The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
An Aged Monarch.

julius was the oldest animal of his
kind in the United States, having at
tanned the venerable age of thirty one
years, nearly the maximum of life of
the lion in his wild state. Julius was
said to be the largest lion ever i'm
ported into this country, and besides
being of royal lineage himself, he had
the honor at one time of.belonging to
royalty, having beer the pet in the
n1endge of one of the small princes of
Africa, from whom he was purchased by
some English agents of an animal dealer
in London. After his arrival in that
city the subject of this notice was pur-
chased by Brady, the Snowman, and at
once trained for cage performances.
His ajestic appearance at once made
! him public favorite, and it was not
until some two years afterward
that he lost caste. While perform
ing one night in Edinburgh, Scotland, he
became suddenly enraged about some
! thing and attacked his trainer, who, by
| the way, was new one, and before any
one could interfere, his terrible paws
and teeth had done their deadly work.
The man was Utterly torn into shreds.
Some American purchasing agents fin
ally obtained the brute, and he was
transferred to Van Amburgh's MENACE
RE, and for many years delighted the
gaping crowds that witnessed him per-
form. Some twelve or thirteen years
ago, while being handled in the training
cage during a visit of Forepaugh's
menagerie to Philadelphia, his trainer
foolishly undertook to put his head into
the animals mouth, but the brute, not
liking the sport, refused to open his
mouth wide enough, when the trainer
slapped him on the face. Julius at
this grew angry. and closing his ponder
GUS jaws upon the mans skull, crushed
it as if it had been an eggshell. 1t is
said that this is the only instance
of man being killed by a lion in
this country. julius was magnificent
brute, and his long, shaggy name was
coal black. After this last exhibition
of his temper he was used only as a
cage animal. Many stories are told
of this lion, the most singular one be-
ing his fondness for small animals, and
keeper who was with him for several
years speaks with pride of the kindness
Julius used to show to little black,
and-tan dog that took a notion to occa-
sionally pay a visit to the cage of his
highness. It may be remembered that
Julius was blind of an eye, caused by
an accident that happened to him upon
an occasion some years ago in Nash
vile, Tenn, where he escaped from his
cage, and after killing camel aud ipjur-
ing some other animals, he made charge
upon the cage of leopard, who struck
HIM with his paw, completely running
the sight of one eye. Mr.. W. A
Conklin, the superintendent of the
Central Park Geological garden, tells
many other interesting anecdotes of the
sagacity of the lion, and especially OF
the great brute, Park, now among his
collection, and at present the Oldest
lion in America, his age being twenty
six years. The immediate cause of the
death of julius was lung fever, a dis
ease to which lions in confinement are
most subject, though he had been ailing
for some time. Travelling through the
country not being considered beneficial,
he was carefully Gagged and sent on his
return trip to New York, for the pur-
pose of being put in the hospital; but
his day of usefulness had passed, and
while passing through the state of New
Jersey, Azrael spread his wings and the
noble brute passed to his ancestors. 1t
may be truly said of him that he was a
lion with a single virtue linked to a
thousand crimes. When the taxidermist
has prepared his skin it will adorn the
museum Of the Central park. Julius
cost 81, 500.-M Y. Herald.