The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-01
4 MENAGERIES MASSACRE.
A Blood.Curdling Story From
South Africa.
Half a Score of People Killed by
Wild Animals.

Mail advices just received from Kimberley,
South Africa, tell Of an awful occurrence
there at midnight on June 1 last. Some
vicious person or persons opened the doors
Of the cages in Fillis's managerie con-
tanning the wild animals and set them all
free. Tho most terrible scenes followed.
Four attendants sleeping on the prem
ises were mangled beyond recognition,
being actually torn limb from limb. bitten
and gashed in the most sickening manner,
while the entire population within a radius
Of mile was aroused by the roaring CT the
ions, the trumpeting of the elephants, the
5rowls and shrieks Of the leopards, chetahs,
iackals and frightened horses.
Four enormous male lions, Pasha, Abdul
Caliph and Mustapha, sprang from their
cages and made for the stables, where Pasha
eaped upon the back of Murat, the great
Jumping stallion, and buried his teeth in the
animals neck The screams Of the horse
aroused the attention of Scotchman named
Patterson and three Kafflr boys, who, armed
with stable forks, rushed to the relief of Mu-
rat. From the dying words of one Kafflr,
who was the only one able to speak when
found, it was learned that they rushed
to unspeakable torture and met fearful
death. He and his mates endeavored to
beat Pasha back, when they were attacked
in the rear by three other lions and one
chetah. They were thrown to the ground,
their arms and legs bitten and torn off, their
bodies mangled and torn open, their bones
smashed into bits, and with the exception Of
the single Kaffir, their heads crunched into
pulp. The one man who lived just long
enough to tell the story was without either
arms or legs and his body was a mass Of
lacerations.
Having tasted blood, the lions, chetahs,
wolves and leopards seemed to regain all
their natural ferocity and sprang at every
thing that ca3o in their way. Four per-
forming Hungarian horses, Of which the
equine beauty Black Bess was one of the
number. were killed almost instantly, and a
number of ponies were devoured. An enor-
NOUS elephant known as Blood burst
through the heavy iron gate in his fright
and rushed into Curry street, followed by
nearly every animal that was in the
menagerie. A cabman named Nelson was
sitting on his carriage before the building
appalled, by the uproar within, but not sup
posing the beasts could escape beyond the
walls. Suddenly, as he describes it, he saw
the animals come forth in aperfect volume
Of ferocity, first the elephant loudly trum-
peting, closely followed by writhing,, snar-
ling mass of lions, hyenas, jackals, balloons
anu every OCneT QuallIy VI DluIe.
Nelson sprang for post that supports an
awning around Glover's Athletic Bar and
climbed into safety, while his horses dashed
madly down the Dutoitspan road, snorting
with fear, closely pursued by two lions and
! four wolves. The remainder Of the wild
animals distributed themselves in every
direction.
A little child of James Grindley, happen
ing to be in rear room opening on gar:
den, was pounced upon BY a chetah and
dragged into the open air, where its agon
ICED mother saw it torn to pieces and de
voured without any power to help it
Other and equally narrowing incidents
are reported, among which Is the killing OF
five women, who were fearfully mangled.
When the mails left there were at largo
sour lions, two ionesses, two tigers, three
bears two wolves, one hyena, two chetahs
one elephant, one camel and seventeen
5aboons. The police had been organized
into hunting parties and the town was in q
condition Of siege.