Date: Fri 21-May-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: CAROLL

Quick Words:

Alexander-Monicagate-auction

Full Text:

White House Events Pave The Way For New Auction Category

(with cuts)

From The Ridiculous...

GREENWICH, CONN. -- In the wake of the recent unfolding of "Monicagate," an

auction trend seems to be in the making: cheating "evidence" is worth big

bucks.

Take the recent phone, mail, and fax bid auction at Alexander Autographs, Inc.

Top lot -- no kidding -- was an undated, circa 1922 letter proving that

baseball legend Babe Ruth (1895-1948) was indulging in extra-curricular

activities.

"Don't call me up," he warns his girlfriend Nell, as Mrs Ruth was paying an

unexpected visit to him in Washington, D.C. (Washington? Even then? Must be

something in the water.)

Written in his own bat-wielding hand on the letterhead of the Raleigh Hotel in

Washington, the Bambino confides, "Dear Nell, Very sorry but my wife jumped

over on me without knowing it. This is the first time she ever did that. She

is watching me so don't get mad and I will see you Monday night. The club is

watching so the only way I will be able to see you all night is for you to

stop at the Aldine Hotel and I can see you. Babe."

Under his signature was written the caution about not calling. The letter was

accompanied by related ephemera, including telegrams from Ruth to Miss Nell

Wilson, sent from New York, St Louis, and Pittsburgh, all signed "Jack,"

reading in part: "... unable to get you on phone before game yesterday when

you preferred someone else['s] company. I love you and long to be with you...

you have been on my mind a lot. I wonder if I should love you as I do..." and

so forth.

Further enhancing the Bimbo-and-the-Bambino papers was an original photograph

album in which the letter and telegrams were found, which included about 50

candid photographs, many of which show an unidentified attractive young lady

(Nell?) with one provocative image featuring more of her legs than one often

saw at the time.

The letter, the main focus of the lot, was in very good condition, bearing

only slight soiling at the upper left corner. Estimated at $10/15,000, the lot

brought $19,000.

What next? Monica's dress?

Illustrating exactly where bidders' values stood, a measly $7,000 went for the

next lot to cross the block: a Babe Ruth endorsement contract. The exceedingly

rare and important 1921 document was uncommonly signed "Geo. H. Ruth," and was

an agreement by Ruth to allow his name to be used in connection with

manufactured goods or in any manner for the sum of one dollar recompense.

That's right. $1. It boggles the mind in these days of zillion-buck Nike

contracts.

But back to the auction. The 2,435-lot event closed Part One, the subject

being Americana, presidents, politicians, and domestic wars, on April 20. Part

Two, the subjects being notables and the notorious, sports figures, royalty,

scientists, aviators and explorers, astronauts, business leaders and artists

and entertainers, closed on April 23. The auction grossed $1,135,096.

Taking second place after naughty evidence was no less than a drawing by Pablo

Picasso (1881-1973) at $11,000. The beautiful and large (nine by 12 inch)

original drawing was executed in bold red crayon, an image of a smiling lion,

and signed "Picasso" at the bottom. The artist drew the sketch on the cover of

a limited edition catalogue of his works issued by Demotte Inc, of New York,

in 1931. Detached from the catalogue, the drawing bore a tiny tear at the left

margin, but was otherwise in fine condition.

A warrant for a charge of counterfeiting, written and signed by Isaac Newton

(1642-1727), ordering the subpoena against Michael Gillingham on a charge of

bribery of a witness to prevent the man from giving evidence against an

alleged counterfeiter, reached $9,000; and an April 21, 1781 note signed by

George Washington (1732-1799), directing a courier to put a certain letter

into the mail leaving Hartford the following Monday, fetched $9,500.

Believed to be the only Twentieth Century cabinet level appointment document

ever offered at auction, the document appointing Arthur J. Goldberg to serve

as John F. Kennedy's Secretary of Labor, dated January 21, 1961, signed by

John Kennedy (1917-1963), realized $8,000.

To The Sublime...

After all the pomp of Presidential documents, after the sport of naughty

evidence, buried in the mid-priced lots was the stuff of great literature: A

run of 14 war-date letters, about 45 pages total, written between June of 1863

and August of 1865, the correspondence of Capt William Brunt of the 16th

Colored Infantry, which sold at $8,000.

Brunt expressed his ardent support for abolition and the flag, making detailed

comments on guerrilla activities and the taking of hostages by both sides. A

vivid description of the behavior of a man who was executed reads, in part,

"the one that was shot remarked at breakfast... that he hoped they would shoot

him about 10 o'clock so that he could take dinner in Hell... He rode to his

grave upon his coffin with perfect indifference, laughing & joking as he

passed along & told the men that were to shoot him to take good aim..."

On enlisted men, Brunt wrote, "I am enlisting all able bodied ones that wish

to enlist. I have sent 154 fine looking soldiers since last Friday... to

Nashville. I have enlisted 20 today & still they come. Oh, how their eyes

brighten when they make their mark to their signature... No master's whip will

ever legally gash their backs again... How my heart jumps for joy at this

privilege... of taking one part of the South to whip the rest with. Their

masters come here to take them back. Our Col tells them: Gentlemen... if they

are willing to return you can take them."

And, "I got the appointment as Captain of Company D. 16th US Colored Infantry

last week. If it is glorious to enlist the oppressed it is certainly doubly so

to be privileged to lead them against their oppressors. Oh, how sweet the

privilege is to me of leading those noble patriots to liberty &

intelligence... we adopt a system of school teaching, intending to devote a

portion of every day... to the cultivation of their intellect... those that

survive their term of three years are discharged. They will be well prepared

to appreciate the sweet boon of freedom."

In a letter dated December 23, 1863, Brunt writes: "The stain of slavery is

fast fading from the folds of the glorious old Star Spangled Banner. Its folds

wave gracefully over 80,000 freed slaves at this moment, whose strong arms are

ready and willing to fight for its restoration. I will lose no opportunity to

inspire my men with every manly impulse. I shall strive to improve them

mentally, morally, & physically. I tell them that true manhood lies in the

mental worth."

An undated letter stated, "I have undertaken to prove that negroes can be

rendered useful as soldiers. Some think they won't stand fire. I am going to

test them soon by a sham attack, taking care to load the negroes' guns with

blank cartridges. If I can get Col Harding's consent & some of our soldiers to

dress in citizen's clothes, I can soon put the matter to rest."

Brunt also writes the touching story of a young black man: "... 16 years

old... left home last October... he begged so hard that I sent him to

Nashville to work on the N. Western R. Road. Although in my judgment at that

time... it was like sending him to his grave, the lion-hearted little fellow

has returned with 100 dollars to make his old mother, little sister and

brother comfortable... he is a fifer in the 15th US C.I. & has nearly 6 mos.

pay due."

"If he had been black," said Peter Klarnet of the auction house, "the Brunt

letters would have brought a million dollars."

Prices quoted do not reflect a ten percent buyers premium.