SHOCKING DEATH OF ANOTHER "FEMALE BLONDIN."

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 97, 5 October 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

SHOCKING DEATH OF ANOTHER " FEMALE BLONDIN."

(From the Weekly Dispatch.)'-Aston-park, near Birmingham, was the scene of a sad occurrence on Monday evening. A woman, calling herself Mad. Geneive, the " Female Blondin," fell from a rope thirty feet above the greensward, and was killed on the spot, death being instantaneous. The poor creature had been engaged to go through her perilous performance on the occasion of a. fete held in the park, in aid of the funds of the Order of Foresters, and there were many thousands of persons present. She made her appearance a little before seven o'clock, havidg been advertised as " the only real and legitimate performer of Blondin's great feats, walking the rope shackled in chains, feet in baskets, blindfolded, enveloped in a sack, &c.'' The rope on which the performance was to take place is said to have been so worn, and decayed that one of the officials at the hall described it last Saturday, as ll a rope on which he would not allow a dog to go." This frail cord was about thirty yards in length, was suspended between two trees at the altitude described, and fastened round the trunk of each tree. One extremity of the iope was carried over a trestle, on which was a resting-place for the performer ; midway between this and the tree to which the other end of the rope was attached another trestle was placed. Both ends of the rope (which seemed to be about an inch and a half in diameter) were secured by others fixed to stakes driven firmly into the ground. This work was done under the superintendence of tbe woman's husband. All the preliminaries having been arranged, the performer ascended the landing-place amid the cheers of the .crowd. She was attended by her husband, who gave her the balancing pole and chalked her boots. The band struck up a liveley air, and as it did so, Madame Geneive stepped cautiously, and apparently with some degree of hesitation, on the rope. She walked about half its length, knelt, and stood upon one leg, then returned to her resting place. At this point her husband stepped forward and attached a couple of steel chains to his wife's ankles and wrists. Again the poor creature moved forword, evidently iv no spirit of confidence, but she walked slowly along the entire length of the rope, reaching the opposite resting place in safety. An attendant approached and removed the chains, and at the same time placing a bag over her head, with an additional blindfold. In this condition the woman again moved on the rope ; she held the balancing pole in her hands, and cautiously put her feet to feel her way : she had trodden but three faltering steps, when the rope collapsed, the platform on which the attendant was standing fell back, and the poor woman was dashed to the ground. Her death was instantaneous. Surgical aid was at hand, but it was of no avail. Concusston of the brain or injury to the spine was, in all probability, tile cause of death. The deceased was far advanced iv pregnancy, and is said to have had some presentiment that the rope was not safe. It had been recently spliced, and gave way at that pprt. At the moment of this shocking occurrence, among actual spectators of it there were many thousands of persons from Birmingham and the black country, and so little effect did it produce, that the fete was continued ; the Forester's Committee, who had the conduct of the proceedings, having at a meeting after the accident determined " to go on with the programme, omitting the dangerous parts. 1 ' The scene of this disaster is that very Aston Park which Her Majesty deigned to open as a " Peoples' Park " five years ago ; it is to be hoped that it has now for the last time been used for such debasing and brutalising performances as that of Monday evening. " Madame Geneive " was merely a professional name, the unfortunate victim of this sad occurrence being th daughter of an itinerant showman known in Birmingham as " Funny Joe,' and who had at one time been attached to the travelling theatre of Messrs. Bennett and Patch. The father was partly dependent for subsistance on the contributions of this daughter. Another shocking fact in connection with this ■■ sad catastrophe is, that the frightful death of this poor victim could hardly ' be said to have even temporarily interrupted the festivities and gaiety of the occasion. "Kiss in the ring," and other games, were engaged in with great glee within a few feet of the spot where the accidem. happened ; and at 10 o'clock in the evening the "grand display of fireworks " brought the day's preceedings to a brilliant close.