The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-17
EXTRAORDINARY COMBAT
Between Performing Horse and His
Rider, a Lion.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean

From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
While Bob is a beautiful but spirited
20 rse of the circus variety, and belongs
to Carl Hagenbecl1, having been brought
by him from Berlin to Midway plaisance.
Yesterday White Bob resented the too
familiar relations of big lion and kicked
the king Of beasts severely.
The lion, however, was muzZled. Had
it not been so it is probable that White
Bob would have been utterly vanquished,
if not killed. Miss Ella Johnson was
training the horse to carry the lion
around the arena on his back. Miss
johnson has been preparing the horse for
number of weeks, in fact, ever since her
other horse died, for a lesser climax than
that which came Yesterday-the carrying
of the lion on his back.
White Bob is young horse, and though
trained to some tricks of the stage has
never been brought in contact with wild
animals. But he had shown so much in
telligence that when the other horse died
he was deemed a fitting candidate for
the successorship. He was brought into
the arena first and taught, as it were,
his PAGES, that is, to gallop evenly and
slowly around the arena, stopping at the
word of command just beyond a platform
under which he had passed, He was
taught also to jump nicely over three
hurdles placed i'll his pathway.
Several days were consumed in teach
ing him this preparatory lesson. Next a
man in a standing position for several
days rode on his back, always jumping
on the platform just as the horse went
under The horse, getting just beyond,
would stop as he had been taught until
his rider jumped again upon his back,
then he would take up his monotonous
course around and around, always stop
ping and waiting for the man to jump
from the platform. This was continued
much longer than seemed at all neces-
sary to a novice in the art of training
animals, but it was done in order to make
the drill seem little less than second ma
ture to him.
The third course of study began with
the Introduction of q large dog already
trained to ride horseback The horse
took kindly to the dog and continued the
performance of his drill as evenly and
uneventfully as before. The dog is a big
bloodhound and very heavy, but when he
Jumped from the platform to the horses
back the horse hardly seemed to fell the
weight, he bounded away so quickly.
When the fourth course of lessons was
commenced the same big dog was brought
in, but he was up to represent a lion.
A big false face was put over his own,
from some deceased lion, on his neck. A
little tuft Of hair, such as lions have, was
put upon the end of his tail. In fact. it is
to be Inferred that that tail caused all the
subsequent trouble, for the dog and the
|, horse BECAME very intimate and almost
every morning would rub noses in token
|; Of their friendliness.
r. King Solomon Chat is the dogs name)
was brought in masquerading in the
| lions makeup and was led with heavy
chain over to the horse. The object was
to let White Bob know that the supposed
lion was perfectly harmless. The horse
pricked up his ears as the strange looking
creature was led toward him and seemed
inclined to become frightened, but Just
then King Solomon barked and, worst Of
all, when he and his friend (the horse)
were allowed to rub noses, he wagged his
lions tail.
This gave the whole snap away" as
Miss Johnson said yesterday, when she
declared also that White Bob actually
winked one Of his eyes at the dog. But
the process of training the horse to sup
port the imitation lion around the arena
was nevertheless continued The last
two or three days of this course, prepar-
ing for the real appearance of the lion.
the dog WAS brought in muz2led, and some
lions in another cage were made TO roar
fearfully. Sunday morning the dog rode
for the last time upon White Bob.
Yesterday at o'clock the horse was
brought into the arena. In a few mo-
ments the lion, securely muzzled, was
also led in
AS had been the habit with the imita-
ton lion he was led over to touch noses
with the horse. Miss johnson says the
horse watched that lions tail to see if it
wagged, and, never wag discovering,
became skittish. Hoping to wear this
bad impression off the horse was put
through his PAGES around the arena. He
kept it up faithfully half an hour, appa-
rently paying no attention TO the lion
That animal had in the meanwhile been
made to jump upon a pedestal on a level
with the platform and about half way
across the arena from it. Miss Johnson
tried to make him jump from the pedestal
to the platform, but did not succeed>for
some time, as he became ugly and grOwled
lOwly ana snapped yiciOusly 81 her. FL
nally, however, he made the leap. The
horse galloped under the platform and
stood still, waiting for the lion to jump
on his back, but the lion became stubborn
again ana roared until the very building
shook with the noise.
The horse trembled as with ague, but
stood his ground. BY dint of pokes and
shoVes and lasheS tine lion. with an uvlv
snort, sprang for the horses back: the
horse sprang forward too soon; the lion.
missing the board saddle, buried its claws
in the flesh near the tail The horse.
kicking violently as the lion fell knocked
him over and bounded around the cage.
The lion arose limping, but dashed for the
horse, roaring fearfully as he did so. He
pushed White Bob against the bars Of the
cage, aud while attempting to bite him
tore mis- neck badly with his claws The
lion was only driven away by poking him
with red-hot irons.
Miss johnson says she is determined to
make that lion ride that horse. but others
expressed the fear that neither will again
be available for such purposes.