The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-30
STAMPEDE IN A CIRCUS.
A ScOundrel Unbars the Cages
and Releases the Animals.
An Appalling Scene in a South African Town.
Lions, Tigers, Wolves and LeopaIds
Engage in Bloody Conflict

The following tragic story is taken from
a recent number of the Diamond Fields Ad-
vertiser:
Shortly after II o'clock last night gen.
eral stampede of all the animals compris-
ing Fills Menagerie took place. This
appalling occurrence is attributed to a mis-.
creant, at present at large. who, possessed
of grudge against Mr. Fills or members
of his company, thought to pay it out by
climbing on the fence of the inclosure in
which the animals are kept, and. at immi-
nent risk to his own life and limbs, releas-
ing from their cages and chains the whole
Of the wild animals. This fend in human
shape is evidently one we'll acquainted with
the show, for not only has he exhibited
familiarity with the locks and bars of the
cages, but he selected the day and hour
when the supervision of the animals was
most relaxed. He appears to have made
good his escape before the animals realized
their freedom from restraint, and as the
four employees, who slept on the premises,
have ali fallen victims to the ferOcity of
the wild beasts it is impossible to say a.
present if his identity is known.
From what we can gather, the four male
lions, Pasha, Abdul, Caliph and Mustapta,
upUI buCil SdsC-QObl OpCus ' =
mediately proceeded to the stables, where
the large lion, Pasha. leaped on to the back
of Murat, the jumping horse, and fastened
his teeth in his neck and withers. 1t is re-
ported that he has always borne this horse
a most unaceountable grudge, and invaria-
bly, gave signs Of displeasure and dislike
when within sight of him. The horses
screams aroused the four attendants-a
n Al. l.
fir boys-and hastily arning themselves
with stable forks they rushed to the scene
of the disturbance, evidently ignorant of
the numerical strength of the foe they had
to contend with. These four gallant fel-
lows met e fearful death. From the few
words of one of the Kaflir boys to Mr.. Fills
it appears that he and his mates, when
endeavoring TO beat back the lion Pasha,
were attacked from the rear by the three
other lions and one OF the cheetahs. They
were then literally torn limb from limb by
the terocious brutes, and the scene of their
death is one of indescribable horror. Hav-
ing tasted blood the lions male and female,
the cheetahs, the wolves and the leOpards
seemed to regain all the ferocty of their
class, and Mr. Fills four Hungarian
horses-Sang dOr, Kremis. Lenore and
Etrlle-and the performing horses Beauty
and Black Bess soon fell victims to their lust
for blood. The elephant, frightened at the
noise in his endeavor to escape burst
through the heavy iron gate and rushed
into Curry street, followed by nearly the
whole of the wild animals, who appear to
have been startled by something while en-
gagged in their work of carnage in the sta
bles.
A cabman residing at Beaconsfield had
narrow escape Hearing the noise, he drove
down from the main street to see the
animals rush out. He likens the scene to
tl, NOab'o N alaphont
came out first, and a few seconds afterward
tumbled out confused mob of lions, wolves.
hyenas, balloons, leopards, cheetahs and
jackals.
The wolves, with the instinct of their
race. Immediately rushed upon Nelson's
horses, and two of the lions attacked them
also. Strange to say, they left the man
himself unmolested, and he managed to
climb up post at Glover's Athletic Bar
and secure his safety in one of the rooms.
When last he saw his horses they were gal
Looping madly down the Dutcitspan road,
snorting and screaming with fear and pain,
followed by the wolves and two of the lions.
The remainder of the animals, Nelson says,
dispersed in all directions; but the man ap-
pears to be so unstrung by his terrible eX-
periences that nothing coherent can be OBJ
tanned from him. A little son of Mr.. Grind
ley produce-dealer, happened to be in the
back yard of his fathers premises. He
noticed cheetah which had taken refuge
there, and, with the fearlessness of child
hood, walked up to 1t. His mother, from
her bedroom window, saw the brute lay
her darling PROSTATE with one blow of its
paw and then mangle him beyond all rec0g-
milton.
Four lions, two lionesses. two tigers,
three bears, two wolves, one hyena, two
cheetahs, four jackals, one elephant, one
camel and seventeen balloons are at large
Only two OF these animals have as yet been
accounted for. Mr.. MurchisOn, residing on
the Dutoirspan road, having been awakened
by the noise, was looking out of his bed
room window, and, seeing jackal run
across the yard, shot it dead with his revol-
yer.
Mr.. Goodchild was aroused by the shrieks
of his parrot, and, getting out of his bed to
see the cause, observed to his horror an
enormous lion crouching under the trees in
the front garden. With great presence of
mind he took down his Martini Henry rifle,
and. firing through the window. shot it dead.
The whole OF the police, armed to the
teeth, are securing the surrounding dis
tricts and the town itself.