The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-08-14
THE DEAD FIRE EiNG.

Harry Osborne" who dlel at Austin S
saloon night before last, from injuries
sustained by being crushed between
East Water street bridge and railing, it
now transpires was none other than the
once famous fire king" Harry White
more, who some fifteen years ago, or
thereabouts, made all the world wonder
at the wonderful facility with which he
could perform tricks with fire. The fire
eaters and al of the jugglers who make
this their special line Of performance are
! merely imitators or copyists of this ori-
[[peinal fire handler. When he performed
IN the New York theaters away back in
| the sixties, whole columns Of space in
the daily newspapers were given to de-
in vain endeayored to fathom the mys-
| terry of his skill or art but without sue
cess. While his 'run" lasted White
| more lived like a lord, but either his
! success turned his mind from business
or the public attention had been trans
| forred to some new prodigy, is not
known, but certain it is that after q few
years run, Harry dropped ont of notice
and was seldom alluded to in the public
prints. It was the same with him as
with all others who have astoaished the
world for q day, when he once passed
from being lion he assumed the shape
| of very diminutiye mouse and ever
| after found it impossible to resume his
| former lonship. Since then others have
acquired the fire handling art to such al
extent and III such numbers that it would
| be q very green audience that would
| applaud fire eater who devour red
hot anvil. Hamy's adventures from the
time Of his decline from public notice
until his untimely death would, no
doubt, If related, form quite an interest
ing yarn, but it is not known that any
thing of surprising interest, or indeed,
| than such are common in the lives OF
strolling play actors Of the lowest type.
1t would seem though, that Harry al
though reduced to that lowest of degIe-
dations outside Of the poor house or
penitentiary, that of being bar room
| singer still clung with a strange pertina-
city to the glory that was departed and
declined to carry his one famous name
as low as himself and Oh this account it
is charitable to assume, adopted the
name of Harry Osborne"
That this was his reason and no other
is certainly moro than probable for even
at the hour Of his death when lie could
have 10 fear from making the fact known
he declined to make any statement of his
real name to those about him.
Sometime before his death and proba-
bly, after he became aware that he must
inevitably follow within a very few days,
he gave package containing what is
believed to have been the implements hy
which he carried on his wonderful feats
of Jugglery to friend named lsobertsor..
Who Robertson is no one knows, but the
informant OF the News reporter, follow
with vast deal more superstition than
sense about him, and who was an old
acquaintance of WhittemOre, was quite
unwilling to believe that it was not likely
that the Robertson was none other than
his satanic majesty, and that Whittemore
had possessed his wonderful art, but by
the permission OF the gentleman from
Hadas, and that Robertson was merely
an alias for Beelzebub, and had come to
reclaim his magical implements in antic-
ipation of Whittemores death. This
did not however deter the News reporter
from making thorough search for Rob-
ertson, who received the mysterious
package from the dying mountbank, but
a bootless one it proved. The inquest
yesterday also failed to bring the missing
Robertson out, but is said that he lives
in town and will doubtless be able to
give the newspapers and the public
through them, some account of the Won
derful secrets of Whittemore's fire eating
art unless bound to secrecy by the re-
quest of the dying man.
Whittemore was spared the ignominy
of sleeping his last sleep in the Potter's
field, by tho generosity of some few
friends whose acquaintance he had made
during the short time spent by him in
the city, who took up a subscription and
had him inferred in the Union cemetery.
LONDON, Aug. 8.-Some correspond
ents in South Africa appear to think it
possible that Cetywayo may defeat the
natives sent against him, in which event
all prestige gained by the success British
forces at Ulundi would be lost. A Mill
tary council will be held at Maritzburg,
but it will probably be little more than a
matter of form, as Sir Garnet Wolseley,
who is accused by the colonists of under
rating the enemy as much as Lord
Chelmsford overrated them, is evidently
bent Oh pursuing his own views as to the
reduction of the British forces in South
Africa.
Beside marines, the naval brigade, six
infantry, and two cavalry regiments viii
be sent home.
''Sambo, Parson Jonsing says dere's
muffin borned 'ceptin' for a good pur-
,1oco. ap5 how I-ir, 1at x,oy 70 lo~ I,,,r. -,