Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-06-04
OESEREF EVENING NEWS.
DEATH OF A LION.
TIE STRANGE EXECUTION OF OLD
EMPEROR ATTHE ST. LOUIS zoo.

March 10th, he was painlessly exc
cuted by Superintendent Bellaire
aud keeper Crowley in the interest
OF simple humanity. ChlorOform
was used in the act, and in less than
i've minutes the grand old brute
had passed over TO the celestial
| forest.
Emperor was close on 10 so
years Of age, and Of late months has
been quite feeble. He was par
tally paralyzed as to his hind limits
and a month ago, in,the language Of
his keeper, went "clean off his
feed"
Superintendent Bellaire, 10th to
lee the Old fellow, who in his feeble
Old age was as grand and awe-iu-
spring as ever, made every effort
70 nurse the royal invalid hack into
health. For two weeks he has fed
him on warm bullOck's blood only,
but on Saturday it became apparent
that even kings must die. He
merely tasted the blood, and then
laid down with his tongue lolling
out.
The royal cOnsort, empress, had,
since the illness OF her spouse, shown
/ the utmost solicitude. She would be
near him for hours, purring gently,
if a IiOness may he said 10 purr, anu
then she would get up and pace the
confines OF the cell rustleSsly as If in
mental worry, returning TO her post
by her liege and renewing her alice
| Tomato attention.
| On Sunday morning il was agreed
| that il would he cruelty 20 let the
Emperor linger longer. A sugges-
ton 70 shoot him was at once reject
/ ed. IL Is not an easy matter 10 kill
lion outright. -Four OF five bullets
might have been put into the tawny
| old carcass, and ueath not occur for
a week. In the morning the En-
press was seTaratei from her con-
sort for the first time in ten years.
/ >ne bitterly Resented the act, anu il
vas with difficulty that she was
triyeu lack to another cage. Then
,he showed her anger by roaring
| loud and long, anu threw herself
necessarily against the hans Of hsI
] prison house. The sliding door
Separating the winter from the sum
| mer cage was elevated, and the En-
/ perUr was driven into the latter for
his last view Of the sunshine in
which he has dispOrted for thirteen
summers. a man was at the Zoo
tile other day who knew the I'm
! perOr for fifteen years before he
pasSel into the hands Of the Fair
/ a ssOciatfon.
! Captain Bellaire had made all his
preparations, and had instructed
Keeper Crowley as 10 his duty.
Joseph L. Mullery, acting secretary
Ufthe Fair Association, was on hand
70 act as timekeeper, and 4 half
dozen ladies and gentlemen, casual
visitors n the garden, witnessed the
royal removal.
Five POUNDS Of chioroform had
been secured for the purpose. a
sack about eight inches in length
J and PERHAPS twelve inches in cir
| conference had been made and
/ this was filled with lirS. From tele-
graph wire n sort Of muZzle had been
made, iutO which the INT tag Wsls
placed. 4 handle three feet long
was attached TO the muzzle.
''EmperOr" was lying near the
outer bars with his head between his
massive PAWS. He looked old and
| gray and feeble, and his beard was
| A. white rs snow, but he was ma
j,stic in all his feebleness, and the
little group Of SPECTATORS viewed with
mixed admiration aud alarm the in-
trepid keeper as he entered the cage.
There seemed 10 be in the massive
paws all OF the old-time force. and
even an old and dying lion does not
seem 10 be a safe creature TO meet
alone.
As Crawley entered the cage, the
| Empress, shut out frUm a view oil
the scene, seemed by instinct D.
livine that something unusual was
10 happen. She reared in her anger.
and the lashing Of her tail and the
conclusion as she threw herself
/ against the bars could be heard
I plainly on the outside Of the ear
niv0ra house. The old lou answered
her call in deep tones that Wer,
but n "Reminiscences Of ms old-iimu
roar. The tigers, leOpards and by .
enas caught the excitement Of IN,
moment, and showed great sullen-
ness a. they bounded from side a.
side Of their cages and gr0wled aEu
hOwied hideoUsly and constantly.
The elephant Duchess added her
trumpeting to the din.
QIIvtiy Lrawiey approached from
5ehind and deity put the muZZle
and bag over the royal nose. One
pound and half Of the chlOrOfOrm
had been poured IL on the lint. The
action aroused the old fellow, who
had, after removing his mate,
seemed 10 drop into a dose. With
his massive old PAWS he tried 10
knock the muzZle away. IL had
been fairly placed over his upper
jaw and nostrils.
Ana at the instant Mullery, who
stood outside with the watch in his
/ hand, said. fourteen minutes toS -
Crawley held the deadly an;esthetic
J in its strange receptacle over I'm
peTOr's nose for a minute and half,
being assisted 10y the old fellow in
voluntarily closing his lower Jaw
over It. At the minute and half
hya blow Of one Of his paws, he
I knocked the continuance of OF his
muzzle. Crawley pushed it up. and
I walking 10 the bars with Il handed
I it TO Captain Bellaire. whOmeasured
Z out three-iOurths Of n pound more
Z Of the chlOrOform. Crawley then
Z reulacCd the affair over the Emper-
/ Or's nose. He struggled 10 longer.
I He rather seemed 10 like 1t. His
eyes closed and his grizzled old fea-
Z lures relapsed. At POL the mighty
frame shock with the fiIst Of a ser
les OF spasmOdic commissions. These
followed in rapid succession, hut
grew fesbler with each one. At
2:5s O'Clock, just twelve minutes
/ amer the operation or execution
| commenced, a final shiver passed
over the mOnstruus frame and old
Emperor rolled over on his side. &.
He 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
BellaiTe and Mr.. Crawley agreed
that he must have been all Of 80
yesTs old. The Fair Association
has but an imperfect history Of the
dead lion. They only knew that
away back in the days Of Van Am
burgh's show Emperor was con-
sidered the noblest specimen Of the
king Of beasts on exhibition, and
was valued at SS5,OOO. 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 s or !
years OF age. He was purchased |
10y the Fair Association upon the |
Olening Of the ZoOlogIral Garfie., in