Dagger
Object number91.10.1
Date1892
MediumWood; Steel
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Lawrence Litchfield
DescriptionA straight-edged, knife-like implement with wooden handle, possibly homemade. The blade tip has been broken off; there are intersecting cross patterns at the top of the blade.Dimensions11 x 0.75 x 1.5 in. (27.9 x 1.9 x 3.8 cm)Marksa "V" and an "X" have been carved into the handle.
Historical NotesBelieved to be the letter opener used by Alexander Berkman in his assassination attempt on Henry Clay Frick, July 23, 1892. The letter opener was on Frick's desk at the time of the assassination attempt. The donor's husband's father, Lawrence Litchfield, was a doctor that treated both Henry Clay Frick and Andrew Carnegie.Label TextAfter wounding Henry Clay Frick with his handgun, Alexander Berkman reportedly used this dagger to strike at his victim’s legs. Quickly subdued by aides, Berkman’s assassination attempt failed. Frick returned to work within a week, while Berkman served his prison sentence in Allegheny Penitentiary. He later chronicled his experiences in the book, Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist.
Related person
Henry Clay Frick
(1849 - 1919)
Related person
Lawrence Litchfield
Related person
Alexander Berkman
Terms
On View
On view
1936-1945
1938-1940
1926-1937
1939-1945
R. Murphy
