Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-09

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The FoREsT-A REAL TRAGEDY BE-
TORE THE FooTLIGHTs-A STARTLING
| TERMINATION OF A SUNDAY MORNING
PERFORMANCE.
i The performance in the Bowery The
}atre on Saturday night, or rather early on
Sunday morning, terminated in fright
full tragedy. Last week the managers in
troduced living lions and tigers as a
novelty, with young woman whose stage
name is Minnie Wells, as the "Lion
Queen" Attired in a well fitting suit of
red, she boldly entered the lions cage,
and for time became master of the King
of the Forest. The tigers were also SO
thoroughly under her control that at a
mere motion of her hand they crawled to
her feet, permitting her to sit on their
backs.
| At about 12i o'clock yesterday morning
lwhen the curtain was about to fall,
Minnie Wells entered the dens of lions
end tigers. and reduced them to submits
sion. Attired in her garish costume, the
girl went into the cage of the two puma
Gonesses, and began her performance.
One of the animals was ready to obey her
mistress, but the other was out of humor.
But it would never do to disappoint the
patrons of the Bowery Theatre, 40 Minnie
Wells attempted to chastise the animal,
and the brute smarting under the blows,
sErang upon her.
IL THE QUEEN DETHRoNED.
f In the twinkling of an eye the Lion
Queen was thrown down, and the furious
beast sprang at her throat, fastening his
teeth and claws into both throat and
II t. % l. H.
spectators that this was part of the play
until the girls shrieks undeceived them.
Then the truth began to dawn on the
house. The women also shrieked and
tainted Some of the more timid left
their seats and rushed from place which
had been changed from the representation
of mimic to real tragedy, and to one of
real horror, and where red ochre was put
into the shade by the shedding of real
blood. Men, who usually are not afraid
of anything mortal, were paralyzed at the
sight thus unexpectedly brought up be-
fore them, and could do nothing more
than shout for assistance,
SAVED!
All this was the tragedy of an instant,
yet it seemed hours to the woman who
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and claws of the beast tearing her flesh.
Shrek after shrek rang through the
theatre, and all supposed that the end of
the Lion Queens performance had come.
But soon the attendants rushed to the
stage, armed with iron bars, and began to
belabor the tawny monster until he had
released his hold. The girl was then
TAKEN OUT MORE DEAD THAN ALIVE,
for she had tainted. Her friends rushed
up and took her from the theatre to her
lodgings, where surgeon was summoned
to dress the wounds. On examination it
was found that the injuries were not IA
tai, but still they were very severe. The
girls face, neck and shoulders had been
severely bitten and lacerated by the ami
mails teeth and claws. In trying to save
hand, which was seized by the lions
teeth, and so severely bitten that 1t may
be necessary to amputate it.
THE THEATRE CLEARED BY THE POLICE.
Intense excitement prevailed both in
and around the theatre, and even after
the house had been cleared by the police,
q mass of people stood in front of the
building discussing the horrible event.
Capt. Kennedy of the Sixth ward police,
was compelled at last to go round to the
theatre with squad of police from the
Franklin street police station and clear
the people away from the building.
THE LION QUEEN LAST NIGHT.
When the Sun reporter called at the
Westchester Hotel last night to make in
quiries concerning Miss Wells condition,
he was told that by the physicians orders
no visitors were allowed to see her. The
wounds are not necessarily fatal, but care
is necessary to ward off fever. The lace
ration by the teeth, especiallyin the neck
are deep and wide. The hand is fearfulfy
mangled, and, although no bones are bro
ken, some of the tendons are SO badly IN
jured as possibly to cause permanent de-
formity. The gashes from the arimafs
claws are frightful and considered the
most dangerous, as the virus getting into
the blood may cause modification.
THE ANIMALS
which Miss Wells appears with are only
two years and five months old, and were
obtained by her father few days after
their birth, and reared and trained by
him especially for his daughter to perform
with. They are said to be very tractaole,
and devotedly attached to their young
mistress, showing for her all the affection
ola young spaniel. The keeper OF the
animals and N. Wells are unable 70 ac-