THE DAVENPORT’S L50 CHALLENGE FEAT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 779, 23 March 1877, Page 3

THE DAVENPORT’S LSO CHALLENGE FEAT.

—o We (Guardian) do not remember to have witnessed an audience more intensely excited and interested in the result of any performance than was that assembled in the Princess Theatre on Friday night last. The occasion was the acceptance by the Davenport Brothers of the challenge made by Captain Barry—viz., that he would so tic the Brothers that they would not unloose themselves. In accordance with the terms of the challenge the Brothers were introduced to the audience, which ciowded every part of the theatre, by Professor Fay. Mr Driver responded to the call of the audience to act as one of the'judgcs. Dr Batchelder represented the Brothers as medical referee, and Captain Barry, considering ‘ his own right arm ” and a coil of rope sufficient to guard his LSO from abstraction, appeared solus, and commenced proceedings by saying: “ Ladies and gentlemen, last Monday evening I came on the st->ge" with Mr Couzens. I then assisted Mr Couzens to tie the brothers, but I was not satisfied, and wanted to tie the two men alone ; therefore I gave the challenge. That challenge has been accepted, and I come here’,to meet it on fair grounds ; but I will object to any other party tying either of the Brothers. 1 must tie the two'or I walk off the stage.” Professor Fay ; The reason that we have two gentlemen separately to tie the Bi others, is that the audience might not wait so long. Captain Barry : That don’t suit me, Professor. (Cries of “ We’ll wait.”) Yon may get a party to tie one brother loosely, and then he’ll help the other. This point was conceded at; the wish of the audionee. Captain Barry; Another thing I spoke, of, 1 want to tie the brothers outside the cabinet and before the public. Piofessor Fay : The captain can have his own way in every Hi i ng. (A pplause.) Captain Barry then commenced the work of tying, a proceeding we cannot of course describe, beyond saying that he used every description of knot known to a sailor, making a perfect webwork of rope around each, and afterwards “mooring" them to the seats of +ho cabinet, which he first had sealed so that hs might be satisfied they wore not false ones. Having occupied 54 minutes in making all taut, the Captain stepped forward and concluded some rambling remarks by saying, “ I have now tied these gentlemen, and 1 have moored them, and I can assure you, ladies anti gentlemen, (hat if they got out of that, without undoing it with their teeth, between now and five weeks, they will do well, and they must have some outside agency of which I know nothing. I have been tying knots in this country for 42 years, and I assure you it those two ocntlmnen get out there is no one this side the line will, tie them securely. ” The cabinet doors were then closed, and scarcely had they been so when the musical instruments began to play and the bells to ring, a fact which effectually disposes of the hypothesis that the Brothers slip their hands from the fastenings in order to set the instruments in motion. The cabinet being opened and reclosed, the excitement, as the time flow, began to heighten. In 7min. 20sec. the first hand appeared at the peep hole of the cabinet amidst loud applause, a satisfactory proof that at least one hand was free. InSmin. 40-ccs. two hands appeared, and in ]2min, 33seo the four hands appeared, at which sign the applause was deafening. From this forward it was only a matter of time when the remaining knots would be untied. Captain Barry walked nervously about, and the audience commenced to show signs of impatience. In 19min. 40sec., however, the doors flow open, and the Brothers stepped forward free from their bonds, not freed by merely shaking them off, but with every knot undone, and the rope perfectly free from tangle The applause was deafening snob as is seldom heard in a theatre, and the feat was pronounced on all hands to bo a most extraordinary one. In reply to Mr Fay’s requdst to make any statement, Captain Barry said : “Well, gentlemen, 1 have had every fair play. (Applause.) The way 1 tied those men is a way no other man this side of the line could tie 'them. Yon can take that for granted. I started with tom fool’s knot over the shoulders and

round the neck j I followed this with a slip hitch on their wrists, nnd I put clover knots and timber hitches, and fastened thorn down with a mooring; and there must have been an agency or something ontsiclo assisting thorn to get out of that lot." After the applause had boon repeated and had subsided, the usual performance was proceeded with. We may mention, in connection with this tying feat, that it is now ton years since the Brothers accepted a similar challenge. This was in Now Orleans, when for a wager of 5000 dollars they were tied up by a Yankee planter, who consumed one hour and three minutes in the tying process, and in fourteen minutes the Brothers stepped from the cabinet to claim tho money. The ordeal they were subjected to by Captain Barry last night is ‘ the greatest tying up’ they ever had.

MAIL NEWS. —o— The Attorney-General, speaking at Preston, anticipated next Session an attack on the Government by the extreme Radical party ; but he said the consequence would be that the Government would be assisted by many, though nominally in Opposition, who entertained moderate views. At tho annual dinner of the Oxford Liberal Association, Sir William Harcourt said everything pointed to a want of confidence in the administration, and that foreign affairs had been more mismanaged during the last eighteen months than at any former period. In addressing a crowded audience at Leeds, Mr Chamber’an, M.P., contended that tlie Church was the greatest obstacle to a national system of education. The dioceses of Chester, Durham, Lincoln, and Lichfield, are to be divided, and the new Sees will be Liverpool, Newcastle, Southwell, and Derby. Much excitement has been occasioned on account of the Ritualistic practices of tho Rev. Mr Too!h, vicar of Hateham. Lord Penzance inhibited him, but he paid no attention, and services much resembling those in a Roman Catholic Church were performed on two successive Sundays, with clcsod doors. Ho was proved guilty of contempt, and a warrant was issued. Several thousand roughs assembled in front of the church on the following day, and four hundred police were in attendance on the ICfch. A meeting of the English Church Union passed resolutions in favor of supporting the Rev. Mr Tooth, whose father and brother it is stated, are well known squatters in Queensland and New South Wales. At Dorchester, near Wallingford, Ritualistic demonstration was made against the Rector. Tho Rev. Air Blake. Concannon, who was lecturing at Leamington, said the Turks were about to be swept out of Europe, and the Jews were prepared to take possession of their own land—Jerusalem. Soon the latter would cross the Euphrates, which, according to the Apocalypse, would he one of the last things of time. Admiral Hornby hoisted his flag as new Commander-in-chief of tho Mediteranean fleet. A new powerful ironclad for the Turkish Government has just been completed, and will be ready for sea shortly. She is one of the most powerful vessels afloat. A Royal Commission, c imposed partly of civilians and partly of military men, is to bo appointed, to enquire into recruiting. Last year there were 7750 deserters. A floating skating rink, with artificial ice, covering an area' of ,0000 feet, has been opened at Charing Cross. A purse of 500 sovereigns has been presented to Daft, the cricketer. Lord Fitzhardinge has initiated a testimonial to W. G. Grace. Higgot, a pork butcher, at Crowlo, in Lincolnshire, sold his wife for L4O, to a local publican. A strike of barristers took place at the Curbsle scssmns, consequent upon the Treasury reducing the fee from two to one guinea. The Treasury gave way, and the sti ike ended. Sir Titus Salt left LOO,OOO, for the benefit of the sink and aged poor at Saltaire. One hundred thousand persons lined the streets of Bradford at his funeral. The question of Sunday amusement is attracting attention ; several clergymen have spoken or written in its favor. A Commission for determining the best route for cutting through the Isthmus of Daiien has arrived at Panama under the command of Lucicn Buonaparte. A lady in Rome, occupying a high position, lias claimed a share of the inheritance left by Cardinal Antonelli, on the ground that she is his illegitimate daughter. She is married and received a handsome marriage portion from the late Cardinal, Capt. King Hamman has been returned unopposed for Sligo. Mr Smith, M.P. for Tynemouth, ro r crring to elementary schools in A mciei, said we shon'd not arrive at a satisfactory educational position in England until we had elementary schools to which all classes of society would send their children. At a meeting, presided over by Lord Carnarvon, hold at Newbury Corn Exchange, it was resolved to raise funds for the erection of a monument to Lord Falkland. Two distinguished philosopherrs took shelter underono treeduringaheavy shower. After some time one of thorn complained that he felt tho rain. “ Never mind,” replied the other, “ there are plenty of treos • when this is wot through we will go to another.” Two Irishmen caught in a storm took refuge under a troo. Ono was well dressed, the other had on an oil suit, Tho welldrrssol Milesian said to Ids comrade, “ Mickey, let ns change coats. Minn is a bran new one, and I don’t want it to ho harmed by tho rain. Yours is a poor one, an 1 tho rain can’t hurt it." Tho exchange was soon effected,