The news., 1882-04-27
4 THRILLING EXPERIENCE.
1soo Leopards belonging to the Circus Roy
= al escape from their cese bstlrcen; Pal
myra and Riverside. Both kilLed.

al escape from their CAGE bstlreen; Pal
myra and RiUerside. Both Killed.
|
The journey Of the circus train from
Camden to Mount Holly on Saturday will
no doubt be always remembered by those
who were on board. The crew were all
Mount Holly men as follows: Conductor,
Nathan Wilson; Engineer, John Lewis;
Fireman, Wilbur Vannote Brakemen
Curtis West and Harry Garon. ~
The train left Camden about 8 5oiclock
in the morning and came 10 Mount Hol-
iy by the way of Burlington. When the
train reached the upper Pensaukin bridge
near Palmyra, the blocking under the
wheels Of the cage containing two leop-
ards worked loose, and the cage swung
around, striking the bridge, which broke
it open, and the leepards were at liberty
The accident was not noticed and the
train proceeded on its way. Shortl5 after
wards, the engineer, looking back, saw
astrange looking animal coming towards
the engine, and. called the attention of
the clown, who was riding with him in
the cab to the TACT; bat the clown evident
~ thinking the engineer was joking, paid
no attentionto it, and did not look around.
The engineer did not like the animals
running at large on the cars, and became
more emphatic in his remarks to the
clown, who seeing the eengineer in earn
est, turned and, noticing that one of the
ieopards was only two cars length away
exclaimed, "boys, look out. for yourselves;
it's man-eater." e 80 - Is
The clown then seized one of the long
iron pokers, used on the engine, aud gong
to the rear end Of The tender, motioned
with il towards the animal hoping 10
make it go back. But it kept slowly Oh
and on reaching the end of the last car,
croached and sprung with the intention,
Of landing on the tender. It feitshort Of
the mark, however, andi+dhe witnesses
thought At had landed on the rear plat
form of the otender., Things were now
approaching crisis and it was not.
known how soon some one might get
taste of the claws of the ugly beast.
The engineer stopped the train, and
armed with heavy hammer, stepped to
the ground and walked to the end of the
tender with the intention of dispatching
the animal, but il was not on the step as
supposed. The clown at this moment
sounded an alarm to- the circus men on
board, and they came out at once and got
off the train, when one Of them discovered
the mangled remains of the animal lying
on the tract, ithaving fell between the
cars %hendt attempted to leap on the
tender. The engineer then discovered
the other one worming his way along the
fiat cars and called .he clowns attention
to it. An attempt was made TO capture
it. but it jumped off and got under the
cars. They threw sticka and stones at
1t until finally It came but and jumped
over fence into 4 yard aissohedt To res
.idenos besideEtha,track. The entife force
OF men then gathered together and sur.
rounding the animal tried to isros it into
a chicken coop, the door of which had
been opened for that purpose. They were
hasty, however, and the leopard turned
and made a spring at one Of them, alcol.
ored man, who frightened at this turn Of
affairs wheeled around and ran for
his life, the leopard at his heels. He
had gone but = short distance when he
fell headlcns into ditch, and the animal
paused, turned @ound and started fof the
train again, He ran beneath the cars
and settled down for q long siege upon
one Of the wheel trucks. An attempt
Wa6 chen made to lasso him, but when the
man with the rope wonld get nearer thau
oars length to him he would show 6ght
and he was compelled to retreat. After
several attempts to get the rope around
bis body the idea was abandoned There
being train due on the track about this
time, the engineer told the men be would
run off on a siding and wait until they
he'd captured the animal before going any
further. Whsn he sssarted up the leopard
kept springing from one truck to another
beneath the cars until finally he stepped
out, got beneath the wheela and was
cFushed to death. The bodies Of both
animals we're saved a. the skins are very
valuable. The two animals were valued
at $500 sach. as4
An examination Of the tender where
the leopard had made his spring add
missed a footing showed long ugly
scratch made by the animals claws
Fortunately no one was injured and the
only damage sustained was the loss of the
beasts and the train being delayed nearly
an hour. With two leopards atiarge and
train to handle the men had their hands
full Of busipsss, and It j. reasonable to in.
fer that their thoughts were not st alI Of
q pleasant nature over the fnn in hand.
Hunting Wild animals vas . little opt Of
their line, FasaEs gf4xss ~
s-ss-----ss.-~-
For your spring Millinery, 60 10 NJ. E.