The Wahpeton times., 1886-02-25
AN ACROBATIC FAMILY.
The Hanlon Brothers and Their Rsmsrk.
ablo Escapos From Death.

Vh0 HAnl0n Brothers 1n0 Th01r R0m0fk.
ablo Esoapes From Death.
In Manchester in 1850, while the
elder brothers were playing in ''The
Two Flying Men of the Air" William
fell from trapeze and broke two of
his ribs, one of his arms, and cut his
head. He was laid up for year and
q half. Alfred fell once in 1865 in Buf-
falo while turning sumersault from
trapeze and attempting to catch q
rope. He broke two of his ribs and
cut his head open. Edward, one of the
brothers, now in Vienna, while per-
forming on long ladder in the Acade-
my of Music in New Orleans under
David Bidwells management, in 1850,
fell head downward into the parquet.
His shoulder. struck a soldier, who
had to be taken to the hospital,
while Edward was comparatively un-
hurt. Thomas, the brother who COM
mitted suicide, had three falls at diff
ferent times. The last fall resulted in
his going crazy. His first fall was in
the Coliseum in Liverpool, while per-
forming on what is called the perilous
ladder. He fell into the orchestra and
smashed the bass viol, but did not
hurt himself. His second fall was at
Niblo's Garden, New York, under the
management of James l.. Nixon. He
tried to make too long q leap to catch
rope that was being held in the
wings by his brothers, William and
George. He only caught the rope with
one hand, and fell on his brothers,
hurting them so that they had to be
carried to their beds. His last fall
was at Pixies Opera House, at Cincin-
natl, in 1864. It was in summer, and
his hands were wet with perspiration.
His grip slipped, and he fell on the
stage. his head striking the footlights,
and one OF the gas'burners penetrated
hisskull.
Three years after Thomas fell at
Pixies Opera House he was arrested
in Harrisburg. while acting in a de.
mented way about the streets. He
was taken to Jail. His brothers at
the time were searching all over the
country for him, and one day Edward
received a telegram from the Mayor of
Harrisburg saying that an insane man,
who claimed to be one of the Hanlon
brothers, had been arrested. During
q lucid interval Thomas asked why he
was in Jail, and the keeper tried to
quiet him. There was part of a lot of
steam heating pipes in his cell, and the
cock was on the end of the pipes in his
cell. He conceived the idea to kill
himself by turning half-somersaults,
so that his head would strike each
time on the cock. He turned fifteen
half-somersaults in this way and beat
his brains out. Six men tried to over
power him, but he broke one man arm
and another mans nose. He was
a small man and q scientific boxer.
After he had almost crushed his skull
in he finally became exhausted and was
taken out of his cell on astretcher. He
lived until the next day, and shortly
before he died drank a cup of coffee and
ate some egg. His brother Edward ar
rived at the Jail just as the demented
man was breathing his last. The moth
er became insane on hearing of her
sons death, but recovered her reason
afterward.
just prior to the time Thomas fell
at Pixies Opera House, the brothers,
who were the originators of theater
under canvas, followed the army with
the first theatar, under canvas. At
Mobile the soldiers fought to get in, and
the Hanlons reaped harvest. 1t was
when they reached Cincinnati that
they abandoned their canvas theatre
and went to play at Pixies Opera
House.-Philadelphia Times.