Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-04-22
HOUSING THE HYEEAs.
A Private Performance I'm = Msnsserie-
How the Fierce Hrutes are "Werk ed -
with Hed-hot Iron.

the novelties OF the season will be the
exhibition of e ae:; Of six laughing
hyenas, which will be entered by q
trainer, and the animals put through
performances after the manner of lion
training exhibitions. This has rarely
been done, and in this case the expert.
ment combines considerable peril, az
the hyenas of the show are unusually
fierce. They have been kept In little
box.cages, with stout iron bars in front,
and yesterday they were transferred TO
n road-cage with three compartments.
The six animals have heretofore been
kept apart in pairs, and some curiosity
was felt even by the keepers rs TO how
they would behave when housed to-
gether. The transfer occupied about
two hours and n half, and was made by
Buffalo Bill" the buffalo trainer, and
Charles Drayton, who will train the
hyenas. The manner of transfer is as
follows: At the end of the road-cage is
door. The box-cages in which the
animals have been kept during the
winter are quite small - only large
enough for two Of them to move about
in. One Of these was lifted upon the
shoulders of half a dozen men and set
up on frame against the door of the
road-caee. Two of the bars were then
removed from the box-cage, leaving a
passage from one TO the other. It may
be thought that all that was now neces-
sary would be to prnch the brutes and
let them walk out of one cage into the
other. A reporter who watched the
proceeding though. SO, and so did n
young man from Indiana, who seemed
10 take great interest in the proceeding.
But this was only the beginning of
trouble. A huge chunk OF raw meat
was put into the road-cage TO tempt the
hyenas over the threshold, but il had
no effect-they had dined only an hour
or two before. They were punched
with a pole, but only raced around the
little den and would not cross the door
way. Then plank was loosened and
removed from the top and Buffalo
Bill" =" took heavy whip, and, putting
his arm inside, began TO lash them.
earthly howls and yells and a tremen-
dous scrambling, which made the in
terested young man from Indiana climb
a pillar and perch in fear and trembling
upon the balcony, where he could see
nothing, but heard a great deal. 1t re-
quired half an hour of whipping and
anu bt1liUk W tllt
first to put his head throu h the door.
Then tremendous lash was given him,
and, with howl and skulking, trem-
bling movement, he went into the new
quarters. Fifteen minutes more were
spent with Gabriel" the -fiercest and
most treacherous of the lot, who was
finally got in. and then the two were
forced into the far end, and were shut
in by compartment gate.
Another cage, containing two more
of the animals, was now brought in and
the same performance given. They did
not cause so much trouble, but as
soon as they were shut in the mid
die compartment, Gabriel and his
mate set up a fierce snarling, and a
fight ensued. "Gabriel" thrust his
sharp Jaws through the bars and seized
his more cowardly neighbor by the
neck, and perfect pandemonium of
yells and snarls ensued.
"Let up, will you - shouted Mr..
Colvin. as he rushed forward with his
cane and gave Gabriel several blows
on the head.
The cane had no terrors, however,
for the fighting pair leaped against The
bars, growing and scratching.
"He wants the iron, said Mr.. Colvin,
quietly, to n man who ran into the stable
and in q few moments returned with it.
The iron," was long iron poker.
with cross-bar at the end. heated red
hot. It was inserted between the bars
and laid upon " Gabriel's" back. With
one unearthly human scream he leaped
up. and in moment the two animals
were writhing to escape the terrible
dose.
"Give 1t to him in the nose ~ was
shouted.
The hot iron was punched into his
face; and then, without sound, the
two cowardly brutes wTithed and
twisted themselves into n corner, where
they lay trembling and cowed, as quiet
rs lambs. In few minutes "Gabriel''
showed signs of fight again, but two or
three punches with the prongs of q
pitchfork silenced his hostility. The
last two brutes were now broug ght in. and
for an hour every device was resorted
to TO get them into the new cages.
Kitty" the only female of the mum ber,
was Mt length tempted to skulk in by n
piece of meat in front of her aud a raw
hide in the rear But her male COM
panion lay down Il: the corner OF his
cage and stubbornly refused To move.
He was beat until his roars filled the
building. A plank was then torn of
the rear of his cage and red-hot irons
and pitchforks applied. which only In
creased his horrible howling. without
getting his head in the door. Finally n
stout rope was brought, a moose was
made, and with great difficulty slipped
over his head. This was drawn taut,
and the end of the rope passed through
the new cage. after which the brute was
dragged in by main force.
After they were all transferred the
road-cage was rolled into the stable.
and Charley Drayton entered Ii for the
first time. Before he could get in,
however Gabriel" had renewed his
viciousness, and attacked his old neigh.
Dor through the bars. seizing him BY
the ear with n tenacious grip uf the
jaws which could not be loosened. The
weaker brute howled and dashed about
until he had torn his ear out of " Ga.
briel's" teeth and spaLtered the blood
all over the bars and sides of the den.