Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-05-03
DRokEN. HEARrEo ciAcue
j, CLOWN TAkGo OWN LEE
7 FoRMEh IOWA o0Y

Chicago. May 3--Phil Brinkerhoff
stole away from his home In Red Oak.
Iowa, one night and joined . circus.
He was 13 years old then. Employed
as an errand boy. caller. and water boy.
he studied the tricks OF the acrobots
and one day when the high diver fell
and was injured Young Phil Brinker-
hon was given his great opportunity
and the disabled mans tights.
Phil had daring and genius. He, In
vented new thrills and put fancy frills
on old ones. He was q parachute
jumper, trapeze performer, and q
contortionist under the big top
His name was printed in large type
IN all the handbilis, posters and pro-
grams. He earned big salary and
travelled in style.
Falls During Thriller.
Then one day when the circus was IN
Topeka, Kans., and Phil was perform
ing up near the canvass roof. with
nothing between him and the saWdust,
he fell. And somebody else got Pills
tights. Phil's collar bones and two ribs
were broken.
Z Friends took up a collection for him.
for he had spent his money as rapidly
as he made It,
He wasn't in shape for high diving,
parachute jumping or acrobats when
he came out OF the hospital. but he
couldn't get away from the sawdust.
So he donned the costume Of q clown.
Glowing is an easier job than being
an acrobat and there are no risks in 1t,
but to get decent salary a clown must
"get the laughs"
Finds Glowing Hard Work.
Phil soon found out he wasn't cut
out to be clown, but he kept at 1t be-
cause he couldn't get anything else to
do and by copying the antics Of sue
cessful laughmakers he was able to.
"get away with It,"
Last November he married. He
wasn't able to support his wife.
Clowns, like grasshoppers, do not play
in the winter, for the circus lasts only
during the summer. During the winter
it lays up in Baraboo, Wis, and pays
no salaries.
There was job as clown in q de-
partment store at Christmas time and
Brinkerhop took it. but ii lasted only
a few days.
Wife Gets Job, Leaves.
His wife couldn't stand 1t. She In
sisted on full dinner pail, and finally
left him to take job Of her own. So
the clown strug gled thru the win
ter as best he could.
Friends got him a position as ticket
taker in a dime museum on State
street and saved MIN from starvation,
but he caught cold from the drafts
which blew in thru the window Of
his booth and was forced to quit. Then
he was put at Shilling for the place
in and out ana buying tick
cts to attract passers-by.
When Ringing Bros circus came to
town Brinkerhoff asked for q job
Glowing. The Ringing had all the
talent they needed, out. noting that
the man was in distress. they employed
him as an extra"
He clowned with an effort now. The
hard winter, his wife's detection. his
Ill health and the :tction Of friends he
had counted on dulled his wits. And
his smile was gone. What Is q clown
without smile?
Bids sawdust Good-Bys.
So Friday night lie was forced to bid
goodbye to the sawdust. The same
evening he last his Job at Shilling"
He went to his room in the Inter
Ocean Hotel at 1888 South State street.
The maid knocked on his door Sat-
urday morning. There was no answer.
Yesterday the police broke the door
OPEN They found Phil Brinkerhoff
dead.
The police report to the coroner
reads Suicide by poisoning"