The Flagstaff sun-democrat., 1897-10-21
TWO NARROW EsUHPES.
Col. Dan. Rice's Expsrisn
 Angry EIephant and .

"Speakiug of escapes t--- -.-.- recalls my experience with the mur- derous elephant Romeo. Had been . little slower in my movements would have been his eighth victim" said Col. Rice. rcfllectively. '.One day 1 was directing the arrangement of some canvas-men. and unwittingly ventured couple of steps backward and within range of the desth-dealing elephant, which at once raised his trunk slowly with the purpose of giving me settler. He would have succeeded in killing me had not a young elephant near by trumpeted an alarm, and like lightning, at once sprang forward and out of danger from the murderous blow of the trunk by such small distance that on the back of my head felt the wind occa- sioned by it's descent. After that ex- perience Romeo was always kept chained by all four legs. The young elephant who had saved me was re warded with candy.
 ''lt is not surprising that eventually l essayed the role of lion tamer." con tiuued the speaker, ''and under the able tutelage of Franconcelli, the best lion tanner l ever saw. and who, by the way, subsequently, met his death ,n . lions den in the city of Havana. After having twice accompanied the fearless Franconcelli into the den of Richard III, the largest and tiercest African lion ever exhibited in this country, it was at Vincennes. Ind. that at length determined to enter the den of the beast alone. Clad ip tinsel and spangles, at the afternoon performance, amid an outburst of music by the band, boldly ap- preached the lions cage. opened the barred door and entered unharmed. The great brute, which was lying upon the floor at the further end of the cage. seemed to not heed my presence other than by glance of sullen indifference, so that deemed my first attempt at entering a hons den success.
 '.But my assurance of success was a little premature, and fortunate was 1t for me that beneath the cage was a furnace in which glowed red hot iron rods end trusty attendants at hand to effectively wield them upon ihe lion if necessity demanded. else another page would have been added to the bloody history of the king of the fOl est and another name to his list of victims. After a three minutes stay in the lions den I made parting salute to the breathless audience and prepared to leave the cage. As I backed toward the door observed to my horror that the lion was almost in,- perceptibIy rising from the floor. pre- paratory to springing upon me. Almost overcome by the grave danger of my situation l contrived to signal the attendants to thrust the heated rods between me and the blood-thirsty brute. Scarcely had done 50 when the great tawny creature hurled itself full upon mo and, burying it's claws in my shoulders, bore me to the floor.
 ..I felt the hot breath of the lion in my face as he opened his huge jaws preparatory to sluking his fangs m my throat and horrible death was but \ b,ief second distant. when the red-hot irons were brought into play and used so effectively that the brute was forced To retreat to the far end of the cage without infiicting further injury upon me. l was hurriedly drawn from the cage. none the worse for my thrilling experience. save badly-shaken nerves, lacerated shoulders and . tattered tim eel jacket. As l hurried behind the curtain the band triumphantly played See. the Conquering Hero Conc. "l l noticed that panic in the audience had been narrowly averted. And what became of Richard IIIs 0, he lived to kill Franconelli a few months later"