Evening star., 1932-07-14
PETITE LION tanner
UNDAUNTED BY BITE
Girl, 22, Lies in New York
Hospital After Cats Attack.
To Return to Cage.
Eoecsal Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, July IA (N.A.N.Ao:-
She might have been "a m1lllon-dollar
baby from the five and ten cent store.
Instead. Marion KnOwlton is a badly
damaged lion tanner in the Coney Island
Hospital
Less than three years ago this un-
usually pretty red-head pounded
typewriter in "a five ana ten'-Just
somebody's steno. Recently she has
been one of the most daring women
lion tanners in the circus business
well initiated one, too, now that she S
been clawed and bitten by one OF her
pets =,
Il trusted them too much, I guess" )"
Marion KnoWlton smiled ruefully in
memory of her debacle. Il guess you
can't really trust lions at all, even
when they're your friends. why,
Prince-he'S the one that attacked me
first-is just like a great big New,
foundland dog. I scratch his head ana
rornp with him, and then when 1 was
patting his head and sending him back
to his cage he bit me in the thigh.
Their teeth. you know. are inches
long. He just kept coming at me, Wnsn
I told him to go to his cage, and tnen
when the others saw he had me down.
they came at me too.
Really Pretty Sick"
She closes her eyes YEARLY and trles
not to be scared of her lions. TWO
interneS come to her bed and look
concerned. shes really pretty SICK,
thev saw, maybe"
She opens her large blue eyes and
grins at them, mo, I'm not. I'm all
right You see." he continues. I've
been scratched by the lions before, but
I've never been bitten by anything put
a dog-and a lions so much bigger
than a dog, So
She sees nothing amazing in her
rapid rise in the lion tanning business.
She likes circus life and she likes Hons.
Its more exciting" she says. never
thought anything about being hon
tanner, although I always loved the cir
Gus. guess any one could learn 10
be a lion tanner II he wanted TO- |
just wanted to, that's all. 1 liked the
lions"
It seems as simple as that to this
22-year-old Amazon 1t all nap,
pened," she continued, because q girl
who worked in the office with me used
to come out to Luna Park and ride the
horses. One day I came with her and
rode. too. but watched the lions. l
liked watching them lot, SO MI
5cnulZ@WlllldI oClluiI, A4C O"Aio et'N
animals-said he'd take me into the
cage with the lions. I was frightened
TO death. but like 1t, and so he
started to train me"
"As Tame as Kittens"
1T didn't take long She is proud
of that. Il went in by myself about
four months afterward. Of course,
was pretty scared that time, but you
get used to it. There's nothing much
to it. You Just make them go through
their routine, and usually they're as
tame as kittens, no matter how much
roaring they do"
Miss Knowlton has no deep fond
ness for cats. She likes dogs and
horses best of all. Il like the ele-
plants, too I work with all of them.
you know, the elephants, dogs and
lions"
Tigers are her one aversion. "You
couldn't get me to go into cage
with a tiger-not even one tiger. You
can't trust them, not the way you can
even lions You see lions make lot
of noise and think they're pretty brave,
but most of it's bluff"
William Schulz, ''back-stage" of the
circus in Luna Park, explained the
circumstances of the attack
Il was bit, myself, last week. You've
got TO expect those things" He ex-
hibited his own bandaged leg. 1T
wasn't Prince who got me. 1t was
Sheba, an old lioness. Well, anyhow,
some friends of mine came over here
in the morning and wanted to see the
lion act Miss Knowlton, who's been
doing it alone since I've been laid up,
came out of her room and said she'd
show them 1 noticed she had on
some of these bright colored foppy
pajamas I guess the lions didn't like
it. They're funny that way. About
colors and all
Can Not Reveal Any Fear.
Miss Knowlton doesn't know about
going back into that cage again. Its
not like getting back on a horse again
after you're been thrown" she said. Il
can't go back into the cage until I'm
we'll And I can't help thinking about
1t. you see, and with lions you've got to
show them you have nerve and grit
You can't let them know you're afraid
"Oh, well, l guess l won't be- It's