North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-10-06
WHOLE No. 677.


a
Francois avowedly the native land Of
heroes, but foafhe moment the hero DEAR
est to the heart of France is not q French.
man. not native of Ike land, not skilled
in its idiom, but making ueea lat the
people there call borogcuiudd Idly
sounding to their fastidious ears Gks bu,s
man language. Yet for several days tie
Boulevard world has been full Of his
name. This fortunate mansis Jose Mems
dcs, Spaniard, in the service of NJ. Lu-
cas-, the lion tanner at the Hippodrome.
NJ. Lucas, we are told, was 'e$hibiting five
lions in one cage, a family belonging to
three gcnerations--an old couple, young
couple, and a whelRof these latter. NJ.
Lucassxas daily visitor At the cage, and
he usually entered it armed with thick
stick but the other day the "Lion King
had no Other. .sceptre than switch. The
old COUPLE eti1Xrhim at the cage door,
crouched as hsasst al their tamcr's feet !;
but il happened, ash was turning to the
younger members of-the household, that
he for one momeates lost sight of the old
lioness. No longer axed by the masters
eye, and, as.is supposed, mindful of some
severe chastiseme1t to. Which she. had been
submitted, some tsisss before, the savage
creature spranga Lucas throat, and
fastened her fangs dls his lower jaw, Mt
the same time that, her claws tore the arm
by which she strove to draw the helpless
man to the ground. The signal Of attack
being thus given. the. lion Oh tsown side
caught NJ. Lucas by his this cling
fearful wounds. There was a1inStant Of
intense horror, agony and dnn{Setc1,
among the spectators, while Mr., L1rSs 4E,
tendants stood as if spell lSn4
resigned to catastrophe whish - r.
sure to be over before any meansAf avert,
ing it could be devised. 1t was &C this
terrible crisis that Jose Mendes became
aware OF the great heart that beat in his
bosom. The: Spaniard was simply his
house servant. lie had no hand jim the
affairs of the ,menagerie, and .hdd never
been in lions cage, yet witkont q Sec
ond's hesitation, he rushed in at the door
of the cage, and with the butt-end of a
revolver-the only weapon he found at
hand-dealt so smart blow to the lioness'
head as to compel her to release her grasp.
The Spaniard next dashed With all the
weight of his body at the li6nsand flung
him headlong to the back of tlf1l edge. He
then caught up the mang ed body of his
rescued master with his left arm, whiIeshe
turned his right hand with the hseled pis-
tol at the astsnished lions, = Yiscisl 9 them
with steady eye, and backing1 slowly
with his wounded burtben, 'til1lhe attend,
ants, who had BY this time come IS
Esensses ~ lDoAeds ~ bars - M
cage and made an opening through which
man and master effected their retre eat, and.
which wac Immediately barricaded against
the still angry tut bewildered inmates
The unfortunate ''lion king" bleeding
from thirty-three wounds, was entrusted
to the care of medical attendants, and was
for some time thought to be in an extrem-
ely precarious condition. He was threat
ened with erysipelas in the thigh, and the
amputation of the right arm was deemed
inevitable: but his strong constitution
seems likely to bear him through without
the operation, and he is now reported to
be in fair way of recovery. HIS pre-
server did not seem to think much of his
exploit. and to those who crowded. around
him with frantic admiration Of his conr-
age, he replied in his own Gallo-Iberion
patois. which so heartily amused the Pari
slams, to the effect that she had made up
his mind the brutes should not be allowed
to make dinner of his master before they
had breakiasted upon himself"