The couple continued to tour as the "Royal American Midgets" and for two years they even had British magician David Devant (David Wighton) as their lecturer.
Apparently when Millie and family went on holiday the General and his family would return to the States and continue to work. By this time there were four other Flynn children to look after but they always stayed behind in the U.S. when Francis was on tour.
When Millie and family were ready to resume their next touring schedule, Francis would, again, join up to continue exhibiting with Millie as husband and wife. In this way, in the ensuing years, the couple performed in all the principal European cities that supported the theatre.
Devant describes a typical performance: "The Midgets were brought in in a miniature carriage and pair, and paraded up and down this platform, the lecturer following them and answering questions and protecting them from over-attention on the part of the audience. They chatted and gave recitations and waltzed and rode cycles and did a lot of everyday things thus about two hours were filled up."
Having been "married" five years, interest in the couple steadily waned and Mr. and Mrs. Edwards and daughter decided to start afresh in Australia, completing the three month voyage in 1889. Being a member of the British Empire, Australia, specifically the heavily populated territories of New South Wales and Victoria, was a popular destination for American and European performers.
With the sudden and unexpected death of Lucita Zarate in 1890 any hope of a Zarate / Mite reunion tour was crushed. Since the General's career had also been so intimately connected to that of Millie's, Mr.and Mrs. Flynn and son decided they, too, would move, joining up with the Edwards in early 1891.
In the mid 1890's Francis health began to fail having been diagnosed with serious liver and kidney problems. But he and Emily continued to make appearances, sometimes together at other times as solo performers.
In Sept 1898, despite ever failing health, Francis contracted to appear with Rowley's Waxwork Museum Show in New South Wales. In October the show was then playing in the outback in the town of Broken Hill near the border with South Australia. Francis was then lodging at the Australian Club Hotel. Unable to rally for one more show, he passed away there on October 5th. He had recently celebrated his 26th birthday. |
