The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-28
a CONVERSATXON WITH HERE LEM
GEL, THE LION TANNER.
HIS Wound and Wounds and his Expo
rioMco with Lionessos.


riomoo with Lionessos.
. We very much doubt il there is q man.
circus hiss been, that has not heard of Herr
Lsngel, the lion tamer-all OF whom will read
with interest the statements below, cleaned
from a conversation held with him yesterday
afternoon, at the Pavilion Hotel, where he Lays
nursing a leg badly bitten by lioness in April
last.
HIS CIRCUS EXPERIENCE.
We found Mr.. Lengel lying down reading,
not suffering much, but very restless. He is
apparently about thirty-two or thirty-three
years of age, but is really ten years older. He
told us that he is q native Of Philadelphia, and
has been engaged in the lion tanning business
for eighteen years, during which time he has
| served in the circusses OF j. NJ. June, s. B.
Howe, Phineas I. Barnum, HAight b Cham
bers, Van Amburgh, Raymond 81 Co., Castel-
10 and Ames, the latter Of which he is with at
present.
June is dead, Howe and Barnum have quit
the business, Haight &c Chambers failed in
Texas, two years ago. Haight and CASTILLO are
now showing" in California.
HIS EXPERIENCE WITH LIONS.
tanning lions. he replied at length, saying that
sit was q gift Of nature with him. have no
fear Of them. People tell me every time get q
wound that it ought to be a warning to me,
and should make me fear to go in the cage
| again. BUTT does not. When am away from
the lions get homeslck, and when I can 30
where shey are and my wounds prevent me
from going into the cage, get more homeslck
still. never met any lions I could not tame
Three years ago, I tanned five in New York,
| which, while in Europe had killed one man
and badly msngled another, who attempted to
tame them. In three weeks after they were
put in my charge, they we're as tame as
wished though before they were considered
untamable. very seldom use force in tanning
them. but sometimes it becomes necessary
kindness is my usual plan l am always care
fdl to keep my eye upon them.
Every one who has seen "The lion tanner"
leaving the cage after his feat of laying down
among the lions, putting his feet on their
heads, feeding them. and firing ea pistols, has
doubtless noticed how careful he was--step-
ping out backwards very deliberately, and
Watching closely the beasts which always ad-
vanced upon him. In speaking Of this, he
said: If did not keep my eye upon them they
to know that am retreating from them, and
they gain courage; there is more danger to
me at this time than at any other. If the lions
| were at liberty. I would fear to 20 near them.
So ne people think that lion born in America
is more doeile, partaking less of the savage ma
ture OF the brute, than one born in Africa or
Asia. Not so. would rather have to tame q
litter born in either Of the last two m entioned
Al
latter are more dangerous and less easily
tanned.
HB WOUNDS.
MIR. Lengel has been bitten number OF
times by lions. lionesses we should have said,
as the males have never done 80; the lionesses,
said he, 'sare more treacherous and deceitful
than the lions." He has been slightly scratch
ed an almost innumerable number Of tim es
He has never had to lay up but twice from his
wounds The description OF the wounds and
the places where he received them are men /.
toned below.
The first wound was bite in the left leg, in
Western Pennsylvania, while with Barnum' g
Circus.
Tho second wAe rouvIved while with &. b.
Howe & Co. in Augusta, Ga, being severely
bitten in the left hand. This wound caused
him to lose the use Of his middle finger.
The third was inflicted at Little Rock, Ark. =,
by lioness in Howe & Castello's Circus.
This time two fingers Of the right hand were
mangled. He has full use Of them now. y.
The fourth was received while in Madiso n,
Indiana, last summer. The lioness seized him
by the right leg, driving her teeth into the calf
Of his leg until they nearly met.
The fifth was received last April in New
Orleans. The animal seized him by the left
leg, inserting one tooth of the lower jaw an
inch and a half into the calf, and tooth Of the
upper jaw the same depth into the upper side
OF the knee joint. Mr.. Lsngle was confined to
his bed while, but vhen the circus m owed he
came along, and gave two exhibitions, one in
Augusta and one in Savannah, the latter Of
which he says is q paradise for a circus. On
coming here he made arrangements to per-
form last Wednesday, but his leg pain ing
hiIa, he consulted DR.. F. M. Robertson, who
ordered him to bed at once, telling him that
the bone of the leg was injured. This order
was obeyed. and Mr.. L. still remains in bed.
He is able. however, to travel about the room
occasionally.
It is somewhat of q coincidence that DR..
Robertson has attended his patient on two
other occasions at the Pavilion Hotel for
wounds received from llonesses-all OF the
| wounds being upon thel left side Of the body.
Herr LeDgel does not think he was bitten
but once Intentionally. He says the lionesses
when tog sther never meet. but they snarl and
snap at each other--two OF them never live
peacefully in the same oage--and states that it
is his opinion that with the exception mon
toned. when he aggravated ope beyond endur-
snce. he was in the way, and was bitten for one
Of the honssseses. He has she teeth and clsws
Of the lioness which he thinks bit him pur-
! pose'y. The teeth ars an .ach and q half LONG.
with q root shout two and q, half inches ID
length. II tho teeth were driven in aesh up to
the gums. . large sszed peach stone could be
planted in the hole. The claws. which the ami.
NAL. hike the cat. keeps unexposed till wanted,