Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-10
TORN BY A LEOPARD
Woman Trainers Terrible
Plight in a Cage.
REVENGE INSPIRED BEAST
sShe Had Thrown Water on Him to
Save Panther He Attacked.
IN HOSPITAL NEAR DEATH
Blood Poisoning May Kill Victim if
Wounds From Animals Teeth
Do Not Prove Fatal.


NEW YORK. January 1o-Clayton a
large leopard, no. long from the jungle
struck down his trainer, Mrs. Pauline
Eusselle yesterday. and before the beast
could be driven off Mrs. Russelle's face
and head were covered with wounds. and
she was taken 10 Bellevue Hospital near
10 death.
The attack occurred in Il loft over HUI
hers Museum. on East 18th street.
where Mrs Russelle had quartcrcd a
troupe of five leupards which She re-
Gently purchased from an animal dealer
III Pennsylvania. with the intention Of
training them 10 perform i'll circuses aud
museums III the east. Clayton, the lars-
est of the five. had been showing signs
OF viciousness. About two weeks ago he
attacked his trainer. and she escaped
then only after Clayton had torn several
ugly Sashes in her right arm. Mrs Rus
sclle had thrown bucket OF water on
the leopard TO prevent him from killing
Il panther he had attacked.
Mrs RuSSclle, who is about thirty-five
years old and a widow. has been living
with her friend, Mrs Grace Madill. also
an animal trainer, at otS East 18th
street. y few days ago she and Mrs.
Madill made Il heavy Jacket covered with
gold braid. which Mrs. Russelle though;
might protect the upper part of her body
IN case one of the leopards attacked her
Wore Her New Jacket.
This Jacket she donned yesterday morn
ihS Tor the first time, and. while Mrs
Aadlll was asleep, left the house about
CLOCK and went TO the loft. intending
TO spend the rest of the morning train
ing three of her charges CLAYTON. Roy
and Arnold, which were imprisoned in a
large double cage near the windows in
the rear of the loft
Harry Hendrickson, who has been as
slstinS Mrs. RusSeIle i'm training the
ic"pards, had already arrived at the loft
una NAG given the animals their break
idSt- ne three beasts in the double
cage were taking their customary after
breakfast nap when Mrs. RusseIIe. i'm her
new Jacket and with a whip in her hand.
entered the cage. At the first crack of
their feet. and Roy and Arnold sprapp
10 their places on heavy wooden shelf
which runs across one end of the cage
one OF the tricks Mrs. RusseIle had been
teaclilnS CLAYTON to perform was to jump
through an iron hoop, which the trainer
would hold i'll one hand about four feet
above the floor. Sometimes the leonard
would ba1k at this, but usually a lash
from the whip would spur him on.
Beast in Ugly Mood.
IN these performances Roy and Arnold
WOULD wait patiently on their perch
Neither of these had ever shown signs
OF viciousness, and Mrs. Russele could
turn her back on them with impunity
Yesterday, when she held up the hoop
Clayton growled and sulked in a corner
~ the cage. glaring angrily at the
trainer Several times Mrs Russelle
cracked her whip. but the beast did not
move. Anticipating trouble, Mrs. Rus
selle backed away. kicked open a small
trapdoor leading to another compartment
Of the cage and ordered Roy and Arnold
TO enter there. This they did. and Clay
ton started to follow. still growing
anrrily and showing his teeth.
Il guess you had better get the fork
and hold it ready" said Mrs Russele
the cage. looking on. This fork is a
long bar OF iron. at the end of which
are several sharp prongs 1t is used
by trainers to subdue unrulv beasts
Hendrickson did as he was told. and
stood ready for an emergency.
TIP, CLAYTON. up!' said Mrs. Russele
and pointed TO the shelf with her whip
With another growl. Clayton bounded to
the shelf and sat there. Mrs. Russelle
held aloft her iron hoo0 and cracked her
Sprang at Her Head.
TIC LEOPARD hestated a moment Then
his sinewv body shot through the air.
hut not Of the hoop. His right forepaw
~as iornc 10 the floor In an instant the
animal was upon her. both his front paws
With their deadly claws graspirg her head
Tx. Mrs. Rjisse!le screamed as she fell
zen tried hard TO turn so that she could
fo5: lie beast
Even before she was borne 10 the floor
fIendTickSon'S revolver was out ard he
began firing blank cartridges into the face
p tho leopard. Vt other times q revolver
eHpt would make CLAYTON cove in the
'fnlc they proved If no avail Five shots
wer9 fired. but st!ll the animal held on
"" had Just rolled Mrs. Russelie over
and was chewing her face when Hen
Erickson dropped the revolver and brought
the iron fork down with all his force
on Clayton's head. This seemed to stun
the beast for an instant.
Seized Beast by Tail.
Hendrickson dropped the fork and
grabbed Clayton by the tail which was
close to the bars He tugged with all
his might TO drag the beast away and
Shouted for assistance. But the sound
Sf his voice was lost in the roars of the
ieopards and other animals in the loft
Just in front of the leopards cage was
hyena, and in another nearby a pan
Their. both of which, excited almost to
madness by the scene in the leopard's
cage. We're hurting themselves against the
bars. trying 10 get out
But the revolver shots had been heard
Ivy the museum employees downstairs, and
several OF them. accompanied by Po-
liceman William Dwyer, soon arrived
In the loft. Dwyer stuck his revolver
through the bars and was about 10 shoot
when Clayton, with an angry growl
broke away from Hendrickson and sprang
10 the middle OF the cage. They quickly
dragged Mrs. Russelle to the cage door
opened IL. and she dropped unconscious
To the loft floor. while Clayton hurled
himself against the front of the cage
struggling 10 get at those outside.
All this time Roy and Arnold had been
dashlng about in the other apartment of
the cage, hurting themselves against the
bars. trying 10 break out. In their frenzy
they seemed TO forget the wooden trap
through which they could have reached
the compartment in which Clayton and