The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1901-08-23
DUE TO LOSS OF NERVE.

uaccountablc fright which IRE
quentiy e z-a Trick Per 'ormers.
Joe Stark, the trick cyclist who was
killed during q high dive in New York, T
travelled for q season with Davis cir
Gus said young man. Il was with
the show at the same time. on the
business staff, and I got to know Joe
very well. l see by the papers that
his death was due TO a miscalculation
of over forty feet in the dive, and the
reporters are wondering how In the
world he could have made such a blum
der. To any one acquainted with per-
formers Of his class. however. the thing
is no mystery They are all subject
TO queer spells of panic, that come
without any particular reason and I'M
fit them temporarily for business If a
man persists in doing his act at such
time. the consequences are alto
gether a matter of chance. and the ma
jority Of the accidents within my recol-
lection have been attributable to that
cause.
while I was in the show business l
1 witnessed several striking instances Of
this mysterious loss Of nerve, perhaps
the most remarkable being that of
little Englishman who did a very sen
sational act on the flying trapeze. He
had two bars suspended at opposite
sides Of the ring. about forty feet from
the ground, and finished his perform
anee with the feat that is called
TcheIle,' in the slang of the circus.
don't know where the word comes
from. but in doing the turn the gym
mast swings as far as he can on the
trapeze. lets go, throws a somersault.
and catches the other. the danger de-
pending on the distance he travels
through the air.
The Englishman was a slow-sp spoken,
rather stupid little fellow, who had
been brought up in the ring and was
as nearly destitute Of emotion as any
body ever saw. His habits were ex-
cellent. like those of most professional
athletes, and he did his work with a
mechanical precision that almost ex-
Guided the possibility Of a mishap. One
night his helper got drunk, and went
with him to the little aerial platform
from which he took his long swing
for the purpose of holding back the bar
while he got ready to launch himself
into space. AS / was busying myself
with the ropes l heard him groan and
looking around. was thunderstruck tc
see him as white as a sheet and trem
bling like a man with the ague
What's wrong, FredT 1 whispered
oh, Lord, he said between his teeth
I'm just in a funk. an awful funk
was so astonished I could hardly
credit my senses, but l realized tina
t something would have to be done t.
e prevent fiasco that would ruin hin
+ in the business. Pretend you'v
= sprained your arm l said. and leav
: the rest to me. Now, let's get dowl
L quick He was so unnerved he coulI
: hardly descend the rope ladder, and tn
audience began to buzz with surprise
/ sent him to the dressing-tent ant
said few words to the ringmasteI
who made a little speech, explaining
that Mr.. - had injured his arr
climbing to the platform and would b
obliged to omit his usual finale. Late
on found the poor fellow lying o
his costume trunk sobbing like chile
but next morning he was all right, an
1 never knew him to have another sell
ure. You may rest assured Joe Star
met his death through just such an VI
accountable collapse. 1t probably too
him as he started to make his dive, an
pride forbade him to hold back. Me-
Orleans Times Democrat.
A Holiday that win Last a Week.
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