EXCITING SCENE IN A Of CIRCUS.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 10, 11 July 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

EXCITING SCENE IN A Of CIRCUS.

THE CANNON KING INJURED. On Monday night an exciting affair happened at the Circus, Percy street, Newcastle, where Berr Holtum, "the cannon king," with his circus company, are at present performing. The performances were announced to conclude' with a new military spectacle entitled " The War in the Soudan," and it was in this that the accident occurred which nearly cost Herr Holtum his life. The plot of the piece was simple, and may be described. The Arabs appear first, and uddressed by one of the sheiks are urged to drive from their native soil the British invaders. After their exit, General Graham and the British soldiers appear. They are supposed to have had a tiresome march, and are advised by th 6 General to take a rest and enjoy it. The scene at this poiut afforded an opportunity for the herculean feats of Herr Holtum (who enacts the part of Sergeant Braveheart), with heavy cannon balls. Wearied and overpowered, the soldiers, with Sergeant Braveheart, sink down to rest, and are shortly afterwards surprised by the Arabs,' who, creeping in, suddenly dash upon them. In the melee that ensues most of the soldiers make their escape, but the sergeant is taken prisoner and h put into a fort close at hand. The daughter of the regiment plots to secure the escape of the sergeant. She manages to intoxicate the black sentry, and releases her comrade from prison. In the attempt to escape, however, they are encountered by the Arabs, who decide upon shooting the sergeant. A rope is placed around him, he is put in front of a cannon, but about a dozen yards from it, and an Arab is placed in readiness to fire it. As a matter of fact, the fe*at assigned to Herr Holtum last night was simply what he is almost accustomed to do nightly, and no danger whatever was apprehended Everything being prepared and the gun ready, Herr Holtum hinitjelf gave the order to fire, and the ball was discharged. It was seen to pass uncomfortably close to his head, hia hands barely touched it, and it bounded with a dull thud against one of the Bide partitions leading to the stables. At this point there was a rush in of the British troops upon the Arabs, and, the incident, which" had been but, the work of a mdment, was unnoticed almost by some that were in the building. But it was noticed that Herr Holtum ran speedily with a somewhat dazed appearance from the spot, and those who were near him knew that an accident of an'aiarming kind had occurred. There was a painful pause in the performance, the soldiers' who had driven oufc the Arabs stood by the cannon, evidently waiting the appearan6e of the other performers, but none appeared, and there was evidently some commotion behind the scenes. After au' interval of about perhaps five minutes, '■Herr Holtum appeared, and it was observed that his head at the left side wag bleeding, and that he held'a blood-stained cloth in his hand. Addressing the audience, and pointing tq the wound, he suid — " Friends, I came -t6' Newcastle for a four weeks' engagement,' and have performed my beßfc everytirae I appeared. To-night I haye 1 got a wound, b'.ut it is, I can ' assure you, only.' a skin wound}' "and I shall be all right 'again^'l hope,' f6r to-morrow night, it would not have happened if I had had sufficient practice for this 'piece, but I haye I 'onjy been practising three days', with the supers. ' It is; however, lOnly a skin' Wotind." The audience ''tneir' sympathy with Herr Holtum and their joy at his deliverance frbra 1 serious harm by loud cheerl' ' Addressing the band, Herr Hol'tutn, said : " I 'advise, you, gentlemen to play ' God Save the Queen.' " This was done,- iind the performance was brought to a close. Herr HoTtum, we may Btate, is a native of Hadersley, in- Denmark, and is 4,0 years of age. He made his first appearance on the stage' in 1^6(5., and since that time has performed 'His feats' with cannon balls,' and 'his'^Ct of catching a ball fired from' ! a cannon' in nearly every v part 6f the world. Once during the career of Herr Holtum — at Leeds in j February^ 1880 —a 1 man named Eli- ! jah Fentpn, in, response to a general challenge, essayed the feat of catching the ball, but, failing, he was struck in the face by' it and severely hurt.