The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-14
4 WoNDERFUL ExMIBIT.

| A Glimpse of the Modern sampson-Mar- | yeilous feats O, Strength shown-A | sketch of His Career.
 Sampson, the modern Hercules. who is to appear at the Grand opera house in connection with Fred Waldman's spec ialty Co. the last three days this week, gave a private exhibition of his strength at the opera house yesterday afternoon in the presence of a number Of the members of the press of this city. and several physicians. Some of the feats Sampson performed are astonishing in- deed. He handled POO and 300 pound steel bars with the utmost ease 2So pound dumb bell he easily placed high above his head with one hand. | Bracelets of heavy chain metal are | placed around his arms, and by distend- | ing his muscles these powerful chains are snapped in two like dry twigs. The Roman column act Is very difficult. Belts are fastened to his legs, and these are attached to the column. Then bending backward he lifts the fifty-pound dumb bell and the great 250 pound dumb-bell to the top of the column.
 A Courier" representative visited the | strong man in his dressing room yester- day after his performance. and he gave | the following account of his life. was born in Metz, Lorraine, and am now thirty-fve years old. When was four | nlI fr,t h iu and up to that time I did not realize that possessed extraordinary strength. | However, after the bolt of lightning | struck me, was paralyZed and speech | less for seventeen days. Then began to recover One day the apparatus by which I used to lift myself out of bed broke. placed one of the iron rings over the muscles of my arm and forced the muscle through it, snapping the iron band like so much glass. found the muscle exercise with steel rings a surprising developer of muscular power. applied the same treatment to all parts of my body and with the re- | suit you perceive.
 There he stood king among men, magnificent man in physique and strength, marvel of muscular power | and endurance. His arms looked like | knotted posts. His legs were almost as hard as iron, and the muscles of the abdomen, neck and all parts of his body splendidly developed. He wears a No. 171a collar, his neck being 17 inches, his chest measuremnt 3S inches, his arms 19 inches when expanded, and fore arm 14is inches. His wrist is rather small for such a Hercules, being four inches. He stands five feet eight inches in height, and weighs 175 pounds.
 "I lose two pounds weight during each performance" he said to the Courier" man, "and my temperature is usually quite high. Physicians tell me, and I've been examined by hundreds of such, that l have very strong heart. My temperature Is usually 97 or 9S, but after exhibiting it increases to 1O2 or over. My diet, combined with my perform ances, constitute the only training I undergo. I eat beef we'll done, other meats sparingly, and once in while I take potatoes. All other vegetables I shun. take coffee and tea, and likewise beer, wine, etc. drink moderately, and wine is my favorite beverage.
 T began exhibiting my strength in public in 1874. Sandow was a pupil of mine, and once I met him in competi- tion became disgusted with his tactics and refused to proceed. My challenge is open to him or any other strong man. I have had number of accidents dur ing my public career. In StPetersburg, while holding a 800 pound weight over my head, had the misfortune to lose my balance, and broke my left arm in three places. Within two weeks I re- covered fully. My arms have been dislo- cated seventeen times, and I have certi- f1cates from physicians to prove this statement. In Chicago in 1886, while
 breaking a steel chain which had a carrying capacity of three tons, I dis
 located my arm. Since then I have es.
 capped such accidents.
 'This is my first visit to New Haven
 I have exhibited in most of the Euro.
 pean countries, and in nearly all the
 large cities of the United States"
 Sampson has a fine gold medal won al the worlds fair. It consists of large
 circular piece of gold attached to blue
 ribbon, with three bars above. The med.
 al is finely chased and decorated with
 a laurel wreath. Three large diamonds
 are inlaid. The medal bears this inscrip.