Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-01-14
THE PANTHER LOOSE.
And He Creates Deal OF Excitement
for Donald Buras-

Donald Burns travelled for fifteen
years with Barnum's circus. saws the
4. 7. Horjd. He now has IN estab-
liShment here from which lie supplies
animals To circuseS and iuenageries.
and has in stock particularly large
| and ferocious panther.
When Burns reached his store at
$50 q. III. yesterday. John Miller, an
employe. was standing outside.
o.. MIR. Burns. the panther is
Ioose!" he cried.
Well, we'll have 20 ret him back in
the cage" said the old animal trainer.
You get me Il rope"
With piece of clothesline arranged
with running moose in one end Burns
entered the store. The panther sat on
top of his cage licking his paws. With
a quick movement Burns threw tie
lasso. 1t missed and the panther
made a leap for the trainer who
stepped out and closed the door.
Peeriug through window Burns
saw the panther making 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 a war-dance in
| the center of the room and the other
| animals howled.
Finally me went back TO the top of
his cage and Burns decided 10 make
another effort TO lasso him.
Now. when | yell You open the
door," ne said to Miller. Then grab
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" yelled
Burns. I've got him; come and help
! me-"
But Johns courage failed him, and
| despite Burns wells for helm no one
/ 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 mvseif for the struggle
that knew was coming. The animal
was a year old and had just been
| brought from India.
Il tigua3d on his pulling from me.
li.e all panthcrs, hut the iasso caught
| under the shoulder, and so he didn't
feel il SO much around the neck
| pulled hard and strong and SO did the
| panther for moment or two, but in
| the twinkling Of an eve he seemed to
| shrink his body and slipped ont III the
| moose. | picked up an ir0n floor
| scraper and jumped aside as soon as
| he leawd for me. | tried to hit the
| beast with the scraper. hut missed
| him. Then we fenced around the
room, The panther leapng for me and
! endeav0ring 10 hit him. | seized IA
box OF pepper and tried to throw some
! into his eyes, bat | couldn't connect.
had doc upstairs aud kept calling
him but he was tightly chained
Fully fifteen minutes passed in this
WAY. The cages. barrels and ether
distractions in the room served to
protect me. When the panther jumped
| would dodge behind one of these. and
Ho NouiN ~ bNcl fi1 Dti'l ElHdiIN
got paper-iiie from the desk. It was
only Il little piece of pointed iron wire,
about six inches long but felt Il bit
stronger when got that in my hands
Then ] missed nv footing in trying
to prod the brute. aud he was on tme
III II second. He caught me in the arm
above the elbow. | jabbed the spindle
into his side and he let 60 and leaped
| to the other end of the room. The
blood snurted out of the hole | made
iu his side.
We came together again. and be-
fore we separated | was bitten in sew
eral places. Luckily for nc the pam
ther was not an old one. and the teeth
were not long. They were long
enough to tear through the flesh terri
bly,, though.
Il was getting weak from loss of
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 out
of nv grasp. | yelled again for help.
and two iongshorcmen came to my
rescue. They beat the panther off.
and with poles banded in from the out
side we drove the beast into his cage
again"
Mr.. Burns was badly lacerated abont
the body. and his face, too. showed
marks Of the desperate struggle.
Miller is out of Il job.