New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-05
Trio of Brides, Courted on
Sly. Threw SaWdust in
Chaperons' Eyes.
PRANCING HORSES
CARRIED KISSES
Booming Cadences of Big Bass
Horn We're Love Notes TO
Blonde Statue.

Love always finds way. II you
think that is bromide, 20 up 10 Msdl-
son Square Garden and ask 20 see Mrs.
Burns O'Sullivan. or Mrs. Frank Ferl-
man. or Mrs. Jim Chest. These are the
three brides OF Barnum & Bsiley's.
three girls who outwit;ed FIVE hundred
circus chaperons last year. They are
the heroines Of the isnbark this sea
son.
The baby giraffe, the trained rats. and
even the fox-trotting Arabian stallion
are personages Of secondary importance
in circus society, while the achieve
ments Of the th~e girls. and the tech
nique by means Of which they rose 20
their present dazzling position, are
earnestly discussed wherever matron
and maid gather in a cobwebby corner
TO sew on spangles.
To say that the three brides are
proud Of what they did is TO put it
mildly. Matrimony is more or less Of
a feat wherever accomplished these
days. but when tits done in spite OF
tradition and the jealous chaperonage
Of a whole circus it is nothing less than
a triumph
Love Tabooed in Circus.
II is one Of the strictest rules Of the
circus that no unmarried girl shall
daily in the society of man, even with
a chaperon She shall not eat dinner
with him. nor shall she permit him to
carry her water bucket up to the tent
through the summer meadows.
Fritzie Nillman, the wire dancer and
living statue. not only shattered tradi-
ton by getting married during the cir
Gus season. but she got married with
the full consent and in the presence o.
that erstwhile ogre, Sam McCracken,
the former director OF the Barnum &
Bailey Company.
Here is a romance Of secret meetings
behind the big red wagon and caresses
vicariously bestowed upon horses, IN
terspersed with terrified scuttlings into
dark corners when one OF The demon
chaperons hove in sight.
Burns O'Sullivan is the gorgeous
siY-footer. whose silk hat and elegant
black frock coat are the most impress
sive sights in three rings.
The minute | saw that silk hat"
laughed the bride yesterday, Il made
I'D nv mind. OF course. We didn't have
much chance for lovemsking, because
If single lady is ever seen with a
gentleman they are both discharged al
once. However, We could look at each
other, and now and then We would
sneak away for little walk after dark.
He would go one way and the other
and we would meet. Sometimes my
cousin, Birdie Nillman, and my aunt
would take me 20 a chop suey house
for supper, and after q while he would
stroll accidentally, Of course.
y lNO- ear
That went on for two years. until
finally just before the show broke up
last fall Mr. O'Sullivan went to Mr..
MacCracken and told him We wanted
to get married. He said NO at first
but we begged him so hard that he
finally gave in. We didn't tell any
body else about It, but the day We were
TO be married, while ! was out doing
my act, he slipped into the dressing
room and jumped on a chair and told
everybody they were invited 70 the
wedding.
81 had the mos, beautiful wedding
in the world. with all my friends about.
Aggie. the lion tanner. stood near me-
and when | looked up once during the
ceremony | saw little Senior Bogundi'
the dwarf. and was so touched 70
think ne would come that | began 70
cry"
lust then a brisk little wom-n in a
white sport coat passed through the
room. She was May Fitzgerald. now
Mrs. Frank Furleman. the second rae
Of the trio. She and Mrs. O'SulllVan
were pals in romance.
"Oh. yes; would help Fritzie out
when I had a chance. and she did the
same for me-" laughed Mrs. Furleman,
seating herself on a dusty trunk. You
know called my fisnce my Daddy so
that the others wouldn't know there
was anything between us. Fritzie
would come in 20 our car. Your DADDY
ia outside with a letter for you she