The record-union., 1894-02-14
An Attendant in an Animal Show
Attacked by Three Lions.
ALMOST TORN TO PIECES BEFORE
He COULD BE RESCUED.
The Tragedy Occurs In the Daniel
Boone Show at the Midwinter Fair
During the Evening Performance
The Electric Lights Go Out. leav-
ing the Unfortunate Man in the
Dark, at the Mercy of the Savage
snecIal to the REcoRD-USroS.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
SAN Francisco, Feb. 13.-Carlo THE
man, attendant in Colonel Daniel Boone's S
wild animal show at the Midwinter Fair.
was attacked by three lions tonight, and
so horribly mangled that he may die.
The evening performance had been in
progress in Boones arena for about hall
an hour, and the circular inclosure was
filled with people. The wild animals are
exhibited in a large cage in the center OF
the arena, and 1t was time for the lions to
go on.
Three huge beasts, Parnell, Romeo
and Commodore, were led into the cage
by Thieman preparatory to Boone's en-
trance Suddenly the electric lights
went out. There was short interval OF
silence, when suddenly shrek of agony
came from the cage. 1t was followed by
the roar of the enraged lions, the crunch
ing of their terrible jaws and the groans
OF the man in the cage. The large crowd
of spectators became panic-stricken and
started for the doors. Women shrelked
and tainted, but the crowd was finally IN
duced to remain seated by the attendants,
who had retained their presence OF mind.
Finally lanterns were brought and
there in the cage lay Thieman with three
lions clawing and munchlng his pros
trate form. Colonel Boone seized an
iron bar and entered the cage and with
shouts and blows he drove the beasts
from their prey and dragged the unfortu-
nate man from the cage. 1t was an exhi-
bition OF bravery seldom seen and the
big crowd cheered the gallant Colonel.
Thieman was taken to the Receiving
Hospital, where his wounds, forty-three
in number, were examined. By one
blow from a lions paw he had been
scalped from the forehead to the nape OF
the neck. Under each arm there were
terrible bites where the lions had at
tempted to reach a vital spot. one OF
them nearly succeeded, for he just missed
a large artery. The mans arms, legs,
thighs and buttocks were also bitten and
scratched.
At the hospital he recovered conscious
ness and managed to tell his story. He
said he was attending to some of the cage
fixtures, when the lights went out. The
big lion, Parnell. jumped for him and
knocked him down with blow on the
head. The other two lions, Romeo and
Commodore, seized him under the arm
pits and dragged him across the stage,
while Parnell made general onslaught
on his body.
The lions are all full-grown beasts, and
mails for some time. Thieman has been
an animal tender for eighteen years, and
was considered one OF the best in the
business.
Colonel Boone, in speaking of the affair,
said it had always been the custom to
have lanterns and lamps about the arena
in case the electric lights should go out,
as it is we'll known wild animals, no mat
ter how well tanned, will attack a man in
the dark. By some oversight the lanterns
were not in their usual places tonight.
and it was some time before they could
be found.
To add to the horror of the situation,
the cage door became stuck and there was
some delay in opening it, when Boone
entered the cage to rescue Thieman.
After Thieman had been removed to
the hospital the people left the arena, as
they had seen enough wild animals for
one night, and the performance was dis
continued.
The doctors think there is a possibility
of Thieman's recovery unless blood poi
SOQiDP onSuoS,