The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-22
The ''Untamed Wonder" Escapes from
His Cage and Leaps Among an Aud.
fence of Five Hundred.
A WILD SCRAMBLE FOLLOWS
In Which the Trainer Alone Elk.
hibits Daring and Goodness.
The Growing Beast Finally Secured
No Person Injured, but Many Hats
Etc, Lost i'm the Flight.

CHICAGO, Feb. sL-Wallace, the SOC.
pound lion which is on exhibition at a dime
museum here where he is advertised as the
terrible untamed wonder OF the world. es-
capped from his keeper about $50 this after
noon and bounded among a crowded audi
ence in the theater. Broncho Boccacio, an
East Indian, who is the lions keeper and
trainer, was about to give an exhibition In
the big iron cage with the lion, when the
animal leaped from the cage. The theater
was crowded. fully five hundred people be-
ing present The performers entrance 20
the cage is always done with considerable
dramatic dash, and assistant usually
swings back the iron door OF the cage. and
the performer. with a wave OF his hand To
the audience, generally bounds lightly into
the cage and the assistant instantly slams
the door behind the lion tanner.
This afternoon, however, the exact per
formance was not carried out The cage
door was opened as usual and Boccacio
bounded in, but when Manager Mcdonald
attempted to slam the big iron door OF the
cage there was hitch. 1t had been swung
back too far, and the manager was unable
to close IL as soon as the tanner entered ths
cage. The animal saw his chance and gave
mighty leap. He completely cleared the
stage and landed on the floor directly I'm
front of the south aisle, fully twenty feet
from the center of the cage. The brute
gave vent to his feelings as soon as he
struck the floor by sending up a mighty
roar. The roar was heard on the street
and when the animal went trotting up the
aisle toward the rear of the theater, whip-
ping his tail from side TO side, swapping
and roaring, there was the widest kind of q
scramble.
The animal is a ferocious monster in
appearance and, with his mouth open and
teeth exposed, he presented a most for
mdable and fierce appearance, and his
snarls and roars added greatly to the fear
Of the people. The people did not only seek
a place of safety through the exits OF the
theater. They dashed up over the stage
and two men leaped into the false boxes
on either side of the stage and pulled the
lace curtains in front OF them TO prevent
the beast from doing them any harm.
Mothers threw their children upon the
stage, and, crowding after them. dragged
them by an arm down a marrow stairway
and hid themselves in bins and boxes i'm the
basement and behind the trunks in the
dressing rooms of the performers. One
man appealingly offered stage hand
big roll of bills if he would only lead him
TO a place OF safety.
He is coming down here yelled the
man, whose face was as pallid as that of
a corpse, land L know he will tear me TO
pieces" Others were so frightened that
they to the front OF the basement and
reached the street through the coal hole in
the sidewalk. Immediately after the beast
landed on the floor he started on trot
HI
tail and snarling and roaring. There
was no one in the aisle TO impede his
progress, and he found clear
road before him. He trotted to the rear Of
the theater and was about TO go through
one of the main exits which leads TO Clark
street, when Broncho Boccacio, the East
Indian, bounded in front of him The door
to this exit was broken and open, It having
been knocked from its hinges by some OF
the people in the audience who had made
q dash for safety. Wallace was making
for this opening when Boccacio stopped him.
The tanner unhesitatingly gave the savage
brute a slash across the face with heavy
rawhide whip which he carried. The blow
was a severe one, and the lion gave vent 10
a savage cry of pain. As he reared up on
his hind legs, Boccacio, still showing no
on its neck and pulled IL 10 one side and
attempted TO turn his head toward the stage
where he hoped to get him to return 10 his
appeared stubborn. and refused 10 move
and the fearless East Indian again applied
the whip. The mans fearlessness conquered
the beast, which, with mouth wide open,
and swapping and roaring. turned and start
ed toward the stage, closely followed by
Boccacio.
mitted to being driven into corner under
the south stage box, where he, trembling
with excitement. crouched on the floor while
BrOnchO Boccacio then, without removing
his glance from the covering brute, called
iron cage removed from the stage 10 the
space way on the floor in front OF the par
quet seats This, after some delay. was
whip persuasion, induced the roaring lion 10
slowly crawl back into his cage
The beast was free from his iron sur
roundings fully twenty minutes Fortunate
ly nobody was injured in the mad rush for
liberty, but the museum people are to-
night possessed Of about twenty hats OF all
sizes and belonging TO both sexes They
are also long on overcoats. muffs, gloves.
neckties and other articles Of apparel, to an
extent that will warrant their starting
Wallace, the unframed lion. has a record
which speaks well for his ferochousness. and
his manager and keeper are congratulating
themselves that he did not repeat his con-
duct OF former occasions when ne gained
escaDed from his cage and killed a moose
and valuable horse and created for twelve
hours the widest kind OF a commotion I'm
lIltsitG5tfie Al new 1OTh Oct. 1o'os ne
escaped from his cage when I'm a barn and
made short work OF a horse which was in
! the stable and literally tore IL 10 pieces. and
during the two days he was at liberty in
the stable he ate half the remains OF the
horse he had killed on that occasion red
hot irons and sharp iron rods were used
without success in the efforts 20 get the anil
NAL back into his cage and IL became neces-
sary 10 call fire engine into use. Inc
strong streams OF water that wire finally
turned in on him We're too much for him
and he crawled back into his cage