The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-28
LION HUNTING IN GOTHAM.
How Sultan, the Man Eater, Was Captured
in the Stable.

New York, October 27--Sultan Wallace,
the big African lion which escaped from
his cage in the stable at 90 East sth
street yesterday, was still monarch OF the
situation this morning. All efforts to
capture him had been in vain
There were men. women and children
and cranks galore in the big crowd that
began gathering at daylight in expecta-
ton of witnessing some of the exciting
scenes in which the shaggy headed brute
was the central figure yesterday.
Wallace slept peacefully from O'Clock
this morning until sunrise close to the
carcass OF the horse he had slaughtered.
Manager Bostock, Bronco Boccaccio.
the tanner. M. liant and his wife Nine.
Mana took turns watching the lion
during the night in order that he might
not escape from his frail prison.
Two policemen, heavily armed. stood
outside the doors. The heavy breathing
OF Wallace could be distinctly heard on
the sidewalk. At 8 o'clock this morning
Boccaccio entered the stable through the
adjoining carpenter shop and let himself
down through the scuttle hole. He
anxious apparently for a combat But
the. greatest of living lion subjugators"
decided to sit on the stairs at the further
end of the stable this morning at safe
distance from the animal
Bostock promised to have the lion
Gagged by noon, but just how he proposed
to accomplish the feat he declared he did
not know. Ammonia, which was stried
yesterday, having failed, it was deter
mined to try water today, and q heavy
stream of water was turned on his lion
ship. He howled and capered like mad,
but would not enter the cage to escape
the shower
Ord. ". Washburn was engaged by
the police, in the event of all
other methods failing tosadminister some
kind of anesthetic, and that failing to
render the beast helpless. to kill him by
quick poison.
Coming and Mcdonald, lion tanners
attached to Barnum - Bailey's circus,
arrived from the winter quarters at
Bridgeport this morning. They were
equipped with ropes, chains and several
queer looking devices, with ,ne or the
other of which they hoped to capture the
lion.
The Bridgeport men got to work soon
after II o'clock. They were Joined by
Buckskin Joe, - Montana hunter and
trapper, who has been frequently seen in
New York museums. He proposed to
cut hole in the floor above the lion, and
after lassoing him hoist him in the air
and then bind him. When he learned
that ,Barnum' men had their tackle
with them, he turned in and helped them.
The quartette composed of Bostock, !
Boccaccio, Conlkin and Mcdonald,
attacked the lion from the north end Of
the building, where he lay crouched over
q blood spot left by the dead horse. They
drove him back "a fewzfeet when sudden
ly the vicious brute turned and, leaping
by Mcdonald, jumped over into a pen
under the stairs.
Another attack was made, and with
pistol shots, yells and din that sounded
like !pandemonium the men charged
again, forcing the lion up to the door of
the cage, which stood near the double
doors opening on the street. Another
moments rest and the final and fiercest
charge was made. "A dozen blank car
tridges were fired from four pistols in
rapid succession, with more yelling.
Wallace leaped against the stable doors
They trem bled and threatened to give
way. The lion hunters knew their
business, and forming a semi-circle
around the now fully enraged lion, they
Jabbed him with iron-pronged poles and
fired blank cartridges into his face until
he finally turned and leaped into his
cage. The door was quickly fastened.