Was the circus cursed?
This program was from the Hagenbach & Wallace Circus based in Peru, Indiana. The circus gave two performances in Sturgis on August 13, 1914.
The day took a tragic turn after the performance had started. A strong wind storm blew through Sturgis and ripped three main tent poles out of the ground. An estimated 30 Sturgis and area residents were injured including Christian Wilhelm and his wife. Carillion Jacobs later tried to sue the circus for his injuries and two Sturgis area residents died as a result of their injuries.
The Show Must Go On
The circus continued their afternoon performance and gave the evening performance inviting back the injured and others who missed out on the afternoon show. This was not the only incident that plague this circus. Many thought the show was cursed.
A year before arriving in Sturgis they lost several elephants, lions, tigers and performance horses in a flood.
Four years later was the most serious disaster for the Hagenbach & Wallace circus. On June 22, 1918, about 4 a.m. the circus train carrying nearly all the performers was pulled off the main track near Hammond, Indiana to fix a hotbox problem. The wooden circus cars were struck at high speed by an empty troop train. The engineer had not seen the warning signals. Eighty-six circus performers died. Many had performed in Sturgis including strong-men, brothers Joseph and Arthur Dericks. As fire overtook the train cars, the anguished cries for help of Louise Cotrell, a young bare back rider, haunted rescuers for years after the accident.
On a positive note, one of the performers who joined this circus in later years was the famous animal trainer Clyde Beatty. In the 1930s, he had his own circus and came to Sturgis.
Rachel Boland is a dedicated Sturgis Historical Museum volunteer.
