The Parker post., 1913-10-04
UNDER THE CANVAS.
Jealous Lion Tanners Terrible
Revenge; an Unusual Case
of Murder and Suicide.
BY II. W. STONE.

smoking cOmpa rtment of the Pullman.
We got out two weeks ahead OF
the season and the way the public
took to the pine boards that year
made even the old timers sit up and
take notice.
They hadn't begun to Loop the
Gap in those days and the show that
could bill the country with trained
lion act came pretty close to hold
ing a no draw hand.
Il had Helena and her lions safe
under a two-year contract when our
foreign agent wrote to me about
Frenchman who had loomed up over
there with thriller. The thrill came
when he hobnobbed at close quarters
with his 20 man-eaters.
Il figured it would be shame not
to let our poster artists have chance
at that, and after imagining some
other fellows name posted up along
side. decided our folks could stand
for two lion acts, that is, when the
other fellow didn't have any. So
sent along a contract and it came
back signed
When l got Martelli and Helena In
my office before we left our winter
quarters that spring | was just wee
Dit interested to see how they were
going TO hitch.
But nature had been awfully kind
to Helena, and although / never felt
quite sure enough of my own Judg-
ment To choose a wife, I'd go on the
records as declaring that woman
home run when it come to the look
mg-glass
"Martelli was Frenchman, the
kind that never bothered to frappe
his absinthe but just took it straight
Those kind of fellows don't ever get
much below the surface, you know,
when it comes to a woman, SO as tar
as Martelli was concerned | wasn't
calculating on having any trouble.
Il watched EN- pretty close. though,
when we opened at the Garden, but to
all appearances things were rosy; and
it was just six weeks later when any
fears | had had about those rival acts
were put at rest. we were showing
in Chicago at the time and one eve
ming espied Helena and the French,
MAI; having. supper together at one
OF the restaurants, seated well back
aIunUg tho palms where nothing much
reached them except the strains OF
music from the stringed orchestra.
That looked pretty safe to me and
as there is quite a difference between
the show business and cutting coupons
Tor d living, l. soon lost track Of them
beyond the fact that they were
couple of the best advertisers we ever
had mad with our tents
Two days before we struck Mont
gouiery on our last big swing up the
coast, Martelli came to me and ar
ranged for a monthly draft which he
always sent to his mother over at
Marseilles. He didn't appear as chip,
per as usual and / noticed a worn ex-
preston about his face which seemed
To indicate sleepless nights and trou-
BILE of some kind. l asked if the con.
slant travelling had a bad effect on
his lions, making them harder to man
aga. but he told me his lions, were all
light, and after thanking me, walked
RWny wondered then if the lines
were tangled anywhere, but those
dss.ss are as full of Whims, you know,
- q circus elephant is of peanuts, SO
/ wA4n': surprised to see him the next
dAs with a smile on his face and. for
all conAd see, as well as ever.
We showed to big receipts at
Montgomery in the afternoon and long
before the evening performance be-
gan another big crowd had gathered
on the grounds.
Il had been on an inspection tour
and stopped behind the fly just as
Helena came out prepared to go on
A couple Of minutes later Martelli
came along and We three spoke to-
gether until her five lions were car
ried out in their small single cages
steel inclosure in the middle of the
arena. Then the band struck up, and
Helena with playful goodbye, drew
aside the curtain and skipped light
ly out to her lions.
The music had stopped and as
Helena swung open the door that let
the first lion out into the inclosure
you might have been in a church in
stead of circus tent for all the noise
that was made. With a crack of her
whip the second lion sprang out and
took it's place. She moved quickly
about breaking the deathly silence by
cracking her whip and calling each
lion by name as she freed them from
their small quarters. Four were out
and hundreds Of eyes were watching
her as she sprung the lock on the
last cage. With another crack of her
whip the door flew back and from
where l stood / saw she hesitated,
while her eyes sought those of Mar.
tellis in a swift glance At the same
moment an angry roar rang out
through the tent and | saw the fifth
lion spring from his cage
The horror Of the next Is minutes
| shall never forget. Helena was
knocked to the floor and with q savaSs