The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-12-15
A EIGHT.

TWO OF WILD BEASTS ENGAGE IN
A B0UT-THE SMALLER ANIMAL SUFFERS
PANIC AMONG THE sPECrA-
TORS.
The New York World Of the 9Th inst. gives
this account of an unusual exciting scene in
that city: The great Roman hippodrome
was the scene yesterday morning of an act
not laid down in the bill. For some time
past it has been the intention of the man.
agement to place in the same pen the two
rninoceroses which are the property of
the h~ippodrome. For the last 10 DAYS the
employees of the bippodrome have been en-
gagged in charging the cage occupied by the
Indian rhinoceros during last spring. The
pen in which the two were to reside is
situated on the Twenty-sixth street side of
the building, adjoining the enclosure in
which the elephants are confined. At 10
O'Clock yesterday morning the elephants
Betsey and her four companions-Gypsy,
Queen, Albert and ~'Baby"-were removed
into another part of the building. The gate
dividing the cage of the rhinoceros from
the elephant enclosure was then opened and
"Pete," the huge animal, was driven into
the former place. The a containing the
other rhinoceros was dragged from it's posi-
ton and placed in front of the entrance door
of Pete's pen. By means of bars and iron
rods the late arrival was induced to leave
its cage, as it was supposed that the meeting
between the two rhinoceroses would be pro-
yocatlve of some amusement. There were
gathered around the cage a most heteroge-
neous assemblage, foremost among whom
were Mr.. Barnum and Messrs. S. II. Hurd
and Dan. CASTILLO, who were surrounded by
number OF others. Unfortunately the meet
ing between the two gigantic animals was
far from being a pacific one. "Peter was
no sooner driven into his old a e thar he
made a most desperate attack upon the new
arrival, making the most violent efforts to
injure her with his formidable tusks. The
one introduced. a female of the African
breed, attempted for some time to ward off
the terrific lunges which the other made,
and so long as they
STOOD FACE To FACE
she was enabled to do this, but in her strug-
giles she placed herself directly across the
front bars of the cage. The combat by this
time had driven all the spectators from the
field, leaving Mr.. Chas. White, his assistant,
George, Mr.. Nathans, Mr.. Fuller, and sew
eral ofthe employees alone in their efforts to
separate the infuriated beasts. In the mean
Pete" had driven his smaller adver-
sery up against the bars of the cage, and
with one or two well directed blows
forced the bars of the cage COM
pletely apart, throwing the African
out into the passage way.
The most determined efforts were now made
Dy ID6 BeDIlou1S0 ABOVE m6UIlOD6U 10 sepd-
rate the two, and by means of a white cam
vass cloth placed in front of the cage "Pete"
was debarred from doing further damage.
The female rhinoceros was badly hurt, the
armor scales. as they might be called, being
broken in several places. She resisted for
some time the efforts Of her keepers to drive
her into her cage, but after numerous urg-
ings she was induced to take up her old
At the close of the af-
exhibition, there was a scene
excitement which far exceeded
the above r%encontre in intensity. 1t is
the custom of the establishment to feed the
at the close of the matinee. While
this was going on two of the ions confined
on the south side of the building exhibited
considerable excitement, as is customary
at the time of feeding. Some one in the
crowd of spectators exclaimed that ''the
animals were loose" A most fearful scene
ensued. Shrieks and cries were beard
ard for sc veral minutes the
confusion prevailed, several ladies
At length, by the efforts OF the
employees, order was restored and the
audience dispersed.