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Harry F. Griffin
Engine Company No. 9
1908


Harry F. Griffin
STRONGMAN OF ENGINE COMPANY NO. 13
1913




December 7, 1914

Children's Hospital Benefit, 
Morosco Theater


"A Stubborn Cinderella" every performance beginning tomorrow night with a big olio of new diversions and
MONDAY NIGHT--Henry Woodruff in the "Coon Hunt."  Madame Esther Palliser, famous prima donna soprano and Margaret Edwards classic dansetise.

TUESDAY NIGHT--Cleo Madison and Wilfried Lucas, Universal stars in their thrilling tabloid drama.  Madam Minne Hance.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT--Edward Abeles, former star of "Brewster's Millions", Ruth Roland and Harry McCoy and dainty Jane Urban.

THURSDAY NIGHT--Mss Elise Janis, America's foremost comedienne, in her incomparable imitations of famous people, Madame Ester Palister, prima donna soprano.

FRIDAY NIGHT--Photoplayers' Night.  The cleverest motion picture artists in their funniest numbers.

SATURDAY NIGHT--The Los Angeles Fire Department under the personal direction of Fire Chief Eley.
Theodore Roberts, America's notable character actor.

SUNDAY NIGHT--Los Angeles Athletic Club night with Al Treloar and big company of athletes, acrobats and artists.

Stars for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees to be announced later,.

TONIGHT--The Los Angeles Fire Department under the direction off Fire Chief Eley with Harry F. Griffin, famous strong man.  George W. Paterson Indian club artist and others.

Y. M. I. drill team under detection Captain James R. Irwin.

    With a thirty-minute educational display by the Los Angeles Fire Department, under the personal direction of Fire Chief Archie J. Eley. as an additional feature to "Louisiana Lou," a record breaking attendance is expected tonight at the Children's Hospital benefit at the Morosco.

    Tonight's performance of "Louisiana Lou" will be the last of this all-star production, and beginning tomorrow evening the Gaiety company, for the benefit of the hospital, will produce, by request, that rollicking musical comedy.  "A Stubborn Cinderella", with a galaxy of new specialties and the usual big extra features.

    Tonight's big feature addition to the production of "Louisiana Lou" will include the showing for the first time in Los Angeles of the 1000 foot motion picture reel presenting the drill work of the firemen of Los Angeles and their efficiency in handling the fire at the Byrne Building.  This film, which has been shown throughout the country, has never been displayed here and its appearance is attracting keen interest.  Besides the film George W. Paterson, acting secretary of the fire department, will give a club swinging exhibition, containing many new and unique features.  Mr. Patterson, who has exceptional skill with clubs, uses among other varieties electrical and musical clubs.

   Harry F. Griffin, the strong man of the Los Angeles Fire department, and who at one time was a star of Ringling Brothers' circus, will also appear in feats of strength.  Griffin's work is hailed by his brother firemen as an exhibition of almost unbelievable skill and prowess.

    Another added feature of tonight's' performance will be an exhibition drill by the championship drill team of the Young Men's Institute to music and in costume.

    Los Angeles Athletic Club Night--last night--proved up even to the greatest expectations in both attendance and quality of entertainment.

    Al Treloar and a company of famous athletes in feats of skill and strength literally carried the audience off its feet and with Theodore Roberts, famous American actor, in recitations, the extra feature was in itself worth the price of admission.


Sunday, December 6, 1914

 



MONDAY,     DECEMBER    7,    1914
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A CHECK for $100 will reach the Children's Hospital today, from the Firemen's Relief association of the Los Angeles Fire Department, an organization into which every member of the department contributed.  Never before has the association given of its funds to other than a member of the department or his dependents.  Chief Eley announced the contribution last night.

________

ONE of the greatest feats of strength ever attempted in Los Angeles will take place at noon tomorrow when Harry Griffin, famous strong man of the Los Angeles Fire Department, draws a hose wagon weighing several tons and carrying a dozen people down Broadway with his teeth.

    This Herculean task will be performed by Griffin to aid the Children's Hospital Benefit performances at the Morosco Theater.  At frequent intervals, between Second street and the "Examiner" building at Eleventh and Broadway, this strange procession will stop and Griffin, assisted by a number of young women, will sell tickets to "A Stubborn Cinderella," which, with added attractions, is the benefit bill at the Morosco this week.

    For some years this athlete traveled with Ringling Brothers circus and amazed thousands by his prowess.  He is said to have the strongest pair of jaws of any man in the world and is the only man who ever attempted such a "thriller" as he will carry out at noon tomorrow.

    Griffin will take a leather mouthpiece attached to the big hose wagon between his teeth promptly at 12 o'clock tomorrow, at Second and Broadway.  He will draw the wagon and its human freight for one block when a stop will be made for the sale of benefit tickets.  He will proceed to Fourth street and stop, to Fifth and stop, so on to the "Examiner" building.

________

WITH a complete change of program, a new roster of famous stars as added attractions and ??apid fire box office sale the second week of the Children's Hospital Benefit at the Morosco Theater opens tonight.

    So great was the success of "A Stubborn Cinderella," when it last appeared here and so anxious has the theater going public been to see this delightful musical comedy again that the management of the theater, after consulting with the board of directors of the Children's Hospital, decided upon a return engagement.

    Last night the men of the Los Angeles fire department, under the personal direction of  Fire Chief Archie J. Eley, put on a splendid series of turns, including Harry F. Griffin, the strong man of the fire department: George W. Patterson in an entirely novel club swinging number, and other acts.

    The firemen will appear again in an even greater olio of turns next Saturday evening, to aid the Children's Hospital.

    Tonight Madame Ester Palliser, whose name as a prima donna soprano is internationally known, will sing two numbers.  Madame Leonora Piet will accompany the famous diva.

    Henry Woodruff, star of many theatrical successes, will give his cleverest bit of artistic interpretation, "The Coon Hunt."

    Margaret Edwards, who has been known for years as the "Perfect Girl," will also appear in classic dances.

    Among the big features of "A Stubborn Cinderella" will be the stirring "Tipperary" number and the Fox Trot diversion, 'Ballin' the Jack."

 


 December 8, 1914



Draws Hose Cart by His Teeth

December 9, 1914

Harry F. Griffin




Los Angeles Fireman's Stunts
[Special Correspondence.]

    A Los Angeles fireman, H. F. Griffin of engine company 13, performed some very wonderful feats at the Morosco Theatre Sunday night, Nov. 6, for the benefit of the Children's Hospital.  He held a piece of steel 5/8 of an inch thick in his teeth and with his hands bent it with ease and repeated the performance with another piece of steel 3/4 of an inch thick.  He lifted a barrel of water weighing 500 pounds with a 150 pound man on the barrel, all with his teeth
    J. T. McCann also of engine company 13 and quite an athlete himself, helped Griffin in the performance.  Griffin also drove a 20-penny nail into a chair seat 1 3/4 inches thick with his hand and then pulled the nail out with his teeth.
    .Griffin weighs 172 pounds and is solid and well built.  He was formerly connected with Barnums, Ringlings and other circus companies, so has had a lot of experience in that line.
    On Tuesday, Dec. 8, Griffin pulled a hose wagon with eight firemen in the wagon, the total weight of which must have been easily 3000 pounds, from the Examiner office at Second and Broadway, six blocks--all by his teeth--so you see that is going some.
    

    


     520 
    FIREMAN'S HERALD

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Pulls Apparatus with His Teeth

    H. F. Griffin, a member of Engine Company 13, Los Angeles, Cal., has recently been astonishing the citizens by feats of unusual strength.  The climax came on December 8, when he pulled by his teeth a department hose wagon, carrying eight full sized firemen for a distance of six long blocks.  A few days earlier at a benefit performance for the Children's Hospital, Griffin held a rod of 5/8-inch steel between his teeth and bent it easily with his hands, and repeated the feat with a piece of 3/4-inch.  Among his other performances at this entertainment was lifting with his teeth a 500-pound barrel of water with a 150-pound man seated on it, driving a 20-penny nail, with his hand, into a chair-seat 1 3/4 inches thick and then pulling the nail out with his teeth, and breaking a strong chain by expanding his chest.
    Fireman Griffin weighs 172 pounds and is of fine physique.  Prior to his entering the Los Angeles fire department, 12 years ago, he had been a circus performer.

December 1 9, 1914



T H E  F I R E  E N G I N E E R
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A TOOTHSOME STORY.

    How is this for a toothsome story from The Garden of the Angels?
    In Los Angeles, Cal., is a Fire Department--a bully good one too--for its Commander-in-Chief is Archie J. Eley, and one of its bright officers is Captain H. T. Hill.
    Now in that same Fire Department there are many points of strength and very, very few, if any, of weakness.  Mark that will you?  Also in that same department, there is an Engine Company No. 13, and a member of that company is H. F. Griffin, and Griffin is some man.  He possesses 172 pounds of bone and steel springs, which he calls muscle, and he also possesses a set of teeth, which for capacity are probably the champion set of teeth, which for capacity are probably the champion set of the United States, if not of the world.  Don't believe it?  Here's a record of what he did last November, and he can do it again too, and will, if you will go out there to see it.
    He pulled a hose wagon with eight big men in it, total weight three thousand (3,000) pounds, with his teeth.  Also he clinched his teeth on a 5/8-inch and afterwards a 3/4-inch piece of steel and using his hands as a lever bent each one of them one after the other.  That is not all he did either.  He took a chair-seat 1 3/4-inch thick, and with his bare hands drove a nail through it and then pulled the nail out with his teeth.  A man weighing 150 lbs. sat on a barrel of water weighing 500 lbs., and with his teeth Mr. Griffin lifted the entire weight; now then what do you know about that?
    We know that a man who is a fireman is a man of strong heart, but where in all this country can you find another man who has not only the strong heart of a fireman, but a set of teeth like these?
    If those teeth of Mr. Griffin's could by any sort of legerdemain, or any process of force, be transferred from him to somebody else, without any loss of capacity, Mr. Griffin would have to show other strong qualities in more than a hundred thousand battles.
    The FIRE ENGINEER knows, right now, of at least twenty men who would go to Los Angeles on the jump to take them away from their lucky possessor.

February 1915

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'STRONG FIREMAN' IS        
         REGAINING HIS SPEECH
___

    City Fireman Harry Griffin, known as the "strong man of the service," whose feats of strength particularly his ability to draw heavy loads with his teeth, have brought him local renown, is gradually recovering his power of speech which for some time it was feared he would lose entirely.
    Griffin's case was a puzzle to medical men until Chief Police Surgeon J. P. Gilmer and his assistant, Dr. Byron Stookey, made a diagnosis and found a small tumor pressing directly over what is known as the speech center of the brain.
    Although a surgical operation seemed to be demanded, Dr. Gilmer and Dr. Stookey decided to treat this unique case without the use of the knife, and so successful has been their first efforts that it is believed a complete cure will be effected without resorting to the dangerous expedient of an operation.
    Griffin recently was granted a leave of absence pending his recovery.  He is forty-two years old, married, and has three children

 

___________
HARRY GRIFFIN PASSES AWAY
____
Well Known and Beloved Neighbor
Has Military Funeral

    After many months of patient suffering, Harry Francis Griffin passed away Wednesday evening, October 15, at the ate of 48 years.
    Military funeral services were conducted by Rev. Father Jacobs, Friday morning, October 17, at the chapel of the Soldiers' Home at Sawtelle.  The funeral procession was followed by an escort of the Los Angeles fire department and burial took place at the Soldiers' Home burial grounds.
    Mr. Griffin was a retired member of the Los Angeles fire department, also a member of the Catholic Order of Forresters and Roosevelt Camp, No. 9, U. S. W. V.
    The floral offerings were many and beautiful.
    Mr. Griffin is survived by a widow, Mrs. Anna Griffin, and three children, Eleanor, Gwendolene and Harry Jr., of 3457 West Sixty-seventh street; also two sisters, Mrs. Mary Winzle and Mrs. Francis Silhanek, and brother, William Freitag, all of Chicago Ill.
    The many friends and neighbors extend their condolences to the bereaved ones on their sorrow.

    


 

 


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