The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-01-28
Prince Leo.

In one of the variety places of amuse-
ments, with which New York is infested
beyond computation, the absorbing at
| traction, according to the veracious pos
ters, was the aerial antics of Prince
| Leo" mere child in years and hardly a
| babe in proportions Bergh witnessed
| one of his performances, and then took
note of the inside history of the child
| and his protector. 1t was learned that
| the boy was owned by one Leonard, who
| simply made the child earn an income for
his own (Leonard's) support, having
| trained the little creature to perform on
| the tight-rope and make ascensions to
the roof of the building on rope at an
angle of 450. Tremor or confusion on
the part of the child was punished by
the lash, and this was witnessed fire.
quently by the members of the company.
On Friday evening last, the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Chill
dren sent officers to make personal in
spection of the cruelty and bring the
brutal taskmaster to punishment. The
Prince" appeared about 9 o'clock, a
time when children of his age should be
in bed. He was nervous and trembling.
His pinched face, troubled and 6lanclfed,
while his poor little limbs shook with
mingled horror of the task and dread of
the lash which was sure to follow a mis-
step. The condition of the poor child
was visible to the whole audience. The
officers allowed the performance to pro-
ceed, however. An ascent to the roof
folio we'd the tight-rope. Here the min
gled brutality and Indifference of the
beast in charge surpasses all parallels.
Most monsters even in Dickens who lived
from the labors of the unhappy young,
made some efforts TO preserve their
health and lives. In this case the tor
tured child was made to ascend the in
elined rope, carrying a very heavy iron
pole, load enough to weigh his poor iran
arms quiet down. Crawling up the
thin pathway, gas glaring in his eyes
and absolutely holding the rope between
his toes, to keep himself from sliding
backward, the tortured victim succeeded
in reaching the end. But still more
cruel ordeal must be performed before
his trials were ended. TO return to the
stage he must retrace the steep line
backward, and the report states that he
fairly slid down like a flash, dropping |
upon the stage nerveless and exhausted. |
In more dangerous essays of the acrobatic
sort, it is customary TO put netting IN
on the stage. In this instance the only |
precaution for the safety Of the murder |
Ously imperilled child was an intensifi |
cation of the brutality which put him
into danger. To his waist Leonard was |
in the habit of fastening stout but |
thin cord, which passed through hook |
on the ceiling and intended to break a
fall In the event of the child slipping |
To admit of this genial device working, |
there was necessarily "slack" of six or |
eight feet. and if the boy had ever fallen |
the rope would have inevitably cut his |
irall body in two by a halt so sudden |
and a fall of such distance as the slack |
permitted.
The officers waited for no more.
Promptly leaping upon the stage, they |
arrested the man and rescued the child. |
The unfortunate's story, though not new,
is pathetic as the episode which brings |
him before the country. He was taken
from a Philadelphia "children's home"
bv the man Leonard, who promised to
do we'll for him. He has no parents, and
none. His last recollections
are of picking rags, and he touchingly |
pleads to be put at that rather than at
the mercy of his protectors kicks and
cuffs. Hardly seven, this infant in form
has been compelled to practice athletic
prodigies which only men of the most
vigorous physique endure. By the tes-
timOny of the variety company, the lads
life was one of perpetual maltreatment,
and on this score Mr.. Bergh's society has
to protect the child and ind
him another home.