A JUGGLER'S DILEMMA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10020, 16 April 1910, Page 4

A JUGGLER'S DILEMMA.

Nobody who witnessed the last series of performances by Paul Cinquevalli, prince among jugglers, in New Zealand about a year ago, could have guessed the reason for bis return visit of the Antipodes. The cause subsequently formed the basis ; of a civil action, decided in London a couple of months since. A music hall syndicate sued Cinquevalli to recover £SO 8s 4d for failure to carry out an engagement to appear at the Rival Cambridge Music Hall for a week during March, 1909. The circumstances werd admitted, but it was shown that the artist's inability to appear was due to the illness of his assistant, the inimitable Walter Burford. He had become absolutely indispensable to Cinquevalli, and, in 1908, acting on medical advice, Walter was taken on a sea voyage to Australia and New Zealand. All" contracts current at that time had to be abandoned, and, for the sake of his assistant, who was an epileptic subject, Cinquevalli was obliged to forego the princely salary his London appearances were yielding. It was on the return after the Australasian tour that ihe cause of action arose. Walter was seized with an epileptic fit during an entertainment, and the curtain had to ba ruug down. He was too ill ta apper subsequently, and so his employer refused to go on with the engagement. Cinquevalli's dependence upon the good offices of the estimable Walter, who died shortly after the' seizure referred to, was indicated by his evidence. Many people, he said, carne to see the assistant j and not the star performer. "He was las much a juggler as I am," the ; defendant added, pathetically. "He j had to pretend to do it clumsily, 1 vhich is harder. I might tell you he was very adroit in private life.'' When once a juggler had associatad an asbistant with his performance, it was imppossible to do without him —he became part and parcel of the juggler's body. So much so had this proved to be in Cinquevalli's professional experience, that since the death of Walter his repertoire had become limited to one series of feats—that connected with the billiard table, balls and cuse. The Judge of the County Court before whom t e case was heard sympathised entirely with Cinquevalli in refusing to appear without his assistant. He had his professional status to consider,,, ar.d one miijht as well expect an eminent pianist with a reputation and a damaged finger to play as well as could be contrived for the delctation of a severely critical audience. Judgment was Riven for defendant with costs.