The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-07-12
AN ENTIRE MENAGERIE LOOSE.
Wild Scenes Caused by the Stam-
pede Of a Circus in Africa.

W1lQ scenes CauS0Q Dy CQ0 6Cdm
' pede Of Circus in Africa.
Shortly after l / o'clock last nigh
/ a general stampede Of all the ami
mails comprising Fills Menageri'
took place. This appalling occur
renee is attributed to a miscreant-
at present at large-who possessed
of grudge against Mr.. Fills o.
members of his company, though
to pay it out by climbing on tht
fence of the inclosure in which the
animals are kept, and at imminen,
risk to his own life and limbs, re-
leasing from their cages and chains
the whole Of the wild animals.
About IL: 80 the residents within
mile radius of the circus building
were reused from their beds by q
most fendish and indescribable
noise. The fierce roar of the lions
the trumpeting of the elephant, the
snarls and growls of the leopards,
cheetahs, and jackals, the snarling
bark of the wolves, the cries of the
frightened horses, and the groans
and screams of the mangled and
dying employees, made a medley OF
sound which will never be forgotten
by those who heard it.
From what we can gather, the
four male lions, Pasha, Abdul, Ca
liwh and Mustapha, upon discover
ing the door of their cage open,
Immediately proceeded to the sta
bles, where the large lion, Pasha,
leaped on to the back Of Murat, the
jumping horse, and fastened his
teeth in his neck and withers. The
horses screams reused the four at
tendants-a Scotchman named Pat
terson and three Kaffir boys-and,
hastily arming themselves with sta
ble-forks, they rushed to the scene
of the disturbance, evidently ignor-
ant Of the numerical strength of
the foe they had to contend with.
These four gallant fellows met
fearful death. From the few last
dying words of one Of the Kafir
boys to Mr.. Fills, when he arrived
upon the scene, 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 ferocious brutes,
and the scene Of their death is one
of indescribable horror. Having
tasted blood, the lions (male and
female), the cheetahs, the wolves
and the leopards seemed to regain
all the ferocity Of their class, and
Mr.. Fills four Hungarian horses
and the performing horses Beauty
and Black Bess fell victims to their
lust for blood. The elephant, fright
ened 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 animals, who appear to have
been startled by something while
engaged in their work Of carnage
in the stables.
A cabman had narrow escape.
Hearing the noise, he drove down
from Main street just in time to see
the animals rush out. He likens |
the scene to the exit from Noah's |
ark. An elephant came first, and
a few seconds afterward tumbled |
out a confused mob of lions, wolves,
hyenas, baboons, leopards, cheetahs
and jackals.
The wolves, with the instinct of
their race, Immediately rushed upon
Nelson's horses, and two of the IL
ons attacked them also. Strange
to say, they left the man himself
unmolested, and he managed to
climb up a post. When last he saw
his horses they were galloping mad
ly down the Dutoitspanroad, snort
ing and screaming with fear and
pain, followed by the wolves and
two of the lions. The remainder
Of the animals, Nelson says, dis
persed in all directions; but the
man appears to be so unstrung by,
his terrible experiences that moth
ing coherent can be obtained from
him at present. We have as yet
heard of but one death since the
animals left the buildings. Next
lay a little child named James
Grindley, a son of Mr.. Grindley,
produce-dealer, happened to be in
;he back yard of his fathers prem
ses, in his little night shirt. He
1oticed a cheetah which had taken
,efuge there, and with the fearless
hess of childhood walked up to it. ,
His agonized mother, from her bed
'oom window, saw the brute lay
Ter darling PROSTATE with one blow
If it's paw, and then mangle him
beyond all recognition. A full list
If animals at large is as follows :
Four lions, two lionesses, two tigers, {
hree bears, two wolves, one hyena, +,
wo cheetahs, four jackals, one ele- {
'hant, one camel, and seventeen
,aboons. /,
The whole of the police, armed
o the teeth, are securing the sur