St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-08

a good big net, and if the apparatus is
put up all right there is no danger, and
l am not afraid to trust to myseIf.''
There were six of the Hanlon brothers
riginally-WiIliam. Thomas, Edward,
George, Frederick and Alfred. Thomas
committed suicide. William was the
inventor of the net now used to prevent
death from falling. The young Hanlon
had had so many accidents that their
parents forbade their performing on
the trapeZe without using the net.
Shortly after its Introduction the New
York legislature passed law prohibit
ing trapeze performances without the
use of the safety net.
In Manchester, 1859. William and AL
fred were playing "The Two Flying
Men Of the Air." William fell from the
trapeZe and broke two ribs, one arm,
and cut his head. He was laid up for
one and a half years. Six years after
Alfred was turning the somerset in
Buffalo from the trapeZe. He tried to
catch the rope as it approached him,
but failed. He fell and broke two ribs
and cut his head open,
Fell Head First
Edward was performing on the long
ladder in the Academy of Music in New
Orleans under David Bidwell's manage
ment in 1860. He made a misplay and
and fell head downward into the par
Quet. His shoulder struck soldier who
had to be taken to the hospital, while
Edward was little hurt.
Thomas, who committed suicide. had
three falls at different times. The last
fall resulted in his going crazy. The
first of these was att the Coliseum in
Liverpool while performing on ladder.
He fell into the orchestra and smashed
the bass violin, but did not hurt him
self seriously. The second fall was at
Niblo'S garden in this city under the
management of James l.. Nixon. He
tried to make too long leap to catch
rope that was being held Ill the wings
by his brothers, William and George.
He caught the rope only 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 in Cincinnati in 1860. 1t was in
the summer, and his hands were wet
with perSpiration. His grip slipped,
and he fell on the stage, his head Strik-
ing the footlights. and one OF the gas
burners penetrated his skull.
Three years after his fall at Pixies
opera house ThOma was arrested in
Harrisburg while acting III demented
way about the streets. He was taken
to Jail. His brothers at the time were
searching for him all over the country,
and one day Edward received a tele-
gram from the mayor of Harrisburg say
ing that an insane man who claimed to
be one of the Hanlon brothers had been
arrested. There were some steam heat
ing pipes in his cell, and the cock was
on the end of the pipes. He conceived
the idea of killing himself by turning
half sOmersetS in his cell, so that his head
would strike each time on the cock.
He turned fifteen half-somersaults this
way and battered his brains out. Six
men tried to oyerpower him, but he
broke one mans arm and anOther'S
nose. He was small man, but scien-
tific boxer. After he had almost
crushed his skull in, he became eX-
hausted, and was taken out of his cell
on stretcher. He lived until the fol-
lowing day, and few minutes before
his death drank cup of coffee and ate
some eggs. His brother Edward arrived
at the Jail as he was brea thing his last.
The news was broken to his mother the
next day and she went insane, butrafter
some time recovered her reason.