The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-07-16
4 TnA, with a Mion.Tamor.
LryorL 1--WE rt1frs wouvDrp,


A lion-tamer named Lengel was severely
bitten in the leg byn lionessin Charleston,
S. O.. in April. and is still disabled In con-
sequence ofthe wound. One OF the Char
lesion papers describes q visit 10 him as
follows:
awe found Mr.. Lengel lying down road.
ING, not suffering much, but very restless.
Ho is apparently about 80 or 33 years Of
age, but is really ten years older. He told
MS that he Is u native OF Philadelphia, and
has been engaged in the lion-tnming bust
ness for Is years during which time he has
served in the circusses of J. NJ. June, s.. b.
Howe, Phineas 7. Barnum, Haight & Cham
bers, Van Amburgh. Raymond & Co, Cast
clio aud Ames, the latter of which he is
with ut present. June is dead. Howe and
Barnum have quit the business, Haiqht &
Chambers filled in Texas two years ago.
Hhight q Castillo are now showing IN Cal
ilornin. T.
In answer TO u question rs TO his man
nor OF tanning lions, he replied at length,
saving that ii was q gift Of nature, With
him. II have no fear ofthem. People tell
me every time / get a wound that it ought
to be a warming to me, aud should make
me fear TO 90 in the cage again. Butt
does not. When lam away from the lions
/ get homesick, and when l can go where
they are and my wounds prevent me from
going into the cage, Iget more homosick
still. 1 never met any lions l could not
tame. Thrsc years ago / tanned Eve in
New York. which, while in Europe. had
killed Il man and badly mangled another,
who had attempted TO tame them. In three
weeks after they were put in my charge
they were as tame as l wished, though be-
] -. H. 49,. a.Irsl...I ,.aNv..11. 7
very seldom use force in tanning them, but
sometimes it becomes necessary-kindness
is my usual plan; / nm always careful TO
keep my eye upon them.
every one who has seen The lion-ta-
mer' leaving the cage after his feat of lying
dowrpnmong the lions, putting his feet on.
their heads, feeding them, and firing Of
pistols, has DOUBTLESS noticed how careful
he was-stepping out backwards very de-
liberately, aud watching closely the beasts
which always advanced upon him. In
speaking Of this, he said; If 1 did not
keep my eye npon them they would jump
at me. They have sense enough 10 know
that / am retreating from them, and they
gain courage; there is more danger to me
at this time han at any other. Ifthe lions
were ut liberty, / would fear 10 90 near
them. Some people think that a lion born
in America is more doclile, partaking less
Of the savage nature of the brute, than one
born in Africa or Asia. Not so. I would
rather have to tame a litter born in either
Of the last two mentioned places than a lit
ter born in this Countrywide latter are more
dangerous and less easily tanned
HIS WOUND.
"Mr. Lengel has been bitten n number
Of times by lions, ~lionesses We should have
said, as the males have never done so; the
lionesses, said he, are more treacherous
and decoitfll than the lions He has beon
slightly scratched m almost innumerable
number of times. He has never had to Law
up but twice from his wounds. The desorip.
ton Of the wounds Mt the places where he
received them are mentioned below.
"The first wound was a bite in the left
leg. in Western Pennsylvania while with
Barnum's circus.
"Ihe second was received while with S.
b. Howe q Co., in Augusta, Ga, being sew
ercly bitten in the left hand. This wound
caused him to lose the use Of his middle
finger. r
"The third was inflicted at Little Rock,
Ark, by a lioness in Howe q Castello's
circus. This time two fingers of the right
hand were mangled. He has full use Of
them now.
The fourth was received while in Mad.
ison, Indiana, last summer. The lioness
seized him by tho right leg, driving her
teeth into the cali ofhtsleg until they near
ly met.
The fifth was received last April in New
Orleans. The animal seized him by the left
leg, inserting one tooth Of the lower iawan
inch and q half into the calf, and "A tooth
Of the upper jaw tue same depth into tho
upper side of the knee joint. Mr.. Lengel
was confined TO his bed n while, but when
the circus moved he came along and gave
two exhibitions, one In Augusta and onein
Savannah, the latter of which he saws n d
paradise for a circus. On coming here he
made arrangements TO perform last Wednes-
day, but his leg painlng him, he consulted
DIR Il. M Robertson, who ordered him To
bed al once, telling him that the bone of
the leg was injured. This order was
obeyed, and Mr.. Lengel still remains In
bed. He is able, however, 10 travel nbont
the room occasionally.
at is.sOmewhat Of q coincidence that
DR.. Robertson has attended his patient ON
two other occasions, at the Pavilion Hotel.
for wounds received from lionesses-all OF
the wounds being upon the left side Of tho
body. . -
"lIerr Lepgel does not think he was bit.
ten but once Intentionally. He saws the
lionesses when together never meet hui
they snarl andsnap at each other two d
them never live peacefully in the same cage
and states il as his opinion that, with the
exception mentioned, when he aggravated
one beyond endurance, he was in the way.
aud was bitten for one of the lionesses
He has the teeth and claws of the lionesi
which he thinks bit him ~purposely. The
teeth are an inch and a hnsf long, with {
root about two and a half inches ia length
If the teeth were driven in flesh up TO the
gums q large sized peach stone could be
planted in the hole, The claws, which the
animal, like the cat, keeps ~unexposed till
wanted, arc formidable-looking obje -ts.-
We do not now doubt, az we once did, the
assertions of travellers, that one blow from
a lions paw would kill a man or tear out
great masses Of flesh. Herr Lengel says
he fears their claws more than their teeth,
that they generally strike before they bite,
Herr Lengel will have 10 remain here
about ten days Longer, after which it is
probable he will be able TO rejoin his com
pany." n5 t'nw ff3
"A novel style of head dress in Paris
and the very latest, tools q garland of tn.
lips worn upon the head, so arranged that