The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-19
TIGER HAS A TOOTH PULLED.
DENTISTRY on "CHARLIE Gro
kER" AT THE ACORNS PLANT.
An liberated Jaw Had Made the Gagged
Representative Of Tammany Cr0sser
Than the Graft Banner Made Piunkitt
Eight Men COnsplre to Relieve Him.


Charlie Croker. the Acorns' tiger, had
tooth pulled yesterday. II would be
more accurate to state that he had tooth
Knocked out The operation was performed
with difficulty, and against Charles wishes.
Seven men assisted the dentist.
Charles cage is in the window at sol
Broadway, and there 10 always crowd out
side and inside watching him. Over the
cafe In big letters are his name and this
question:
DO you want to turn him loose 8gain?"
Charles growls and i'll temper the past
week have been noticeable. But they
were due to toothache, not to politics. A
broken tooth had liberated, and Louis Beck.
owner Of the tiger, knowing little about
dentistry, began to search for tiger dentist.
Finally DR.. Benjamin Freeman agreed to
take the job. He has an accident insurance
policy
Mr. Beck and Tom, the keeper, had sup
piled themselves with a quantity OF inch
and q half and half Inch rope, cut into twenty
foot lengths. The first thing done was to
lasso the tiger. After considerable ma
nnuvring a moose Of the inch stuff was drawn
tightly back Of the beast g head, but not
90 as to shut on his wind. He fought to get
out Of the moose as a cat will claw at collar.
Meantime Tom, the keeper, set out to rope
the beasts legs. The smaller rope was
used for this purpose and the right fore paw
was caught first. This paw was pulled
That threw the tiger on his side and the
other feet were roped and bound in success
sion.
We're ready for you now" said Beck,
who had gone inside the cage, to the dentist.
Bring his head over a little nearer the
bars said DR.. Freeman. Il can't get at
him as he 10 now"
Come inside" said Beck. .You won't
get hurt"
May, nay" said the dentist.
He got out his forceps after the tigers
lower jaw had been well saturated with a
solution Of cocaine and another pain de-
stroying drug, The tigers mouth was
braced open with piece Of 2x4 scantling.
The dentist tried to get at the tusk from
outside the cage, but could not. So finally
he went in. He got his forcepS on the tusk
but the foroeps slipped. He made two other
attempts and each time brought away a
small piece Of the tusk.
The tiger lay remarkably still. He pulled
on the ropes that held him. but most OF his
strength was spent on the piece Of scantling
between his jaws. Every few seconds he
crushed splinters of it.
I'm have to use hammer on that tusk, !"
said the dentist, -the forceps won't do"
He braced three-foot piece Of plank
against the tusk and struck the other end
OF the plank twice. The plank split at the
end that rested against the tusk Then
three-foot iron bar was used. 1t took
two blows Of the hammer on this bar to
loosen the tusk. The tusk broke and was
taken out piece by piece.
Proprietor Beck, the keeper and the den
fist, left the cage. the ropes were taken
of the tiger and he jumped to his feet
He shook himself, and growled q few times
to make sure he was still able to. He didn't
seem to be any the worse for his experience.
Charlie Croker is IL years old and meas
ures II feet from the tip Of his nose to the
tip OF his tail. He weighs 400 pounds.