The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-06-21
tFrom the Middletown (Missouri) Banner. /
In THE LIONS DEN.
AnAppaIIing and Horrible Occur
renee.

Upon starting out from Cincinnati for
the season, the management of james
Robinson's circus and animal show de-
termined to produce something novel in
the way of band chariot, and conceiv-
ed the idea of mounting the band upon
the colossal den of performing Numid-
ian lions, and which would form one of
the principal and mostimposing features
of the show.
Although repeatedly warned by Pro-
fessor Sexton that he deemed the cages
insecure and dangerous in the extreme,
the managers still persisted in compel |
ing the band to ride upon it. Nothing,
however, occurred until the fatal morn
ing 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 TO witness the grand
pageant, and hear the enlivening strains
of music. Not q thought of danger was
entertained by any one, but the awful
catastrophe was about to occur.
As the driver endeavored to make a
turn in tie streets the leaders became
entangled and threw the entire team H.
to confusion. and he lost control of them,
and becoming frightened they broke in
to violent run. Upon the opposite
side of the street the fore wheel of the
cage came in coutact with large rock
with such force as to cause the braces
ana stanchions which supported the roof
to give say, thereby precipitating the
entire band into the awful den below.
For an instance the vast crowd were
paralyzed with fear, bht f5}r 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, lacerated by the frightful
monsters below, was heart.rending and
sickening to terrible degree
Every moment some cna OF the land
would eStrlcate themselves from the de-
bris and leap over the sides of the cage
to the ground with wild spring and
faint away upon striking the earth, SO
great was their terror. But human ma
ture could not stand and see men literal
ly dcyoared before their very eyes, for
there were every assistance necessary to
rescue the unfortunate victims of this
shocking calamity.
A hardware store which happened to
stand opposite was invaded by the re-
quest OF the noble hearted proprietor,
and pitch-forks, crow-bars and long bars
If iron, and in fact every available weap
on was Meught into reduisition The
side doors of the cage were quickly torn
from their fastcnings, and then a horri-
bic sight was presented TO. view. Min.
gled among the brilliant uniforms of the
poor unfortunates lay legs, arms, torn
from their sockets and half devourcd,
while the savage brlites 9iared fcrcci-
ously with their siekly gveen- colored
eyes upon the petriticd crowd. Profess
or Charles White arrived at this moment
and gave orders in regard to cxtricatihg
the dead and wounded--he well know
ing it would be a difficult and dangerous
undertaking to remove them from the
infuriated monsters.
Stationing men with forks and bars at
every available poiat,hc sprang fearless;
| ly into The den amid the 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 the remains of the lifelcss,
when the mammoth lion, known to
showmen as old Nero, sprang with a
frightful roar upon his keeper, fastening
his teeth and claws in him in his neck
and shoulders, lacerating him ma horri-
bic manner. Professor White made
three hereulean- efforts to shake the mon
ster off, but without avail, and gave or.
ders to fire upon him.
The contents of four of Colts navys
were Immediately poured into the car:
cass of the ferocious animal, and he fell
dead and the brave little man, notwith.
standing the fearful manner in which he
was wounded, never lett the cage unit
every vestige of the dead were carefully
gathered together and placed upon Q
sheet, preparatory for burial. Ii was
found that three of the ten were killed
outright, and four Others terribly lacer-
ated. The names of the Killed are Au
gust Schoer, Conrad Freiz and Charles
Grelner. Coffins were procured and an
immediate burial determined upon, as
the bodies were so frightfully torn and
lacerated as to to be unacceptable tt
their most intimate 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 dangerous cage of animals
Every attention is beng given to the
sufferers by the Kind and 4ospitable citi-
zens of Middletown, and at last ac
counts they were all pronounced out Of
danger.
|