The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-06-17
NUMBER PA,
EFEARFUL CALAMITY.


The unusually quiet little village of
Middletcwn was lately thrown into a
painful fever of excitement on the
morning of May 18th, by an awful ca
tastrophe, which occurred to the band
lately attached to James Robinson &
Co.'S, Circus and Animal show, and led
by Prof. NJ. G. Sexton.
Upon starting out from Cincinnati for
the season, the management determined
to produce something novel in the way
of band chariot, and conceived the
idea of mounting the band upon the
colossal den of performing numedian
lions, and which would form one of the
principal and most imposing features of
the show. Although repeatedly warn
ed by Prof. Sexton that he deemed the
cage insecure. and dangerous in the eX-
IRENE, the managers still persisted in
compelling the band to ride upon it :;
nothing however secured until the fatal
morning of the 18th. The band took
their places and the procession COM
menced to move amid the shouts of the
multitude of rustics who, had assembled
to witness the grand pageant, and hear
the enlivening strains of music. Not a
thought of danger was entertained by
any one, but the awful catastrophe was
about to occur. As the driver endeay-
ored to make turn in the street the
leaders became entaEgied and threw the
entire team into confusion and he lost
control of them, and becoming fright
ened they broke into violent run; upon
the opposite side of the street the fore
wheel of the cage came in contact with
large rock with such force as to cause
the braces and Sanctions which sup
port the roof to give away, thereby pre-
cipitating the entire band into the awful
nit halnNV For instant tho vast
crowd were paralyZed with fear, but for
moment only, and then arose such a
shrek of agony as never was heard be-
fore. The awful groans of terror and
agony which arose from the poor VIC
Tins who were being torn BY the
frightful monsters below was heart
rending and sickening to terrible de-
gree. Every moment some one of the
band would eNtricate themselves from
the debris, and leap over the sides of the
cage to the ground with a wild spring
of terror and faint away upon striking
the earth, so great was their terror.
But human nature could not stand and
see men literally deVoured before their
very eyes, for there were willing hearts
and strong arms ready to render every
assistance necessary to rescue the unfor-
tunate victims of this shocking calam-
ity. A hardware store which happened
to stand opposite was invaded by the
request of the noble hearted proprietor,
and pitchforks, crowbars and long bars
of iron, and in fact every available
weapon was brought INFO requisition,
the side doors of the cage were quickly
torn from their fastenings, and then a
horrible. sight was presented to view.
Mingled among the brilliant uniform of
the poor unfortunates lay legs, arms,
torn from their sockets and half de-
voured while the savage brutes glared
ferociously with their sickly green col
ored eyes upon the petrified crowd.
Prof. Chas. White arriving at this mo-
ment, gave orders in regard to eXtrica-
ting the dead and wounded, he well
knowing it would be difficult and dan.
gerous undertaking to remove them
from the Infatuated monsters. Station
| ing men with forks and bars at every
available point, he sprang fearlessly in.
to the den amid the savage monsters
and commenced raising the wounded
| and passing them upon the outside tC
| their friends. He had succeeded in re.
moving the wounded, and was proceed
| ing to gather up the remains of the
| lifeless, when the mammoth lion, known
| to showmen as old Nero, sprang with q
| frightful roar upon his keeper fastening
his teeth and claws in his neck and
shoulders, decorating him in a horrible
manner. Prof. White made three her
culeaIl, efforts to shake the monster off
| but without avail; and gave orders tC
fire upon him. The contents of four O.
| Colts navys were Immediately poured
| into the carcass of the ferocious anima
and he fell dead and the brave little
man, Notwithstanding the fearful man
ner in which he was wounded, never
left the cage until every vestige of the
dead were carefully gathered together
and placed upon sheet, preparatory
for burial. 1t was found that three o.
the ten who mounted the cage short
| time before were killed outright, and
| four others terribly lacerated. The
4 names of the killed are August SchOer
| Conrad Freeiz and Charles Greiner
| Collins were procured and an immedi'
/ ate burial determined upon, as the bod
les were so frightfully torn and lacera
ted as to be unrecogniZabie to theiI
most intimate friends. 1t was a melan'
choly day for Middletown, and a saddcl
day for the friends and companions Of
/ the deceased. Of all that vast multi
tude who started out in the morning
with anticipations of a glad holiday few
left for their homes with dry eyes after
| the triple funeral-for the entire com.
munity followed the remains to Tho
quiet little village cemetery. At mid
| night the carcass of the slain beast wa.
quietly buried on the spot where was
intended TO be given the exhibition; but
| which was never accomplished. There
| is terrible responsibility resting upoI
some one which should be thoroughly
Investigated and the guilty parties b.
brought to quick and speedy punish
ment.
The lions are the same ones whicl
nearly cost Prof. Charles White his lift
two years ago while travelling with thu
! Thayer s. Noyes party, and were known
to be very dangerous cage of animals
Every attention is being given to thu
sufferers by the kind and hospitablt
citizens of Middletown and 1t is to b.
hoped they will soon recover fromfhei
wounds, and at last accounts they wer,
all pronounced out of danger.-Middie
torn Banner.