the Legerdemain section in EATCT.
Scott Lane wrote:Martin Gardner claimed that Audley Dunham who built magical apparatus and sorted through Harto’s papers after his death confirmed that Harto collaborated on the Legerdemain section.
Audley Dunham to Martin Gardner wrote:Yes I have heard Jim Harto speak of Andrews he was referred to Jim by another magician the name of which I cannot recall at the present time...
...Jim referred to some part he helped on Erdnase...
...if I am not mistaken there was a letter in Waldo [Logan]'s purchases from this magician to Jim in which some mention is made of Jim helping on Erdnase. Erdnase has never interested me much... there was, however, an original Erdnase in [Harto's] effects...
...Roltare Eggleston said something about Harto being connected with Erdnase, but it is all so vague now and Roltare is gone also...
Scott Lane wrote:James S. Harto allegedly referred to the author of the EATCT as “Andrews”.
Scott Lane wrote:The Legerdemain section of EATCT has materials that are similar to what James S. Harte would have written.
Scott Lane wrote:To move the James Andrews case foreword we need to look at M. D. Smith’s testimony and start to look at the mystery/anomalies concerning the illustrations in the EATCT.
I know the M. D. Smith information has been presented before, but I would like to recap:
The book was illustrated by M. D. Smith.
He was interviewed almost 50 years later by Martin Gardner, one of the first serious Erdnase hunters.
M. D. Smith was born in Prairie du Chien, WI
Smith met with a man who claimed to be Andrews in a cheap hotel in Chicago to illustrate the EATCT.
The man explained that he was a “reformed gambler” who originally came from the east.
He said he was related to Louis Dalrymple a well known illustrator of the New York based weekly Puck magazine specializing in political satire.
M. D. Smith’s Recollections are as follows:
The hotel room was not heated and Smith kept on his overcoat. He noticed the man was not wearing an overcoat.(?)
M. D. Smiths stated:
“There was nothing tough or hard about him at all.”
“His manners and his voice were smooth and soft and pleasant.”
“He was extremely gentlemanly and polite”.
“He looked more like a man of education and refinement”
M. D. Smith also recalled the following:
He placed a board on the table and did some card tricks.
Smith believed the man was honest with him.
The man stated he was unconcerned about the artistic quality of the drawings but insisted that they show the exact positions of his fingers.
Smith was amazed at his client’s hands. They were the “softest” he had ever seen. The man explained to Smith it was important for him to keep his hands in good condition and he kept them “greased”.
Smith was surprised when the man offered him a local check, number one, from a new and unused account drawn on a Chicago bank.
Later Smith recalled that the man he met was shorter, about 5’6”.
When Martin Gardner showed him a picture of Milton Franklin Andrews 6’2”, Smith stated that it did not look like the man he met in the motel room.
When Martin Gardner showed M. D. Smith the EATCT, Smith did not remember doing so many drawings.
Scott Edward Lane
AJM wrote:I am Erdnase...and so is my wife!
performer wrote:AJM wrote:I am Erdnase...and so is my wife!
I have reason to believe this is an incorrect statement.
Tom Sawyer wrote:Regarding the recent references to Smith on this thread, The Man Who Was Erdnase says that Erdnase told Smith he "had come from the East." I have seen that on this thread as well, more than once, I believe.
However, I don't seem to see that in The Gardner-Smith Correspondence, but maybe I missed it. I thought Dick Hatch discussed the ins and outs of this on this thread not long ago, but i could not find such.
Can't remember Conn[ecticut]. He came from the east and N. Y.
A man named Andrews arrived in the city from the East and got in touch with Smith. He said he was a reformed gambler.
lybrary wrote:Same argument regarding the overcoat can be made for Gallaway. Since he lived close to the hotel he may have gone there without overcoat.
Scott Lane wrote: The illustrations do not show an overcoat.
Were there any nicer/larger hotels in the area where the meeting took place?