The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27
A FREAK TRAGEDY.
MOurnfuI Tale of Discovery Made
by Barnum's Manager.
London Daily Mail.

London Daily Mail
With much energy and hammering Bar
NUNS show is getting itself into shape at
Olympia. Time is short between now and
Boxing day, and there is still much to be
done in the way of getting the huge iron
proscenium curtain fixed and the tWo-acre
stage built up, and the great spectacle of
the Soudan war perfect. Excitement UNI
der the circumstances might naturally be
Looked for.
And vet and vet it seemed to a Daily
Mail representative who looked in on Sat
urday that the tension of excitement was
greater than the occasion warranted. Mr.
Bailey himself was directing the operations
of a crowd of Workmen who were strug-
Cling With heavy iron girders and things
he was outW ardly cool and calm as man
needs be upon whose shoulders rests the en-
tire responsibility of a great undertaking.
But his lips, were set, his teeth We're
clenched, and every now and then his gaze
would travel on past the immediate OBJECT
of his attention. and some matter that was
possessing his soul would seem to take
momentary possession of his thought. Can
it be true? can 1t be true?" he was heard
to mutter. The appearance of suppressed
and in the actions of other people connect
ed with the show. Mr.. George Starr was
rushing hithef and thither with his Gus
tomary steam-englne energy, but as ne
rushed his eyes were fixed in deep thought
upon the ground. Mr. Tody hamilton, Lne
master of hyperbole who draws up the de-
scIiptive advertisements, wore his custom
airy tender poetic expression, but as the
Daily Mail representative saluted him he
recalled hlInSeII WIN q JERK from HIS rev
erie. and from the moist melancholy of his
eyes two great glistenng tears distilled
themselves and slowly trickled down the
burrows which thought has left in his race.
Something it was plain was in the Wind
something of serious import. What was it,
The Daily Mail representative gently and
sympathetically led Mr.. Hamilton TO quiet
nook in the shadow of the big elephant
Fritz and there, when he had had his cry
out and mastered his voice. the poet tod
the story of his woe.
1t seems that on Tuesday last a few min
utes after noon, man named Ebenezer
Perkins, who is one of the assistant freak
superintendent, went into the handsomely
furnished salon which is provided Tor the
use of the leading performers and the
freaks There were only one or two people
there The others had gone away early to
get ready for a fancy-dress ball to which
they had been invited. Mr.. Perkins sat down
in Chippendale chair by the side of the
grand piano. According to his own account
of the circumstances, the chair seemed in
some vague, underlined way to be hardly so
comfortable as usual. Il didn't seem some
how to get the set of it," he said. After
fidgetinAabout for time he got up to look
at the seat of the chair ana Immediately
perceived that he was sitting on strand of
what looked like hair. He picked up the
end of it, examined it, and found that II
actually was HAIR. and not merely that, but
hair of extraordinary growth and develop
ment. 1t was upwards of eight feet long,
and of extraordinary gloss and texture. He
did not attach more Importance to the dis
covery. He simply said: That's about the
nearest I've ever seen to the hair of Annie
Jones, the bearded lady and hirsute wonder
of tf G universe" and went on to talk of the
fashionable movement of the hour with the
skeleton dude, who happened to be there.
A little while afterwards Mr.. Tody Ham
ltOn dropped in, and, sitting down at the
grand piano. and shutting his eyes and let
ting his fingers wander at will over the key
board. began to play one of those dreamy,
poetic little improvisations for which he is
so well known in society. In the midst of
his ecstasy something INSTRUCTED him, and
he opened his eyes to see what 1t was.
xyin m M 10
notes. and stretching away from the key
board over the polished top of the piano.
was q thread of human hair. He picked it
up and looked at it. 1t was eight feet long,
and of wonderful sheen and texture. Dear
me-" he said, I'D ha swore that Dame
Nature in her most luxuriant and gener-
Gus mood. never gifted any of her most ia
vored children with such an unparalleled
hirsute development with the single excep-
ton of Annie Jones, the bearded lady"
Mr.. Perkins heard him, and went slightly
pale. That's funny" he said in It hest
ss While Tody and he looked at
one anot her inquiringly for moment or
two, each finding in the others face a re-
Election of the doubt that was in his own
mind. 1t was Mr.. Perkins who broke the
silence. Lets jest see he said, in hol-
low voice. whether there's any more of it
about" He got up and looked carefully at
the tapestry-covered Louis QuinZe sofa. He
drew back with a cry of pain, then bent
down again, and picked up the end of a
thread of human hair eight feet long and
of extraordinary beauty and texture. And
there was another on the carpet. and still
another by the Bull porcelain cabinet, and
another clnging to the velvet portiere.
Has she been here this morning?' Tody
asked in a hollow voice. "She has only just
gone" said Mr.. Perkins, and burst into
tears.
The next day several more hairs We're
found in the wake of the Bearded Lady,
and every day last week, some days more
than others, but on all days some, similar
sad discoveries Rave been made. 1t is pos
sibe of course, that things are not so bad
as they look. But it is easy to understand
the anxiety that possesses everybody con-
nected with the show. Nothing has been
said to Miss Jones yet. She is of an ex-
ceedingly sensitive disposition and it is felt
that if she knew she might worry. and
the consequence might be serious. Worry is
fatal to freaks. The Skeleton D9de, on one
occasion. was alarmed about some invest
ment he had made. The result was that
he put seven ounces of flesh in less
than a fortnight.