New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-28
A FRIGHTFUL DEATH.
a Lion Tanner Torn TO Pieces by Five
LiOns-H Orrible and Sickening DE.
tails-A Panic-stricken Crowd Looking

From the Bolton England Evening News.l
A series of farewell performances were
being given prior to the menagerie proceed
| ing to Bury, and an extra performance was
announced and took place at half-past ten
o'clock. Attached to the show was a man
named Thomas Maccarte, whose personal
appellation was Massarti, the Lion
Tamer" and he, at this extra performance,
entered the lions den for the last time.
Maccarte was a young man, not more than
thirty-fo years old, but he had been asso-
ciated with travelling exhibitions of this
| kind from very early period He had
| previously lost an arm when performing
| with Messrs. Bell x Myers circus at Liver
pool. He had previously been trained by
Messrs. Batty as a lion tanner, and having
joined them for a short time, he was en-
| gagged by the late Mr.. Manders to succeed
| MaccOmO.
| He was a very bold and adventurous
man, and had been frequently cautioned re-
specting his rashness. The unfortunate
man commenced his performances Wednes-
| day evening. when he was hardly in a
| proper condition to do SO, and having eX-
| hibited the gorilla and the serpents he en-
| tered the lions den. At this time, it is cal
| culated, 500 or 600 persons were present, and
! the five lions ia the den were put through
| their performances with the usual success
and applause. On all general occasions
| heated bars of iron and iron scrapers are in
| readiness, but on this fatal evening the mat
| ter had been neglected.
| The five lions were all powerful animals.
| and the unfortunate man on entering the
cage noticed that black named African
! lion, which had only SO recently as Monday
| last bitten his hand, appeared very restive.
He consequently fixed his eyes on it, and
| this in some degree diverted his attention
from an Asiatic lion known by the name of
| Tyrant, against whom he had been
| cautioned only that morning to keep care
| fully to his instructions. 1t is necessary
here to note that when performing lions are
tanned there is a line drawn or what is
known as 1.-THE Office" in technical phrase
ology, by which the beasts are taught to
regard that line as a limit beyond which the
performer must not pass, knowing. if he
does so, the consequences to be expected are
most dangerous.
The presumption is that this line was
overstepped. and Maccarte. who was at
tired as Roman gladiator, was returniu z
his fachiOn to its sheath slipping, he fell
on the floor of the den. Tvrant fastened
on him, seizing him by the launches. and
| armless shoulder. Maccarte Immediately
| called upon the keepers for help, and mean
| while to fire. He then drew the short
| Roman blade which formed part of his
| costume, and commenced fighting desper-
| ately with the lion Tyrant, thrusting the
sword into its face. mouth and eyes
| The crowd. panic stricken, crowded
around and effectually prevented the APP
prOach of the men who were used to the
habits of the animals. The shouts of the
audience, the desperate and manful strug-
gle of the fated men. and the smell of the
blood which was streaming from Maccarte
melted the other animals and their savage
instinct was awakened. A third lion-an
Abvssian one-seized him by the ribs. and
then tive-year old lion, and an especial
favorite of the lion tanner. caught him by
the head, literally scalping him, the flesh
hanging down his neck. The treacherous
favOrite had no sooner accomplished this
! work than he returned quietly to his corner.
The deadly struggle progressed, and Mr..
Brchall, who had from the first been most
active. placed iron scrapers in the fire to
heat them. Pistols and guns were dis
charged, but they. unfortunately, were onl Y
loaded with blank cartridge, and the blaz-
ing of gunpowder failed to drive the ami
mails from their quarry. Meanwhile the
irons were heated. an iron shutter to sepa-
rate the animals in the cage. when an OPP
portunity offered, was in readiness, and Mr..
Bchall and an assistant succeeded in beat
ing off the animals, the fifth, having in the
meantime scented and tasted the blood
which streamed out of the carriage, added
his fangs to those which had already played
such havoc with the human form PROSTATE
before them.
The sliding door was pushed in: three of
the animals. being driven away with hot
irons, were separated. and then the lion
that had seized Maccarte by the shoulder
was driven in a corner. The shutter was
partially opened to drive him among the
others, when a fourth infuriated beast
seized him ust above the boot and dragged
him in again among then. Then the fright
tul work went on again Tor few slckening
and horritying moments. Hot irons were
now available. and the brutes being driven
off, the poor and almost pulseless piece of
humanity was drawn out from the place it
was fated he never should enter. He sus-
tanned sufficient sensbility to speak to his
warmhearted colleagues a few faint words,
praying them not to take him away to re-
ceive medical aid, as he knew that he was a
dead man.
His anxious friends carried him tenderly
to the infirmary. where. after a few mo-
ments. he breathed his last, after mutterin e
a few incoherent sentences. AS the shat
tered frame was borne past Mrs. Manders,
he family waived his hand and gave her an
expressive look. which conveyed the words
that he was past all hope of aid. Many of
the shots fired entered the bodies of the
animals. and they received great injuries
before they We're driven off their prev.
The lion Tyrant is three and half years
old. and had been brought up from whelp
by Mrs. Manders. The animal having been
a favorite, it was. during the early part Of
its training, allowed to run about that por-
ton of the caravan used as a habitatiOn,
and it freely gamboled with its mistress.
The sire of this animal was the one that
nearly worried MaccOmO some time ago.
The only arm the deceased had was
streaked with deep gashes from the shoulder
to the hand; the scalp was torn right back.
| and from the hips to the knees, where he
was seized from behind the muscles are
completely torn out. There are pieces of
flesh gone from the ribs. and the bones of
the pelvis, which are the strongest in the
human frame, have had pieces bitten clean
out. At the inquest on Thursday, Mrs
Maccarte said she had not seen her husband
since two o'clock on Wednesday. He was
not under the influence of liquor when he
left her. He was always afraid of the lion
which first attacked him, and he had ex-
pressed a fear of it ON Monday. His salary,
| with perquisites, was about ga per week
The Rev. Enoch Franks said he saw the
| deceased 90 into the den. His opinion was
! that the deceased had taken sufficient drink
| to make him foOlhardy, but he did not think
any one could call him drunk.
| The coroner said there was not in his
/ opinion, anything in the evidence respect
| Ing the drunkenness of the man that affect
| ed the case. 1t appeared that when he was
| down he defended himself in a manner that
| showed he realized his position. The per-
| fOrmance being an extra one, the heated
| irons were not ready, and here he did not
| think there was blame to be attached to
| ANYBODY. In the course of his employment
i Al hnu fI.1.r