The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-04
AMERICANS SAVED
BY MEXICAN CLOWN
Twelve Circus Performers Ar
rive Here After Exciting Ex-
periences in Mexico.
SHOW ATTACKED BY MOB
Clown Quieted Angry Mexicans
by Shouting They Were AS
sailing Europeans.

The British sugar steamship Durley
Chine, which arrived at Sandy Hook Sat-
urday night from Progrcso and docked in
South Brooklyn yesterday morning.
brought twelve refugees. all circus per-
formers. who were driven out Of Merida.
the capital OF Yucatan. twenty-six miles
south OF the port OF Prosreso. under
threats Of death on April rs.
The refugees included three women and
two little girls Most OF them had been
appearing in vaudeville in Mexican cities
until they Joined a circus owned by Max
Welton. a German.
The Welton circus played several days
under canvas at Merida before the final
riot came which drove them out WILL
lam Nanderprien. the strong man OF the
show and one OF the refugees, told yester-
day Of the experiences encountered by the
performers
"All during our stay" rs said. the
Americans were threatened every time
they appeared In the streets and even the
English and German members OF the com.
pany were insulted.
Splitting at all OF us-Americans. Eng
lish and Germans alike--was one of the
ways in which the natives vented their
feelings. Despite the d, monstrations on
the streets, however. there was no real
show OF violence against us until April IS
and the show did a good business right
along.
Woman starts the Trouble.
"On the night OF April 25. with every
seat in the tent taken. the real trouble
started. Five jockeys were riding thor
oughbreds around the ring at the time.
A woman in an upper seat stood up sud
denly and shouted In Spanish. The
gringoes must die = Instantly there was a
rush for the arena. Men and women
grabbed the horses heads and tore the
jockeys from their backs and started for
the dressing tent for the rest of the COM
| pany.
| "a Mexican clown We had with us. 10
! whom we all owe our lives. saw the dan
| ger and jumping on the platform. shouted
/ to the crowd in his own language that II
was making a mistake that the for
eigners in the company were not Amer
| leans but were all either Germans or
English. This quieted the crowd a little
and we had a chance TO get out OF The
| tent and to the railroad station. Most OF
us saved only our personal baggage and
lost our properties.
There were forty OF US altogether
Several OF the women had narrow escape
from being taken prisoners before we lcf
Merida. We all reached Progreso safel,
by train and there We ran into mo-,
mobs which had become crazed by re
ports printed in the local newspapers tina
the American feet had sunk Mexican
sunboat at Vera Cruz. We were told tina
twenty-four hours We would all be killed
"The Durley Chine was N the harbo
at the time. Capt Frank Anstey invite
ms aboard and offered to bring us TO Ne,
York. Twelve OF us came with him an
the others took another freightcr for Mo
bile"
The other member. OF the company a.
III n,v y,x,t
Sacks. Mr., and Mrs. Wallace Havelocl
Max Schaeffer and Vincent Coughlin. acre
bats, Mr.. and Mrs Frank Cromwell
trapeze performers; Mr. and Mrs. Edwar
Wilson. tight wire performers, and tn
two small daughters Of the Wilson's. Ann
and Elizabeth.
None Had Money.
None OF the group had any me- ney whe
, they landed here. The C.omwells sal
, that s40O was owinE them from Nexica
theatre managers. which they had N
! been able TO collect. They said that Gel
, Huerta recently saw n part OF the sho
in Mexico city, but. on being told tha
/ some of the performers wee American
} left abruptly.
The Cromwells. billed as the "Aeri
+ Cromwels." had the most exciting time ,
any Of the refugees nj Merida. They wei
dressed to 90 on when the mob startt
for the dressing tent. There was no tin
, TO grab street clothes, so the "Aeri
, Cromwels' started down the street II
the railroad station in their ,ights ar
spangles, followed by part OF the mo
which was increased at every step.
= They made the railroad st ton in sal e,
and took refuge in the ticket office
D fcw minutes later the same Mexican Glow
who had interrupted tho riot In the ter
reached the station with some Of the 9TH
n refugees. He told tho crowd that Il
0 thinly clad Cromvels were iermans. M
y escorted them back TO the tent, where tn,
q got into their street clothe They all
= rescued their trapeze.
= The refugees went 10 2A West Fort
| sixth street.