Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-02-07
4 rearfm scene in a Menagerie.

\ fearful scene happened in Nanders
menaccrie, Market square, Bolton, Eng
land Thomas Naccarte being attacked
and killed bv lions as he was performing
in their midst. Ii was the last evening OF
the exhibition. and Maccarte undertook to
give an extra performance. In the cage
which he entered were i've lions The
animal, mad been put through their .eaplng
exercises when Maccarte noticed that one,
a full grown Asiatic, was restlve and
showed his teeth He drew MS sword and
pointed it threaJeningly at the lions mouth.
His attention being thus diverted from the
other animals young African hon crept
stealthllv out from the group and sprang
towards Naccarte. seizing him by his right
hin and throwing him down At the same
time the Asiatic lion fastened itself upon
hi, head. tearing off portion Of his scalp.
A scene of the widest confusion ensued-
women screaming and men running about
In all directions In search of weapons. 1t
is usual in Naunder's menagerIe TO keep q
number Of irons constantly heated for
emergencies, but on this occasion they had
been removed and fresh irons had to be
placed in the fire
Naccarte fought desperately with MS
sword. inAicting some fearful gashes on the
faces of both lions. One of the other
lions now seized the unfortunate man by
his only arm, tracturing the bones, while
another tore a piece Of flesh out of his
thigh. Naccarte retained his presence OF
mind and called out to the men to fire
amono the animals Reyolvers and rifles
were accordingly procured. and while
some fired blank cartridges full in the
faces Of the inflrated beasts, others probed
them with heated irons, stabbed then
with forks, and beat them with ladder
and iron scrapers. Eventually a slide wa:
introduced between the bars Of the cage
behind which Mr. Birchall, the agent, anc
John Ryan, one of the keepers, drove foul
Of the lions At the fifth lion more shot
were fired, but 1t was not until the heated
bars we're applied to the nose Of the ami
nal that 1t relinquished Its hold and raj
behind the partition. Maccarte theE
staggered to his feet, but ere he coulC
reach the door, and before the slide coul(
j be closed, the African lion again rushed
out seized the poor fellow again by tn
= foot and dragged him back into the corne
among the other animals. Again the
frightful struggle went on. Macearte wa
dragged up and down the cage by the hea'
and the legs three or four times, the foo
being completely covered with his blood
Some rifles loaded with shot were nov
discharged among the savage brutes, an
: with several irons, now heated to re
] glow, they were beaten into a corner an
the partition closed against them. Mac
Y carte was then released, still cOnsciou.
As he was borne TO the intirmary b
5 exclaimed to a fellow-workman " Harry
: I'm done for In addition to the bac
n part of the scalp all the flesh had bee
\ torn, from the thighs, the right arm wa
fractured in two places, as well as badl
e laeerated from the shoulder to the hand
S the chest had been lacerated, and the bon'
). of the pelvis had pieces bitten out Of then
I He died in ten minutes after his admissio
to the infrmary-Ma71chester Eng
i Guardian.