The sun., 1896-09-01
FARMERS CHASE A TIGER,
OR At LEAST SOME CIRCUS BEAST
ON LONG ISLAND.

II May He Lion = Leopard or a Pan.
ther, bot It Kiiis Dogs, Eats Hens, and
scnres the Folks just the Snme- Brave
Mes with anns VIII Track the Terror
There is a circus animal indefinitely described
AS tiger. lion, leopard, q panther, or press
agent loose on Long Island and the farmers in
and near Baldwin's, L. l., are out with shoteuns
aud dogs on the hunt for II. The animal. which
the first report said was q royal Bengal tiger.
escaped from it's cage In Mains circus
train at Far Rockaway late on Satur-
day night. and is now supposed TO bo
running wild around Baldwin's trying TO
Rppease vorncious appetite with dopa
Pigs, chickens, and all sorts Of farm animals.
Up dusk last evening various reports had it
that tho circus beast had killed and eaten 80
dogs, $50 chickens, 236 ducks, and g piRs. and
lad started In on cows. SO that II the terrorsis
loose for week II is probable that II will mako
Oft with all the farm live stock on Long Island
The chief anxiety Of the owners Of the circus
and its animal trainer seems to be that the es-
cavcd brute may become ferocious through
hunger, and they at first contemplated sending
out II general alarm asking farmers to take It
in and feed it. but from present indications II
can be surmised that the tiger, lion. or leopard
will be rs meek as n lamb when corralled
It is not known how 1t got out of its cage at
Far ROckaway, but the presumption 10 that It
merely chewed the bars apart and walked out
In the night. Tho circus hands were all routed
out and they searched the country for miles
around without finding the animal.
This search was discontinued for the night, aud
for two days the manager has been sending men
all over the surrounding country to try and Sc
cure the wanderer. After having escaped from
Far Rockaway the tiger made Its way to Lyn-
brook, where 1t startled the good citizens by
killing dozen dogs and cleaning out eight hem
nsrcs.
When the farmers got together and began to
talk OF getting up hunt his Royal Highness
slipped away and was not heard from until
breakfast time, when he, or 1t, appeared in
Rockville Centre and began war OF extermn-
alton on the dogs OF that peaceful immunity.
The roaming tigers scent for dog meat is said
TO be remarkable. for In Rockville Centre there
is not puppy as big us a good-sized kitten left
in the village. Those who caught glimpse of
the animal as 1t went through the village said
1t leopard. conference was held
al the village grocery and the num-
Der Of dogs reported TO have been killed
was alarming. Charles Cornell said his two dogs
were Killed. X. II. Soper lost one, w: Ii. Haas
other farmers said they found their hen coops
vacant when they went out to collect tho reeu-
'F ra% ysnis on the animal took
jump to Mllourn, Just east OF the Centre. 1t
MIerriick macadam road. and found the faithful
Southard Notwithstanding on the green.
The tiger sap 5bs in
soaihNrd dog BY the back of the neck so vicious;
which reused his master and set all the dogs in
Inc neighborhood barking. Mr.. Southard ran
houud in the fatal clutch OF the tiger.
Never dreaming that 1t was real tiger; as no
advance notices or posters had been distributed,
MIR sDutlard grabbed n BtOpf pieCA n
ing. and after whacking tho tiger over tho |
head it let go of the dog and bounded over the |
fence
The tiger passed through the yard of John |
Miller leaving tracks as big a. those Of .
Hsa Ses n
ss m and hsasa ssa ousS T ss' ss i. II ths. as back
.tt Of his big Nswfoundland vas few bunehes
s. in tS: psss aa4 ha
sss landed IN
1t reached that place, for two young men who
rsiirosd tracks attest % the fact shas /. was I a
panther, and Wild At that Il was rather late
been cen to ' prayer meet! !nE they cannot sec see how how
they could have made . mistake. The young
aud the houses bsrricsdsd for tho night
coed p Sa ysn.y nGs %
for Hampstead. Tho word passed through that
village that . wild lion was loose. and every
animate thing around tho place got behind
lock ed doors.
All the male residents Furnished up their old
Ion" warm reception. But II was the tiger
that was around and not tho lion. 1t apparently
concluded TO defer the visit to Hempstead for
some future ate and went through Baldwin's,
returning again 10 Mllburn.
there at 1lIa o'clock on Sunday night, when
Mrs William Raynor was awakened by o noise
on the front porch.
She thought that one of her neghbors wanted
to see her. as the noise sounded like footsteps.
and there was O sound As of knocking at the |
lighted lamp, when the tiger, as she Rfterward
learned Il was, gave . yell. and tried to walk
into the house.
Mrs. Raynor screamed also, and slam ming tho
door shut ran up stairs to arouse some of tho
male members of the family. BY the time they
got a and down stairs the Raynor dog had gone
TO the happy hunting ground, and the tiger had
resumed wild career.
Ten minutes later Mrs. Raynor's son William,
who Was returning from the railroad station, |
heard growing In the bushes near his home
and rs he passed caught the shine OF two fiery
eyes apparently fxed on him.
Young RRynor ran for tho house. clearing the
iront gate at Q bound, and. flying to spot
where An iron bar was kept he picked Il up and
hurled IL in the direction of the fierce beast that
was following him. He says he struck the ami
nal, and that 1t made off.
One Of the Milburn Smiths says he saw Q
tiger fleeing toward the woods. near Ocean Side
with pug dog in its mouth. The farmers
around Hampstead got up hunt for the tiger
non. panther, or leopard last night but did not
md even press agent