The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-09-13
PROF ESSIOnAL
DARE DEVIL
MEN DO PECULIAR THINGS FOR
LIVELIHOOD
DANGEROUS FEATS
At the Jubilee Next Week Are in the
Wild Animal Show-Story of
the Mckinley" Lion.
DANGEROUS FEATS

1t is singular truth, but fact
nevertheless, that the public like
to see human lives placed in jeopardy
for its entertainment.
That, in no way, explains the hun
CRY interest, which all visitors to the
carnival display in the looping Of the
death trap loop Of Divolo and also
tells the story Of strange fascination
which controls. the crowds when Ar
thur Holden deliberately risks his life
in making his wonderful high dive
at each performance in the carnival
hippodrome show.
But dangerous as are both of these
feats, the eight for life" in the wild
animal show is by far more daring.
In this act, Major Crawford, fights
his way into the cage Of mckinley
the largest and most ferocious natured
lion in captivity and some night he
will go once too often into the en-
ragged presence of that king of beasts.
A good many people imagine that
"McKinley" has been trained to put
up the fight which characterizes his
part of the feat performed by Major
Crawford but this is an erroneous
impression.
"McKinley' is purely and simply
"bad lion.' He has killed not only
his man, but several Of them during
his Gagged career and no one knows
how many before he was captured in
the jungles by Colonel Mundy and a
corps of natives, after one of the
longest and fercest fights recorded in
the business of wild beast hunting.
The many other beasts in the wild
animal show at the carnival are also
each liable to display their respective
innate natures at any moment during
their performances for as Colonel
Mundy said in Dayton last JUL" you
can never tell what to expect from an
animal whose first instinct has ever
been and will always continue to be
the killing Of human beings
"For five years "McKinley' was
model animal, and then the newt
able change came. He seemed to lose
interest. He became slow to obey and
sulked. A sullSing lion who threatens
to turn adds spectacularly to the in
terest of a performance and always
within limits. trainer prizes an ami
NAL of this kind.
"McKinley' passed the limit one
afternoon while performing in the big
stage cage. He got his cue but never
budged and, when the trainers long
whalebone whip fiicked him lightly,
back went the ears, the mouth opened,
the lips drew back showing long, vel
low teeth, and, as his tail switched,
the beast couched for a spring. 1t
was high time to have it out on the
spot. With whip in one hand the
trainer cut the fine fellow right and
left. and it seemed as if the lion were
cowed when quick as lightning, he
turned with an angry snarl, let out a
vicious blood-curdling cry, and shot
| through the air. Down Went the man
the lions claws fastened in a should
err, splintering the blade.
"When lion attacks man, gen
orally he tries to get all over him at
once, but, strangely, this beast kept
his hold like bull dog, dragged the
yelling prey to corner of the huge
cage, and made ready for defense
From all sides ran trainers and keep
ers with whips and clubs and bars
and pitch forks, to fight the blood-mai
brute: but it was not until the muz
zle of six-shooter was thrust against
his face and a singing blank cart
ridge emptied that he let 60 his holt
to wander into an exhibiting cage
where he is now and in which he viii
finish his days.
Tt is said that the Mundy trained
wild animal show has only one riva
Or competitor--in this country ant
that is now at the st. Louis Fair. L
will assuredly be great feature a
the Jahr Market next week.