Houdini Pays $350 Due for Bronze Copy of Actors’ Gift.

The question of who would pay the $350 charged by the Gorham Company for casting a bronze statuette of Sarah Bernhardt, which was presented to the French actress in behalf of “a group of American actors and actresses,” during her recent engagement at the Empire, was solved yesterday by Harry Houdini, the vaudeville performer. Upon reading in the papers that the bronze had not been paid for, Mr. Houdini, who is playing in Philadelphia this week, instructed Mart Nelson, his local representative, to buy the statuette.

The figure was in the possession of Mrs. Samuel Kitson, widow of the artist who modeled the original, to whom it was returned after the disagreement as to who was to pay for the bronze copy, and Mr. Nelson yesterday paid Mrs. Kitson the money.

Mr. Houdini telegraphed Mme. Bernhardt, who is in the South, offering her the statuette, which represents her in the role of the Queen in “Ruy Blas,” and, according to Mr. Nelson, the handcuff king received an answer from the actress accepting the gift.

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