The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-06-23
Devoured by Lions-A Frightfal gcsne.
The usually quiet little village of Mid
dletown. Missouri. was latfsl thrown into

palnfuit fever sol excitement, by an
awful catastrophe which occurred to the
band lately attached to James Robinson
& Go. g circus and animal show, and led
by Professor NJ. @. Sexton.
Upon starting out from Cincinnati for
the season, the management deter
mined to produce something novel in
the way of u band chariot, and conceived
the idea of mounting the band upon
the colossal den of performing Numi-
dian lions, and which would form one of
the principala and most imposing features
of the show. Although repeatedly warned
by Professor Sexton that lie deemed the
cage insecure and dangerous in the ex-
treme, the managers still persisted in
compelling the band to ride upon it,
Nothing, however, occurred until the
fatal morning of the 18th instant.
The band took their places and the
procession commenced to move amid the
shouts of the multitude of rustics who
had assembled to witness the grand pa
geant, and hear the enlivenipg strains of
music. AS the driver endeavored to
make turn in the streets the leaders be-
came entangled and threw the entire
team into confusion and he lost control
of them, and becoming frightened, they
broke into violent run. Upon tho OPP
posite 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 stanchions which supported
the roof to give way, thereby prccipitat-
ing the entire band into the awful pit
below.
For an instant the vast crowd was par
alyzed with fear, but for n moment only
and then arose such shrek of agony rs
was never heard before. The awful
groans of terror and agony which arose
from the poor victims who were being
torn, laceratcd by the frightful monsters
below, was heart-rending and sickening
to terrible degree Every moment some
one of the band would extricate them
selves from the debris, and leap over the
sides of the cage to the ground with q.
wild spring, and fuint away upon striking
tho earth, so great was terror. But hu-
man 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 unfortunate vic
Tins OF this shocking calamity. A hard
ware store which happened to stand op-
posite was invaded by the request of the
noble hearted proprietor, and pitch-forks,
crowbars, and long bars of iron, aud in
fact every available weapon, was brought
into requisition. The side-doors of the
cage were quickly torn from their fasten.
ings, and then horrible sight was pre-
sented to view. Mingled among the
brilliant uniform of the poor unfurtu-
mates lay legs, arms, torn from their sock
cts and half devoured, while the savage
brutes glared ferociously with their sick
ly grecn-colored eyes upon the petrified
crowd. Professor Charles White arrived
at this moment, and gave orders in re-
gard to extricating the dead and wound
ed-he we'll knowing it would be II diff
cult and dangerous undertaking to re-
move them from the infuriated monsters
Stationing men with forks and bars at
every available point, he sprang fearless
ly into the den amid the savage monsters,
and commenced raising the wounded and
passing them upon the outside to their
friends. He had succeeded in removing
the wounded, and was proceeding to
gather up ethe remains of the lifeless,
when the mammoth lion, known to show
men rs old Nero, sprang with fright
ful roar upon his keeper, fastening his
teeth and claws in him in his neck and
shoulders, lacerating him in horrible
manner Professor White made three
herculean efforts to shake the monster
of, but without avail, and gave orders to
fire upon him. The contents of four of
Colts navys were Immediately put into
the carcass of the ferocious animal, and
he fell dead; and the bravo little man,
notwithstanding the fearful manner in
which he was wounded, never left the
cage until every vestige of the dead was
carefully gathered and placed upon o
sheet. preparatory for burial. It was
found that three of the ten who mounted
the cage short time before were killed
outright, and fonr others terribly larce-
rated. The names of the killed are Au-
gust Shoer, Conrad Freeiz and Charles
Greiner Coffins were procured and an
immediate burial determined upon, as
the bodies were so fiightfully torn and
lacerated as to be eunrecognizablc to their
most intimate friends. It was q mean-
choly day for Middleton, and sadder
day for the friends and companions of
the deceased. Of all the vast multitude
who started out in the morning with an
ticipations of glad holiday, few left for
their homes with dry eyes after the triple
funeral. for the antira eon, p,upify follor,