The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-04
WOMAN DARES
LIONS IN Den.
Mile. Adgie in Sensational Act
at the Bijou.
SHE RULES BEASTS BY FEAR
Tells Reporter Of Injuries Inf icted by the
Animals and of Her Love for Them.
Three Lions In the Cage and
Cub Now at the Bijou.

Slender. graceful and smiling. clad in
an the CANDY frippefy OF the sawdust,
and armed only with an fndomitaple nerve
and q thin stick. the latter Offering a
fraI defiance. n woman went INTO the
lions den at the Bijou Iast night, ham
mercd. bulidozed and bullyragged the
three husky teIlizcns into complete sub
mission. faunted her lingerie in their
imperial faces and stepped forth again
10 tho music Of salvos of applause 1t is
daring TO the Point OF recklessness, the
ultimate achievement OF the most bizarre
form of amusement and altogether en-
joyable In a creepy kind of way. 1t Is
undoubtedly one Of the most sensational
scts ever seen on a stage, and was
greeted by the silence OF fear until it
had ended. and then this silence was
drowned in an enthusiastic demonstration
Of approval.
II is a novelty, one might say little
bit more than &, novelty 1t Is halr-
raising innovation. Even the most blase
of theatrc-gcers must admit that it is q
little out of the ordinary to sec woman
open a lions mouth. kiss him affection
atelv on the front tooth, swat him one
across the nose with a stick, then when
n ljoness with teeth somewhat smaller
than an elephants tusks, starts toward
her erinning ErewSomely, Jab The stock
some inches dpwn the throat OF Her
Majesty, the Queen of The Forest 1t IS
also a new development OF the hlshionic
art 10 spank the King of Beasts ne
cause hs won't iump over a stick. and
during the spanking process to have the
handler of the animals standing with
raised iron bar to stab it into his
atajesty's system If ne rcscnts the insult.
EMBRACED BY LION.
Further, it is 4 novelty To one-hat is
one might safely presume 1t to be 500
allow a lion to embrace one one pio"
Of his paw would nof only Seno 'ie oiel-
DER, daring. little woman who taunts MIN
summing across the cage: ii would break
half a dozen bones. During TINS en-
l,rac;ng process the handler of the beasts
holds back the lions head for fear ne
might careIessly open his mouth ana
w.rcak disaster to the woman
Mile. Adgie'--she is Spanish, whTfore
the Mne?-did all this and more at the
Biiou last night. Five minutes after the
curtain fell I. reporter for The Times was
talking to her on the stage. a closer M
spection of this graceful sprite Of dare
dcviltry was interesting. One saw such
wonderfwul things in her eyes. They
were deep-set fearless, vivacious and at
times Slittering. Her hair is dark-Very
darR-an6 her face is the swarthy COM
plexion Of the Mexican. Under the grease
Fy1ints the swarthiness still showed she
IS a charming conversationalist She can
talk about things that the average "o-
man never dreamed about
MILE. ADGIE TALKS.
"A -cportair, Senior? All, yes You want
10 know about re lions? ] like to talk
OF re lions. | love re lions, Senior. Come
TO my dressing-room, We will talk.
Moekly following this feminine strip, the
vreportalr'' threaded his way down some
steps. over. under and through divers
obstacles, and finally halted before q hole
IN the wall. That was the dressing-room.
OUTSIDE stood negro woman lion
cub Of q. few weeks was enjoying life
according to his own ideas in the dress
ilC-room and Mann selle's maid stood
slivcring in his awful presence
'Teaay is re bad boy explained Mile.
AdCie to the reporter. lie has turn over
all re water Re bad boy, and she flung
oTen the DOOR and smashed TEDDY on the
end of his majestic nose, whereupon Ted
dv roared in a miniature sort of way
Teddy is named after re President, size
continued. When ] was at re White
House he behaved such d bad Way Eat
had to take him away. Senior. Re little
Roosevelt children are his great friends.
DANGER OF ATTACK.
About re lions? OF course, Senior. My
farzts. and myself in New Mexico-zat is
where l was born, Scnor-raised lions ano
trained animals. / have been in ze bus
mess twelve fourteen years, all re time
viz re lions. l grew UP wiz ZEN, 50
am not afraid OF zem. oh, no. Senior
ley like me but sometimes zey attack
me. Ny performance tonight was moi
~ good as it sometimes is. Re sawdusl
in re cage when ! was dancing was fine
and | was afraid / would slip. Zen &c
IoncsScs would have rushed on me.
Accidents? Oh, yes, Senior. See, my
nose is split. and my right hand. rs
lioness snapped me six months ago and ze
marks are till zere. ] have marks al
over my body. oh, no, Senior. an
got afraid / rule re lions by fear. Some
one say &c rule &c lions by love Za'
IS all poryzcocF-is Eat what You cal
uim? Ze fear. j make re lions fear, ms
and son re do as i wish. ] dare nol
turn my back on zem too long. Icy would
laap on me. The life is fascinating. II
IS unusual for a woman, but Why not a
woman?
CONC. TO CUBA.
Then she wallopcd Teddy across The
mouth and Teddy went away back. With
the same meekness, which had never de
serted him in the presence OF this frai
woman the reporter departed followed
~ The ADDS. Senior" of the lion tanner
mile Adgies" name in fun is -Adgit
Castillo, and she IS registered Al Muir
phys Hotel as from Santa Fc, New Mex.
leo. At the conclusion OF. the present week
she VIII sail for Cuba, where she IS to b'
seen in "A Havana theatre for a season
iand. later, she may return TO this coun
Try. Her contract with Manager Jak'
Wells OF the Bijou, will come to an enc
with the present week.
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