The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-12
HOW THEY BOUND THE LION.
THIS VAS PRELIMINARY TO PUT.
TING IN A GLASS EYE.
Lion Roars. but His Resistance Il in Vain
Glass Eye IL Too Small and 1t Pops
Out-Reason Why the Press Agent
Appeals to the Octilists to Go Easy.

Appeals to tho Oculists TO Go Easy.
Four oculists, a score Of wild animal
trainers and press agent tried yesterday
TO fit glass eye to one OF Bostock's big
African lions.
Prince Is 0 years old and he weighs TOO
pounds. He is called the handsomest
lion In the show and has been used as a
model by artists, says the press agent 4,
all over the world. He lost his eye, the
same informant says, In a CORY eight-day
fight with herd OF lions In Richmond, Va,
last winter.
Capt. Bonavita, the trainer, entered the
cage yesterday armed with long raw hide
lash and three-foot hickory club. Prince
was crouching In one corner growing
Bonavita picked up strong chain that
had been pushed In through the bars.
arranged 1t in the form of moose over one
end Of the hickory stick and approached the
lion. The animal got up with jump and
then crouched threateningly A few ca
resses with the butt end Of the whip quieted
him a little, and then the keeper pushed
the moose with his stick over the lions
head.
Other attendants in front Of the cage
snarling fork and, tickling the animals feet
gently. got it past them and fixed just be-
hind his foreegs Then Bonavita stepped
back and the men in front Of the cage quickly
pulled in the slack. Az the chain frightened
the lion let out a roar that fairly shook
the building, tossed his shaggy head and
struck out with his feet in way that sent
the sawdust wing in all directions His
roarings set the other animals on edge,
and they set up a to-do in response that
made the keepers hurry around to the
cages
Prince continued to struggle as six men
tugged on the chain. pulling him slowly
to the front of the cage. Winding the chain
around pillar they held him there, pris-
oner tight up against the bars. Another
loop was passed over his hind quarters with
out much trouble, and that in turn was also
fastened in a similar way. A rope was
paw, and all four were tied to the iron bars
of the cage. As soon as the animal felt
that he was fast all around there was a
great heaving and painting which shook
the big cage.
Bonavita quoted him again, and then a
gag rope was put in the lions mouth. This
was the most difficult and most dangerous
part of the OPERATION. After several trials
the keeper forced his club into the big
mouth and dropped the moose over the
top of it. The loop caught over the ami
malls upper. jaw and was pulled taut
from behind. The lion could scarcely
move now but az a matter Of further pre-
caution several big planks were braced
against him from the rear.
I. Mayer, an oculist, and his three as
sistants rolled up their sleeves and stepped
up to the cage.
$50 as carefully as possible. boys the
press agent cautioned them. for you know
a lion Of Prince royal blood is liable to
die broken hearted when he is bowed down
Go easy. all Of you.'
half dozen eyes which he had prepared.
1t was ~ inches in diameter. Two at
PENDANTS pulled the eyelids apart and Mr.
Mayer made a surreptitious jab between
the bars for the beasts eye. The lion
quivered. Mr.. Mayer jumped and dropped
the eye. 1t went under the lions paws
and there was ten minutes Of ingenious
fishing with wires and prongs before it
was recovered.
The second attempt to put the eye in the
socket was successful. It slipped in easily.
Prince grunted but didn't move. The
one by one. As the last one fell of, the
lion rolled over and roared. When he got
up the glass eye had turned and was now
at sharp angle with the lions nose. Prince
roared tremendously and shook himself
As he did so the eve dropped out. He
came down on it with his fore paws in a
way that utterly ruined it. Prince will
have a bigger eve put in next week,
Listen to the press agents story Of how
Prince lost his eye:
"The battle occurred in Richmond on
March 49, II began at midnight and was
continued nightly for eight days. Twenty
seven lions took part in the fight Bad
blood had sprung up among them. They
were threatf ming the keeper, and We had
to turn them out in the arena to fight II
out in this way every night. Two lions
were killed and all We're torn more or less.
Some nights they were so exhausted that
they couldn't pull their claws out Of each
others flesh Every morning We used
to scrape up barrelfus Of hair from the
arena 1t was in this bloody eight day
encounter that Prince lost his eye"