The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-02
he FOUGHT With LIONS
Walter Blanchard Frightfully
Mangled by the Beasts.
IN THE CAGE WITH THEM
III Circus Attendant Has a Miraculous
Escape From a Horrible Death.
Fell From the Cage Gov
r With Blood.

Walter Blanchard. one OF the animal
men with Lemen Brothers circus. had
a narrow escape yesterday from an in
slant and horrible death in a den of
lions. As 1t was he was frightfully torn
and mutilated by the angry beasts and
may die as the result OF his injuries.
Blanchard was in the lions cage which
while coming up from South Butte the
lions attacked him. tearing his scalp
and the flesh on his back in a horrible
manner He was twice knocked to the
floor Of the cage and with almost SUI
perhuman strength fought the lions OF
and escaped out of the len He fought
them for several minutes and the spec
tators along the street thought IL was
all in the play and part OF the free cir
Gus exhibition. n did not realize the
truth until Blanchard tumbled from the
cage covered with blood and his clothes
torn into shreds. He fell exhausted in
the street just as a man named Mitch
eil. a circus attendant, RODE up on a
pony and. quickly taking in the situa-
ton. slammed shut the door OF the
cage.
DIR. Hansen. who witnessed the AFFAIR.
had Blanchard removed to a house
near by and then called Murray a.
Freund's ambulance and the injured
man was conveyed to the hospital.
where Drs. Murray and Freund attend
ed him. II was at first thought hat he
was fatally injured and that his skull
was fractured. but a closer examina-
tion developed the fact that the skull
was only scratched badly by the teeth
or claws OF the lions. The scalp on the
back of the head. however. was terribly
lacerated and his entire back vas
and torn by the claws OF the animals.
The mans injuries. however, were not
considered necessarily fatal, and at a
late hour last evening he was resting
comparatively asy and the attending
physician reported that Blanchard's
condition was not especially serious.
The injured man was seen at the
hospital by a reporter for the Standard,
and gave a brief account of his thrill
ing experience. He said he was in the
Gag with the three lions-two grown
animals and one a good sized cub. the
animals had been quarrelsome and ugly
all day. probably on account Of the cold
weather. When about a block below
the Great Northern tracks the cub lion
sprang upon the back Of one OF the big
animals nd the three began n vicious
Alkh IL Ia "
took the billy" end Of his whip and
tried to separate the lion by beating
them. whereupon the cub attacked him
and instantly the two big ions Joined
the cub. Blanchard tried to beat them
"a and in some way one Of them got
behind him and gave him a terrible
blow with mis- paw. knocking him TO the
bottom OF the cage. He still fought
them and. grasping a bar of the cage.
succeeded in drawing himself up ami
ne made for the door. but just as he
reached IL n of the big lion struck
at him again. the blow tearing his
back He was again knocked to the
fioor and he again desperately fought
them with his whip and club. me sue
ceeded in ~regaining his feet and reach
ing the cage door. through which he
eprang. Mitchell. the man on the pony
quickly slammed the cage door shut
and himself entered the cage and beat
the lions into submission and locked
them up In their separate compsrr-
ments OF the cage. and the parade was
the finished. During all the time the
terrible struggle had been going on in
the cage the parade proceeded along the
street, and no one OF the circus people
knew anything bou IL until Mitchell
saw Blanchard tumbling out OF the
cage and the people along the street
were simply entertained by the thrilling
spectacle. imagining that IL was all a
make believe" fight. Some even APP
plauded what they thought 10 be a
clever and realistic play. Blanchard.
who is known among circus people as