In the heart of Euclid, where lakefront breezes meet small-town stories, one name shimmered with a touch of mystery: J.W. Riley, the city’s own “Magic Man.”
In 1926, he came to Cleveland. He was married to local girl Dolly Mae Hewitt and they rented a home at 1511 Pontiac Avenue in East Cleveland. This house has since been demolished.
John W. Riley would go on to work as a photo engraver for the Cleveland Plain Dealer for 28 years. Together, he and Dolly purchased their home in Euclid, at 20171 Green Oak Drive.
From the November 28, 1938 Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Presto! Doll Becomes Rabbit!
Hocus-Pocus Makes Dream Come True
This is about a fairy tale come true. Once upon a time there lived (and, for that matter, is still living) a well-scrubbed little man of 6 named Louis (Sonny) Stage.
Sonny lived with his mother, Marie Stage, and his father, Raymond C. Stage, and his beloved little rabbit doll. Peter, in a small house on the side of a hill at 20201 Concordia Drive, Euclid.
Now Sonny and Peter were real pals and slept together. But Peter was sort of unresponsive and Sonny was and is of an affectionate nature, which means, he says, he likes to love someone, but wants to be loved back, too.
One Sunday Sunday Sonny and and his mother and father were farther up the hill, visiting a neighbor, J. W. Riley. It happens that Riley is no mean amateur magician. He also raises rabbits. Sonny usually manages to be pretty amused at Riley's magic tricks. But not this day. Instead, Sonny clutched Peter to his breast and gazed out of the window, sort of sad.
"Oh, I wish Peter were alive," he sighed. Riley coughed and said: "Well, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll change Peter into a real, live rabbit by my magic tricks, but not until next time you come here."
Sonny's eyes filled with distrust, then hope. He thought that would be fine.
So Sonny came back, and Riley, just returned from a trip to his rabbitry, took Peter and said hocus pocus and mumbo jumbo and whistled and looked straight into Sonny's eyes while his hands did some pretty fast motions.
In the child's hands was placed a beautiful white rabbit with pink eyes and a big puff of a white tail. “Cottontail!” Sonny cried and hugged it.
And he examined it carefully and told his friends yesterday how he could be sure Cottontail was alive: His nose wiggles, and he eats lettuce for dessert and has long, delicate ears and hops around when Sonny sees him first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
The other day Sonny and Cotton tail and Mrs. Stage went to than the "magician man." Riley laughed and told Sonny not to forget he could change Cottontail back int Peter again.
Said Sonny: "Come on, mother let's go home."
This is about a fairy tale come true. Once upon a time there lived (and, for that matter, is still living) a well-scrubbed little man of 6 named Louis (Sonny) Stage.
Sonny lived with his mother, Marie Stage, and his father, Raymond C. Stage, and his beloved little rabbit doll. Peter, in a small house on the side of a hill at 20201 Concordia Drive, Euclid.
Now Sonny and Peter were real pals and slept together. But Peter was sort of unresponsive and Sonny was and is of an affectionate nature, which means, he says, he likes to love someone, but wants to be loved back, too.
One Sunday Sunday Sonny and and his mother and father were farther up the hill, visiting a neighbor, J. W. Riley. It happens that Riley is no mean amateur magician. He also raises rabbits. Sonny usually manages to be pretty amused at Riley's magic tricks. But not this day. Instead, Sonny clutched Peter to his breast and gazed out of the window, sort of sad.
"Oh, I wish Peter were alive," he sighed. Riley coughed and said: "Well, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll change Peter into a real, live rabbit by my magic tricks, but not until next time you come here."
Sonny's eyes filled with distrust, then hope. He thought that would be fine.
So Sonny came back, and Riley, just returned from a trip to his rabbitry, took Peter and said hocus pocus and mumbo jumbo and whistled and looked straight into Sonny's eyes while his hands did some pretty fast motions.
In the child's hands was placed a beautiful white rabbit with pink eyes and a big puff of a white tail. “Cottontail!” Sonny cried and hugged it.
And he examined it carefully and told his friends yesterday how he could be sure Cottontail was alive: His nose wiggles, and he eats lettuce for dessert and has long, delicate ears and hops around when Sonny sees him first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
The other day Sonny and Cotton tail and Mrs. Stage went to than the "magician man." Riley laughed and told Sonny not to forget he could change Cottontail back int Peter again.
Said Sonny: "Come on, mother let's go home."
In the mid 1950s, Riley retired from his every day job as a photo engraver. His first wife Dolly passed away in 1953. He remarried a woman named Anna, and together they moved to Louisville, Kentucky. Though retired, he took on a job as a novelty salesman, and still traveled for a living. It was during one of these business trips to Daytona Beach, Florida in 1955 that he passed away at the age of 60. He had left Euclid only 6 months earlier.
Euclid's Magic Man J.W. Riley is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky.
And Louis Stage, the young boy who got to enjoy the magic and joy of his stuffed rabbit becoming a real creature? He died in 1984, and is buried in Euclid cemetery.
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