THE MIGHTY SANDOW

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 28 January 1928, Page 11

THE MIGHTY SANDOW

HIS EARLY CAREER.

making a bid tor. fortune UNIQUE PUBLICITY METHODS. (By “Physical Guitarist.”) SANDOW AS A STRONG MAN IN HOLLAND.

Some time since i described the sensation created by the late Eugene Sundew on liis first public appearance, in London, fie was then only aged 23 years. Before that date he had appeared in strong men acts on the .stage in Continental cities, a.s well as posing as a model for famous .sculptors. Periodically he found himself ill need of cash, and engagements were not always easily, obtainable.. In passing from his native Prussia to Belgium lie became a stranger in a strange land. He had not only lelt behind those who knew and admired him, but there was not the same interest manifested in wrestling and all manner of gymnastics. To young Sandow the position became still .more serious when he passed from Belgium into Holland, because it- took him still further from engagements where he had been known as an athlete. He had fallen out with his father, who was averse to his son taking up circus life, and consequently had stopped the allowance, he had earlier enjoyed. Young Sandow was now thrown absolutely on his own resources. In proceeding to Amsterdam he was venturing his barque on an entirely unknown sea.. He knew no one in the Dutch city, though he had youth and hope on his side, and had already acquired remarkable strength. Though he had an experience of theatres, shows and circuses, at the principal theatres where lie sought engagements as a strong man he was told brusquely that strong man exhibitions were not then in vogue, while the manager of the Paleis voor Volsolyt would not pay Sandow the humble 10 guilders (equal to 16s 8d) a night the young athlete asked for his services. When Sandow visited New Zealand and Australia his salary was understood to be between £2OO and £3OO weekly. At this juncture when fortune most frowned, his worthy father besought him to return home, but though without prospects and in almost extreme need of money, lie refused. Depressed and crestfallen as he was, with libs hotel. bill in arrears and not a little of his l effects, in pawn, he yet had confidence in himself. In any case, he could not brook the idea of acknowledging Ids life, so far a failure As I have previously stated, Sandow took original and novel methods of attracting attention to himself. One day he fonud himself extremely short of cash ,and conceived a daring scheme of advertising himself with a view to securing much-needed employment. Being unknown in Amsterdam, he could get no opportunity of showing his powers. At this juncture .he had a' brain wave, took a cabman into his confidence, and arranged with the latter to drive him round the city between midnight and. early morn, his purpose being to visit tlie weightlifting machines scattered througnout the town outside the closed cafes a.ncl wreck each in turn by a strong pull at the handle, a feat which only a very powerful man like Sandow could do ' Dependent upon the good nature of the cabman, not only to keep his counsel as to what he intended to do hut for the necessary com to put in the slot- at each machine, he set out and only too well accomplished his purpose.* In the morning, when the city wa.s astir, every passer along t.ne streets carried the news to the police stations, and soon bulletins were issued bv the newspapers, saying that the citv had been visited overnight bv n gang of ruffian marauders, who had by their combined strengths—so the account ran—dismantled- and wrecked every weight-lifting machine. I lie whole citv wondered at the deed, and for days it was the subject of talk. The authorities offered 1060 guilders reward for. the discovery and capture, of the miscreants. Every citizen and of course, every habited guardian ot the city’s nocturnal peace, had each bis owii theory of how the town came to be so invaded and the machines wrecked Tn time tlie town breathed freely again: the machines were repaired and the inexplicable deed was almost forgotten. A second time, and, after a little, a third time, the city woke to -a repetition of the mnehinewrecking experience. After the second of the wrecking exploits, it was, of course, not easy to guard against .surprise, for by. this time tlie police were on the qui vive, while every porter and miglitwatehman was but too anxious to obtain the civic reward. The cabman, with Sundew, had almost completed the third night’s round when the latter was , espied by si. porter at ojio of tlie l curc-s | just as lie was giving tlie wrench to a machine which threw it out of gear and broke the swings. Tlie porter, realising the apparent strength of the wonder-worker, kept at a respectful distance from the strong man, but, having the reward of the authorities before his eyes, was not .willing to lose the Chance of bagging his game. Sandow, on the other hand, having sufficiently stirred up the city to interest in his nocturnal acts, was but too ready to reap his own peculiar reward, and was not a verse to arrest. The porter, meanwhile having rushed to the nearest police office, brought v/itn him a posse of constables, who collectively pounced upon young Sandow, who suffered himself to be taken to the station. There lie was catechised by the sergeant in charge as to who were his confederates, for no one imagined that the machines had been wrecked by a. single- pair of arms. San clow’s protestation that he alone did the deed was received at first, as a ioke. Again and again was he interrogated on the point and threatened with handcuffs and imprisonment. He, of course, continued to make but'one answer, and as its possible truth becran to dawn on the police they treated him with more polite consideration. At this- Sandow, with a nonchalant air, repeated his protest against arrest. for, as lie naively observed, he had been merely exercising his anus, and in the slot of each machine had honestly paid the toll. Presently a Commissary of Police appeared on the scene, and, with amazement an d curiosity, hear Sandow’s account of the affair and his objection to the indicrinty of arrest. The comic aspect of" the scene was reached when the cuprit gave indisputable evidence, on the biggest- of the constables, that he was tlie strong man lie claimed to lie. to the amusement of the inspector and tlie crowd that by this time had gathered in and about the nolice station. After this amusing exhibition of strength, which quite won the heart of the old commissaire, Sandow was

released on his own recognisances, promising to appear should action by die authorities be pressed, which, as transpired, was not the case. On tiie contrary, the young athlete became the lion of the town, and he and the cabman were escorted in triumph to the hotel where Sandow lodged, which has since become a great resort owing to its connection with the morning’s incidents. There the entire stall ol the establishment was for hours kept busy drawing beer for the enthusiastic populace that had followed Sandow and were talking in hilarious glee over the affair. A suite of fine rooms, in exchange for liis previous humble domicile, was offered the hero by the hotel projirietor, who had caught the contagion of excitement from the crowd and was eager to show his gratitude to Sandow for bringing him such welcome and unlooked for custom. This custom thanks to the now notorious athlete, was not evanescent, but grew daily in volume, especially while Sandow made the city_ his home, and the hotel proprietor, it may be remarked, emphatically dates the founding of his fortune from the day on which the incident transpired which has been related. At the theatre which had refused Sandow a salary of 10 guilders a night he now obtained a. prolonged engagement at 1200 guilders a week.