A Modern Sampson.

Manawatu Herald, 4 February 1899, Page 2

A Modern Sampson.

♦ A huge crowd was the other day attracted to the Qaeen'* Statue in Sydney, to witness an open-air ex hibition of Sampson the athlete, who harl announced that he would forfeit £500 if he failed to break, with the muscles of his arm, a chain used by two horses to draw a fiw.ton load. He also offered to give £500 if tbe horses broke the chain when performing that task.

The chain was affixed to the swingle bar of a lorry and the horses hitched up, and set to pull the load. This they did several times without breaking links. Then some fifty people made a rush at the lorry, to which tbey added their weight, tha result being that the links straightened out. Amid loud cries of " Give him faftflk play," Sampson jumped to the grouolT and shouted " The chain is not broken, I'll now hook them together and show you I can do my part in the bargain." Ha took off his coat and rolled up, his sleeves, and the links werjjl fastened across tbe muscle of his right arm. He bent bis arm, bait the chain withstood tho pressure. Again adjusting tbe links he bent almost double, and, forcing bis wrist Lo his shoulder, he succeed in snapping the chain. The eBtJPrJi;, however, was so exhausting"- that directly the feat was accomplished he f.u'nted, and ouly recovered after he had bean removed and put to bed.