LION WORRYING A TAMER.

•- * . EXCITING SCENE IN A MENAGEEIE. . . ; At South .Devon and East Cornwall Hospital, Plymouth, a short time ago, an inquest was' held relative to the death of Thomas Bridgman, otherwise known as Captain Cardono, the lion-tamer, which occurred in the institution as a result, it was alleged, of injuries from a lion during a performance in Bostook's menagerie at Gunnislade. Eobert Thomas E. Bridgman, of 8, Olive Terrace, CrawfordstreetCamber well, brother of the deceased, said his brother was known as Captain - Cardono, and was by profession a lion-tamer. He had been with Messrs Bostook since he was a boy. He was 4A years of age. William Henry Bunse, keeper, in the employment of Messrs Bostock, said that in the afternoon, between four and ' five o'clock, deceased wa3 performing with lions in a cage in the menagerie at Gunnif lake. He made the lions jump over a bar, run round the cage, and jump over { his legs. After he had compelled the lions to walk round he was trying to get a young lion into a corner when he turned his back on a larger one named Wallace, which struck him on the bock with its paws, knocked him down and bit him. A man named Beid and witness at once attacked the lion with picks and scrapers, and Cardono got on to his feet, made the lions run twice round the cage, and then left it, walking to his own dressing-place. '8y the jury : It waa customary to have hotjirons ready when the beasts were atall savage, but they were not so on the occasion in question. Deceased had been 15 or 16 years performing with lions, and had had slight scratches from the same animal before,butthey were scarcly worth mentioning. The animal was still in the show but was now in a separate cage. Sidney Braham, manager for Messrs Bostock.said that the deceased had performed with lions for the last eight years and had to his knowledge only received a scratch about ten months ago at Newcastle. He had suffered greatly from pneumonia. By the jury : The proprietors did not intend to allow the same lion to be exhibited with others again. Alexander W. F, Sayers, assistant house surgeon at the hostipal, said the deceased was admitted to the institution a few days ago. He bad wounds on the left armpit and shoulder and scratches elsewhere- He was suffering from acute bronchitis, frcm which he died that morning. Death was accelerated by the injuries he had received. By the jury : He would probably have died from bnonchitis without the wounds.: The coroner, in summing up, said he had seen the menagerie, and he saw nothing in it either brave or intereating. There was nothing to' recommend such performances to any taste. Some people might possibly bo attracted by the hope of seeing a man injured, but there' was nothing to recommend them to an enlightened man, and if the jury gave a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony as to the cauße of death, and added a rider suggesting that some means should be taken to prevent a ach unsightly performances, they might do a great deal' of good. The jury adopted the coroner's suggestion, adding a rider to the following effect :— "That in the opinion of this jury steps should be taken to prevent the dangerous practice of persons entering the cagea of lions and other wild animals except when absolutely necessary."

The following paragraph, from the Manawatu Times, is, we must admit, news to us : — "It is enacted that the education system of the §olouy shall be purely secular, but according to statements which reach us from Wanganui, this feature is entirely disregarded. It is stated that one teacher regularly opens a certain school opens a certain school with prayers and loses no opportunity of affording religious instructions. This it is stated has already caused troublesome members of the Jewish persuasion strongly objecting to have beliefs instilled into their children with which they do not themselves agree." THERE IS ONE THINS every honse wife should know, and that is Hercules jakiko Powdeb is the best. Why ?It is the cheapest because the Best for making breads pastry, cakes, puddings scones, &c. Beautifully light and wholesome. In 6d and Is tins. From all grocers