Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 August 1907 — A WOMAN PERFORMER IS HURT. [ARTICLE]

A WOMAN PERFORMER IS HURT.

Falls From ••Devil Wheel” During Evening Performance of Circus. Last Friday was a big day in Rensselaer and the Wallace-Hag-tnbeck circus ehowed a big crowd both afternoon and evening, larger in the afternoon, of course, than at night as most of the country people and those from neighboring towns came for the former show. At the night performance Mrs. John Sutton, who performed on the ’‘devil wheel” with the Van Diemans, where four women are drawn to the top of the tent and go through various eovlutions while hanging by their teeth, lost her hold and fell to the ground beneath, a distance of perhaps some 30 feet, and suffered a compound fracture of one of her limbs just above the ankle, the bone being broken iu three places and protruding through the flesh. The accident was not noticed by very many people in the audience, the injured woman being carried from the ring immediately by the attendants, and the rest of the show going on without interrup-. tion. The woman was taken to Dr. Washburn’s office where she received surgical attention and tbe leg will be saved, although it was so bad a break that it was at first thought it would have to be amputated. The next day she was taken to Mrs. Sears’ boarding bouse where she still remains. The act is a thrilling one aud it is not strange that an accident of this kind should occur. Mrs. Sutton stated that she had felt a weakness in her teeth or jaws for two or three days, and while going through with the butterfly ivolution she suddenly lost her strength and fell as above stated. She is 36 years of age, and is a native of Tasmania. The circus itself was one of the best ever seen, being much the largest that ever exhibited in Rensselaer, and hundreds of people who have seen Ringling’s and the Barnum & Bailey aggregations thought the Wallace-Hagen-beck beat them. all. The parade was a big and gorgeous affair, 16 elephants, 10 camels, four bands of music, a steam calliope, scores of wagons and hundreds of horses aud people being in the the procession. About 5,000 people were in attendance at tbe aftetnoon performance and probably 2.500 to 3,500 at the night show. There was no gambling or grafting noticeable, and every one who had any business dealings with the show people speak in tbe highest praise of them. People came from twenty to thirty miles to see the performance and all were well jpaid for coming so f&r, as it certainly is a par-excellent show. The city of Rensselaer received about SSO show license and' stand privilege money and several hundred dollars were left in other expenses here, while the restaurants and business men generally profited many dollars from tbe big crowd brought here to see the show. Liveryman Knapp who furnished rigs for billing the’country and feed for the horses, received about $245 in cash for his pay, besides having bis barn well filled show day with transient rigs.