Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-10-01
A Tiger Loose.

FRENCH MOUNTAIN, between Glen's
Falls and Lake George, was the scene OF a
genuine sensation during the sojourn OF
Campbell's circus and menagerie at that
village night or two since. AT a late
hour, long after the audience had been dis
missed and the canvas pulled down, as the
watchman left in charge was returning
from an inspection of the stables he OBJ
served o large animal dart across his path
and almost instantly vanish in the dark
ness. Suspecting at once that some one or
more of the wild beasts had escaped from
their bondage, he fastened to where the
cages were cOarlled and discovered that
the largest Of the two elephants had drawn
the stake to which he had been fastened
and had upset the cage of the Bengal
tiger, breaking the doors and bending the
bars in such manner as to allow the ami
NAL to escape To run to the hotel,
awaken the elephant driver and summon
all hands was the work of a moment. The
elephant was promptly fettered and
search for the truant tiger commenced.
The scene, our informant narrates, as one
of indescribable excitement. None but
two or three of the most reso]ute of the
showmen would lead in the search, the re-
mainder following at a respectful distance
and in the greatest trepidation.
The tiger was not long in making
known his whereabouts, fol- the bleating
of q calf, in mingled intoh@tions Of pain
and terror, emanating from a COW she'd on
line with the show lot, indicated that
his royal highness was satlating his glut-
tonous appetite on live veal. The leading
spirits of the hunt approached, and, by the
aid of their torches, discovered that the
tiger had stricken down a yearling heifer,
and was crouched over the dying animal,
greedily tapping the blood which spurted
from large wound in its neck. A plan
of capture was soon devised, and Mr..
Clem. King, the keeper of the tiger, at
once set about putting it in practice. He
procured a rope, and making moose in
the form of lariat, he ascended by lad
der from the outside of the shed to a
window, from whence he passed to the
rafters Immediately over the tiger. He
then gave loud shout, which caused the
tiger to look upward, giving Mr.. King an
opportunity to throw the lariat over the
animals head, which feat he dexterously
accomplished. Drawing his rope
taut, he made it fast to BEAM and another
rope was passed to him, with which he
succeeded in lassoeing the tiger in the
same manner as before Mr.. King then
threw the end of the rope to party OF
men who were near the entrance to the
shed, and when they had secured it, he
threw the other end of the rope to another
party, and the two lines were at once
stretched, each party walking in the op-
posite direction. When the tiger would
make rush at one group of his captors,
the others would haul tight on their line
and thus prevent him from doing any mis-
chief After much exertion, and several
ludicrous stampedes from the bystanders
he was dragged back to his cage, which
had, in the meantime, been repaired
When he came in view of his den he
bounded in of his own accord but the at
tendants, in their haste to secure him
closed the iron door too suddenly, and
severed about foot off his majesty's tail
thus spelling, to a certain degree, his
magnificent appearance, but preventing
an endless amount of depreciation and loss
of life, perhaps, besides securing to the
proprietors very valuable animal
Rochester Democrat, September 90.