The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-02-26


noceroses, etc, are kept on half salary.
These people make up colony of 25 or
80, and it is generally happy family.
In this fifth year of my keepership of
Jamrock | was in love with little cara,
1 the tightrope performer. She was the
daughter of Professor Irwin, the lion
tanner, and he frankly told me that he
favored my suit. l was a young man
of good character, had fair prospects
ahead, and had reason to believe that
cara returned my love. Things be-
tween us would have been settled be-
fore we took the road again but for her
spirit of deviltry. While she was not
a fiirt, she was more or less of CO.
quette. Every good looking girl is, for
that matter, but here was one who re-
ceived the praise and applause Of hun
dreds of thousands, and, while she had
not been spoiled, she had come to think
pretty well of herself. When 1.-The IT,
ger man" came, she set out to make
me jealous and have a quarrel or two
before surrendering her rights. This
tiger man was named Norton. He had
a cage of three performing tigers. and
he joined us in winter quarters about
Feb. to get ready for the spring open
ing He was man of 80, rather good
| looking and well fixed financially. and
l will do him the justice to say that it
was no Irritation on his part. He fell
in love with cara, and when she SEEM
ed to encourage him he was clean gone.
He soon discovered that | had claims,
and there was open enmity between us.
1t was not my fault. While l felt
little sulky over the girls conduct, /
did not doubt hers loyalty to me and
pursued the even tenor of my way. 1t
was Norton who at once became in
sanely jealous of me. He was man
of violent temper, and it wasn't three
days before we quarreled. This pleas
| ed and amused cara. and none of the
rest of the staff regarded it as a serious
matter.
The animal quarters were in one
great house, divided off by half way
partitions. AT the east end of the build
ing came Jamrock first of all. and just
over the partition was the cage of the
three tigers There were alleys run
ming north and south and east and
west, and once a beast got loose he
| could wander over the whole floor.
My elephant had his annual mad fit on,
and he was secured to the floor by four
chains. | slept in rough bunk 4O
feet down The alley so as to be on hand
should he try to break away. There
had been only the one quarrel between
| Norton and [. and no blows had been
| struck in that. He bad exhibited a
fierce temper. but had not threatened
my life. AS we went about our duties
we passed and repassed each other,
but there had been no more words. On
the night of the 9th of February, after
days anxiety over Jamrock, who was
unusually ugly, turned into my bunk
and after a time fell asleep. had
slept three hours when awakened by
a clutch at my throat and as soon as
l opened my eyes found Norton bend
ing over me. He had a grasp on my
throat with both hands, and his inten-
I tons were to strangle me. We were
pretty evenly matched as to strength,
and though he had taken me unawares
desperation helped me to break his
clutch and throw him off. AS l flung
him clear of me he drew knife.
had no weapon, and was crowded into
a narrow bunk, but used my pillow
as a shield and he buried his knife into
1t several times as he struck at me.
At the end of two minutes knew
that 1 must have help or lose my life.
We were alone in the great shed, and
after the choking l had received my
voice would not carry across the build
ing. In the dim light 1 saw that JAM
rock was watching US, and that his
eyes were ablaze. l had no hope that
he could break his chains, and | knew
that he would kill us both If he did, but
yet called out to him. He answered
with a scream, and throwing all his
weight on the chains he snapped them
as If they had been old clotheslines
and came dashing down the alley. The
! tiger man was thrusting at me and
cursing below his breath, and the point
of his knife had drawn blood three or
four times As he heard the beast COM
ing he turned to look, but he had no
time to escape. With sweep OF his
trunk Jamrock knocked him down, and
then lifting him up again the body
was battered against the beams Fight