Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-04-08
Burned Out!
THE CAROLINE FIRE KINGS


State Of Maryland. and not far from the county
seat, Denton, there resides colored man, Ma
than Coker by name, whose fame as fre-eatsr
has extended to the remotest corner of our vast
domain. Hundreds of curious unbelievers the
writer hereof among the rest, have witnessed
his performances in state Of bewilderment,
until he has deseryedly earned the reputation of
the " Fire King" and supernatural power have
even been attributed to him by the over credu-
lous
| Miraculous as is the performance Of his feats,
and lucrative as his exhibitions would seem
| to promise, the persistent refusal Of the Fire
/ King" to appear before public audiences has at
/ times created in the minds of those who know
| him belief Of his own lack Of confidence in his
| ability to repeat, continuously, his exhibitions,
| while this refusal has also been construed by
others as indicating that his performances were
species Of legerdemain, which he was fearful
| OF being detected in. Subsequent events have,
| however, proved the correctness Of the first
proposition, and demonstrated the real cause
why Coksr has 80 repeatedly declined to acquire
| the vast wealth which so many have assured him
would result from his travelling abroad.
Two of his pupils, however. implicitly relying
in their ability to control the igneouB elements,
and induced by the glitter OF the gold which they
| felt confident these exhibitions would amass
concluded to withdraw from the quiet life which
they were peacefully leading in " old Caroline"
and seek a more ilustrious future. One came to
| this city, the other went to Baltimore and al
| though successful in the accomplishment of
| the feats which the former boasted he could
| perform, from some cause (alleged to have been
| the unfit condition OF the ROOM no public ex-
Inhibition was given here, and he departed for
West Chester. Here, too, he failed in a pc
| cuniary point Of view, and retired again to the
peaceful avocations of country life. The latter
was more successful, for a time but he, too
after brief season, was compelled to return to
| his former home, shern somewhat Of the
| glory which his first appearance had achieved
Upon his arrival in Baltimore his managers
negotiated three weeks engagement with
the lessee of Front Street Thea
tire, in which it was stipulated
that the Fire Eater shoald receive fifty dollars
for the first week. one hundred dollars for the
second, and one hundred and fifty dollars for
the third For five consecutive evenings the
greatest success was attendant upon the exhibi-
tions,good audiences were present, q wide spread
interest was created in the city, the parsonage
was becoming famous and immortalization SEEM
ed to threaten him. The feats were fairly and
skillfully performed-slas too fairly, for on the
sixth evening, after having solidihed the molten
lead in his mouth, and retired temporarily be-
hind tho scenes before his temperance in
new role, the Fire Eater discovered that his
tongue was severely burned, and like burned
| child dreading the fire, he refused to re-appesr
upon the stage to complete the performance for
the eve ling. He was unmoved by the entreatits
and imprecations of his managers, and besOught
| them to kill him rather than insist upon his re-
newing his attempt to eat fire. He at once
sought medical advice, and after few weeks
treatment returned to his home.
The original Fire King" experienced no little
modification at these failures of his pupils, and
felt that his reputation monarch was literally
"at stake" He therefore proposed TO make one
| grand exhibition of his powers-one so plain,
positive, and undeniable AZ would forever set all
oavll at rest. So, proceeding to Baltimore, he
secured hall and although his coming was less
| pretentiousy heralded, he was received with
| greater eoldt, and hundreds focked TO see him.
| Not satisfied with the insignificant feats which
| his pupil had performed, and which he had
accomplished 80 often that they had become in
sipid to himself he proposed to retrieve not only
| the honor which he felt had been sacrificed by
others, but also to outstrp them and all others
who claimed to do the same thing. He had, for
long time, yaunted his ability to sit upon a red
hot stove, but had never attempted it, This he
therefore, included in his performance, and,
heating stove to glowing heat, he proce eded
to fulfil his promise. From some cause, however,
he did not remain seated long, and what was
more he could not sit down comfortably any
where else. His flesh was literally burned to
| crisp, and it also became necessary for him TO
seek medical advice. He had doubtless learned
that it is far easier to hoe corn under the scorch
ing rays Of an August sun, ,thanto sit upon super
heated stoves.
In the meantime, a rare scene was being en-
acted at home The entire community was on
| the qH UtUe. Some were practicing fre-eating,
| relying for success upon faith, which Coker had
frequently assured them, was all suffcient others
were prophesying the wealth aud glory with
which the absent ones would return, while others
more intimately connected by ties of consanguin-
| fty, were computing the personal advantage this
wealth would be to them Great, therefore
must have been the modification when the real
| facts became known.
Thus ends the history Of fre-eating and the
Fire King. 1t is a subject which has furnished
much food for journalists, and the newspapers
| have made quite reputation for Coker. His
last effort has however, stripped him OF his rep
utation, and all his aspirations for fame will