A Seriously Sad Clown
From the NYTimes article on west 71st Street:
"As apartment houses became popular and drained off many of the original row-house families, owners began taking in boarders. They included Frank Oakley, who was known as Slivers the Clown and who toured with the Barnum & Bailey circus. He committed suicide in his room at 308 West 71st Street in 1916. Oakley had fallen for Viola Stoll, a young vaudeville actress, and remained infatuated even after she stole his late wife's jewelry. When he tried to have her paroled from prison by proposing marriage, she rejected him."
It's not bad enough that the clown was named slivers, no, nor is it bad enough that he ultimately killed himself in his bedroom - it's that his love was so unrequited that after stealing his late wife's jewelery from him, his interest would rather do the time than be stuck with him.
OUCH.
"As apartment houses became popular and drained off many of the original row-house families, owners began taking in boarders. They included Frank Oakley, who was known as Slivers the Clown and who toured with the Barnum & Bailey circus. He committed suicide in his room at 308 West 71st Street in 1916. Oakley had fallen for Viola Stoll, a young vaudeville actress, and remained infatuated even after she stole his late wife's jewelry. When he tried to have her paroled from prison by proposing marriage, she rejected him."
It's not bad enough that the clown was named slivers, no, nor is it bad enough that he ultimately killed himself in his bedroom - it's that his love was so unrequited that after stealing his late wife's jewelery from him, his interest would rather do the time than be stuck with him.
OUCH.
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