Year: 1870

IHE usually quiet village of Middle
town was thrown into a painful fever OF


excitement on Thursday morning, by an
awful catastrophe, which occurred in the


band lately attached to James Robinson's
circus and animal show, and led by Prof.
M G. Sexton.


Upon starting out from Cincinnati for
the season, the management determined
to produce something novel in the way OF
band chariot, and conceived the idea OF
mounting the band upon the colossal den
of performing Numidian lions, and which


would form one of the principal and most
imposing features of the show. Although
repeatedly warned by Prof Sexton that
he deemed the cage insecure and danger
Gus in the extreme, the managers still
persisted in compelling the band to ride
upon it.


Nothing, however, occurred until Thurs
day morning The band took their places,
and the procession commenced to move
amid the shouts Of the multitude OF rus


tics who had assembled to witness the


grand pageant, and hear the enliyening


strains of music. Not a thought OF dam


ger was entertained by any one, but the


awful catastrophe was about to occur.


AS the driver endeavored to make the





tangled and threw the entire team into
confusion. The driver lost control OF


them, and, becoming frightened, they,
broke into violent run, the fore wheel OF


the cage coming in contact with large
rock with such force as to cause the
braces and stanchions which supported
the roof to give way, thereby precipitat-
ing the entire band into the awful pit
below. For an instant the vast crowd
were paralyzed with fear, but for a
moment only, and then arose such shrek
of agony as never was heard before. The


awful groans of terror and agony which


arose from the poor victims who were
being torn and lacerated by the trightful
monsters below was heart, rending and
sickening to terrible degree


Every moment some one of the band
would extricate himself from the debris,
and leap over the sides of the cage to the
ground with wild spring of terror, and
faint away upon striking the earth. so
great was his fright. But human nature
could not stand and see men literally de-
youred before their very eyes, for there
were willing hearts and strong arms ready
to render every assistance necessary to
rescue the unfortunate victims or this
shocking calamity. A hardware store
which happened to stand opposite was in
yaded, and pitchforks, crow bars, and long
bars of iron, and in fact every available
weapon, were brought into requisitlon,
the side doors of the cage were quickly
torn from their fastenings, and then
horrible sight was presented to view.
| Mingled among the brilliant uniforms OF
| the poor unfortunate victims lay legs and
arms torn from the sockets and half de-
voured, while the savage brutes glared
| ferociousy with their sickly green -colored
eyes upon the petrifed crowd. Prof.
I! Charles White, arriving at this moment,
gave orders in regard to extricating the
dead and wounded, he well knowing that
it would be difficult and dangerous un-
dertaking to remove them from the in
! furiated monsters. Stationing men with
| forks and bars at every available point,
| he sprang fearlessly into the den amid the
savage monsters, and commenced raising
the wounded and passing them upon the
outside to their friends


He had succeeded in removing the
wounded, and was proceeding 10 gather
I'D the remains of the lifeless, when the
mammoth lion known to showmen as old
Nero, sprang with frightful roar upon
his keeper, fastening his teeth and claws
| in his neck and shoulders, lacerating him
| in horrible manner. Prof. White made
| three herculean efforts to shake the mon


ster off, but without avail, and gave or
ders to fire upon him. The contents OF
| four Colts navy's were Immediately pour
ed into the carcass of the ferocious ami
NAL, and he fell dead and the brave little
man, Notwithstanding the fearful manner
| in which he was wounded, never left the


cage until every vestige Of the dead were


carefully gathered together and placed
upon sheet, preparatory for burial. Il
was found that three of the ten who


mounted the cage short time before


were killed outright, and four others ter
ribly lacerated. The names Of the kille(