Walter McLain #4

This is McLain in Sarasota during rehearsal practicing a long mount. Slivers was drafted into the Army in 1942 and he told me he was in Basic Training when he learned that Walter had been killed. Oscar Cristiani added that he had been an eye witness to the incident. He said that John Ringling North was engaged to one of his sisters at the time and the three of them were standing at the crossing watching the train being unloaded when the hook rope broke while one of the wagons was coming down the runs and continued to roll across the intersection. McClain was standing nearby with the elephants and attempted to climb aboard the runaway vehicle to set the hand brake but instead slipped and fell beneath to his death.