Leat and his Leaflets
James B. Alfredson
     
     The importance of this curious little magazine is its reflections of the man himself. A “dealer list” indeed it is, yet — seething with righteous indignation — it delivered some of the most blistering tirades in magical print. Its arrival was greeted with praise, damnation, or a sort of “you-might-be-right-but-we’re-all-brothers-so-let’s-get-along” reception.
     The latter attitude was attached as violently by Leat as “the enemy” itself. Exposers — and those who apologized for them — were handled with a heavy hand; his attacks on Will Blyth and his Magic Circle defenders, both with words and cartoons, make latter-day conflicts seem mild indeed (the fact that they remained good friends didn’t shield Blyth from Leat’s onslaughts). Other targets of Leat’s wrath — for a variety of reasons — included Houdini, Lewis Davenport, Servais LeRoy, Oscar Teale, W. W. Durbin, and untidy magic shops.
     One of Leat’s pet targets in the early issues was Harry Houdini. Leaflet number 4 contains an article entitled “The Unmasking of Harry Houdini,” attacking Houdini as an exposer, hypocrite, and besmircher of Robert-Houdin’s name. The gut-fighter Leat looks on with “shock” as the gut-fighter Houdini later makes such statements as “Say, Leat, what happens if I smash [Stanyon’s] face in? Stanyon is a liar,” etc.
     Although issue 4 contains one of the longest single anti-Houdini tirades, both prior and subsequent numbers are filled with none-too-subtle digs at the Handcuff King, including cartoons and — one must admit — some rather tasteless post-death newspaper quotations concerning both Houdini and his wife. Number 6 contains an insert with red marginal markings translated from Le Prestidigitateur, May 1926, praising Leat’s “Unmasking” article. Perhaps adding insult to injury, Leaflet number 5 contains a photo of Clinton Burgess, to whom Houdini attached the blame for Leat’s attacks.
     Issue 9 contains a special note apologizing for the arrival of the prior issue just before Houdini’s untimely death; it was in the mail before Leat heard of it, and he states he has no wish to commit Houdini’s sin of badgering dead men. Yet in the very next issue, he couldn’t resist showing a cartoon of the late Houdini standing downcast at the gates of “Magical Heaven,” ignored by the angelic keeper of  the gate, with a prominently displayed sign saying, “Exposers Not Admitted,” as well as some decidedly uncomplimentary newspaper quotations.
     Harry Leat — hiking enthusiast, animal lover, despiser of those who would expose or otherwise degrade magic, touchy and impetuous — who above all else obviously loved and fostered the art to such an extent that his writings, both through his books and the Leaflets, are surely deserving of attention.

     — From James B. Alfredson's introduction to the Leat's Leaflets CD.