Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-09-26
A Menagerie Let Loose.

Mail advices from Kimberly, South
Africa, tell of an awful occurrence
there at midnight on the first Of June
last. Some person, evidently one
bearing i'll feeling toward the propri-
etor of Fills menagerie, opened the
doors Of the cages confining the wild
animals and set them all free.
The most terrible scenes followed
this liberation. Four attendants
sleeping on the premises were man.
gled beyond recognition, being act
ually torn limb from limb, bitten and
gashed in the most sickening manner,
while the entire population within n
radius Of a mile was aroused by the
roaring of the lions, the trumpeting
of the elephants, the growls and
shrieks Of the leopards, chetahs.
jackals ami the frightened horses.
Four enormous male lions Pasha,
Abdul, Caliph and Mustapha-sprang
from their cages and made for the
stables, where Pasha leaped upon the
back OF Murat, the great jumping
stallion, and buried his teeth in the
animals neck. The screams OF the
horse aroused the attendants, a
Scotchman named Patterson and
three Kaflir boys, who, armed with
stable forks, rushed to the relief Of
Murat
From the dying words Of one Kaffir,
who was the only one able 10 speak
when aid came, il was learned that
they rushed 10 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 dragged off, their bodies mangled
and torn open, their bones smashed
into bits, and with the exception OF
the single Kaflir their heads crushed
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 decorations.
Having tasted blood the lions.
chetahs, wolves and leopards regain
ed all their natural ferocity and
sprung at everything that came In
their way Four performing Hun
garian horses, OF which the equine
beauty, Black Bess, was one OF the
number, were killed almost instantly,
and number OF ponies were devour-
! ed.
An enormous elephant, known rs
Blood, burst through the heavy iron
gate in his fright and rushed into
Curry street, followed by nearly
every animal that was in the inena-
gerie.
A cabman named Nelson, sitting on
his carriage before the building, was
appalled, by the uproar within, but
did not suppose the beasts could es-
cape beyong the walls. Suddenly, as
he describes IL, he saw the animals
come forth, first tie elephant loudly
trumpeting, closely followed by n
tumbling, writhing, snarling mass OF
lions, hyenas, jackals, balloons and
every other quality OF brute.
Nelson sprung for a post that sup
ports an awning around Glover's
athletic bar and cllubed into safety,
while his horses dashed madly down
the Dntoitspan 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,
happening 10 be in n rear room open
ing on n garden, was pounced upon
by IA chetah and dragged into the
open air, where its agonized mother
saw il torn TO pieces and devoured
without any power to help II.
Other and equally narrowing incl
dents are reported, among which is
the killing OF five women, who were
fearfulIy mangled When the mails
left there were at large four lions, two
lionesses, two tigers, three bears, two
wolves, one hyena, two chetahs, one
elephant, one camel and seventeen
baboons. The police were organized
into hunting parties and the town
was almost in condition OF siege.