Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-01-15
THE PANTHER LOOSE.
And He Creates Deal OF Excitement
for Donald Burps.

Donald Burns travelled for fifteen
years with Barnum's circus, says the
n. Y. Horid. He now has an estab-
ishment here from which he supplies
animals to circusts and menageries.
and has in stock Il particularly large
aDd ferocious panther.
When Burns reached his store al
$50 q. m. yesterday, John Miller an
cmploye, was standing outside.
o.. Mr.. Burns. the panther is
iooSei" he cried.
Well, We'll have to get him back in
the cage" said the old animal trainer.
You get NE rope"
With piece of clotheSline arranged
with Running moose III one end Burns
entered the store. The panther sat on
top of his cage licking his paws With
a quick movement Burns threw the
lasso. 1t missed, and the panther
made a leap for the trainer who
stepped out and closed the door.
Peering through d window Burns
saw the panther making a round OF
the place, soaring the other animals
terribly. He squeezed his paw be-
tween the iron bars of cages and shook
them. A little monkey seized the
paw. He lived about two minutes.
The blood on the panther's paws infu-
rated him. He began war-dance in
the center of the room and the other
animals howled.
Finally ne went back to the top OF
his cage aud Burns decided to make
another effort to lasSo him.
Now. when l yell YOU open the
door, he said to Miller Then grat
the end of the rope and pull with me-
when | tell YOU to-"
The door was opened softly again,
and Mr. Burns threw the laSso. When
the animal saw the rope coming he
threw up his left paw and the moose
dropped over his head and paw.
John. John, open the door" yellet
Burns. I've got him; come and hell
me-"
But Johns courage failed him, ant
despite Burns yells for help no ont
went to his assistance. a crowd gath
cred around the door, but no one
entered. Miller rushed about on The
outside like crazy man.
When | found that Miller would
not come in, said Mr.. Burns yester
day, Il braced myself for the struggl,
that knew was coming. The ANNA
was a year old and had just beer
| brought from India.
Il tiguA,d on his pulling from me
like all panthers, but the lasso caugh
under the shoulder, and so he didn'
| feel it 50 much around the neck.
| pulled hard and strong and SO did tn,
| panther for moment or two, but il
| the tWlnklmg of an eye be seemed Il
shrink his body and Slipped out of The
moose. picked up an iron floor
scraper and jumped aside as soon a
he leaped for me. l tried to hit th,
| beast with the scraper, but missed
| him. Then we fenced around th
room. the panther leaping for me an'
| endeavoring to hit him. | seized
/ box OF pepper and tried TO throw som
| into his eyes, but | couldn't connect
had a dog upstairs and kept calm!
him. but he was tightly chained.
'Fully fifteen minutes passed in thi
way. The cages, barrels and othel
Instructions in the room served tt
protect me. When the panther jumped
| would dodge behind Que Of these anC
he would 90 over my head. Finally
| got "a paper-ilIe from the desk. 1t was
only a little piece of pointed iron wire
about six inches long, but | felt IA b
stronger when | got that in my hands
Then | missed my footing in tryin!
to prod the brute. aud he was on tnt
in second. He caught me in the arm
above the elbow. | jabbed the spindl,
into his side and he let 90 and leapeC
to the other end Of the room. The
blood spurted out of the hole | mad,
in his side.
We came together again and be
fore we separated | was bitten in sew
eral places. Luckily for ne the pan
ther was not an old one and the teeIi
were not long. They were lon.
enough to tear through the flesh terri
By, though.
Il was getting weak from loss o,
blood when policeman from the Oak
street station opened the door and
closed it quickly. | had the panther
by the throat. but he was working ouI
Of my grasp. | yelled again for help
and two Iongshoremen came to my
rescue. They beat the panther off
and with poles handed in from the out,
side we drove the beast into his Gag,
| again"
Mr.. Burns was badly laceratcd abou
the body and his face, too SHOWED
marks of the desperate struggle.
Miller is out of job