Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-06-23
A Scene Not in the Bills.

A scene of considerable excitement oc-
CURED at the American Theatre, on Walnut
street, above Eighth, on Saturday evening,
during the flying trapeze performances of
! two artists announced on the bills as Lila
and Zoe. One Of their feats consists in
Lila, q full-grown young woman swinging
herself by means Of two ropes suspended
from the ceiling, from q platform erected
in front Of the gallery, entirely across the
auditorium, until she touches with her feet
a trapeze that hangs at considerable alti-
tude over the orchestra. Securing herself
on this trapeze with her feet, her body
swings downwards, and she remains in
that position while Zoe, o. child of II years
Of age, mounts the platform in the gallery,
and seizing the iron rings attached to the
ropes mentioned, throws herself off
and darts towards Lila, and when nearing
her the child throws o. sommersault in
mid-air, and her only chance from being
crushed to death by falling from the dizzy
height among the audience in the par
quette, is being caught by Lila, who hangs
with her head downwards from the trapeze.
Certain death would be the result of the
slightest mistake made by either of the
performers. On Saturday evening the feat
was successfully performed, it is true, but
Lila barely caught the child as she revolv-
ed in the air. AS the latter was descend
ing, however, to the stage, the man whose
duty it was to catch her from the hands of
Lila, failed to do so, and the poor child
fell to the platform placed over the orches-
ira, distance of several feet, and
struck her head and otherwise in
jured herself. The child was picked up
when she Immediately placed her hands to
her head, and it was apparent that she
was seriously hurt. Notwithstanding this
she was most inhumanly ordered to re-
mount the platform in the gallery and re-
peat the feat. The child obeyed, but such
conduct on the part of those having charge
of the exhibition was too much for the au-
dience to stand. and there was a unanimous
cry of mo, nor' ''Shame, shamer' ''Take
her back, 'Ftake her back" etc. In the
meantime the child mounted the platform
and stood ready to repeat the feat, but the
audience rose en- n1GSse, to their great credit,
and prevented the ropes from being handed
to her. Unable to combat such a display
OF public indignatl.n and disapproval, the
child was ordered to retire, which she did
amid the most tumuluOus applause. Now,
whether she could have performed the
! feat again IN her then condition, will be seen
| from the following
| After she had retired, the stage manager
| advanced and stated that she desired to
| perform anotb er feat, and that she WAS not
injured, and the consent Of the audience
was asked. There was a general cry of
''No, no, and considerable kissing; but,
taking advantage of o few cries of $50
on, from the boys in the gallery, the child
again appeared, and, mounting the plat
| form, took hold of the rings. and swung
herself off for the purpose OF catching the
hanging trapeze with her feet, and then
!
into an outstretcned net. As the audience
felt would be the case, the child
essayed the feat, but failed to catch the
| trapeze, owing to her nervous state which
was natural under the circumstances, but
she was saved from injury by her cOmmen-
dable presence of mind in not letting 90
of the ropes. The consequence was that
she swung backwards and forwards amid
a scene of much excitement, and was re-
heved from her perilous position by the
audience, who caught her and carried her
to the stage. The entire scene was q dis
graceful one, aud was nothing but wan
ton sporting with human life, and had it
not been for the conduct Of the audience
the child would probably have been killed
IN attempting to repeat the first act
After the affair was over there was a very
general Interchange of opinion among the
audience, of the thinking, sensible portion
of them, at least, regarding the occurrence;
and, while entire sympathy was felt and
expressed for the child (who displayed re-
markable courage, self-composure and stoi-
elsm under such trying circumstances, the
most supreme disgust was manifested for
the men who had her under control. and
! who were willing to risk her life to oratifv
a dlSreputable desire that the feat Sbould
be again attempted. If we must have these
trapeze performances, let there be a law
enacted that safeguards shall be taken to
render it impossible that a performer can
! lose his or her life, or receive serious bodi-
ly harm, while enacting such hazardous
feats. 1t is a matter that calls for atten-
ton at the hands of the authorities.