The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-06-23
From ths Middlet0wn Mo- Banner.l
INTHE LIONS DEN.
IN Appalling and Horrible Occur
FeRJe-Three Of RObinS0n'S Circus
AeR Killed and Four ShOekingly
iICeFated By Savage Beasts


Men killed and Four Sh0ekingII
+ LaceFated by Savage Beasts
Upon starting out from Cincinnati
for the season, the management o.
/ James RObiusOn's circus and animal
show determined TO produce some.
thing novel IL the way Of band char.
/ lot, and conceived the idea of mount
I ing the band upon the colossal den
I OF performing Numidian lions, and
which would form one of the prinei-
pal and most imposing features of the
show.
Although repeatedly warned by
. Professor Sexton that he deemed the
/ cages Insecure and dangerous in the
extreme, the managers still persisted
/ in compelling the band TO ride upon
it. Nothing, however, occurred until
the fatal morning of the 18th.
The band took their places and the
: procession commenced to move amid
the shouts of the multitude of ruStics
who had assembled 10 witness the
grand pageant, and hear the enliven-
ing strains of music. Not a thought
of danger was entertained by any one,
but the awful catastrophe was about
to occur.
As the driver endeayored to make a
turn in the streets the leaders became
cntangled and threw the entire team
into confusion, and he lost control of
them, and becoming frightened, they
broke into a violent run. Upon the
opposite side of the streets the fore
wheel of the cage came i'm contact
with a large rock with such force rs
to cause the braces and stanchiOns
which supported the roof to give way,
thereby precipitating the entire band
into the awful pit below.
For an instant the vast crowd were
paralyzed with fear, but for a moment
only, and then arose such a shrek of
agony as was never heard before. The
awful grOans of terror and agony
which arose from the poor victims
who Were being torn and laeerated by
the frightful monsters below, was
heart-rending and sickening to a ter
rible degree.
Every moment some one of the
band would eXtricate themselves from
the debris and leap over the side of
the cage to the ground with a wild
spring and faint away upon striking
the ground, so great was their terror.
But human could not stand and see
men literally devOured before their
very eyes, for there were willing hearts
and strong arms ready to render ev-
cry assistance necessary to rescue the
unfortunate victims of this shocking
calamity.
\ hardware store which happened
to stand opposite was invaded by the
request of the nOble-hearted prOpri-
etOr, and pitchforks, crOw-bars and
long bars of iron, and i'll fact every
available weapon was brought into
requisitiOn. The side-ClOOrs of the
cage were quickly torn from their
fastings, and then a horrible sight
was presented to view. Mingled
among the brilliant uniforms of the
poor unfortunates lay legs and arms,
torn from their sockets and half de-
vOured, while the savage brutes glared
ferOciously with their sickly green
cOIOred eyes upon the petrified crowd.
Professor Charles White arrived at
this moment, and gave orders i'm re-
gard to eXtricating the dead and
we'll knowing that il
would be difficult and dangerous un-
dertaking to remove them from the
monsters.
Stationing men with forks and bars
at every available point, he sprang
fearlessly into the den amid the mon
sters, and commenced raising the
and passing them upon the
outside to their friends. He had sue
ceeded in removing the wounded, and
was proceeding to gather up the re-
mains of the lifeless, when the MAN.
moth lion, known to showmen as old
Nero, sprang with a frightful roar up
Oh his Keeper, fastening his teeth and
claws in his neck and shOul-
ders, lacerating him in 4 horrible
manner Professor White made three
lerculean efforts to shake the monster
off, but without avail, and gave orders
to fire upon him. The contents of four
Of Colts navys were Immediately
poured into the carcass of the ferO-
cious animal, and he fell dead; and
-he brave little man, notwithstanding
The fearful manner in which he was
never left the cage until
every vestige of the dead was care
'ully gathered together and placed
IpOn sheet, preparatory for burial. 1t |
vas found that three of the ten were
killed outright, and four others terri
bly, lacerated. The names of the kill |
ID are August SchOer, Conrad Freiz
md Charles Greiner. Collins were
procured and an immediate funeral |
upon, as the bodies were
70 frightfully torn and lacerated rs to |
De mreco gnizable even to their most |
friends.
The lions are the same ones which /
nearly cost Professor Charles White |
his life two years ago, while travelling |
with the ThayeT & NOyes party, and
we're known to be very dangerous
,age of animals. Every attention is /
icing given to the sufferers by the |
lind and hOspitable citizens of Mid /
lIetown, and at last accounts they |
we're pronounced out of danger.