The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-10-30
A Real Lion Hunt in N. Carolina.

Sixteen hundred sightseers at
Salisbury last week we're regaled
with a feature not advertised, or
even thought of. 4 real lion hunt.
One Of the advertised features at the
Yadkin valley fair was the Johnny
J. Jones Trained Wild Animal Show.
and one Of the principal acts on the
program was the feat performed by
| Capt. Curlev Wilson. who feeds raw
meat from his lips to Romeo, train
ed lion. The act is generally success
fully performed. but on this occasion
some young man. one of the visitors
to the show had been imbibine too
freely in the red lemonade sold at
the fair. who on beholding the lion
must have fancied "that he had
them' for with all the precipitation
he was capable of, he flew against
the cage, dislodging one Of the stakes
that held the door in place, seeing
the open door, the lion jumped from
his pedestal, knocked down his keep
er, flew through the open door and
ran as he has not done in years. In
the meanwhile the spectators all
sought the nearest means OF exit.
Old men who seemed unable to move,
jumped from the seats like boys OF
-. some crawled under the sidewalks,
others ran through the back Of the
tent, some climbed up to the top OF
the large arena. It was circus right.
Romeo in the meanwhile tore through
the fair midway, the people, cleared
the road. The second race was about
to start. Romeo leaped across the
fence and with one spring he was
across the track. Side by side with
the horses. Such sight was never
witnessed before. The horses were
panic stricken. Such time was never
made before. It was the greatest
race ever seen. Romeo soon, how
ever, tired Of this. Too tame a sport
for him. He was out to enjoy his
freedom after Is. years Of captivity.
He outdistanced his pursuers which
numbered at least two thousand, men
women and children. He made for a
stretch of woods across the railroad
track and was soon out of sight. Capt.
Wilson, his trainer, and Johnny ).
Jones. mis- owner, were both excited
and overcome, Searchers went out to
trace him, but the hours passed and
no word from him. The manage
ment were sorely troubled, nightfall
and still nothing doing. All night
long the men sought MIN, without any
results. Tired and worn out the hun
ters returned, a reward of $50 was
offered for hi sreturn but nobody
claimed it. Next morning with the
break Of day Capt. Wilson went to
feed the baby lions and imagine his
surprise to find Romeo lying quiet
and harmless under the cage in which
three baby lions was confined and at
a word from his trainer, he rose,
stretched himself lazily and as It
nothing had happened, he stepped up
and eyed the captain with such
pleading look that he was forgiven.
The captain grabbed him by bis bushy
name, mounted on his back and rode
him back to his cage, which he enter
ed as if nothing had happened. and
as soon as he was locked in he began
to below for his breakfast, which he
certainly ate with relish, tive
pounds Of raw beef. Congratulations
we're in order. and the show went on
as usual. This attraction. by the
way is the feature Of the Johnny }.
Jones Exposition and Trained Wild
Animal Show. which exhibits here
during the week Of November 2, un-
der the auspices Of the Newberry
Concert Band on the bottoms at New
berry.
IO..11 Nhs,hn