Wilmington journal., 1873-07-04
Fayetteville (Tenn.) Express, June I9.
THE IRON-JAVyED WOMAN.
Serious Illness OF the NuseHE6.
Prodigy i'm EenncS%ee-Som u :.
Of lEcr History.

! About the only attache of the In
national Circus whose perfOrlnal
sustained the promise OF the pos
was the woman with the iron j.. :
Her feats were really wonderful,
the immense strength evidently lode
in her jaws and in the muscles OF
neck excited general astonishme
There is nothing in her personal
pearance to Indicate the col aentrati,
of unusual physical power about h..
mouth, face or neck. She IS Itti.r
above medium height, rather stout,
somewhat masculine, perhaps, in form
face, rather broad at the lower part,
and a mouth too large to be called
either pretty or feminine. Upon the
whole, she might be called, without
bordering upon fiattery, 4 very fine
looking and handsome woman. But
few Of the audience that saw her in the
ring, glittering with tinselled orna-
ments, and smiling with well stimu-
lated delight, imagined that she was
taxing her physical powers dreadfully,
and subjecting a sensitive nervous or
ganization to acute torture for their
amusement. Such, however, was the
case, and few hours afterwards the
poor creature, who appeared So radi-
ant under the canvass, and performed
superhuman feats of strength with ap~
parent ease, was lying i'll Il room at the
hotel, shorn OF her borroweds pi. ntfor,
convulsed by continuous nervous.
shocks and quivering with intense
pain. After having gone through with
her part of the afternoon performance
she retired utterly prostrated, to Il
private marquee, and while removing
her costume the centre pole Of the tent
was blown down by the high wind.
striking her on the spine as II fell, ana
infiicting severe injuries. This acci-
dent, together with tie effects OF hes
terrible exertions in the ring, threw
her into violent cOnvulsInns.
Saturday night she was mabie to
perform, and Sunday morning when
the circus, left she was still So III that
she had TO remain behind. She ra-
ceiyed the best medical attention il
this place, and her pecEliar condition
aroused the sincere sympathies of her
Dlvsicialls. The real history Of tits
singular prodigy is simple cn1,Igiz
when contrasted with her fiorId i.iOg-
raphv as It appears on the illuminated
n0sters of the circus. Sine is NOW or :,
eighteen years old, although she ""HiI
easily pass for woman OF twl"" ttiat
age Left IN orphan when wee iitti:'
child, poverty forced her +" accept
employment on y farm, where she
pelfar.ne;l the work of Il cnm,aOn ia
bcrer until she became twelve years oi
age. when she married a man named
Leslie, gvmnast, now attached to
the Intern. tonal Circus. kShc then
entered upon her professions. career,
and mas pursued it without intcrlnis-
sion ever since. That her present r"-
cation, subiecting her as 1t do' to nm
natural and cruelcxcrtion, will i"cdiiy
kin her. is Il fact she seems full ac-
unainted with Hence she manIftsfs
great desire to abandon her present
occupation and enter into some Iuietef
sphere better suited to her sex ana
condition. where she Will not be re-
uuircd to yicld np her life III daiiT IL
stailineists for the lnomentary graz. i..ic:i-
ton - curions crowds. during hef
illness the individual whom she calls
! her husband never once visited hef-
He was III easy reach, and %h" f"-
/ ouestrd his presence seveIa! times,
but iIc displayed no interest IL her
whatever. Sunday noFnlnG th!' E}ili
mast with the ir,a heart packed az i.:5
traps and left ms afflicted spouse VIZ
the non laws, without both"rinG him
! sell about any torfnal:tit's III ti' ny .
/ io,1-a +ati-oo