The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-16
THE SUBDUING OF DEWEY
ADGIE, THE LION TAMER, MADE HER
FIRST ATTEMPT YESTERDAY.
a Cub Bought Last Week in Cincin-
natl Showed No Disposition
To lie Trained.

Adgie, the remarkable young woman who
has been defying a cage of lions twice
day at the Empire, concluded yesterday
afternoon as soon as the curtain was rung
down on the performance to have her first
bout with a new purchase, the six months
cub Dewey, which she bought at the Gin
cinnati geological garden last week. Prince
the big male lion, who plays the affectionate
role with Adgie, and the TWO Ionesses evil
IDENTIFY felt that something was up, and
although the shutters were drawn closely
about their big cage, they roared and ca
vorted till Adgie's husband, Frank Hail.
had to go in among them and tell them
what was what. The stage was cleared
and the big box containing the cub was
drawn out from the wings.
HE is such a beautiful fellow" said Ad-
gle by way of explanation, that l am
anxious to get on good terms with him as
soon as possible. He is a trifle old to begin
work on, but we shall be on neighborly
terms at least in about six weeks. Usually
l get a lion when he is younger, my last
pet having come to me when he was only
six weeks old. All, such a pretty chap, +"
and she sighed as she thought of the tawny
little fellow who had come to an untimely
end through the carelessness of a New Jer-
tie one from Washington to Atlantic City
in starch box. One day a porter in hand
ling him dropped his box and the fall hurt
the cubs spine, and that was the end TO
my pet But Dewey is going to make a
magnificent creature. See what a head he
has and what breadth to his chest
Dewey had come to light by this time and
was growing hercey in a corner He is
apparently will be able to vote in a month
or two. The term cub seemed to be his
merely by courtesy, for he was woefully
lacking in the rollicking manners with
which one usually associates young ami
mails. First, Mr.. Hall screwed three strong
hooks to the floor of the stage, intending
to fasten the chain of the cub to these so
that the animal might be safely brought
from his prison. Then he poked an iron
bar into the cage to catch the steel chain
around the cubs neck. The young lion spit
cat fashion, then suddenly lunged at the
iron and caught it between his teeth, re-
penting of his effort a moment later. AS he
skunk back to his corner he gave baby
groWl that was quite sufficiently terrible,
and four or five children who happened to
be on the stage withdrew a few feet.
DBWEY'S FIRST VICTORY.
Here, all these children must be taken
away" cried Adgie. II don't want any ac-
child would have poor show with this
cub
But it wasn't necessary for the children
to leave, for Dewey didn't propose to leave
his cage, and he fought with the prGverbiai
! ferceness of his cousin, the tiger. He
would dash himself against the bars, striv-
ing to clutch the arms of his master, and
| when the master finally secured the chain
and dragged the cub the cub doubled UP and
! bounced abou, SO vigorously that Mr.. Hall
i was soon painting with his work. Presently
| the collar on Dewey'S neck began to slip
! over his ears
That settles it for to-day" said Mr.. Hall
THAT collar is sure to come off, and if We
| had him out here with a collar off W.
wouldn't have performance in the house
! tonight"
SO it was thus Dewey won his first vic
/ tory. The geological garden people had
! decidedly bad quarter of an hour of it ad
| justing that collar, and it took most of {
| halliday to get him securely boxed for ship
ment. Adgie and her husband will make M
| further attempt in this city to coneiate the
young hero. She thinks she will have hin
in shape for performances in six weeks
| provided he does not become "copper"
| which is the menagere lingo for an ANNA
! with a bad disposition.
SOME ARE "COPPERS."
"A lion is just like a human being in tina
respect" she said "You have to become
acquainted with him before you can deter
mine his disposition. 1 have only one cop
per- in my cage, and that is a lioness, which
1 have to watch continually. OF course
you have to keep your eye on all of them
but, like men, some require more watching
than others. And 1 have to be on the aler
constantly to keep from getting scratched
A lion paws at me, without intending to d.
me harm, but if his paw strikes my fest
| the force of the blow, though gentle for
| lion cuts 8 very deep cash. My hands have
! been scratched many time, and when 81
out to dinner l frequently wear a box fui
J of rings to hide the scratches. Then l have
| one on my nose. 1t is such "a strain to b.
on this watch continually, for the distance
! Of a half-inch may mean so much to me-
Adgie is a young woman, with lustrou
eyes and the graceful, stneWy movement
/ of an old-time Egyptian. She has a soft
well-moduated voice that adds charm t
| her personality. Although she appears OF
| the bills as an Armenian, she is a native o
| Mexico, and has been handling lions TO
| about three years. Her progress has beer
gradual. When she was a young girl il
| Mexico her parents conducted a tobacco
| nist's shop and to that line added small
! business in curiCSities, charging it till tn
| store became mart for the sale of parrots
monkeys and small tropical animals. Adgie
| from handling the smaller animals, deVel
| oped fondness for training them, and thel
! she entered the show business. Her frs
lions were a couple of cubs in a circus. The,
We're weaklings when she took hold of them
| and by associatfng with them every da,
she lost any trepidation she might have ha'
"The public often thinks these lions ar
so tame that it is no great thing to go il
| among them and taunt them,' she went on
''but it must be remembered that the brut
nature is still very strong in them, and it /
only by making them afraid of me / d.
| my work. 1t has taken infinite patience a
that. When / beat them and they strik
back at me it is no play on their part ant
| if it was not for fear they would soon max
| an end of me. You notice that when l pu
my head in Princes mouth or wrap hi
paws around me my husband stands clos
| to the cage, for we can't tell what tn
lioness might do. Prince would be no pro
| lection to me. They are all afraid of m!
| husband, for he is strong, and they know
| what blow from him means. | can't bea
| them hard enough when they are cross
and. of course, they do not fear me 81
| much
The gallery audiences at the Empire thi
week have made Adgie nervous. She hasn
been used to playing to such enthusiastic
| youngsters. When the lions are in a baC
| mood she has to work very hard with then
| to make them mind The Empire CALLER,
wants a quick, fiery performance. She can
| not always please in this respect WomeI
| and children enjoy her best when she i:
/ gentle with the lions and plays with them
! Most people who go to see the show feel i
| is only a matter of a few years till Adgit
meets her death in the cage. but she doe.