Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-12


During the passage, he managed one
night to eat off two of the wooden bars
of his csge and made his appearance on
deck to terrify the watch into an imme-
date retreat up the shrouds. Seeing
nothing else to attack, ''Saian" tore the
hen-coop to pieces and killed score of
fowls. The captain dare not come up
from the cabin, the watch in the fore
castle were in the same predicamens, and
the tiger hal the deck to himself, the
ship being left without q steersman. At
length one of the men aloft managed to
lasso the beast with hslyard, and he
was 80 nearly choked to death in the
operation that he was flung into his cage
like bag of sand. The rest of the
voyage passed without event, "Satan"
gradually getting a better appetite,
although losing not bit of his revenge
full disposition and his desire TO dissect
the body of some human being.
Landing in New York, he was placed with
the other arrivals in temporary quarters,
and here he had his first taste of Yankee
flesh and blood. A man named MahOney
was employed to assist in cleaning the
cages and feeding the beasts, and was one
afternoon left in sole charge of the build
ing for several hours. Having taken q
glass too much, he imagined he could tame
tiger as well as ''sny other man." and
invited friend or two to see him enter
''Satan's" quarters. The animal was con-
fined in a cage about fifteen feet long,
with door at one end the height of 9
man, and Mahoney, after arming himself
with club, boldly threw open the door
and entered, calculating that the power
of his eye would subdue the
animal 1t didn't happen to be
good day for cycling tigers,
or else the man did not fully understand
the eye business, for the tiger attacked
him the moment the door was opened,
and had him down in an instant. Msho.
ney had sense enough to lie still, and
'Sstan," after clswing and biting him,
laid down across his body, and allowed
the outsiders to close the cage door. Help
was then summoned, and by the liberal
use of spears and red hot iron rods, the
tiger was driven to the further end of the
cage, and MahOney hauled out. He was
pitsl two weeks before he was able to re-
sumo work.
Last winter "Sstsn" came to Warmers
institution by purchase, and was turned
over 10 the care of Forepaugh, as sub.
ject bound to give him much trouble.
Every effort TO tame or cOnCiliate the
beast had entirely failed, and Forepaugh
was laughed at when asserting that he
would break in the royal Bengal when he
had spare dsy. That spare day did not
come till last week, when the beast ia
mer announced his readiness to undertake
the task. No man but MahoDy had ever
entered the animals cage, and there was
much excitement in the town about II,
because it was nolsed abroad that ga
tan" was to conquer or be conquered.
Hundreds of people rushed to the tent,
but only two or three newspaper men
were admitted, as FoTepsugh did
not want to excite the beast more
| than was necessary. "Satan" was first
| given good Square meal, in order TO
put him in good humor, and then Fore
paugh took off his coat and made ready
| for business. Men to the number of
| eight or ten were rmed with iron rods
and sharp pointed instruments, and sta
| toned on either side of the cage, and
Forep4ugh entered the den with a red
| hot iron in one hand and cloth wrapped
about the other. AS he stepped in the
| animal seemed surprised and dumbfOund-
| ed, and for the first moment did nothing
but growl and stare. Then his long,
white teeth began to CLEAN, bis back
arched and he settled down for spring.
The men outside began to shout in alarm,
entresting the trainer to make his escaps;
but, with eyes fixed on those of the ami
mai, and speaking in low tones,
he warned the men to keep still,
and he prepared for action. Sud-
| denly, like 8 ball thrown through
the air, with no warning save q furious
scream, "Satan" made his leap. Fore
paVgh was expecting it and fell upon his
knees, one of the tigers claws removing
q tuft of hair and piece of scalp from
his head. The beast turned after his leap
and attempted to seize the trainers should
er, but the red-hot rod was forced into
bis mouth, and he retreated with yells Of
1
trainer to advance to the center of the
cage without resenting the act, but in 8
| moment more settled himself for another
spring. AS he shot through the sir, the
| trainer leaped aside, and then gave the
! brute several blows with the iron, beating
| him until he retired in the further corner.
Both parties then took TEST for few
minutes, when the trainer advanced and
opened hostilities. ''Satan" made rush
for him, and this time seized
FOregsugh by the thigh, and although
beaten over the head by the rod, shook
the man to the floor as terrier shakes a
rat. Then, letting GO, with bis teeth, he
/ placed his paw on the trainers breast, Ut
tering yells of rage. The attendants, par
slyzed with fear, finally rallied under the
direction of FOrepaugh, whose flesh was
being pierced by the sharp claw, and
made Simultaneous and vigorous attack
upon the enraged animal, who was
obliged to retreat to his corner. The
trainer received severe bite, and each of
the claws made bad mark, but he de-
termined to give the animal no rest. Pro-
curing another iron, he adopted the
method of attack instead of defence.
Just as the beast was preparing to spring
again, the trainer rushed upon him,
punching and pounding him with the hot
iron bar, and actually drove the Ben
| gal several times around the cage before
stopping. After a moment the attack
was repeated, the two rolling over and
over on the floor of the cage, in the
tigers efforts to seize the man by the
neck, but he was pounded so unmercI-
fully with the bar that he was glad 10 re-
treat. For nearly an hour the trainer
persisted in his efforts, until at last be
was not only enabled to pat the back OF
the subdued magnate of the jungle, but
to open his mouth, lift up his feet, lead
him around the cage, and show in various
other ways that he was perfect master OF
the brute. After two or three hours
rest, the cage was again entered, but the
tiger crouched down in fear, and resented
no famiharities from his determined