The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-15
PANIC AT THE ARMORY.
Rough Riders Mountain
Lion Gets Loose and
Chews a Troopers
Toes.
MAY LEAVE THE CITY ToDAf
If Not Bergen Citizens Will
Entertain the Cavalrymen
at Dinner Tonight.
MAY LEAVE THE CITY ToDAf

The Rough Riders who have been held
in Jersey City since Friday last, will prob
ably not start for Montauk Point until
late tonight or until tomorrow morning.
Captain McGuinness expected orders to
leave this morning, but they did not come.
The officers are anxious to get the men
into camp as they fear that too much
freedom and pleasure will demoralize
them, and make them unfit for the hard
work of camp life. The citizens desire
them to stay over until tomorrow. The
business men of the Bergen section have
arranged for big banquet to be given
the men in the hall at Bergen avenue and
Montgomery street. Should the Rough
| Riders leave today 1t would spoil the
plans for the supper. When the promoters
of the supper heard that there was Like
| iihood of the men leaving early this
morning, they telegraphed General Young
at Montauk Point asking permission for
them to stay over. Captain McGuinness
I seemed rather disappointed this morning
at not getting orders to move his men.
'We have no orders yet he said, and
dc not know when we shall get them. We
are going to attend that dinner If it is .
possible thing. Some gentleman tele-
graphed to General Young asking him to
keep US here until tomorrow. AS / UNDER
stand it they will unload the men from
the transports before they move us.
shall make the men work today as they
have had perfect freedom for three days.
and have had plenty of time to reeuper-
ate If they don't get at it pretty soon
have to. 1 shall drill them in the manual
today"
While the officers are anxious to move.
the men are loath to do so. They de-
clare with one accord that they have been
treated better in Jersey City than in any
| other place where they have been since
| their organization. The Fourth Regiment
Arrnory, where the men are staying, was
crowded yesterday with visitors. Hun
dreds of women begged their way ilto
| the building to see the troopers and their
outfit
! BY far the most interesting object In
the building was Josephine, the Cougar
| or mountain lioness, which is the mascot
of Troop l. 1t is provided with cage,
| but is seldom kept in it. Josephine .
| fastened. to the cage by a long chain and
| is given perfect freedom, so far as the
| chain will permit. Hundreds of women
and children crowded about the animal
| all day long. Several of the visitors tried
| to stroke the animals head, but Joseph,
| inc was in vicious mood ana repeiiea
| their advances with a show Oh teeIh
| which was calculated to make STOUT
hearted person feel uneasy. The mascot
| is five years old. She was captured Wnen
| a small cub by George Allen, one OF the
/ troopers. He has cared Tor ner eyer
| since she has been with the troop. Jo-
| sephine is much attached to her owner
| and will accept caresses at the nano oL
| with the lioness while on the road, ana a
| in the Armory always spread his plankek
a. few feet from her cage
| Allen was seized with malarial fever
| Yesterday afternoon while walking in aBer-
| gen. Square, and was sent to the city hos,
| pital When he didn't appear at MS usuaA
| time last night to feed Josephine the poor
| animal was inconsolable. She wnlned
| piteously and would not be still. AS the
| evening wore on and Allen did not ap-
| pear Josephine grew more ana more rest.
| less and paced up and down In front OK
| her cage. When the men retired for the
night. however. Josephine was sleeplng
/ in the cage. Nobody thought 10 close
| the door and make her a prisoner AT
| troopers with the exception OF the rev
men who were on guard were
| awakened by loud screen wnlca
| sounded like a Comanene war Wnoop-.
l
ling. Every man in the building
| was up in an instant. Some VINO were
| aroused from sound slumbers seized their
carbines and listened for tne orosr IL 70 ms r1
and attacked. The cause OF the exclte-
! ment was soon explained. Trooper Chas-
Green Of Troop X had spread abins ms oiarS. I'ss
| cougar in nosing around in searen OF ner
| missing master. had come upon MN, ana
after bpd gayqy szs PbnInef boId 81 ih his foes was
! awakened by the sharp teeth OF the am
mai penetrating his flesh through nus
| ing ewes and dark form of the cougar all
/ most upon him he thought himself in
| deadly peril, forgetting for the moment
/ that he was not on the plains. He jumped
| high in the air and emitted the screen
| which aroused the other troopers. " mem
/ they awoke they found MIN frantleaaiy
/ fglIipg All imaginary foe. Josephine. as
! badly frightened as anyone. had sneaked
1 back into her cage and was growing
savagely Green moyea yhine ms eiaands anS ths ne
/ troopers were again dreaming IN very
The troopers are mourning the loss OF
1 another of their maseots, a Chiahuahua
| dog named "Whiskey. He is a pecuilar
| little fellow, about one foot long ana
| only a few inches tall. lie IS devoia OF
with the rest Of his body ana N Color
| black with tan spots. Trooper George
/ Alexis. from Chewawa, Oregon, presented
/ him to Troop T. He was put in the care
Of Trooper Jack Brennan. Brennan, n, re-
| ported last night that the little FELLOW
| had strayed away. All the troopers VINO
l have leave of absence today are sfisqulr-
/ ing for him. His loss IS felt by the men.
as he was jolly companion He came
! bv his name because of his ability 10
| down his tipple with the best Of the boys.
| Alexis Joined the troop at santa re-
! one morning, when some of the boys
/ went for their morning tipple. they took
/ the little dog with them, One OF the
/ mon said he would give his drink to the
/ dog. Others made bets that the animal
/ would not touch it. The little creature
! downed whole glass of whtskey without
wincing and thereby earned his right to
/ the name he now bears.
| The troopers had two other nlascots
when they left Santa Fe, a coyote and
1 ssn eagle The coyote was such treach-
| ercus brute that while in Georgia they
/ threw him into the river and would nave
/ nothing more to do with him. The eagle
| was presented to the last batch of 100
| recruits by the Marshal of Santa f,e.
| When they arrived at Tampa the re-
/ cguits were divided among the different
/ troops There was sorle dispute as TO
! which batch of recruits should take the
/ eagle Major Hersey finally settled the
| matter by claiming the bird for the regi-
1 lnent The eagle is named Teddy Roose-
/ velts and is now the mascot ot All the
r1<x, fl.srSc