The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-18
L|ONESSES have MATINEE
They Escape Cages and Spring Down
Among Playhouse Patrons in
New York Theatre

New York, Dec 1S.-Six full
grown lionesses, which had lust been
put through an exhibition before 900
persons in the Eighty-sixth Street thea.
tire, on the south side of that thorough.
rare near Third avenue, escaped yester.
day afternoon from their trainer. Mime
Marie Andree, and her assistant, Carl
Turnquist, as they were being trans.
rerred back-stage from their show
cage TO their living cage. A drop cur,
tam mad been lowered after the animal
act, and male quartet of singers were
caroling before this, when a scream of
fright from the Frenchwoman caused
the song to go off-key and the audience
to look about in alarm.
Then one, of the big, tawny beasts
appeared at the right hand side of the
stage, gazed around for moment and
leaped lightly into box. AT almost
the same instant another showed itself
In an opposite box, to which it
had made its way through a passage
leading from the wings.
instantly there was a panickv rush
for the exits The four singers on the
stage stopped in the middle of note
and raced off. Yelling, pushing, aban-
donmg their hats; coats and wraps, the
men, women and children in the body
OF the theatre forced their way toward
the front and side doors, which fortu-
nately were numerous and wide
| But before half the crowd got be.
yond the exits the other four lionesses
had come from behind the stage and
ba 4t,
auditorium, where they moved about,
undetermined just what to do. At least
two of them were in the thick of the
crowd for time.
So far as could be. learned, though,
no one was injured in the race for the
street. One man, Mark McDermitt,
oil East Eightyfourth street, had his
forehead slightly lacerated by the claws
of one of the lionesses. He threw HIM
self on the floor for safety and the
beast, apparently by accident, placed its
foot upon him while passing over him.
Five of the lionesses were confined
in the playhouse by the closing of the
doors after most Of the spectators had
made their way out. But the sixth
Alice, the star performer and most spir-
tied of the six-escaped through an al
leyway exit into Eighty-sixth street
There was another wild scare then,
as the people who had just left the
theatre, and additional hundreds vino
| had run up to see what the excitement
was, took to their heels.
g Man Eating Beasts, Controlled by
Woman S Hypnotic Eye the lion
esses were described by the faring post.
ers on the theatre billboards. And
here was one of them at large at a
crowded street corner and FIVE more,
doing no one knew what, within the
PLAYHOUSE.
But, luckily for every one, within
and without, the description was alt
tie exaggerated. Alice, the lioness at
| la"ge, was, after series of incidents
bordering on comedy, cornered on the
fourth floor of Q photographer S home
around the corner on Third avenue and
eventually shot to death
During the excitement man
emerged with cheerful mien and bit
of list to starboard. To the horror of
those spectators who dared hesitate long
enough in their flight to look back,
the inebriate walked over to the lioness,
patted her head as though she were a
friendly dog, and then waveringly
passed on.