The ClownThe Clown

In October of 1916, a German circus came to town. During a break between shows, a clown named Gero snuck behind the tent to have a drink before the evening show. After finishing his flask he noticed a small boy laying in the grass. The child was lifeless and turning blue. In a panic, the clown scooped up the child and carried him to the town square. Gasping for air, alcohol on his breath, screaming for help in German, holding a lifeless boy, and wearing a clown costume, Gero's heroism doomed him. The townspeople mistakenly (but understandably) thought the clown must be guilty of an awful crime, but even so, their violent, mob-fueled reaction is a blight on the name of the State of Illinois. Outraged parents and citizens, already distrustful of Germans thanks to World War I, worked themselves into a bloodthirsty frenzy and attacked the circus. After surrounding the clown tent, trapping all of the clowns inside, the father of the dead boy set fire to the tent. Not one clown survived. The circus manager, afraid for his own life, packed up the trucks and left while the fire raged. Twelve clowns were killed that day, and it was later discovered that the boy had died from an allergic reaction to a bee sting. The Clown’s demise was so violent and unjust, that their souls never did find rest in the graveyard. The Twins heard their screams in the night and brought them back to the light.