The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-06-13 00:00:00

A TIGER AT LARGE.

The Elerartt of Antwerp aiv. s the following description
of a scene which has ouctirnd at Ants erp

.
A frightful mishap, accompanied by the most tragic
circumstances, spread terror, on Sunday morning last,
through the district of St. Jacques. Ile Zoological
Garden has for a long time been in possession of two
magnificent Bengal tigers, one of which was to be
forwarded to London. To avoid accident the animal
was placed in a waggon, secured with strong iron
bars. The greatest precaution was therefore taken
to avoid a catastrophe. At half-past three in the
morning the railway servants perceived an enormous
animal clearing at a bound the wall which separates
the Zoological Garden from the railway station. The
tiger had, in fact escaped, having bent anal
broken two of the iron bars of his cage. The
first object of his fury was the cart horse of a Mght-
man, which happened to be passing. The tiger bounded
on the unfortunate horse, biting him in the flank,
anal tearing the strips that attached him to the cart.
The driver, who at first sought safety on the horse's
back, hid himself under the cart, but not before
receia ing a wound in the leg from the tiger's paw.
Meantime the horse, mad with terror anal pain, gal-
loped furiously towards the market of St. Jacques,
pursued by the tiger. Here another deplorable event
occurmel. A gardener who was vassing the street ate
tracted the fury of the beast l'he tiger sprang at
him, tearing his 'breast, legs, anal neck in a fearful
manner. Having finished his victim the animal dragged
the bisly some distance : he then abandoned it and
rushed into St. Anne's-court, where his presence caused
in lescribable terror. M. Vekentans, the director of the
Zoological Garden, having been informed the
escape, proceeded with his staff hi pursuit, and
came up to the animal at the corner of St. Jacques'.
street, near the house Verstrepen. A night watchman
and three or four other persons took refuge in a small
shop opposite this house. The tiger spied them anal
stassl for a ment as though he intended ti rush at
them through the window. He pursued his course,
however, through the market. M.Vekenians with
his assistants, after the animal got into St. Anne's-
court, barricaded the entrance anal placed a trap in it
with a view of taking him alive. They then got
into the houses of the court in order to frighten
him into this trap. The tiger lay crouched against
the door of the tattier 'if M. de Braekeleer,
the sculptor, but, perceiving one of the men
in pursuit on the roof of a house, he leaped
• on the roof of a lower house, and assumed a most
menacing position. MM. Vekemans, Le Braekeleer,
• Werbron, and Vmhoven were armed with guns. The
tiger having perceived them, slowly descended from
the roof, evidently bent on making an attack, and
when Rhea four metres off he crouched to make his
, spring. The order to fire was given, and three guns
• weth discharged in succession. The first shot appeared
• to have missed, the second struck the animal, the
I third inflicted a mortal wound. He tittered back to
the awe of the court, where NI. de Bthekelcer
finished him with a fourth shot. These gentlemen
; behaved with great intrepidity, and, but for their
3 coolness and the measures they adopted, much greater
3 injury would have been don.,
3 l'he gardener who was attacked never spoke, and
3 I died in the hospital at HiX o'clock the same morning.

A fatal accident has occurred at C'hemterlield station
to a ant named Ileenan, daughter of a coal niiiwr, only six
ago. Site was collecting coals from ammist the
Va,utillS-1 practice which Is carried on by 211.111101,U.
ctiiidroll there, under the orders of their parents. Severi3
o agcons were being shunted all engine, and, condo, uncti
tar. knocked her down, pa-sed over her, nearly severing Mr
lieu I from her body, and also cutting her hands off.
One of the most destructive fires that has occurred
I In smord‘h, l.roke out in tin. timber.) ard
I tiro, V. ...Mouton, on Mono:iv .oght.
, (Li the discovery oi the names, liundr,ds of per ,n- ickly
I congregated, and as much of the stock as possil,h, was eta-
moved. The place is a perfect ruin, and the damage is
estimated at £15,000.