Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-25

/ llOIlS. III SOClCIJ liz - OGllSul1uls Ia
| ceiling in conversation, his reminiscent
ces are original and graphic. 1t is very
! interesting to sit by and hear him talk Of
! the characters of the past without hate
| red or prejudice. a man of large wealth
inherited and self earned, a widOwer
without children, fond of labor, of
matchless excellence as a practitioner in
| the Supreme Court of the United States,
he is also a great student-devouring
| every new book as it comes out, novels
! included. and remembers everything he
reads. His health is good, his activity
remarkable, his habits temperate. In
vited everywhere in Washington, he is
the ornament Of every circle, and it is
not going too far to say that, gracious.
polite, and agreeable as all educated
| Englishmen are-especially those reared
in high life-among his associates in the
| Geneva mission he viii be the most pop
| ular.
From the Bolton England Evening News.
n FrightfuI Death.
A LION-TAMER TORN TO PIECES BY FIVE
LIONS, WITH A PANIC STRICKEN CROWD
/ LOOKING on.
A series of farewell performances
were being given prior to the menagerie
proceeding to Bury, and an extra per-
Torrance was announced and took place
at TO- 30 o'clock. Attached to the show
was man named Thomas Maccarte,
whose professional appelatiOn was Mas
sarti, the LiOn-tameT, and he at this eX-
ira performance entered the lions den
for the last time. Maccarte was a young
man not more than "a years old, but he
had been associated with travelling eX-
hibitiOns of this kind from very early
period He had previously lost an arm
when performing with Messrs. Bell 4
Myers Circus at Liverpool. He had
previously been trained by Mcssrs. Baty
as a lion-tamer, and having joined them
for a short time, he was engaged by the
late Mr.. Manders to succeed MaccomO.
He was very bold and adventurous
man, and had been frequently cautioned
respecting his rashness. The unfOrtu-
nate man commenced his performances
on Wednesday evening, when he was
hardly in a proper condition to do so
and having exhibited the gorilla and the
serpents he entered the lions den. At
this time it is calculated 500 or 600 per-
sons were present, and the five lions in
the den 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 matter had
been neglected.
The five lions were all powerful ami
mails and the unfortunate manOn entering
the cage noticed that a blaCk-maned Afri-
can lion, which had only so recently as
II l.. l.
very FESTIVE. He consequently fixed his
eyes on it, and this in some degree diver
ted his attention from an Asiatic lion
known by the name of Tyrant, against
whom he had been cautioned only that
morning to keep carefully to his instruc-
tions. It is necessary here to note that
when performing lions are tanned there
is a line drawn. or what is known as "the
office" in technical phraseology, 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 are most dan
gerous. The presumption is that this
line was Overstcpped. and MaCcaTte, who
was attired as a Roman gladiator, was
returning his falchi0n to its sheath. slip
ping he fell on the floor of the den. Ty-
rant fastened on him. Selling him by the
launches. and then the African lion fas-
tened on to his arnlcss shoulder. Mac
carte Immediately called upon the keep
ers for help. and meanwhile to fire. He
then drew the short Roman blade which
formed a part Of his costume and COM
menced fighting desperately with the
lion Tyrant, TRUSTING the sword into
his face. mouth and eyes. The crowd.
panic-stncken, crowded around and eff
fcctually prevented the approach of the
men who were used to the habits OF the
animals The shouts OF the audience.
the desperate and manful struggle Of the
fated man, and the smell of the
blood which was streaming from
Maccarte, melted the other animals and
their savage instinct was awakened. \
third Hon-an Abyssinian onc-seized
him by the ribs. and then a five 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.. Birchall, who had from the first
been most active, placed iron scrapers in
the fire to heat them. Pistols and guns
were discharged, but they, unfortunate
ly, were only loaded with blank cart
ridge, and the blazing Of gunpowder
failed to drive the animals from their
quarry Meanwhile the irons were
heated, an iron shutter TO separate the
animals in the cage when an OppOrtuni-
ty offered, was in readiness, and Mr.
Birchall and an assistant succeeded in
beating off the animals, the fifth, hav-
ing in the time scented and tasted the
blood which streamed out of the car
riage, 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 fourth /
Infatuated beast seized him just above |
the boot and dragged him in again among |
them. Then the frightful work went 1
on again for a few sickening and hor-
rifying 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 more should |
enter He sustained sufficient sensibili- !
ty to speak to his warm-hearted col |
leagues a few faint words, praying |
them not to take him away to receive |
medical aid, as he knew that he was a
dead man.
His anxious friends carried him ten
DERBY to the infrnary, where after few
moments he breathed his last, after NUT
tering few incoherent sentences. AS
the shattered frame was borne past Mrs.
Manders, he family waved his hand and
gave her an expressive look, which con-
veyed the words that he was past all
hope of aid. Many of the shots fired