The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-23
HAS sold HIS
BONES THIGE
Oldest ContortioniSt Survived
COvetOuS Surgeons.
ON THE MARKET AGAIN
Story of the Dean fall Circus
Performers.
ON THE MARKET AGAIN


( living by twisting himself into al kinds
of inconceivable knots, should live long
enough 10 become known as Daddy"
among show people all over the country.
His name is Walter Wentworth. and he
has done more than live seventy-seven
years .he has outlivsd two physicians each
OF whom paid him 500 for the privilege
OF having his body after his death. one
of these strange contracts was made
thirty years before the other.
Mr. Wentworth sat beside the deathbed
Of the man with whom he made the con
tract and within few weeks. after much
/ inquiry, he has secured proof OF the death
Of the second physician who had expected
to dissect the body Of this remarkable
man
Mr Wentworth no longer appears before
the public. although it is not more than
year since ne retired. after having FOR
a long period appeared as the Oldest
contortonist ever known. lie has settled
down in house on a spacious lot pUr-
chased by himself and son, about three
months ago, in one Of the best sections
OF Medford Mass. and it was not long
after the purchase was made that the
old man met with one OF the great afflic-
tons in his long life. His son, known
throughout the country as Jack Sonwen,
one OF the most daring men that ever
handled dangerous reptiles, was bitten
by a snake while giving an exhibition
in museum in Boston. and died at the
Massachusetts hospital few days after.
Some of the snakes are now the com
panioas of he old contoTtionist, who han
dies them without fear, feeds them and
cares for them. and gives daily eshibi-
lions. free, for the benefit of his friends
the children of the neighborhoCd, who
have come 10 know and to ike Daddy"
Wentworth as 90 the scores Of performers
in museums throughout the country, and
OF whom he is the dean.
And on very rare occasions he win do
a split for them IN the back yard or
twist his body in = manner which shows
that even with his clothes on" he IS |
much more supple than many very much |
younger persons, for he can do his box /
trick-paclz himself in a box % inches |
long. 10 inches deep and 10 inches wide. |
so that the cover will shut down tight I
Fifty years ago this was a trick that /
astonished that part of the public which /
A'1&ti oAlItO tue variety mans III AA4o NOGli-
try and Europe 1t was new and start |
ling then. and managers thought so well /
OF it that they were willing 10 pay Mr.. |
Wentworth $4,000 a season, which was
something very much worth while, when |
it is told that managers nowadays refuse |
to pay for this act more than SO or SO /
per week.
"An of which is part Of the ups and |
downs of the show business" said /
Daddy Weatworth. as he glanced from !
the snakes to the old green box he had |
used for years in performing what had |
come to be known by showmon every |
where as the Observation-Disclosures"
trick.
you want to know how I came to sell
myself TO two Doctors" he repeated.
Wei. they're both dead now. and I'm
looking for q third. Doctors seem To be
very curious about the composition of
the spinal column of a contortionist. and
i was only natural that two of them
should make = proposition after thy
learned that I wasn't bit sensitive about
The matter.
You must understand that it Is IN
unusual thing for a contordonist To live
to be more than forty, many OF them Gle
before they reach thirty, 50 you can be
lieve that the doctors thought they were
not taking very big chances on me.
DIR William C0wee OF Utica, Coon
county. Mich was my first victim. That
was away back in 1854 and he paid me
good gold. which was then selling as
high premium. He had known me since
was . boy. lie knew my father, VINO
Was also a physician. and from whom
I ran away when 1 was twelve TO Non-
treaI, where took care Of horses on tie
race track and rode horses too. in what
u ere fast races in those days.
some circus men saw me riding. and
= hen that show left town I was with Il.
old al kinds Of stunts before I invented
the box trick. and became u cont0ruon-
st when fourteen years old.
.Of course when l cot back - Mich
.gan all my old friends were greatly ia-
terested in me and Dr. Cowee WAS par
ticuiariy curious. He talked 50 much
about it that he dnally made a PROPOSE
ton TO the effect that he could have the
exclusive right TO my body after death.
ana h paid the money then and there.
after the agreement had been drawn up
lie died a few years afte-ward. ] hap
oened to be IN the town. and on his death
sed he joked about our strange bsrrciR
and said I was getting the better If e.
i did not make any mere barssic- ot
.hst sort until 1875 when I vas play
ng in q variety house in Brooklyn. 4
vas working overtime then. doing two dis
.lnct turns At diff. rent times d1ria- The
fay ard evening. id r'y r--u'ss cone
.crtionist act and a tra7ese act later
..One evening DR.. II T. Wl1 p. 81 the
Kings County Hospital Brooklyn. vas 81
he theatre with q party % meiical stu
Tents snd they seemed 70 De out e. see
II that was able TO &c seen. They sax
ne do nv contortion act from the frost.
md were on the stage when I did the trap
Sc stunt later When I came or they
held me Up. and one ~ thcnl remark
j. You co TIE same things e. &c ar
hat You Go on the ground
Yes. I replied. 'exce7t that When
n II the air don't use ny ises %
much
You'll come down quick enough sorus
sTne.' one o. ihcr, aid
y yoil iheu I su9T'cssd ths doctors
would IKE 20 set . chsnce = aae. vhes--
spon DIT Wilder remarked thas he vLiid
,zy so 70 pick Eny bones. CheeTful. Vss-
= it, There's nothing 20 p-even: you.
Zen said II you want 70 rut ID
Ne noney BE ;hocsht I was testing.
ut ! told him r mish. hav= ~ aSr~-
neat drawn and Witnessed and would +
gree 20 keep h.n posses u REGARD . ~