The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-28
A LION REVOLTs.
Scene i'm an English Me-
nagerie-BrOncO Bn's Narrow Es-
From die Leeds Mercnrv.

From the Leeds Mercury.
An exciting scene was witnessed at a
Leeds menagerie recently. Among the
chief attractions are couple of vans con-
tanning wild beasts. In the one are two
lions and in the other loness. The ex-
hibition was opened for the first time in
Leeds that night and as Bronco Bill, the
lion tanner, was to enter the dens and put
the animals through the usual perform
ance, there was a large gathering of spec
tators. The two lions are fine specimens
end they have invariably played per-
fectly harmless part. But the Iioness.
equally valuable as a specimen of the
breed, has hitherto resisted all attempts
to bring her into the tanned condition.
She afforded a spectacle, which must have
satisfied the most ardent lover of sensation
present The lion tanning performance was
commenced about $50 O'clock Following
the usual programme, Bronco Bin first
entered the cage containing the two lions.
They growled at him, and showed their
teeth, but they skipped about as he held
a short stick over them, and even when
he twisted their tails they still only looked
angry. 1t was otherwise with the lioness.
She met him at the cage door as II she
would attack him at once, and as he Gn-
deavored to enter she snarled in the most
vicious way. He sought to drive her back.
but she resisted, growing and trying to
strike him with her paws. He persisted,
however, and struck her again and again
on the head with a stick, in the hope of
getting her to move away from the door
and allow him to enter.
AT length she rushed at him, sending the
claws of one paw into the top of his head,
while she lacerated him on the left thigh
with the claws of the other. Afraid that
she might get through the open door, he
pluckily fought her. while some OF the
attendants struck at her through the bars
with iron rods, For some moments It
seemed doubtful what would be the issue
The Infatuated beast actually got Its head
and half it's body out of the cage Natur-
ally the spectators were Mortified at the
sight, but they had little occasion to feel
alarmed about their safety, for i'm front of
the cage door there was kind of porch
formed of iron bars, and the door of this
was closed and latched. 1t was inside this
smaller cage that the lion tanner was
struggling with the ferocious brute; she
had him pinned, and ne dare not open the
porch door Al length the assistants man
the tanner was rescued. When liberia ted
he was bleeding profusely from a wound
on the top of the head, and his thigh also
bore the marks of the beasts claws.
Bronco was taken TO the surgery and his
wounds were there dressed By and by he
reappeared in the exhibition, evidently not
much the worse. He seemed to regard the
affair as all in the way of business, and
at later hour once more attempted 10
enter the den of the lioness. This time he
was more successful. AS before. she re-
sisted his entry, and II was some time be-
fore she could be driven from the door,
though he again struck her repeatedly on
the head and thrust his stick into her open
mouth, while the assistants beat her with
iron rods. When she moved away he
darted through the door, and as she rush
ed wildly about the cage he discharged a
couple of pistols. Then, Selling the first
opportunity, he slipped out amid the
cheers of the crowd the ''performa nee
lasting not more than half a minute. II
was undoubtedly a dangerous enterprise.
Bronco Bill told the house that this was
the animal which killed a tanner called
Virgin at Antwerp two years ago and made
a furious attack upon another known as
Alfonso at Prescott, near Liverpool, in
June last