Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-10-03
WILD ANIMALS LET LOOSE.
A BLOOD CURDLING STORY FROM
SOUTH AFRICA.

from Kimberley, OOutn AIrlca'
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 menagerie containing the
wild animals and set them all free
The most terrible scenes followed
Four attendants sleeping on the
premises we're 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 a mile was aroused by
the roaring Of the lions, the
trumpeting of the elephants, the
growls and shrieks of the leopards,
chetahs, jackals and frightened
horses.
Fourenormous male lions, Pasha,
Abdul, Caliph and Mustapha,
sprang from their cages and made
for the stables, where Pasha leap
ed 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 a Scotchman
named Patterson and three Kaffir
boys, who, armed with stable
forks, rushed to the relief of Murat.
From the dying words OF one
Kafir, who was the only one able
to speak when found, 1t was learn
ed that they rushed to unspeak'
able torture and met a fearful
death. He and his mates endeav-
ored to beat Pasha back, when
they we're 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 Kafir, their heads
crushed into a pulp. The one who
lived long enough to tell the story
was without either arms or legs
and his body was a mass of lacera'
tons.
Having tasted blood, the lions,
chetahs, wolves and leopards
seemed to regain all their natural
ferocity and sprang at everything
that came in their way. Four per
forming Hungarian horses, OF
which the equine beauty Black
Bess was one of the number, were
killed instantly, and 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 cab + an named Nelson was sit
ting on his carriage before the
building appalled, by the uproaT
within, but not supposing the
beasts could escape beyond the
walls. Suddenly, as he describes
it, he saw the animals come forth
in a perfect volume of ferocit9,
first he elephant loudly trumpet
ing, closely followed by a writhing,
snarllng mass of lions, hyenas,
jackals, balloons and every other
quality of brute.
Nelson sprapl for post that sup
ports an awning around ClOver's
Athletic Bar and climbed into safe
ty, while his horses dashed madly
down the Dutoltspan road, snOrtlng
with fear, closely pursued by two
lions and four wolves. The re-
mairder OF the wild animals dis
II ibuted themselves in every direc'
ton.
A little child of James Grindley
happening to be in a rear room
opening on garden, was
pounced upon by a chetah and
dragged into the open air, where
it's agonlzed mother saw it torn t.
pieces and devoured without any
power to help it. Other and equal,
narrowing incidents are reported
among which IS the killing of 6Y'
women, who were fearfully man
gled.
When the mails left there wer'
at large four lions, two lionesses
two tigers, three bears, two wolves
one hyena, two chetahs, one ele
phant, one camel and seventeen ba
boons. The police had been or
ganlzed into hunting parties, ant
the town was in condition o
siege.
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