Smyrna times., 1910-01-12
MAD LEOPARD
TEARS GIRL
Trainer FrightfuIly Injured by
UnruIy Animal.
WOUNDS MAY Be FATAL

in an Unguarded Moment Sulking Ami
NAL Knocked Her Down and Caught
Her Throat In His Teeth-Her Arms
and Leg Ripped Open by Claws.
New York. Jan. 10.-While teaching
tricks to several leopards at Huber's
museum, one of them turned upon
Mrs. Pauline Russelle, an animal
trainer, and knocked her to the floor
with his paw and tore her throat so
badly that she may not recover.
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 leOp-
ards, Arnold and Roy. She needed the
money sOrely She had been out of
work and there were two children
down in Virginia to take care of as
well as herself. Her leopards were
Gagged on the top floor of Huber's, and
she had been training them there for
three months, 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 and intelligently.
Harry Hendrickson, her helper, who
stands by outside the cage with a
sharp pointed iron rod, was waiting
for her when she climbed to the top
floor.
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 paw an
grily whenever she flicked 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 oi
bond, jumped to the floor and crouchet
fiat on their. bellies. She drove then
back, but Clayton wouldn't bulge. He
stuck to the corner, tearing his throat
with snarls and looking as if he wa!
ready to spring at her any instant
With Roy and Arnold in the cage there
was no use trying to conquer the prin
cipal mutineer, so she deftly opened ;
slide door between the big rehearsal
cage and a little one, where all three
lived when they weren't working. Sh,
scared Arnold and Roy into it, close'
the slide swiftly and then turned :
Clayton
She lashed him with the whip unit
he ran round and round the cage
whining in rage and fear. She force
him into the corner nearest the plat
form to which she meant to make hin
jump, and cut him again with tn
whip. He took the jump, landed o'
the platform, caught his balance an
snarled down at her. The specialt
she had trained him for was a fyin
leap from his perch to the one directl
opposite, an eight foot shoot throug
the air at a height of about seven fee
Mrs. Russelle tried half dozen time
to make him jump before he poise
himself for the spring.
Something caused Mrs. Russelle {
lose her nerve as the leopard gathere
himself together. She ducked her heat
turned half way toward the door
the cage and cried to Hendrickson I
hand her the iron spear That instaT
Clayton shot off his perch, straight fc
her head. She tried to throw herse
out Of his way, but a forepaw caugf
her head as she lodged, and the fore
of the blows sent her to the floor {
the cage. The leopard was on top {
her in a flash, placing his four feet 0
her breast and catching her thro;
with his teeth. Hendrickson fired h
revolver, but the leopard was facir
the other way and the blanks did I
good. Then he caught up the pOinte
rod and drove it into Clayton's sic
again and again. The leopard release
Mrs. Russelle and threw himse
against the bars. reaching for He
erickson. Badly hurt as she was, IL
woman had enough strength left to I
lease the catch, slide the door pa
way open and let herself drop to Il
floor of the room. Hendrickson dragg,
her away from the cage and shut Il
door.
An ambulance was summoned al
Mrs. Russelle was taken to Believ
hospital. Clayton's teeth had to
her throat dreadfully. and his CLAY
had ripped her arms and her rig
leg. DR.. Burke said that it was Il
possible to tell whether she would
cover. If blood poisoning did not S
in he thought she had a fair chance
Mrs. Russelle is about thirty yea
old and widow. She had been MAXI
a living for serself and children ev
since her husband died six years al
working on salary for animal exhi
tors all over the country.