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THE MAN THAT HUNG HIMSELF…

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THE MAN THAT HUNG HIMSELF AT CARDIFF. Ii' A Terrible Experience. That's what they call me al °ara lJ" vvny- you'll ask. I'll tell you. } was f"lhll")B engagement at the Grand Circus in uhat We.sh town, and I was doing the gymnastic "show" associated with my name. Everything went on all right until one evening-ttie last but one of my engagement, and which had been set apart for my benefit. At this particular evening's entertain- ment "l introduced some extra trapeze tricks, anC* intended to finish as usual with my long dive from the trapeze. This feat is accomplished by means of two coiled ropes, to the end cf which I fasten my feet, and as I throw myself off the swinging trapeze the ropes uncoil, and I do a sort of flying descent until stopped by the tension of the rope—but you 11 perhaps have seen me do the trick ? Well, on the occasion I am referring to I had done all the necessary preliminaries, and for ought I knew to the contrary the descent would occur as hither- to but it didn't. No; somehow or other the topes became entangled around my neck, and when I should have been swinging head down- wards at the end of the ropes I was swinging head upwards nearly at the top of the circus. Yes, I was actually being hung t And I had done it myself! How, I never could tell, and I never have been able to make out, for such an unaccountable accident has never hap- pened to me since, and I am by no means anxious that it should, either. Not exactly. To be hung once in a lifetime is enough for most folk, and it is quite enough for me. It was a case of "not too much hanging, but just hanging enough anyhow, I don't want to experience any more similar suspensions. Well. I was gasping for breath some distance out of the reach of aid, and unable to extricate myself from my dangerous pre- dicament. The audience evidently thought it was some new trick, and applauded lustily. Those members of the circus company who were in the ring looked at me in amazement, and, being also struck with the novelty of my performance, joined in the applause such a wonderful daring trick evoked. It was not until some minutes had elapsed that one of the" company" chanced to notice my painful expression, and it suddenly dawned upon him that it was no trick, but an accident, and one which, unless aid was promptly rendered, would turn out fatal. An ascent was made with all haste to the top of the circus, in order that I might be liberated from my perilous position, but I saw nothing of the efforts that were being made to save me, for I had lost all consciousness, and it appeared only too probable that the Glittering Star (as I was described in the bill) would soon cease to shine. Suddenly, however, I was released, and, strangely enough, by means of another acadent. The man who came to my relief had cut one of the ropes, and the weight which was consequently thrown on to the other one caused him to let go his hold and I was pre- cipitated to the ground. The violent collision which resulted between the human meteor and term firma brought some slight consciousness back and roused me into life again—not too soon, for I was as good as gone before I was so promptly dropped. The shrieks and screams of terror that emanated from the horrified audience I shall never forget. I was carefully picked up and carried out of the ring—the general impression being that I was non est. I wasn't though—I take a lot of killing, for I've had several serious misadven- tures, and I've, so far, managed to pull through and be myself again. Well, I was taken home, and, to the delight of my friends, it was found that I was not much the worse for my attempt to outdo Marwood. Of course the horror-mongers had got wind of the accident, for next morning I had the curious privilege of reading: in the daily journals a harrowing account of a Frightful and fatal accident to a gymnast." It was frightful enough in all conscience, but luckily it wasn't fatal. Now you know why Cardiff folks call me the man that hung himself."—OHIIY (Lessee of the Leeds Circus).

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lTHE WEST AFRICAN CONFERENCE..

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