The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-12
MIDGET ACROBATS
Forced to Give Perilous
Exhibitions.
Four Little Japanese Tumblers in
Whose Behalf Secretary Kane
Has interfered.

Yesterday. as for the past week or two,
four Japanese midget acrobats twisted
their little forms into all sorts of contor
lions and at the risk or limb or neck went
through their assigned performances in
midair. They are clever little performers
and have been fruitful source of revenue
to their manager.
Frank Kane, president of the Pacific
Coast Society, has started crusade
against forcing children to appear in such
daE gerous performances. Walter Morosco
was arrested for allowing them 10 perform
at his place and Charles Comeli was on
Saturday served with an order notifying
him not TO allow the children to appear
elsewhere. Morosco's case went over until
the 18th inst.
In speaking of the matter yesterday Mr.
Kane said: "Comelli, the manager Of the
troupe. represented that he had made ar
rangements to have the japanese go TO the
Orpheum. There are four adults and four
children In the troupe. 1t is represented
that each of the four men claims one of
the Tour children as his 0wD. Mr.. Walter
says he has not engaged the japanese and
would not have them. The contract at
MOr0sco's expired Saturday night and Mo-
rOsco declares that they are not drawing
card and that he does not want any more
Japanese.
ut is hard to judge the ages of these
children. The youngest appears to be 10
years and the other a little oder.
II Manager Comelli insists on giving
performances OF these children we shall
begin proceedings TO take them away from
MIN. He brought them here for the sole
purpose of making money. He asked me
why my society was so Jealous in trying To
nPrfNrmQnao hot ha
society Tor the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children had not interferred. He told me
he was interested, in the children to the
amount of $1,000. and therefore would see
that they were not i'll used. He added that
he had been assured by Mr.. Sonntag of the
Society Tor the Prevention OF Cruelty to
Children that that organization would not
interfere.
THE children are made 10 perform dam
gerous feats. One of the adult japanese
performers lies on his back and losses the
smallest child in the air with his feet. A
basket Is attached to pole, and at great
elevation one OF the children is forced to
perform his ontortlons in that basket. In
another feat the child stands on the top of
series Of tubs or blocks supported on the
feet OF an adult Japanese. The tubs are
tossed aside and the child falls a distance
of. ten or twelve feet, and is caught under
the arms by the feet of the PROSTATE jap
anese. Manager Comelli claimed not TO
know the names or the ages of the chill
dren."
Despite the order the Japanese troupe
gave its customary performance yesterday.
Toro kltchi, the chief man of the troupe.
tells quite a different story from that re-
peated to Mr.. Kane. He says the children
do not belong to the members of the
troupe, but that their parents are In
japan. The names of the children and
their ages are: Tstsu, years; Itch
Matsu, IL years; Stee. IL years. aud Emo
Kitchi, IL years.
Toro Kitchi declares that Mr.. Kane's
society has made the troupe so much trou-
bic that IL will leave San Francisco this
week.