The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-14
ATTACKED BY A MAD TIGER.
MISS BERG BEVERELY BITTEN IN
HAGENBA CK's CIRCUS.

IL Was the Tigers First Appearance In
| Public, aud He sprnnE Upon tho Woman
In the Gagged Arcnn-Ho buried Hts Teeth
In Her Thigh, While She vaIniy dashed
| with Rawhide-Three Trainers sprnne
to the Rescue aud the Woman IL Saved.
CHICAGO. July 13-Miss Marcella Berg, the
woman trainer at Hagenback's circus In Mid
| way Plaisance. was fercely attacked By half
wild tiger to- night.
Before the enrag ed beast could be torn from
the body Of his victim. the woman was severely
bitten. and blood was streaming from three
ugly wounds In her right thiGh.
The exciting encounter took place ID the
arena before u large audience Five women
tainted at the sight.
The opening act had Just been finished, and
the horse with o lion on his back had gal
lopsd out from the big round iron cnge. about
which the sents for spectators rise In success
sive tiers like an amphitheatre.
Tho audience. which numbered several
hundred. wore punched mainly In that part OF
the hall nearest the entrance. The stage
manager stepped forward and announced
that change In the programme would be
made. and Miss Berg would exhibit some ami
mails which had never been shown to the pub.
lie before. They have been in training for
months. but this was to be their
first appearance before an audience.
Thon Miss Berg tripped through the opened
door leading from the cages In the rear to the
barred arena.
She made q graceful little courtesy and then
turned. whip in hand. to watch the animals
file into the arena behind her. On each side OF
the doorway 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 VI the others.
First to enter the cage came tiger. The
beast was medium sized animal. with dark
stripes Of rich glossy fur.
No sooner had the tiger got fairly inside the
cage than he stopped short There he lay at
the very entrance to tho Gagged arena.
crouching and flashing his tail with
vigor from side to side. Miss Berg stepped up
to him and struck him two or three sharp blows
with her rawhide across the face and neck.
The benst obeyed the whip. though with
evident reluctance. He crawled into the cage
with his white belly close to the foor until he
reached his platform.
Then. instead OF jumping up on tho plat
form and holding out his neck to be chained.
as he ought to have done. the big cat crouched
underneath.
For tho second time the woman trainer
couple Of smart cuts across the head.
Tho tiger only snarlsd and showed a row Of
white shining teeth. third blow aroused
his wild nature. which does not seem to have
been more than half trained.
He crouchcd lower still and. gathering him.
self together. with n sudden bound sprang
forward. Straight at the defenceless woman
he flew.
Miss Berg half turned to fee. and
the beast landed upon her side. He
made q fierce slap at her right arm.
when was nearest his mouth. but with
the unnatural strength born Of the excitement
and terror OF the moment the half-frsnzied
woman pushed him of. Crouching 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 yellow dress of tho performer
while the other caught her leg. The tiger
buried his teeth deep in her thigh.
The woman uttered one low shrek and then
made no sound. She did not faint. but silently
and puckily fought to make tho beast loosen
his hold.
Her only weapon was thick rhwhide whip
about three feet long. The tiger did not seem
to mind the blows which the little woman
rained fast and furiously upon him any more
than he would the tickling Of 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 |
tho assistance Of Miss Borg as soon as they
saw the tiger attack her.
Careless Of themselves. these men bravely
seized tho tiger aud began to pull him Off the |
bleeding woman.
Twice. BY main strength they succeeded in |
tearing him away. Each time tho tiger. mad |
dened by the taste OF human blood. dashed the |
mon away and leaped upon the woman.
The third time tho three men dragged him |
away, and one Of the assistants hurried Miss |
Berg out Of the arena. while the other two beut
the beast into su admission.
The injured woman was INN ediately take
to the hospital. The fight was over In two
but to the terrified audience each
secbnd seemed IN hour.
All the while the struggle was going on the
other nine animals wh1 were to take part In
the performance were filing into tho arena,
There were lions. leopards. hounds. and
another tiger. No trouble with them occurred.
To show that he had completely con-
luered the angry tiger. Trainer Mehr-
mann took Miss BerG's place and at once
went right on with the performance as
L nothing had happened. But few OF the au-
lipnp STA we'd n sac ha narfnrm pca npi cha