The sun., 1907-08-28
LION FREE IN PARK THRONG
BREAkS BARs AND LEAPS UPON
wOM.iN Nv CROWD NEAR CAGE.


|. Tears Her tMp wrth His Fangs -Thsil-
sands IN Panic wnne Four Policemen
FIrc Ffty Snoss At beast and kIl Il.
PITrsBuRo. Aug. 27.-wlth a roar that
threw into panic $500 persons. mostly
women and children. Cedar. an African
lion. escaped from his cage at Luna Park
this afternoon and before he was killsi
had injured Mrs. Anna Hucke. agei 81
years. of "a Van Braam street. 40 baily
that 1t is feared she will die.
Four policemen fired ifty shots st ths
animal before he was killed. and In tbs
fifteen minutes between his escape and his
death there was great excitement in tas
park.
came to the park this week According
to the mana gers the lion had been in cap
tivity only a short time and was very savage
Attempts had been made to tame him
but they had been abandoned and the
lion was used az q free attraction in front
Of the show
The animal show is next to the music
pavilion, and almost every one in the park
was listening TO q band concert II
was At $50 o'clock and the lecturer was
telling Of the untamsd lion when the animal
threw his weight against the iron bars
and they gave way
As soon a. he found himself free he spranR
toward the crowd. Mrs. HuclSe was at the
front and the beast ahehted beside her.
brushing against her with sufficient force
10 throw her to the ground Then with
one blow OF his paw he crushed every rib
in tho wouan's left side Before any one
could interfere he sank his teeth into her
hip, tearing out piece Of the flesh
Park Policeman W A. Downey was the
frat man to the rescue. He fred a shot
at the lion. hitting him In the side. Leaving
the unconscious woman the brute turned
him, beating on his attack at the Same
time with his club.
The lion turned from the officer and made
a clear path for himself through the crowd
He passed the music pavilion and started
for the entrance of the park. City Police
man George Sheridan had heard the shots
and came running into the park just In time
to meet the lion as he was about to ascend
~
trance. Sheridan opened fire on the lion,
hitting him several times and finally driving
him into q corner.
In the meantime Downey had caught up
with the lion and Park Policemen 8. L.
Lenhart and Albert Green had also Joined
the chase. Surrounded by the four offioers
the lion fought desperately for his life.
As fast as they could reload their weapons
the officers pumped lead in to the beast.
but the ANAL calibre bullets had little effect.
IL was not until fifty shots had been fred.
more than half Of which took effect. that the
animal toppled over dead.
While the fight was In progress people In
the park sought every aginable plaoe OF
safety and fully a SCORE OF women tainted
1t was only by miracle that many Of them
were not trampled TO death. but all escaped
serious injury.
Mrs. Hucke was hurried to the emergency
hospital In the park and an ambulance
summoned from the Homeopathic Hospital.
There It was found that every rib on the
right side had been broken and that one Of
the ribs had punctured the lung This
wound will probably cause death. The
doctors do not think that she will live
through the night. There lie also q deep
away. and should she recover shs will prob
ably lose her leg In addition to these
injuries her right arm was broken BY the
blow.
The skin of the animal will be stuffed
He was a large specimen and the owners
valued him at $1,000