The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-06-24

EXECUTIVE MANSION, June IL, 1870.
-4.ll,,B-----
In the Lions Den.-An Appalling
and Horrible Occurrence-Three Of
Robinson's Circus Men Killed and
Four Shockingly Lacerated by Saw
age Beasts,
Upon starting out of Cincinnati for the sea-
son, the management of James Robinion's an
imal show determined to produce something
novel in the way Of band chariot, and con.
osiving of mounting the hand upon the colossal
den of performing Numidian lions, and which
would form one Of the pr ncipal and most i'm
posing features of the show.
Although repeatedly warned by Prof. Sex
ton that he deemed the cages insecure and
dangerous in the extreme, the managers still
persisted in compelling the band to ride upon
il. Nothing, however, occurred until the fatal
morning of the 18th.
The band took their places and the pro-
cession commenced TO move amid the shouts
of the multitudes of rustics who hadassemblsd
to witness the grand pageant, and hear the en-.
hvening strains of music. Not a thought of
danger was entertained by any one, but the
awful catastrophe was about to occur.
As the driver endeavored to make q turn in
the streets the leaders became entangled and
threw the entire team into confusion, and he
lost control of them, and becoming frightened
they broke into violent run. Upon the op-
posite side of the street the forewheel como in
contact with a large rock with such force as to
cause the braces and stanClrions which suppor-
ted the roof to give way, thereby precipitating
the entire band into the awful pit below.
For an instant the vast crowd were paralized
with fear, but for moment only, and then
arose such a shrek of agony as never was
heard before. The awful groans of terror and
agony which arose from the poor victims
which were being torn, and lacerated by the
frightful monsters below, was heart-reading
and sickening to terrible degree.
Every moment some one of the band would
extricate themselves from the debris and leap
over the sides of the cage to the ground with
a wild spring, and faint way upon striking
the earth, SO great was their terror. But hu-
man nature could not stand and see men lit
orally devoured before their eyes, for there
were willing hearts and strong arms ready to
render every assistance necessary to rescue
the unfortunate victims Of this shocking cal
amity.
A hardware store which happened to stand
opposite was invaded by the request Of the
noble-hearted proprietor, and pitch-forks,
orowbars and long bars OF iron, and in fact
every valuable weapon was brought into re-
QUESTION. The side-doors of the cage were
quickly torn from their fastenihgs, and then a
gled among the brilliant uniforms of the poor
unfortunates lay legs, arms, torn from their
sockets and half devoured, while the savage
brutes glared ferociously with their sickly
green-colored eyes upon the petrifed crowd,
Prof. Charles Whits arrived at this moment
and gave orders how 10 extricste the dead and
wounded-he well knowing it would be
difficult and dangerous undertaking to remove
them from the infuriated monsters,
stationing men with forks and bars ut every
available point, he sprang fearlessly into the
den amid the monsters, and commenced rails
ing the wounded and passing them on the
outside to the friends. He had succeeded in
removing the wounded, and was proceeding
to gather up the remains of the ifeless, when
the mammoth lion known to showmen as old
Nero, sprang with fearful roar upon his
keeper, fastening mis- teeth and claws in him
in his neck and shoulders, decorating him in a
terrible manner. Professor White made thsee
herculean efforts to shake the monster of, but
without avail, and gave orders to fire upon
him,
The contents Of four Of Colts 4avys were
Immediately poured into the carcass Of the te-
rocious animal, and he fell dead; and the brave
little man notwithstanding the fearful manner
in which he was wounded, never left the cage
until every vestige Of the dead was carefully
gathered together and placed upon a sheet,
preparatory for burial. It was found that
three of the ten men were killed outright, and
four others terribly lacerated. The names Of
the killed were August Schoer, Conrad Freiz,
and Charles Greiner. Collins were procured
and an immediate burial determined upon, as
the bodies were so frightfuly torn and lacera-
ted as to be unrecognizable to their most init
mate friends.
The lions are the same ones which nearly
cost Prof. Charles White his life two years
ago, while travelling with the Thayer & Noyes
party, and were known to be very danger
Gus cage Of animals. Every attention is given
to the sufferers by the kind hospitable citizens
of Middletown, and at last accounts they were
all pronounced out Of drnger.-[ MiddletoWH
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