The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-28
A CONVERSATION WITH HERR LEN
GEL, THE LION TAMER.
His Wound and Wounds and his EIpe.
rience with Lionesses.

4 k1AS VOuu0 &no "OuHub ahu nAb CARo
rtence with Lionesses.
We very much doubt if there is man
woman or child in the United States, where {
circus has been, that has not heard of Herr
Lsngel, the lion tamer-all OF whom Will reao
with interest the statements below, CLEANED
from o conversation held with him yesterday
afternoon, at the Pavilion Hotel, where he lays
nursing leg badly bitten by a lioness in Apri
| last.
| HIS CIRCUS EXPERIENCE.
We found Mr.. Lengel lying down reading
| not suffering much, but very restless. He is
apparently about thirty-two or thrty-three
years of age, but is really ten years older. BE
told us that he is 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, 8. B.
Howe, Phineas T. Rarnum, Haight Cham.
bers, Van Amburgh, Raymond g. Co., Castel-
10 and Ames, the latter Of which he is with ut
present.
June is dead, Howe and Bsrnum have quit
the business, Haisht & Chambers failed in
Texas. two years ago. Haight and Castillo are
now Showing" in California.
,-..,,-. HIS EXPERIENCE WITH LIONS.
In answer to question as to his manner oil
tanning lions, he replied at length. saying that
sit was gift OF nature with him. have 10
fear of them. People tell me every time get q
wound that 1t ought to be warning to me,
and should make me fear to go in the cage
again. But il does not. When am away from
the lions I get homesick, and when can go
where they are and my wounds prevent me
from going into the cage, I get more homesick
still. never met any lions [ could not tame.
Three years ago, I tanned FIVE in New York,
which, while in Europe had killed one man
and badly mangled another, who attempted to
tame them. In three weeks after they were
put in my charge, they were as tame as
wished thouah before they were considered
untamable Livery seldom use force in tanning
them, but sometimes it becomes necessary
kindness is my usual plan l am always care
fL 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 hons, putting his feet on their
heads, feeding them. and firing off pistols, has
..oubtless noticed how careful he was-step-
ping out backwards very deliberately, and
watching closely the beasts which always ad-
vsDced upon him. In speaking Of this, he
said: II did not keep my eye upon them they
would jump ut me. They have sense enough
to know thatI -retreating from them, and
they gain courage; there is more danger to
me at this time than at any other. II the lions
were at liberty. I would fear to 20 near them.
So ne people think that lion born in America
is more docile, partakine less of the savage ma
ture OF the brute, than one born in Africa or
Asia. Notso would rather have to tame q
litter born in either OF the last two mentioned
places than litter born in this country-the
latter are more dangerous and less easily
tanned.
HIS WOUNDS
MIR. Lengel has been bitten q number oi
times by. lions, lionesses We should have said,
as the males have never done 30; the lionesses,
said hi, ssare more treacherous and deceitfu
than the lions" He has been slightly scratch.
He has never had to lay up but twice from hif
wounds. The description OF toe wounds and
the places where be received them are men
toned below.
The first wound was bite in the left leg, IL
Western PENNSYLVANIA, while with Barnum't
Circus.
The second was received while with s. B
Howe & Co. in Augusta, Ga, being severely
bitten IN the left hand. This wound causet
him to lose the use Of bis 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
msngled. He has full use Of them now.
The fourth was received while in NJ Msdiso n,
Indiana, last summer. The ioness seized hin
by the right leg, driving her teeth into the cal
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 half into the calf, and tooth Of the
upper Jaw the same depth into the upper side
of the knee joint. Mr.. Lenale was confined to
his bed while, but when the circus moved he
came along, and gave two exhibitions, one IN
Aususts and one in Savannah, the latter o
which he says is paradise for circus. On
coming here he made arrangements. to per
form last Wednesday, but his leg paiuine
hun, he consulted DR.. F. NJ. Robertson, who
ordered him to bed at once, telling him thai
the bone of the leg was injured. This order
was obsyed, and Mr.. L. stu remains in bed.
He is able, however, to travel about the room
occasionally.
It is somewhat of coincidence that DR.
Robertson has attended his patient on two
other occasions at the Pavilion Hotel for
wounds received from llonesses-an OF the
| wounds being upon the left side OF the body.
Herr Lepgel does not think he was bitter
but once Intentionally. he says the lionesse'
when tog ,ther never meet, but they snarl ant
snap at each other-two Of them never live
peacefully in the same cage-and states that 1t
Is his opinion that with the exception men
toned, when he aggravated one beyond endn
anoe, he was in the way, and was bitten for on
OF the Fionssseses. He has The teeth and claw
1 of the lioness which he thinks bit him pur
poaely. The teeth are an inch and . half long
with root about two and half Inches II
length. II the teeth were driven in flesh up t.
the gums, large sized peach stone could b.
planted in the hole. The claws, which the ami
NAL, hike the cat, keeps une1posed till wanted
are formidable looking objects. We do no