Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-04-01
A JEALOUS LION.
The Terrible Revenge Of the Saw
age Brute.
Becoming Enraged Over Division OF AZ
lection He Tears the Bride OF His
Master to Pieces During
His Absence.

A most peculiar instance OF jealousy
in animals was lately reported from a
ranch up in the range northwest Of Sill
yer City, N. NJ.
A Mexican named Juan Lopez some
years ago caught young mountain
lion and raised it as pet. He had the
animal completely under subsection,
and it was as docile with him as house
cat. The lion is now about four years
old and full grown, but it has always
been accustomed to sleep at the foot OF
the bed Of his master, and has followed
him like dog when he went around
the place. He had it trained fol hunt
ing, and it was always with him eS-
cept when he came to town. 1t had
never shown any evil disposition when
with other people and would allow
every visitor to fondle and pet it.
Lopez recently fell victim to the
charms of one of the senoritas. The girl
was brought home to the cabin OF Lo-
peg, and her first move was to insist
that the lion should be made to sleep
out of the house, as she was afraid OF
the big animal. Lopez assented to her
wishes and built house for his pet
near the door of the cabin. When he
attempted to make the animal go in it
that night the brute for tn first time
was disposed to rebel against the
wishes of its master, and the result was
that it received whipping. 1t went
sullenly into the box, but all night the
Mexican and his bride could hear its
low growls. Next morning the animal
SUNK into the house and curled up in
corner, repulsing the caresses OF its
master.
1t was sullen all day, but the bride
noticed that it watched her constantly,
and she became so nervous that she
insisted that her husband should get
rid of the big lion. He promised to do
so as soon as possible. He told her that
he would take it to town in few days
and sell it. The second night it went
to its hut outside with little opposition,
and next morning Lopez started to
town to find a purchaser for his pet
He left the animal at home and told his
wife to pay no attention to it but go
about her work as if it was not in the
house.
Lopez had no difficulty in finding
purchaser for his lion and about five
o'clock in the evening started home
pretty well intoxicated with mescal and
lated at the fact that he was to get
one hundred pesos for his pet, which he
has estimated to be only worth twenty
five. He arrived home after dark and
was surprised to see no light as he APP
preached the house, as he supposed
that his wife would be ready with supper
for him.
He entered the place, but it was SO
dark that he GUILD distinguish nothing,
and as he CROPPED about he stumbled
over something on the floor which gave
to his pressure. STOPPING down, he
discovered that the object was wom-
ans body and he felt that the blood had
flowed over the floor in such quantities
that the place seemed to be literally
saturated. He quickly struck light
and was Mortified at the sight that met
his gaze.
The young wife had been torn to
pieces by the savage brute, which had
evidently looked upon her as the
cause Of its disgrace. The strug-
gle could not have been long, as the
marks of the teeth showed that the lion
had jumped upon her back and broken
her neck at the first bite. 1t had then
torn the victim to shreds, the limbs be-
ing severed from the body and the floor
covered with bleeding remnants, which
had been dragged about and shaken as
a cat treats a rat. Part of the breast
had been torn away and eaten and the
face so disfgured that it was unrecog-
nizable.
The animal after completing its
bloody work had fed to the mountains
and has not since been seen. Lopez
hurried to the nearest neighbor and the
terrible story soon spread.
The young husband refused to be COM
forted His grief was so great that
finally he became violently insane and
had to be confined to prevent him from
taking his life.