The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-18
A BATTLE WITH TIGERS.
They Escaped From "A Wrecked
Circus and Attacked n Child.

anything about this part Of the coun-
try?" said the old inhabitant He was
sitting on the Ward house porch wait
ing for the train, and pointed UP the
division track. 'Yes2 Great place. great
place, and we have had some funny hap
penings right here Not so many years
ago we had the tallest kind Of a hunting
in the town, owing to a peculiar cir
cumstance, so odd that il is likely 10
never occur again. shudder yet when
1 think about it, for, while interesting.
Il was really far from funny.
DO you know anything about the road
between here and Clearfield2 Yes IL is
wonder, and, as you say, equal in see
nc beauty TO any part Of the main line.
But there IS certainly a tremendous grade
between here and Summit, and 1 shall
never forget the time that the circus was
showing at Osceola and was billed for
Tyrone the next day. The proprietOrs of
II had most tremendous equipment and
his cars, chariots and menagerie were
far above the ordinary in every sense.
He had a good season at Osceola, and
after getting everything packed up for
speedy run to Tyrone. he and his men
rested until the next day.
About $50 O'Clock, as now the road
was Clear he started his train down the
slope, and before they had gone far they
found that there was trouble in store.
Then train was too heavy, and the
III dhCS OAA Alt CIRCUS cars DeluE Oh, re-
fused to hold properly. 1t had been sug-
gested TO the owner Of the show that he
split the train in half. but ne Insisted
on bringing it all down in one section.
In spite of the trouble. the Uain man
aged to pass the water tank and cross the
loop over the big valley, but when they
struck the other side then the fun COM
menced. In spite of the brakes, in spite
of a heavy engine reversing under full
power, the train simply ran away.
A bare halt mile and all chance OF
saving it had passed. At a sharp curve
the train parted, and the cars with a
crash left the track in all directions. None
of us, especially myself, will ever forget
what followed, for the loss of life was
nothing to the reign of terror that was
inaugurated here.
You see, almost everything was total
~ wrecked. The cars and cages contain
ing the wild beasts were smashed COM
| pletely, and the lions, tigers, pumas, wild
| cats and everything else were liberated,
! some being killed, and the others taking
| to the woods. 1t was only about six
miles from here, and the freed beasts soon
| found out that there was more 10 eat in
the town than on the mountain, and peo-
pie were afraid, after tales commenced to
be- brought in from the outskirts, to go
| out without a weapon. One man shot
| and killed a wolf here in Main street, au-
| other had all his chickens carried off by
| a catamount, and another had a pig killed
| by lion.
1.-The circus proprietor had true grit.
| a performance in Tyrone that evening,
| and for a week following We all helped
him get an, account of stock. So the
/ week went on, and by Friday he said that
he was positive that all were accounted
| for save very savage tiger, and on
Saturday the tents were packed up and
the show went on to Altoona. We then
| kept steady watch for the tiger, be-
! cause that we had been warned that he
| was a nasty brute-in fact. a man
eater" He was seen once or twice In
| different localities, and occasionally shot
at. Posses organized and went out, but
| to no purpose; we could not find Bengal
Tim
zone evening about dusk my wife was
| attracted by the barking of the dog, and
| opening the door into the yard, gave
| shrek and quickly shut 1t, saying that
| there was an awful animal half over the
| fence, that lit had big yellow eyes and
| paws as large as the hoofs of a horse.
| 1 knew it was the tiger and sailed out
/ with gun; but it had gone, and with
| it our peace of mind. The next night
| the dog was killed and eaten, and again
| the town hunted for the beast, but with
out avail 1 cautioned my people to be
! careful of the back of the house, feeling
! sure that his lordship would return Our
| yard backed up near a spur of the noun
| tain, and we had a heavy plank fence,
| but it was too close for the beast.
| "A few weeks went by and we, as well
| as the town people, were unmolested.
! Now and then we would hear of a dead
| COW up on the mountan farms, but we
| did not see the tiger. One night, my lit
! tie girl went out back for something, and
| next we heard a fearful scream from the
child. But my wife and l thought the
| same thing-the tiger. l grabbed my gun.
| always heavily loaded, and called for my
son, Billy, who is something OF a shot,
and made a rush for the yard, and there
! the child had fallen, whether dead or
! alive 1 knew not, save that the tiger
| stood near her, paw appraised and head
thrown back, a beautiful picture in the
] moonlight Nv how said quietly. Aim for
| his eye, dad and did. Kneeling down, L
| drew a careful bead and fired. II was
my child's life, and it seemed as II my
| hand was steadied from above. one shot,
and the tiger dropped where he stood,
| pierced through eye into the brain
| Il dropped my gun to rush and PICK up
| the child, when a roar was heard, and
over the fence came another tiger. There
had been two instead Of one, and as mates
| they mad been rambling around together;
This was the female, and as she stopped
| and shifted her dead partner, her cries and
| rage were something terrible. Billy said:
| Load up, dad, I'll take this one, and pray
| that l shoot aight'-and l did-and Billy
| apparently hit her where l hit the male,
| and we had two dead tigers, a child that
| might be dead, and my wife, who had
tainted, all there in the back lot. The
| shots had attracted the neighbors, and
| they helped us carry them in.
ut seems as if the child had gone out,
| and not seeing the tiger. had started down
| the yard. 1t had sprung upon her, and
| knocking her down, prohe ner arm, only
causing her to faint from the shock and
pain. No other damage was DONE save
that we were all sick for a while, and all
glad to get rid of the one tiger that turned
into two. The circus people said after
wards that they knew there were two,
but they did not want to alarm the town.
They paid my bill, gave me the skins for
rugs, and then the town council, of which
a member, gave me dinner for kill
ing Off the beasts That is all the tiger
hunting 1 have ever done, but l tell you
we had pretty exciting times in Tyrone
while the menagerie was lose around
here"
ur cav DuE vIRcIN