The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-02-22
ATTACKED BY MAD LIONS.
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE OF A Lion
YANER AT SAN FRANCISCO.
While In . Cage With Three Lions the
Electric Lights Went Dat AID the
Beasts Immediately Attacked
Enthusiastically Hurt.

SAN FRANCISCO, feU. l4.-OarlO
Thieman, attendant at Colonel Daniel
Boone's wild animal show at the Mid
winter fair, was attacked by three
lions last night and so horribly man
gled that he may die. The evening
performance had been in progress in
Boones arena for about half an hour
and the circular enclosure was filed
with people. The wild animals are
exhibited in large cage in the center
of the arena, and it was time for the
lions to go on. Three huge beasts,
Parnell, Romeo and Commodore, were
led into the cage by Thieman, pre-
paratory to Boone's entrance. Sud-
denly the electric lights went out.
There was a short interval of silence
when suddenly shrek of agony came
from the cage. 1t was followed blythe
roar of enraged lions, the crunching of
their terrible jaws and groans of the
man in the cage.
The large crowd of spectators be-
came panic stricken and started for
the doors. Women shrieksd and
tainted, but the crowd were finally
induced to remain seated by attend
ants who had retained their presence
of mind. Finally lanterns were
brought and there in the cage lay
Thieman with three lions clawing and
munching his PROSTATE form. Colonel
Boone seized an iron bar and entered
the cage. With shouts and blows he
drove the beast from their prey and
dragged the unfortunate man from the
cage. 1t was such bravery as is seldom
seen and the crowd cheered the gallant
colonel.
Thieman was taken to the receiving
hospital where his wounds, AZ in num-
Der, were examined By one blow
from lions paw he had been scalped
from forehead to nape of neck. Under
each arm there were terrible bites,
where the lions had attempted to
reach a vital spot. One of them nearly
succeeded, for he just missed large
artery. Thieman's arms, legs and
thighs and buttocks were also bitten
and scratched.
At the hospital he recovered con-
seriousness and managed to tell the
story He said he was attending to
some of the cage fixtures when the
lights went out. The big lion, Par
nell, Jumped for him and knocked him
down with blow on the head. Then
the other two lions seized him under
the arms and dragged him across the
cage while Parnell made general on
slaught on his body. The lions are all
we'll grown beasts and have been ex
hibited as trained animals for some
time. Thieman has been an animal
tender for 10 years and was considered
one of the best in the business.
Colonel Boone in speaking OF the
affair said: 1T has always been my
custom to have lanterns and lamps
about the arena in case the electric
lights should go out, as it is
we'll known that wild animas, no
matter how we'll trained, 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 res
cue Thieman. After Thieman had
heen removed to the hospital the peo-
pie left the arena as they had seen
enough of wild animals for one night
and the performance was discontinued.
The doctors think there is possibi-
lily of Thieman's recovery unless
blood poisoning ensues.