The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-10-26
LION HUNT IN BUFFALO.

Twelve thousand people were gather
ed within the Stadium recently, quietly
enjoying a selection by the Havana
Municipal Band, in connection with the
volksfest, when few persons just
southwest of the small grand-stand in
the western end of the big arena began
running wildly about.
Something must be the matter,
yelled a man in a seat ON the northern
side of the Stadium to his neighbors.
A second later these words were watt
ed across tn arena: Look out! The
lions iooset"
Instantly there was stir among the
people in the seats and among those
standing below them outside the fence
about the cinder track which includes
the arena. They strained their eyes in
various directions. Suddenly, a man
standing high upon the northern side OF
the Stadium, shouted out: There he
is He's coming this way!
Following the direction pointed out by
his finger, those near him saw yellow
object sneaking across the green grass.
AS it came beneath the glare of one OF
the string of electric lights across the
green, the people saw it was half
grown lion. The people noticed there
was a fence between them and the lion
and refused to get excited. They simply
watched the animal with interest.
As the lion reached the inner edge of
Al, t~o,t- To foNtrod af he hfor
bank of the people before him, shifted the
air a second, trotted across the track un-
til he ran into the fence of wire netting
and then, turning west on the track,
ambled along. A man with a peaked
cap came running across the arena after
him. He was within twenty feet of the
animal when it saw him and it ran. The
man decided stern chase would be
long one and darted across the arena to
the south side, hoping to head off the
animal
The lion got there before he did, no.
ticed the man and, turning, counter
marched on the track. AS it hurried
along man in the crowd outside the
fence leaned over and tried to catch it by
the fur on its back. But the man
clutched air only and the lion went on.
The first man was now running north
across the arena again, in another at
tempt to mead off the animal.
A few of those in the seats stood up,
but most of the people quietly watched
the race from sitting attitude.
The lion stopped when he got within
dozen feet of the man, turned around
and again started to make the westward
trip on the cinder path. He lurched
heavily against the netting fence, the
crowd at that particular point fell back
for moment. Then the lion trotted on
ward. The persistent man who was
causing the lion so much trouble was on
hand to meet him once more and the lion
turned on its tracks again.
Suddenly, as the lion was slIulking
along the fence on the northern side of
the cinder path, tall, thin man leaned
over the netting and grabbed the lion by
the nape of the neck. The animal looked
reproachfully at the daring citizen, but
he was heartless and held the king of
beasts until the persistent man arrived
from the other side of the arena and
took charge of it.
Four men with heavy wooden box
followed in the wake of the persistent
man. When they reached him they laid
the box down on the ground, its sliding
door was opened, the lion was thrown in
by the persistent man and carted back to
Bostock's animal show on the south
Midway.
About fifteen minutes before it broke
loose this lion, with another, had shared
larg gilded cage with little girl on
the platform at the foot of the grand
stand, the act being part of the enter
taininent at the vo1ksfest.-BmfaIo En-
press.