By Harry Houdini.

(Copyrighted)

THE MATHEWS-ANDERSON CONTROVERSY,

In this rapid age and the scarcity of authentic history of magic and magicians; the world in general does not know that at one time in England (1858) a bitter argument waged between John Henry Anderson, "Wizard of the North," the greatest advertising magician that ever lived, and Charles James Mathews, a renowned English light comedian, who appeared in America three tours, a son of the great Charles Mathews who is conceded to have been one of the greatest all around actors that ever lived.

The Great Elder Mater

Charles Mathews, born June 28th, 1776, London, England, originated a style of entertainment which he named "Mathews at home" and in this he gave a most diversified performance, as can be seen from the programme herewith produced, in connection with which he presented a clever lot of magical experiments.

**Plate Showing the Elder Mathews in his Unique Entertainment**

The Elder Mathews created quite a sensation in America during each of his engagements. His first was the later part of 1822, and being a peculiar man, his letters written to Mrs. Mathews, who remained at home, are highly interesting. In one of them he describes Hoboken (having been forced to go there because the cholera epidemic raged in New York at the time of his arrival), as "a most romantic and beautiful village four miles across an arm of the sea from New York."

He made his first appearance in Baltimore, September 23rd, in "Mathews in Paris," and writes of his reception thus:—"They roared and screeched as if they had never heard of anything comical before." In his "At Homes," having been thrown from a "tilbury" (a kind of "gig" without a top) he was somewhat incapacitated (lamed). Consequently he resorted to what he termed a Table Entertainment, having props consisting of wigs and wardrobe behind the table, and the entertainment consisting of anecdote and jest pointed with songs; all combined in lively monologue, giving imitations and impersonations of many queer people he had encountered, which was followed by a farce, every character of which he himself assumed, making quick changes and aided by his skill in ventriloquism.

**Programme of Mathew's early New York engagement**

Pioneer Change Artist.

In fact, he was a fore-runner of the Great Protean artist Fregoli, who gave the entire entertainment a score of years ago in New York City, and was the sensation of the season. Since that time we have had a number of artists, foremost of whom may be mentioned, Bernardi, Signor Pepi, Gezzi. The most versatile one I have ever seen being Segemor, who I believe was the first to have a life size walking figure in a ventriloqual act. The change artist in the eye of the public at present moment is Chic Sales and he is riding the high wave of success.

Coleridge once said "You call him a mimic; I define him as a comic poet acting his own poems."

Mathews, according to his letters, refused $500 weekly salary. He sends his wife a detailed account of having drawn as his share, £800 in eight nights, making about $500 per night, although he states that £100 is only $444, which I persume must have been the amount according to the rate of exchange at that time. This will give an idea what a wonderful drawing card he was, and when you take into consideration that he gave the entire performance alone, it is wonderful.

But, after all, I am afraid Mathews did not fare so well as he had to pay his English Manager £2,000 for permission to go to America, and with the yellow fever raging in America, made him lose a lot of engagements and time, which cost him a large sum of money besides the risk of contracting that malady.

Mathews revisited America in 1834, but was, alas, a broken down man. The unfortunate accident with the "tilbury" bothered him so much eventually, that his work caused him extreme pain and he was in agony while the audience would roll with laughter.

**The Programme that nearly caused Mathews appearance in America to be a fiasco**

Ridiculed American People.

On arriving in New York he was dismayed to learn that there was a strong public feeling against him, owing to statements that he had ridiculed American people in his "Mathews in America," which he had written after his visit to America. Mathews, however, won out by reproducing the entire performance as shown in England and came out with flying colors. His last performance in the States was February 11, 1834, in New York, as "Coddle" in "Married Life," and in one of his table entertainments entitled "Lone House." His last appearance in England was at Richmond, previous to his departure for America, and strange to say, on the very stage where in 1793 he made his actual first appearance.

During his first appearance in America, Cooke, Kean, Phillipe and himself were the heroes of ticket speculators, and mob scenes were enacted by the wild populace trying to buy admissions to see these giants of the stage.

He died June 28, 1835, on his fifty-ninth birthday. His widow Mrs. Ann Mathews, wrote his memoirs in four volumes which can be found in almost any library.

Charles James Mathews.

Charles James Mathews was born December 26, 1803, and this is the gentleman who crossed swords with John Henry Anderson. Mathews had an eventful career, his first wife being the famous beauty, Madame Vestris, a grand-daughter of the historical engraver, Bartolozzi. Daughter of Gaetano Bartolozzi, professor of Music and dancing and from whom she evidently inherited her passionate nature through which she managed to find a place in "Amatory Biography." Her father is said to have fled from Germany to France to avoid unpleasantness arising from sundry amorous adventures. He married Mlle. Terasa, a pianist, and the result of the union was Eliza Lucy Bartolozzi, born in Marylebone Parish, 1797.

Gifted by nature with a wonderful personality, moreover she was an exceptionally clever dancer, also possessing a remarkable voice; she was without a rival for many years. A wonderful manageress and the first to furnish stage sets in a luxuriant manner. She married Armand Vestris January 8, 1813, a ballet master and principal dancer of Kings Theatre, who she left after a short time. On the eve of departure to America, she married Charles J. Mathews, which was practically conditioned by Price, the American manager, to stifle talk regarding private news. Recently that gave offense to the American public, but Mathews eventually managed to squash this feeling, but too late, and it was indirectly through this American failure that brought him endless court troubles for years to come.

Death of Madame Vestris.

He returned to America in 1857, Madame Vestris having died August 8, 1856, after lingering illness, and through some circumstance, concerning which the less said the better, he married the divorced wife of A. H. Davenport, Lizzie Weston Davenport, the day after the divorce was granted.

Mrs. Ann Mathews.

She made him a good wife and he lived with her happily for many years. Mrs. Anne Mathews, his mother (according to Ireland's History of the New York Stage), was a Miss Ann Jackson, an actress of merit and a half sister to the celebrated Miss Kelly, was born in 1772 and died February 12, 1869, aged 87. She collected material relative to her son's life from 1822 up to her demise; she filled a number of books with clippings, letters, notations, with anything in which his name appeared or that alluded to him. A few months ago I managed to secure this collection; they are now in my library and fully appreciated.

(A touch of sentiment strikes me every time I open the books, knowing their history, and from them I have obtained the facts used in this article.)

After his mother's death, Mathews decided to make a trip around the world: quite a task at his age, but which he managed to do with great credit. He had a peculiar life, having been incarcerated, dragged into courts a number of times for not being able to meet his obligations, and wrote very interestingly about his, experiences in Lancaster Castle, wherein he resided against his will. But he died happy and prosperous at the age of seventy-five, June 28, 1878, having lived a life filled with experiences such as do not come to many men.

John Henry Anderson, "The Wizard of the North," was born on the estate of Craigmyle, Paris of Kincardine O'Neil Aberdeenshire, July 15, 1814, and died February, 1874, in Darlington, England. For almost half a century he toured the universe with his magical show and I believe was the greatest advertising magician that ever lived. His success was so great that when Robert Houdin was engaged at the St. James Theatre in 1846, Anderson, who had just returned from a sensational tour on the continent with gorgeous presents from the Czar of Russia, Houdin felt piqued, and when he retired, shot a few bolts at Anderson's reputation and skill which was entirely uncalled for, and in my book, "The Unmasking of Robert Houdin," details concerning it will be found.

Suffice it to say that when Houdin had retired, Anderson was still a welcome entertainer, and only for unfortunate speculations, a number of disastrous fires and billed as "The Wizard of the North," all of which helped to keep him on the grind in his old age.

It appears that in 1856, Anderson, having played the Lyceum Theatre and packing them in at every performance (just after Charles James Mathews had met with defeat at the same theatre), he engaged the Covent Garden Theatre.

The Great Gun Trick.

C. J. Mathews (whose father had performed magical feats in his day), seeing that the public wanted mystery, had a skit written which he called "The Great Gun Trick," in which he burlesqued Anderson and made such a hit that Anderson, who was always ready to protect himself, retaliated by engaging Leigh Murry and put on a "squib" which he called "Tit For Tat,' or "Professor Anderson's Interview with an Impudent Puppy," the concluding words having evident reference to the character recently played by Mr. Charles Mathews in the last Translation of Un Monsieur qui suit les Femmes. And as the newspaper said under date of January 14, 1856, "The spirit of the advertisements cannot be mistaken, and from the reports that have been suffered to ooze out from those crevices in the Theatre that are to be found in every building where a large body of men are employed, we learn that the object of the farce is not merely to satirize the dramatic performances of the opposite, but it abounds in allusions to the private character of the individuals against which it is directed. We sincerely hope that we have been mis informed," etc., etc., etc. This started a battle in which the public and newspapers took sides.

(To be continued)

Originally published in the M-U-M in Vol. 7, No. 55, in New York, October 1917.

(Continued) (Copyrighted)

London Times Critic.

The London Times, Tuesday, January 1, 1856, reported the following.

"Drury Lane Theatre. Last night a dramatic 'squib,' entitled 'The Great Gun Trick,' was let off with success. Mr. C. Mathews represents one of those ingenious gentlemen, light in pocket and fertile in brain, who have long lived easily in the atmosphere of farce, his vocation for the moment being that of a conjuror, after the fashion of the 'Wizard of the North.' Moreover, having been saved from drowning at Valerie-Sur-Somme by a mysterious fair one, and having recognized her during one of his performances, attired in a certain bonnet, he issued an advertisement inviting her to re-appear."

(Thus we see, not only is the general entertainment of "The Wizard," selecting for the mark at which the "squib" is thrown, but allusion is also made to that pleasing little romance of real life which formed the subject of one of the most celebrated placards connected with his Lyceum Management.)

"The stage is fitted up as if for a ledgerdemain performance and Mr. Charles Mathews, aided by Mr. Rogers and a couple of small assistants, goes through a series of tricks, some merely burlesque, others really clever imitations of conjuring. These tricks, too, are worked into little plot. A sheriff's officer endeavors to arrest the conjuror in the midst of his achievements, but is made to vanish by means of a gigantic extinguisher. A creditor who gets on the stage, on pretense of aiding in the performance, likewise proves restive, but a hundred pound note is conjured out of his possession by means of two magic boxes, while in place of it he has the warrant with which he furnished the sheriff's officer.

"When Sophonisba, the heroine of Valerine Sur Somme is at last discovered in a private box and turns out to be the daughter of the hard-hearted dun, the sheriff is allowed to re-appear through a chest of drawers, and by way of 'tag' Mr. Rogers throws a handful or two of bonbons to the audience. The gist of this trifle consists in the felicity with which Mr. C. Mathews assumes the important air of the real conjuror, as though every trick he performed was an act of condescension, while his assistants bustling about the stage and doing nothing, with all the pomp of being exceedingly busy, keep up the illusion."

But what is most remarkable is the suddenness with which Mr. Charles Mathews at the commencement of his tricks; actually assumes the appearance of the "Wizard of the North." Indeed, the audience last night, literally roared with delighted astonishment when they saw the favorite comedian transformed into the famous professor before their very eyes, with scarcely any means beyond a power over the countenance."

London Morning Chronicle.

From the Morning Chronicle, London, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 1856.

"Theatre Royal Covent Garden.

"A most amusing 'squib' was produced last night at Covent Garden, under the title of 'What does he Want?' It owes its origin to that good humored rivalry which subsists between the rival wizards—the one of the North, and the other S. S. W. by S."

Professor Anderson, while engaged in his usual magical entertainment and about to introduce a startling novelty, is suddenly interrupted by the "other," personated by Mr. Leigh Murry, whose make-up is decidedly a la Charles Mathews. The original wizard protests against the unseeming interruption, demands the cause, and is informed by the intruder that he intends to do his tricks.

The dialogue between the two parties is marked by all the characteristics of the style of Charles Mathews, and his manner, movement, laugh, and mode of expression, are admirably hit off by Mr. Lieigh Murry. In one portion of the piece, Prof. Anderson begs the loan of a £50 note for one of his experiments.

"No", interrupts the rival wizard, "that's my trick," an interruption which caused immense laughter. The umbrella trick is varied by finding it in a number of bank notes, which has been collected from the pit.

An imitation by Leigh Murry of a "popular" singer, in reply to the request of Professor Anderson to know what else he can do beside conjuring, was most successful and the drollery of giving a verse of the "Rat Catcher's Daughter" in the tones of the deepest tragedy of Kean, and with the accompaniment of that popular air, exciting roars of laughter. Mr. Leigh Murry was not less successful in taking off the Professor himself, as Rob Roy.

Finally, the rival wizards resolved to dwell together in amity, and it is purposed that they should both take the Lyceum. The representative of Charles Mathews declines the proposal of the ground that he has already had sufficient experience of that establishment and the little interlude concludes with dissolving views showing the Lyceum as it appears when Charles Mathews left it, and when the Wizard removed to his present more extensive establishment.

It is gratifying to find in the rivalry of the two large houses, that nothing like personal animosity or unfriendly feeling is displayed, and nothing said or done calculated to wound the tenderest susceptibilities of the rival wizards.

Professor Anderson at the conclusion of his inexhaustible bottle trick, drinks as a toast, "Success to the rival wizards"; and where Leigh Murry hits the hardest he merely strikes as a playful friend and Charles Mathews himself would be the one who would laught the hearties at the skillful manner in which his dashing and nonchalant style of acting is hit off by his representer at Covent Garden.

An Unpublished Letter.

From the following letter it will be seen that Charles Mathews, though given to playful actions, did not like to be the target of any one. This letter will explain that he must have "gone after" Mr. Bough, author of the "Squib" in print, for C. J. Mathews certainly was a prolific letter writer. And I must say an interesting one. This letter has never been published and is inserted in the scrap books by his mother:

“South Place Norwood,

Jan. 29, 1856.

Mr. Charles J. Mathews,

Dear Sir: —

On my return from the continent in time to witness the last rehearsal of my Covent Garden squib produced this evening, I was considerably disgusted to find that, through the malice or stupidity (probably both as they generally go together) of some people, a great deal of ill feeling has been created owing to a belief that I had written something disgracefully and offensively personal about you.

Good taste and even common fairness is out of the question, it would hardly have been policy in a man of my profession to sit down deliberately and insult you without provocation.

I was asked to write a Roland to your Durary Lane Oliver, which seems to me to be perfectly fair, and to come in the ordinary course of my calling. I agreed, stipulating that I should be expected to write nothing offensive.

I produced what I considered a perfectly good humored parry to your thrust. The general tone of it being highly complimentary to you and the jokes at your expense.

Only such as I have long known you in the habit of public making yourself, giving myself a much narrower margin.

I may add that I believed the person with whom I was making free, was one who so thoroughly appreciated the art of joking in all its substilities as even to be able to take a joke himself.

I still hope that I have not been deceived in my estimate. As the managers can tell you, when the thing was first written, I proposed sending it to you for your approval, convinced you would have seen nothing to object to. My brother, who attended the rehearsal for me had my authority to cut out or modify all objectionable matter.

The original (with which from a jocular point of view I think was a good one) was objected to and changed to the present weak one immediately.

I have troubled you with these few lines not with a view to ward off opposition in future consequences, but in justice to myself, the reputation of a hired libeller is not an agreeable one.

Yours very truly ROBERT B. BROUGH"

Covent Garden in Flames.

The closing chapter of the story told by the London Times:

Sunday Times, March 9, 1856.

"Covent Garden Theatre, that magnificent temple of the historic and lyric deities—is no more!"

The classic walls consecrated by the genius of some of the brightest names in the history of the English stage—Garrick, Quin, Barry, Mrs. Woffington, Mrs. Cibber, Macklin, N. Barrymore, Bannister, George Frederick Cooke, Kean, Ward, Fawcett, Quick, Lewis, Elliston, The Kembles, John Charles and Mrs. Siddons—now stands like gaunt spectors amidst heaps of black and smouldering ruins.

The particulars of the lamented catastrophe, which, in a very few hours, has converted this most beautiful and spacious of our Metropolitan Theatres from a noble reality, into a sad memory of things that have been, will be found amply detailed in another part of our paper.

A monster carnival was announced by Mr. Anderson, for his benefit on last Monday and Tuesday. The performances which commenced at noon and that day were continued, without permission until twelve o'clock at night, comprised the pantomine, the drama. Time Tries All; The Scottish drama of Gilderoy, on which Mr. Anderson himself played the principal character; and the opera of La Sonnambula, supported by Mr. Henri Drayton, Mrs. Drayton and Mr. Haigh, the new tenor.

Then came Mr. Charles Mathews, in his celebrated Great Gun Trick—an armistice having been concluded in imitation of other high contending powers, between the managers of the houses.

After the excellent "Fooling" of Mr. Mathews had put the audience into the best possible humor, the report "courteous" was made by the professor himself and Mr. Leigh Murry, appearing in the bagatelle of "What does he want?" To prove that in their public conflicts, actors are not animated by the slightest personal hostility towards each other.

As George Coleman wrote: —

Yet some affirm no enemies they are,
But meet like prize fighters at a fair,
Who first shake hands before they box,
Then give each other plaguy knocks
With all the love and kindness of a brother.

This is all as it should be, and we rejoice that the last public demonstration of the artists of the two great theatres, on the stage of Covent Garden was one of amity and good temper.

Rivals Kiss and Make Up.

Things were eventually patched up between the rival Magicians both appearing on the stage the same evening at Covent Garden as the reproduced programme shows; the theatre was burnt down and Anderson lost all of his apparatus and a bank going bankrupt he had his entire fortune swept away at one fell swoop.

Mathews used the farce a long time after he featured it in America and copying from his programme during his appearance at the Holliday Street Theatre, Baltimore, Md., March 6th, 1858 the following tricks were presented, and there is no gainsaying that in his hands the Great Gun Trick must have been a big laughing hit.

The Magical Play, "The Great Gun Trick."

Mr. Charles Mathews as Augustus Trinklet the Wizard,
S. S. W. by S. Mrs Charles Mathews-Buttons.

List of Tricks Presented.

In the play Mr. Mathews will perform the following scientific experiments:—First the Umbrella Suspension, second, The Traveling Half-Dollar, third, the Magic Scarf, fourth, the Flying Feathers, fifth, the Brimming Bowl, sixth, the Vanishing Rice, seventh, the Amiable Bludgeon, eighth, the Friendly Extinguisher, ninth, the Throne Illusion, tenth, the Invisible Tailor, eleventh, the Expeditious Florist, twelfth, the Puppy Delusion, thirteenth, the Fantastic Wine Glass, fourteenth, the Inexhaustible Hat, fifteenth, the Shower of Balls, sixteenth, the Cannon Ball Mystery, seventeenth, the Careful Snuff Box, eighteenth, the United Handkerchiefs, nineteenth, the Great Gun Trick, twentieth, the Harmless Bullet, twenty-first, the Traversing Tapes, twenty-second, the Billet of Exchange Dodge, twenty-third, the Bonnet of Recognition, twenty-fourth, the Great Umbrella Sell.

Both our heroes are now with the Great Majority, Charles James Mathews slumbering in Kensel Green Cemetery, I believe, with his first wife Madame Vestris, who is buried at his side. Poor John Henry Anderson, Traveler and Magician who has probably contributed more than any other public man to the charities of the world, as an acknowledgment of his princely donations to these institutions, he was enrolled as a life Governor to the hospitals of Edinburgh, Perth, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin, Birmingham and Sheffield.

Here in America (records show) he gave away many thousands of dollars.

1000 Loaves of Bread, Gratis.

During an engagement at the Astor Palace Opera House, December 24th, 1851, John Henry Anderson, as a New Year fift, he gave money to the poor, one thousand five pounds loavas of bread, one thousand fourteen pound-pieces of beef or mutton.

One thousand tickets were distributed the day before and on presentation each one received a loaf of bread and a piece of meat.

A Fond Son.

Though fate did not smile any too sweetly on him in the winter of his life, at least his heart's wish was fulfilled, traveling around the world, forty-five years, covering hundreds of thousands of miles; according to his dying request, his heart, untraveled, fondly turned to the last resting place of her whom he had honored and whom he had never forgotten, he was buried in the same grave with his mother.

**Photograph taken by Houdini, July 2, 1909**

In the city churchyard of Aberdeen, Scotland, under the shadow of St. Nicholas Tower at the south to the gateway in Schoolhill stands a simple slab bearing the unpretentious inscription:

Erected by John Anderson, in memory of his beloved mother Mary Robertson, who died on the 8th of January, 1830, aged 40.

Yes! She had friends when
Fortune smiled—it frowned—
They knew her not. She died
The Orphans wept—but lived to
Mark this hallow'd spot."

I journeyed to Aberdeen in June, 1909, visited the grave and found no sign or indication that anyone was interested enough to take care of same* but that does not mean anything to him, for it is a Godly reward after his tempestous life, to be able to return to his mother and rest forever in her sacred presence.

*I had it restored

Originally published in the M-U-M in Vol. 7, No. 56, in New York, November 1917.

Battles of Famous Mystifiers

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