The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-05
COUP OUT OF LIES CIRCUS
THE VETERAN SNOWMAN DIES AT
JACK sONEELLE.

I 4 Gold Contracted in Cuba Results
in Pneumonia and Heart Failure.
lie Tells How He Tossed q cent 10
Decide the Ownership of the $780,
OOO Aquarium lie Ran With Henry
Reiche in New York and lost.
Jacksonville. Fla. March f-CoI W. c.
Coup. the famous old time circus manager.
who has been lying IN with pneumonia
for several days at st. Luke's hospital. in
this city. died this morning at Il o'clock.
the immediate cause Of death being heart
failure
Col Coup was born in Pennsylvania
was 90 years OF age. and was one OF the
best known and most enterprising men in
the show business. He had made and lost
many fortunes in his remarkable career
and though his experience with the Madi-
son square Garden and famous Acquarian
In New York city was probably "A very ex-
pensive one. he was energetic and untiring
to the last.
His son, W. W Coup. traffic manager
Of the Northwestern railroad in Chicago.
arrived here this morning in time to greet
his father before death came.
The body viii be embalmed by Under
taker Clark and tomorrow night it will
be sent to Chicago where Mr.. Coups wife
is still living
Col Coup came here on Feb. %. from
Havana, Cuba. where he had been show
ing for several weeks his EquescurricuIum
and educated horses. and dogs. The show
r-rsffr cd
for business on the 27th. 1t closed its en-
gagement and went to Ct Augustine to-
day.
Col Coup had contracted bad cold i'm
Cuba and was confined TO his room at
the Carleton hotel almost from the day of
his arrival here, and about a week ago,
went to St. Luke's hospital for treatment.
While on his bed at the Carleton last
week the old Snowman told the Morning
News correspondent how he happened to
make 50 big "A loss in the aquarium ven
ture IN New York city I'm 1879 He and
Henry Reiche. the foreign animal dealer
We're partners i'm the concern and each
had over s300,000 in cash tied up i'm it,
For the first few months the aquarium
was tremendous success Then the sub
ject Of opening IT on Sunday raised bit
ter fight against it by the clergy of New
York. Reiche wanted to keep ~ open and
Coup opposed him. They couldn't agree.
so Coup suggested that they dissolve part
nership. But this was no easy matter,
and Col Coup finally said: Let's flip up
penny. The one who wins gets the
whole layout. Tho one who loses ger
OUT II was so agreed. All Col Coup's
money was In this thing. and Reiche didn't
have dollar outside Of It. The throw Of
a penny meant poverty to me and a big
load to carry for the other Col Coup
took penny from his pocket and told
Reiche TO call 1t while in the air Then
Coup tossed it, Reiche called heads.
The copper fell to the floor and spun
around for few minutes while both
men stopped eagerly over it. They were
the only witnesses present Finally the
penny began settling with the tails" side
underneath, and Col Coup saw that he
had lost. II didn't wait for the copper
to sop, said the old man, but told Reiche
that he had won fairly Then / picked up
the penny and got OUT as per agree
ment But ! have carried that penny in
my pocket ever since. II hangs there
in my trousers now. 1 wouldn't part
with it for thousand dollars"