Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-07-15
Attacked by u Mad Tiger.

Attacked by u Mad Tiger.
AS stated in yesterdays GAZETTE
Miss Marcella Berg, the woman trainer
at Hagenback S circus in Midway Plai.
sance, Chicago, was fercely attacked
by half-wild tiger Thursday. Before
the enraged beast could be torn from
the body of his victim, the woman was
severely bitten, and blood was stream
ing from three ugly wounds in her right
thigh. The exciting encounter took
place in the arena before q large au-
dience. Five women tainted at the
sight. The opening act had just been
finished, and the horse with a lion on
his back had galloped out from the big
round iron cage, about which the seats
for spectators rise in successive tiers
like an amphitheatre.
The audience, which numbered sew
eral hundred, were punched mainly in
that part of the hall nearest the en-
trance. The stage manager stepped
forward and announced that change
in the programme would be made, and
Miss Berg would exhibit some animals
which had never been shown to the
public before. They have been in train
ing for months, but this was to be their
first appearance before an audience.
Then Miss Berg trirped through the
opened door leading from the cages IN
the rear to the barred arena.
She made graceful little courtesy
and then turned, whip in hand, TO
watch the animals file into the arena
behind her. On each side of the door
way were five small square platforms.
They were fixed to the bars which
walled in the arena and about yard
apart. On them the animals sit when
not performing feats themselves and
watch the antics of the others.
First to enter the cage came a tiger.
The beast was medium-szed animal,
with dark stripes of a rich glossy fur.
No sooner had the tiger got fairly in
side the cage than he stopped short.
There he lay, at the entrance to the
Gagged arena, crouching and lashing his
tail with vigor from side to side. Miss
Berg stepped up to him and struck him
two or three sharp blows with her raw
hide across the face and neck. The
beast oheyed the whip, though with
evident reluctance. He crawled into
the cage with his white belly close TO
the floor, until he reached his platform.
Then, instead of jumping up on the
platform and holding out his neck to
be chained, as he ought to have done,
the big cat crouched underneath.
For the second time the woman
trainer walked over to the beast and
gave him couple Of smart cuts across
the head. The tiger only snarled and
showed row of white shining teeth.
A third blow aroused his wild nature,
which does not seem to have been more
than half trained.
He crouched lower still and, gather
ing himself together, with a sudden
bound sprang forward. Straight at the
defenceless woman he flew.
Miss Berg half turned to flee, and
the beast landed upon her side. He
made fierce slap at her right arm,
which was nearest his mouth, but with
the unnatural strength born of the eX-
citement and terror of the moment, the
half-frenzied woman pushed him of.
Croucbing low again, the tiger sprang
upon his victim.
This time the beasts hold was too
firm to be shaken off. One strong fore
paw dug its claws deep in the gay yel-
low dress of the performer, while the
other caught her leg. The tiger buried
his teeth deep in her thigh. The woman
uttered one shrek aud then made
no sound. She did not faint, but 81
lently and pluckily fought to make the
beast loosen his hold. Her only weap-
| on was thick rawhide whip about
three feet long. The tiger did not
seem to mind the blows which the lit
tie woman rained fast and furiously
upon him any more than he would the
tickling of n straw.
Three men were in the arena by
this time. One was Trainer J. H.
Mehrman and the other two were
his assistants. All three sprang to
the assistance of Miss Berg as soon as
they saw the tiger attack her. Care
less of themselves, these men bravely
seized the tiger and began to pull him
off the bleeding woman. Twice, by
main strength, they succeeded in tear.
ing him away. Each time the tiger
maddened by the taste of human blood
dashed the n en- away and leaped upon
the woman. The third time the three
men dragged him away, and one of the
assistants hurried Miss Berg out Of the
arena, while the other two beat the
beast into submission.
The injured women was Immediately
taken to the hospital. The fight was
over in two minutes, but to the terrified
audience each second seemed an hour
All the while the struggle was going on
the other nine animals who were to take
part In the performance were filing into
the arena. There were lions, leopards
mounds, and another tiger. No trouble
with them occurred. To show that hi
had completely conquered the angry
tiger, trainer Mehrmann took Mis-:
, Berg's place and at once went right OF
with the performance as if nothing hat
happened. But few of the audienc,
, stayed to see the performance finished
Crying Babies.
Some people do not love Them