The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-01-13
TORN BY LEOPARD
Girl Trainer Attacked by
Animal in Gage.
MAY BE FATALLY INJURED
Maddened Beast Knocked Her Down
With Swing of His Paw and
Tore Her Throat Before He
Could be Driven Off.
MAY BE FATALLY INJURED

New York. Jan. 10. - The special
devil that makes jungle cats turn bad
In a fash got into Clayton, a fine Big
beautifully marked leopard, at Huber
museum. He turned suddenly upon
Mrs. Pauline Russelle, who was driV'
ing him and his mates through re-
hoarsal. knocked her to the floor OF the
cage with a swing Of his forepaw and
tore her throat so badly that she may
never live TO walk out OF the Bellevue
hospital.
It was the hardest kind Of luck for
Mrs. Russelle. because she had expect
ed to get a new start in the world by
exhibiting CLAYTON and the other Loop
ards. Arnold and Roy. She needed the
money sorely. She had been ont OF
work and there were two children
down I'm Virginia TO take care OF as
we'll as herself Her lsOpards were
Gagged on the top floor Of Hubsr's. and
she had been training them there for
three men hs. teaching them parlor
tricks that can be driven into a leop-
ards skull The three were young
and absolutely green when she got
them from an animal dealer in Bucks
county. Pa. and they had taken to
training readily ana intelligently
Harry Hendrickson. her helper, who
stands by outside the cage with
sharp pointed iron rod. was waiting
for her when she climbed to the top
floor.
Animals Were In Ugly Mood.
There were certain signs that all
trainers OF wild animals recognize the
minute they put foot in a cage that
something was wrong with all the
leopards. Mrs Russelle realized that
she was In for trouble. She went to
work with all three. taking them one
at a time and making them perch on
a big ball and roll It across the floor OF
the cage. They did it snarlingly. spit
ting at her and jabbing with a paw an
grlly whenever she nicked them with
the whip.
When she tried to make them jump
to the little platforms fixed around the
cage Clayton baked. backed away and
crouched in corner of the cage.
While she was threatening him with
the whip the other leopards got out OF
bond. jumped TO the floor and crouched
fat on their bellies She drove them
back but Clayton wouldn't bulge. He
stuck to the corner tearing his throat
with snarls and looking as II he was
ready to spring at her any instant.
With Roy ana Arnold in the cage there
was no use trying to conquer the prln'
cipal mutineer so she deftly opened
slide door between the big rehearsal
cage and little one. where all three
lived when they weren't working. She
scared Arnold and Roy into ii, closed
tho slide swiftly and then turned to
Clayton.
She dashed him with the whip until
be ran round and round the cage.
whining in rage and fear She forced
him into the corner nearest the plat
form 10 which she meant TO make him
lump. and cut him again with the
whip. He took the jump. landed on
the platform. caught his balance and
snarled down at her. The specially
she had trained him for was hying
leap from his perch to the one directly
opposite. an eight foot shoot through
the air at a height of about seven feet.
Mrs. Russelle tried half a dozen times
to make him jump before he poised
himself for the spring
Leopard Leaped Upon Her.
Something caused Mrs Russelle to
lose her nerve as the leopard gathered
himself together She ducked her head.
turned half way toward the door OF
the cage and cried to Hendrickson to
hand her the iron spe: . That instant
Clayton shot OF his perch. straight for
her head She tried to throw herself
out Of his way. but a forepaw caught
her head as she lodged, and the force
of the blows sent her to the floor OF
the cage The leopard was on top OF
her in a fash. placing his four feet on
her breast and catching her throat
with his teeth. Hendrickson fired his
revolver but the leopard was facing
the other way and the blanks did no
good Then he caught up the pointed |
rod and drove It into Clayton's side
again and again The leopard released |
Mrs. Russelle and threw himself |
against the bars. reaching for Hen
Erickson Badly hurt as she wa1. the !
woman had enough strength left to re-
lease the catch. slide the door part |
way open and let herself drop 10 the |
floor OF the room. HendFickson dragged |
her away from the cage and shut the
door.
An ambulance was summoned and |
Mrs. Russelle was taken to Bellevue |
hospital. Claytons teeth had torn
her throat dreadfully, and his claws
had ripped her arms and her right
leg. Or. Burke said that Il was i'm
possible to tell whether she would re-
cover. II blood poisoning did not set
in he thought she had fair chance.
Mrs. Russelle is about thirty years
old and widow. She had been making
a living for serself and children ever
since her husband died six years ago,
working on salary for animal exhibit.
tors all over the country.
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