New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-29
A BIG LION CHOKES TO DEATH.
FATAL END OF JACKS" DINNER IN CEN.
TRIAL PARK
HIS DESPERATE EFFORTS TO SAVE HIMSELF
SEEN BY LARGE CROWD OF

HIS DESPERATE EFFORTS TO SAVE HIMSELF
SEEN BY LARGE CROWD OF
HIS ADMIRERS.
The Central Park Menagere suffered a great
loss Yesterday and there is probably not one
visitor in a thousand. especially among the chill
dren who will not feel as II he had lost an old
friend, when he hears Of the violent death OF
the famous African lion Jack yesterday after
noon. Poor Jack." That was the expression
heard upon all sides the crowds came stream
ing out Of the Arsenal and Menagerie buildings
after the occurrence. The death was an ex-
traordinary one, and as 1t took place IN the
presence Of one of the biggest crowds Of visi-
tors this season, the excitement was Intense.
1t is hardly necessary to tell any one where
the great lions cage was in the building just
west of the old Arsenal Building. as nearly
everybody has known the celebrated Jack ever
since he came to the Park. That was about
seven years ago. and he was a robust specimen
OF his kind then, and only five years old.
Probably he was the greatest favorfte In all
the animal colony in the park and not day
passed by after his coming when he had been
able to take his dinner without seeing hundreds
of young and old friends gazing at him through
the iron bars. He had, however, become so used
to all this that he paid little attention to what
was going on while he was feasting, although
of late he had heard the word Jack" so often
dinned in his ears that, some OF the keepers be-
leve he had become convinced that Jack was
his name, and consequently often turned. his
head about to see a friend who pronounced the
name loudly.
The animals dinner was going on yesterday
afternoon between l and o'clock as usual,
and, Of course. there was big crowd OF spec
tators. The weather was so pleasant that there
were more people in attendance than there had
been for a long time and the centre OF at
traction was the popular pet lion Jack He was
always a nne-looking king of his kind. but he
never looked grander than he was yesterday.
and his keepers said that he had never been
in better health.
Jack, when he got his first chunk OF meat,
was evidently hungry. for he seized 1t with
avidity, and at once started to make quiet
meal of it. knowing from custom that what Is
called the extra" chunk would follow the
small one, and that 1t an attract
lively big piece compared with the other
The moment he got his small piece he lay
down upon the floor with the meat between his
paws and munched away at 1t greedily. Oc-
casionally he growled a bit and stopped gnaw-
ing at the meat TO get a view OF his friends
outside Of the bars, and then he would resume
operations.
The lion had done quick work with the meat,
and he had just risen TO his feet and made
stride toward the bars. apparently expecting the
extra big piece to be given him as usual, when
he suddenly made jump shook his head vio-
lently. and then applied his forepaws 10 his
mouth. as If trying to get rid of something be-
tween his jaws or in his throat. He whirled
around once or twice as he paved at the jaws
and then. apparently growing weak. he stag
If he had wsrk was On in ns ans
agony OF pain and, as his eyes fairly bulged out
OF his head and he tottered toward the front of
the cage with an almost beseeching look In
them the crowd became aware that Jack was
choking to death.
The Keepers saw it. too. and there then ensued a
scene of tremendous excitement. Some women
and children began to cry, and, fearing con-
fusion. the cautious keepers quietly, but quickly.
had the crowd move out OF the room The doors
were then locked
But Jacks fate had been settled. The keepers
could give the great lion no help and before one
half the crowd had been hustled out he had
rolled his side and writing In pain,
breathed his last
Policeman Mccormick and the keepers
utterly dumfounded The whole thing had
happened so suddenly and so quickly that even
had they had the best appliances known to save
an animal from suffocation they would have
been of no avail.
When Jacks body was taken from the cage
and carried to a West House." north of the
avary il had to be forced through big
crowd which had come down from Chicos
quarters. as well as the hundreds who had
heard the news near by. Everybody felt sor-
rowful and many friendly word was dropped
by the children about the old friend they ad-
mred so much Jack the only lion in the
Park but there are two lionesses.
Strange to say. when the lions body was
dssected about an hour after his death. the
meat that was supposed to have stuck in his
throat and choked him was not found in the
throat; 1t had passed to the stomach. The
throat was found to be black and swollen in
slde and the man that did the surgery work
said that the strain made by the animal to
force the meat down had caused the swelling
which suffocated him to death.