New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-07
Causes Death of Beautiful
Equestrienne at Circus
in Russia. 49,.
COMMITS SUICIDE
ON WAY TO STATION,
Lighted Cigarette in Horses Ear
Makes Fair Rider Lose
Control. ot
From The Tribune Correspondent J


St Petersburg, May 22.-The romantic,
story Of clowns love for beau,inli
equestrienne. her rejection OF his rdicu.
lous suit and his terrible revenge. has
Just drifted to st. Petersburg. Ias
Mile. Fleurette was the principal horse.
woman, as we'll as the principal attrac-
ton, in an obscure wandering circus, .
which last week came TO Kasan, a srnali
town on the Volga. She was beautiful
graceful and an exquisite rider No one
dreamed that by the end OF the week
she would figure in terrible real tragedy
OF unrequited love. ~,
Mirko Festelich was clown I'm the
same circus company. lie was plain,
simple-hearted man, who looked serious
ly on foolery as the means OF a living.
and he was usually such an orthodox buff
foon that no one had the remotest idea
that he, too. would figure with the fair
Fleurette in the tragedy which has
shocked the townspeople. 30
The military officers OF kasan brought
Mile Fleurette flowers, gave their cheers
and offered her their hearts She gracious
~ accepted all their tributes, save the
hearts. To all would-be lovers she was
adorable but distant an
Among the worshppers WAS poor Fes-
telch. The man was too poor to give her
flowers. and as il was part OF his bust.
ness to cast loving looks toward Mile.
Fleurette while she was performing, 10
one ever suspected the sincere love which
lay behind the motley. His loud applause
was never understood-not even by the
equestrienne herself. The little services
which he rendered her In the ring were
regarded merely as absurd burlesque.
on Saturday he summoned up sufficient
courage 10 propose to her. She regarded
his stammering protestations with anus -
ment. "You are a clown" she said. your
business is to joke with everybody; sol
take your declaration as a Joke"
Just then the bell rang for the evening
performance. Poor Festelich, too heart
broken at his failure to notice the glbes
OF an attendant who had overheard his
declaration OF love, went into the ring
to make the people laugh.
He succeeded. lie surpassed himself
There was madness in his brain. Caustic
WllllClSins, suNH do Ilc Hdu never UtlOIb
uttered. poured from him. The people
cheered him, thinking him genius
Never had they heard such brilliantly
pungent jokes Never had he smacked
! the heads OF the attendants-specially the
head OF the one who had gbed hm-with
such zeal.
! When he approached Mile. Fleurette and
| bent as II TO whisper in the ear OF her
/ horse, the people waited in tense silence
for another of his brilliant jokes. But he
uttered no word. Instead, the horse sud
denly plunged forward and became UNI
manageable, even by the accomplished
| Fleurette
| Three times the maddened animal tore
around the ring; then it turned a somer-
sault, burying its beautifui rider beneath
ii, crushing the life from her.
! Men ran TO the rescue, but Festelich
was there before them. He was laughing
! and dancing at the side OF mis- dead Fleur-
| cite and when he cried, My business Is
| to Joke with every one-even with horses, p
| people knew him for a mailman. .
! He had placed a lighted cigarette In the
| horses ear. II was his last joke, for
on the way to the police station he COM
mitted suicide. .r