The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-05-11
The Reporter and the Lion.

The fair grounds was to-day the scene
Of an unusually distressing and peculiar
accident. John j. Jennings, a reporter
on the Post Dispatch was sent by his city
editor to write lengthy notice about
The winter quarters of W. w. Coles
circus, which are at the grounds, and in
the course of an interview with George
Conkling, the lion tanner, Jennings
yentured the assertion that there was no
danger attaching to Mr.. Conklings APP
parently thrilling appearance in the
midst of the Gagged lions. In substan-
tiating his assertion, he declared his
willingness to go into the den, providing
Mr.. Conkling made the first entrance.
At first the lion tanner laughed at Jen.
nings' proposition, but the reporter
bantered him so much about it that he
at last agreed to let him go into the cage.
Jennings is the same rash little gentle
man who allowed Hermann, the magi-
clan, to fire him out of cannon across
the auditorium of the Grand Opera
House into q net three years ago. The
cannon trick was done during q perform
ance, and the journalist had very
narrow escape from breaking his neck.
This afternoon, Conkling, whohad beer
handling lions since 1868, and who has
two new lions in the den, made the first
entrance, whipped the animals up, and
after putting them through their PAGES,
came out. He told Jennings that there
was danger with the two new lions, and
tried to dissuade him from going in, but
the reporter was rashly stubborn about
the thing, and armed with Conkling's
small rawhide, went boldly into the
den. Cohkling stood at the cage doors
and watched the animals closely, ready,
at a moment, to run in to the news
paper mans assistance. The lions lay
close to the sides of the cage as Jen-
nings stood at the center, and divided
their attention between the reporter
and Conkling. They growled fiercely
and glared at the intruder, but Jennings
shook the rawhide toward them and at
last touched Sandy, one of the old lions,
on the rump, whereat he ran across the
stage, followed by two of the others,
and soon the three animals were jump
ing about, obeying the reporters word
of command, leaping over the whip and
lying down as cleverly as they could do
for Conkling himself. The lion tanner
said nothing. but had his hand on the
cage door, watching Jennings and the
animals as they shifted positions. The
reporter had been in the cage probably
two minutes when he started to put
George, the second of the old lions,
through the trick of jumping over his
back while he leaned forward. He
touched the animals forepaws with the
whip just as Conkling does, and over
the reporters back went old George.
One of the new lions, just put into the
cage this winter, in attempting to fol-
low George knocked Jennings down.
He fell toward corner of the cage, in
which the second new lion that had re.
fusedto take part in the lion tanners
performance had remained lying
throughout the whole time. "Look
QUIT" shouted Conkling, dashing into
the cage and making dive for the
PROSTATE newspaper man. He was toe
late, however. The lions claws fell or
the top of jennings head, and tore
away almost the entire scalp. A seconC
stroke tore the reporters shoulder open
and as Conkling dragged him away the
lions claws were fastened in the shoe
of his left foot, and tore the covering
of. Conkling had the palm of his right
hand opened by one of the animals
claws. There was the greatest uproal
in the cage for few minutes, the lions
roaring and rushing about while Conk.
ling thrust Jennings through the
cage door to two assistants. and re-
manned behind to belabor the animals
into quiet with short bar of iron. Jen.
nings was taken from the ground uncon
scious, and the physicians fear that he
is fatally injured. Great Indignation
prevails among the journalists friends,
who heard of the accident, and there is
talk of having Conkling arrested, first,
for having allowed Jennings to expose
himself to such danger, and in the sec
ond place for not telling Jennings thai
the lion that injured him was bad, and
is always kept chained in corner of the
cage. This latter circumstance is 3
fact. Conkling himself never ventures
within reach of this lion. He is, there
fore, to blame for allowing Jennings tc
risk his life in the rash manner in which
hesdid.-St. Louis Special to Indianap
oils Journal.