Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-10-18

L
Frenchman who had doomed up over
there with a thriller. The thrill came
when he hobnobbed at close quarters
with his 20 man-eaters.
II figured II would be q 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 ia, when the
other fellow didn't have any. So
sent along a contract and 1t came
back signed.
When / got Martelli and Helena In
my Office before we left our winter
quarters that spring / was just wee
bit interested to see how they were
going to hitch
But nature had been awfully kind
to Helena, and although l never felt
quite sure enough of my own judy
ment to choose a wife, I'd go on the
records as declaring that woman a
home run when it come to the looR-
fng-glass.
"Martelli was a Frenchman, the
kind that never bothered to frappe
his absinthe but Just took 1t straight.
Those kind of fellows don't ever get
much below the surface, you know,
when 1t comes to a woman, SO as far
as Martelli was concerned / wasn't
calculating on having any trouble.
Il watched 'em pretty close, though.
when we opened at the Garden, but to
all appearances things we're 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
man having supper together at one
of the restaurants, seated well back
among 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
for living, soon lost track of them
beyond the fact rhat they were a
couple Of the best advertisers we ever
had had with our tents.
Two days before we struck Mont
gomery 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. / asked If the con-
slant travelling had a bad effect on
his lions, making them harder to man
age, but he told me his lions were all
right, and after thanking me, walked
away. l wondered then if the lines
were tangled anywhere, but those
devils are as full of whims, you know.
as a circus elephant is of peanuts, SO
| wasn't surprised to see him the next
day with a smile on his face and, for
all could see, as well as ever.
I'VE 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
which were placed inside the large
steel Enclosure IN the middle of the
arena. Then the band struck up, and
Helena with a 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 Enclosure
you might have been in a church in
stead of a circus tent for all the noise
that was made. With crack of her
whip the second lion sprang out and
took its 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 / stood | saw she hesitated,
while her eyes sought those of Mar
telli's 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 a savage
snarl the lion leaped upon her. For
a moment | was dazed. but the shrieks
OF the women and the noise OF the
panic-striken crowd rushing 10 the
exits around me and ! rushed for.
ward.
Il hadn't advanced a dozen steps
when saw Martelli opening the door