National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-07-08
A Brass Band Precipitated iH a
Den Of NuHtididH Lions.

| -"iuucto"iI, MlSSoull, WAS htcly
thrown into apainful fever of excite
ment by an awful catastrophe which
occurred to the band lately attached
to James Robinson & Co.'s circus
and animal show, and led by Prof.
NJ. T.. Sexton.
Upon starting out from Cincin-
natl for the season, the management
determined to produce something
novel in the way of a band chariot,
and conceived the idea of mounting
the band upon the cOllosal den of
performing Numidan lions, and
which would form one of the princi.
pal and most imposing features of
the show.
Although repeatedly warned by
Prof. Sexton that he deemed the
cage insecure and dangerous in the
extreme, the managers still persisted
IN compelling the band to ride upon
1t. On the fatal morning OF the 18th,
the band took their places and the
! procession commenced to move amid
the shouts of the multitude of rus
ties who assembled to witness the
grand pa geant, and hear the emily,
enlng strains of music. Not "a
thought OF danger was entertained
by any one, that the awful catas.
trOphe was about to occur.
AS the driver endeavored to make
a turn in the streets the leader be-
came entangled and threw the en-
tire team into contuSion, he lost
control Of them, and becoming
frightened they broke into violent
run. Upon the opposite side of the
street the tore wheel of the cage
came in contact with large rock
with such force as to cause the
braces and Stanchions that support
ed the rootto give away, thereby
prcclpltating the entire band into
the awful pit below.
For an instant the vast crowd was
paralized with fear, but for mo-
ment only, and then arose such a
: shrek of agony as was heard before
The awful eroans of terror and ago
. ny which arose from the poor vic
TINS. who were being torn, lacerated
by the frighttul monsters below
were rending and sickening tC
terrible degree. Every moment
some one Of the band would extri
cate themselves from the debris and
leap over the sides Of the cage tc
the ground with wild spring, and
faint away on striking the earth, Sc
great was their terror. But human
nature could not stand and see mel
literally devoured before their very
eyes, for there were willing heart,
and strong arms ready to render
every assistance necessary to reScu,
the uutortioLate victims Of this
shocking calamity.
y hardware store Which happened
to stand opposite was Invaded by
the request of the noble hearted
/ proprietor, aud pitchtorks, crowbar,
| and long bars of iron, and in tacr
, every available weapon was brought
, into requiSition. The side doors o
the cage were quickly torn from
| their iasteniugS, and then horribl,
!, Sight was presented to view. Min
f gled among the brilliant uniform.
. of the poor untortionatcS lay legs
AIMS, torn from their sockets an,
half devourcd, while the savag,
bruteS glared ferociously with Their
4 sickly, green collorcd eyes upon tn,
r pctrltied crowd.-PloicSSor Charlie.
. White arrived at this moment, an,
A gave orders in regard to extricatin.
n the dead and wounded, he wei
/, knowing it would be IA difficult an,
t dangerous undertaking to remove
). them from the iuiuriatcd monsters.
: Statloning men with forks an'
: bars ut every available point, h,
4 Sprang iearlcssl Y into the den ami'
). the savage monsters, and commcnt
Il ed raising the wounded and passing
y them upon the outside to thui
s friends. He had succeeded in re-
Y moving the wounded, aud was pro
o cecdng to gather up the remains Z
5 the llieless when the mammoth lion
known to Showmcn as Old Ner,
spraug with a tlightful roar upo
" his keeper, fastening his teeth am
u claws IN hm, in his neck and should
y crs, decorating him in Il horrihl
:, manner. Professor White mad
,. three hcrculcau efforts to shake th
4" monster Oft, but without avail, an
gave orders to fire upon him.
\ The contents of four of Colt
" navies were immediately poured int
IS tie carcass of the icrocious ANNA
and he fell dead and the bray
=. little man, Notwithstanding tn
W fearful manner in which he wa
=, wounded, never LETT the cage unit
" every NcStigc of the dead was care
- fully gathered together and place
:. upon "A sheet, preparatory for buria
} IL was found that three of the tc
who mounted the cage short tim,
Z before were KILLED outright, an
q four others terribly laceratcd. Til
'e names of the killed are Angus
is Schocr, Conrad Frcciz, and Charie
Z. Grcincr. Collins were procured
and an immediate burial determine
upon as the bodies were 80 fright
u fully torn and laccrated as to be M
y recognizable to their most intimat
e friends. II was II melancholy da
u tor Middlctown, and sadder da
. for the friends and companions ,
u the deceased.
or all that vast multitude VIII