The times., 1899-06-29
BUFFALO HUNT IN NEW YORK.
The Animal Escaped From the Nnn-
Rgerfe in Central Park

The Animal Escaped From the Nam
ngerie in Central Park.
New York, June ga lively buffalo
nunt. with some OF the features OF an old
time buffalo chase on the Western plains.
took place in CentfaFi Park today. when
one OF the American bisons escaped from
the menagerie paddock. The animal cre-
ated great deal of excitement during the
two hours it was chased by squad of
policemen, mounted and on foot and
number of keepers. with a crowd OF men
and boys that kept increasing in number
as the hunt continued. The buffalo was
finally lasscsd in the small lake on the
east side of the park and taken back to
It's enclosure. During the wild run on the
west side OF the park 1t dismounted a
oicyclist and caused runaway.
Keeper PM Holmes went to the back of
the buffalo paddock to feed the animals at
lo O'Clock. In the enclosure were a big
bull buffalo, two eow bisons, and a calf
The keeper opened the door of the house
at the back or the paddock and was throw
ing In cut grass for the animals, when the
mother of the baby buffalo took notion
to see the outside world sni ho.ted through
the open door. Holmes got in her way
and tried TO stop her. but she lowered her
head. butted him in the stomach and
knocked him TO one side and passed out.
The grass was long and green a few
yards from the enclosure and the animal
stopped to browse upon it, The keeper
picked himself up uninjured and ran into
the Arsenal and notified Director John b.
Smith. Mr.. Smith notified Captain Eng
land of the park police The animal would
probably have been coaxed back to its en-
closure had not some boys caught sight
OF 1t and shouted at IL, so that 1t became
frightened and running over the green's
ward. leaped the chain fence and landed
in the east bride path. and ambled down
toward Fifty-ninth Street and Fifth Ave-
nue..
Several men and women were going up
the bride path on horseback, and as they
passed the buffalo the horses snorted with
fear. pranced and were held in with C. IL
Guilty When the escaped animal reached
the Fifty ninth Street entrance it had be-
come frightened by its surroundings and
the carriages and pedestrians about the
entrance added to the causes of its fright.
By this time it was on wild run. The
policeman at the entrance tried to head
1t of. but when he saw the animal lower
its head and charge upon him ne got out
OF the way quickly. The animal turned
into Fifty ninth Street, sometimes run
street, as it went west. IL took to the
sidewalk whenever it would see an ap-
preaching trolley ear The motormen
never before did such furious ringing of
the warning bells.
The residents along the street watched
the animal from their windows, as an in
creasing crowd of men followed it.
At Eighth Avenue the animal. apparently
not liking the noise and hustle of the city.
turned into the park again.
Captain England had called up the va
rious sub-stations in the park, and had
notified all policemen to be on the nook
out for a runaway buffalo. The mounted
policemen along the drives were also
warned. Director Smith also started out
force of menagerie keepers to capture
the animal alive, If possible, dead IL &C.
essary. Keeper Peter Shannon, the expert
rifle shot, got down his Winchester and
filled the magazine. Keeper Billy Snyder
got a lasso and arranged the moose for
business. Other keepers got ropes. clubs.
pitchforks, and poles. Word was received
at the arsenal that the runaway had again
entered the park at Eighth Avenue, and
the keepers. with a squad of reserve po-
licemen under Sergeant Dillon, ran in
that direction at full speed The onimal
started up the West Drive with small
crowd OF yelling men and boys at its
heels A mounted policeman and TWO po-
licemen on foot Joined the chase. The
yelling OF the crowd added to the fright
of the animal. 1t turned about as though
to charge the crowd. and men and toys
scrambled behind trees and bushes and
benches The animal did not go back.
however, and started up the driveway on
mad run. A young man on bicycle
came flying down the driveway with head
lowered and failed to see what was COM
ing The animal saw him and lowered
its head and struck the cyclist opposite
Sixty-fift Street. The young man went
sprawling from his wheel, and getting up,
looked to see what had struck him. When
he caught sight of the buffalo he cut
across the grass and got behind tree.
The animal stopped for a moment and
trampled on the wheel The pause enabled
the pursuers to come up. so that at the
sheepfold, at Sixty-eighth Street, the
mounted policemen, foot policemen. the
keepers, and a crowd of about 1000 men
and boys formed a kind of Gordon about it
and urged it up against the stone wall.
SNYDER approached with his lasso and.
swinging the moose about his head like
Mexican vaquero, let go. The moose was
about to settle on the animals horns.
when it tossed its head, swung about and
charged on the crowd. The mounted po-
licemen stood their ground and tried TO
''shoo" back the bison, but it avoided them
and made for the driveway. The keepers
threw ropes at it in an effort to catch its
horns and the men and boys in the crowd
threw sticks and sods at it. The blows
further angered the animal. and it set OFF
UP the drive at lively rate. 1t narrowly
missed colliding with horse and carriage
in which were two women The horse b.
came startled at the sight OF the buffalo,
reared for a moment and then started off
on what looked like a runaway. The
woman driver retained her nerve and just
pulled on the lines as hard as she could,
and after running about block she got
the horse under control
The runaway buffalo left the drive and
dashed upon the green. where flock of
sheep were browsing. The sheep scattered.
bleating in fear, as the animal bounded
upon them. The shepherds dog ran bark
ing toward the disturber of the flock and
turned the bison back to the drive. 1t ran
up as far as Seventy-fifth Street and
sprang into the lake and started across.
When it got out beyond its depth it
swan about and seemed reluctant to go
on shore again. Captain England thought
the water would cool the animal. but after
it had been in the water for half an hour it
came out and ran to the Mall. Back again
it went to the West Drive with the crowd
of policemen, keepers. and men at its
heels. 1t got into the Seventy-second