The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-09
SLlVERS, FAMOUS AS CLOWN.
ENDS HIS LIFE FOR LOVE
round Dead in His Gas Filled Room After Girl He
Caused to Be Sent to Bedford Reformatory
Had Refused to Marry Him.

Sivers. the best known and most
Imaginable circus clown OF this genera
non-in the opinion or many a white
haired boy who used to crawl under the
canvas back In dim days. the most whim-
sicaIly Imaginative clown of all time
mad grown 80 weary Of life during recent
days that some time late on Tuesday
killed himself.
The underlying reason. It developed
yesterday, for Slivers's act, was his love
Tor a girl now serving a three year term
IN Bedford Reformatory for stealing his
jewels. The girl last week had refused
to become his wife upon her release.
The girls name is Viola Stoll. The
clown had loved her before she stole his
gems. They had belonged to his lead
wife. and she had access to them be-
cause she was "h%ousekecpcr" of his
apartment. lie caused Vlola's arrest
and conviction and then his love for her
returned. She was sentenced to the re.
formatory In August. 1919.
on Wednesday OF last week Slivers
went to Bedford, accompanied by George
Young. a detective. one time secretary to
Police Commissioned D%ougherty. In the
presence OF Mary Rebecca Moore. SUPER
intendent OF the institution. and the de-
tective. the man asked the girl to marry
him. And Viola, having stolen the mans
property. refused the Gift OF his heart.
The clown wept so bitterly that she told
him she would think II over and let him
nov later.
Note From Refornatory.
Last Tuesday Mrs. Moore wrote the
following TO Young:
Il have had a long talk with the girl
She has no interest In Slivers. neither
has a desire to marry him. now or at any
other time. I again advise YOU to dis
illusion him"
No one saw siivers on Tuesday In
the house In which he had an apartment
at sos West Seventy-frst street. Just
before midnight on Tuesday Mrs. Hattie
Everett, who leases apartments In the
house. asked two men living there after
a maid had received no answer to re-
peated knocks on the door 10 investigate.
The men ratified and banged OF the
door until some of the towels with
which the keyhole and cracks Of the
door had been stuffed were dislodged.
Gas fune began 10 I'LL the corridor.
Policeman Lyon was called from his
beat. the door was unlocked and showed
open. tumbl!ng to the floor a barricade
OF chairs and other furniture which
Slivers had piled against the door be-
fore turning on the gas.
Found Dead on Floor.
Sl!vers lay on the floor wearing only
his paJamas. He was dead. Several
gas Jets were turned on full and win
dows and doors had been tightly sealed
with towels and papers. He had been
dead. SO Dr. Wolinsky. who had come
with an ambulance from Polytechnic Hos
pital. said. for about four hours. He
lad written nothing to explain his act
before committing suicide. There was
no one at that time to taxi charge OF
the body. so II was taken downtown and
across Tw~enty-sixth street. past Madi-
son Square Garden TO the morgue at the
end OF the street.
The regiments OF clowns who bawl
and tumble out onto the Garden Ia nbark
every few minute 1t performances OF
the greatest show" are invariably I'M
known even by name to circus audi
ences. except when. perhaps once in a
generation. a George Fox. a Tony
Den.er. a Dan Luby or. master Of them
all. a Sllvers Oakley comes forth with
a genius for psntomime that lifts them
from the ruck Of individuality.
Even circus patrons who may not re-
member by name the Frank Oakley
who was nicknamed Slivers. because Of
his ianky height. will recall him II they
ever saw him. "A bird cage catching
mask" and a padded catching glove as
his sole baseball props to create. IL
fusion. &c through his artlessly artful