Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-06
nuLOROFORMeD A LION.
e,raugo Execution at tho st. Louis
Zoo"

cHLoRoFoRMED A LION.
e,rango Execution at tho st. Louis
1900"
rst Louis Globe.1
r.,rcror is dead. and the hundreds of /
4, Lini'Nraods of people who have admired his 1
tnonS' majesty at the Geological Garden /
taNn.aaorlv fourteen years will miss the no. /
i i9a hcast. On SUNDAY afternoon he was /
olg .gicssly executed by Superintendent |
p aiii.';; and Keeper Crowley IN the inter- /
l,'ii ~ simple humanity. Chloroform WAS /
u ISL in the act. and in less than five mi /
u.s. U.s. the grand old brute had passed over 4
nv he celestial forest.
~ rnneror was close on TO fifty years Of /
o-e and of late months has been quito
9eoble. He was partially paralyzed rs 20
- hind limbs, and a month ago. IN tho
language Of his keeper, went clean of Of
g Superintendent Bellaire, loath to lose
.bo did fellow, who in his feeble old age
u rnS as grand and awe-inspiriug as ever.
,rodo every effort % nurse tine royal III
aid hack into health. For two weeks he
I,as Tod him on warm bullocks blood only,
hmt ON Saturday 1t became apparent that
Ven kings must die. lie merely tasted tie
Mood and then lay down with bis tongue
'o Thc royal consort. Empress, had since
the illness Of her spouse shown tho utmost
soiicitude. She wOuld be near him for
hours. purring gently If q honess may be
said TO purr. and then she would get up
and pace the confines OF the cell restlessly
oa If in mental worry. returning to her
most bv her liege and renewing her afcc-
tomato attentions.
ON Sunday morning it was agreed that it
would be cruelty TO let the Emperor iinger
LONGER. suggestion TO shoot him was at
once rejected. II is not an easy matter TO
XIII n lion outright. Four or five bullets
might have been put into the tawnv, old
carcass and death not occur for week. In
the morning the Empress was separated
from her consort for the first time IN ten
voars. She bitterly resented the act, and It
was with difficulty that she was driven TO
another cage. len she showed her anger
bv roaring loud and long, and threw. her-
self necessarily against the bars OF her
nrison house. The sliding door separating
The winter from the summer cage was ele-
waited and the Emperor driven into the
latter for his last view of the sunshine, in
which he had disportcd for thirteen sum-
mcrs. A man was at the 100 the other day
who knew the Emperor for fifteen years
before he passed into the hands or the
Fair Association.
Cautain Bcllaire had made all his pre-
variations aud had instructed Keeper
Crowley as to his duty. Mr. Joseph h.
Nulierv, acting secretary of the FAIR Assoc
citation. was on hand TO act as timekeeper,
and q half dozen ladies and gentlemen
casual visitors TO the garden witnessed the
royal removal.
1--WE pounds Of chloroform had been Sc
cured for the purpose. sack about eigh-
o j. n Es
inches IN circumference had been made,
and that was filled with lint. From tcle-
rraph-wire q sort Of muzzlo had been made,
into Which the lint bag was placed. A
handle three feet long was attached TO the
muzzle.
Emperor was lying near the outer bars,
with his head between his massive paws.
lie looked old and gray and feeble, and his
beard was a. white a. snow, but ne was
majestic in all his teobleness, and the niue
proup of sDectatOrs viewed with mixed ad-
miraiiOn and alarm the intrepid keeper as
he entered the cage. There seemed 10 be
in the massive paws all Of tho old-timc
force. and even an old and dying lion does
not seem to be q safe creature to meet
alone.
As Crowley entered tho cage the En-
press. shut ont from view OF the scene,
! seemed by iustiuCttO divine that something
unusual was 20 happen. she roareu IN htr
/ ANGER. and the la5h.ng of her tail and the
| concussion as she threw herself against the
| bars could be heard plainly on the outside
/ of the carniyOra-house. Tho Old non
/ answered her call in deep tones that We're
but n "reminiscences Of his old-time roar.
! The tigers. leopards, and hyenas caught
/ The excitement Of the moment and showed
great sullenuess rs they bounded from
/ side to side OF their cages and growed and
| howled hideOusly and con family. ne
/ elephant Duchess added her trumpetlng
| to the din.
Quietly Crowley approached from behind
| and deftlv put the muzzle and bag over
| the ROYAL nose. One pound and q hall OF
! the chloroform had been poured in on the
| lint. The action aroused the old fellow,
who seemed after removing his mate. TO
| drop into dose. With his massive old
! paws he tried 10 knock the muzzlc away.
! 1t had been fairly placed over ms upper
! Jaw and nO5trllS.
And at tho instant Mullery. who stood
! outside with the watch in his hand, said !:
/ Fourteen minutes to 81 Crowley held
/ the deadly annsthetic in its strange recep-
! tace over Emperog's nose for minute and
| a half. being assisted by the old fellow IN
/ voluntarily closing his lower jaw over It..
| At the minute and half, by blow OF one
! of his paws. he knocked the cOntrivance Oh
/ of his muZZlc. Crowley picked II up, ana.
! walking 10 the bars with it, handed It TO
Captain Bellare, who measured out three
/ furtus of pound moro or the chlOrO-
! form. Crowley then replaced the AFFAIR
/ over Emperor's nose. lie struggled
no longer. He rather seemed 10 like IT,.
! His ewes closed, and his grizzled old fea-
/ lures rclapsed. At 2:5l the mighty frame
! shook with the first of a series OF spasmO-
/ dlc conyulsiOns. These followed in rapid
! succession, but grew feebler with each one.
/ 40 2:5S, Just twelve minutes after the ope,
! ration or execution commenced. a nnal
! sliyer passed over the mOnstrou5 frame
and old Emperor rolled over on his side.
lie was dead.
An examination Of his teeth after death,
! showed his great age. His teeth are nearly
! three inches long. and are deeply "cupped,
/ As the veterinarian would say. captain
! Bellaire and MIR. Crowley agreed that he
must have been all of fifty years old. The
! Fair Association has but an imperfect ms
tory of the dead lion. They only know tlat
| away back in the days OF Van AmDuTgh :
/ show Emperor was considered the nOblest
suecinen of the kngOf beasts on exhibition,
and was valued at So 600. He was born IN
! captivity. The majesty of his appearance
precluded any such idea, but he had found
| his way to England from Calcutta when SIX
! or seven years of age. He was purchased
! bv the Fair Association upon the opening
of the Geological Garden in 1876, and was
always much admired. The noble carcas;
was yesterday skinned and will be stuffed
and mounted by NJ. j. Steinherg, and Will
find resting place in the Falr-Grounds
! Museum. =,
The Empress was given the liberty of the
| summer cage for few hours yesterday at
ternoon. but she seemed lost without her
mate. refused her food, and gave vent at
intervals to long, wailing cries.
A Feminine Miser.