Torn by a Tiger. EXCITING OCCURRENCE IN A MENAGERIE.

Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 133, 4 December 1888, Page 2

Torn by a Tiger. EXCITING OCCURRENCE IN A MENAGERIE.

[By Tklkoeaph.] (Our Own Corretpondent.) Ipkr s.s. rotomahana at the blttfp.] Melbourne, 28th November. An inoidont whioh caused intense excitement ooourred at Brisbane on 21st November. Mr. Higgins has a small menagerie in George-street. Among hia animili aro two large Bengal tigers, whioh Higgins has had Bince they wore oubß, and h\tl}ejrto they have been very dooile. One Of these got out of the cage and made 'for a mail known as Peter, who was employed abont the place. 1 ho tiger ohanod him into the street, ana then soizod and oommenced worrying him. A general stampede of all the persons in the vicinity at »nee took place, but Higginß immediately rushed to the rosoue, and, armed with a small whip, he managed with great diffloulty to get tho tiger away from the man and back into the menagerie, whoro it was soon after safely caged, but not before Higtrins himaolf bad been severely lacerated and smothered in blood. Peter was at once taken to the Hospital, where it was found that he had been terribly injured. He had been torn from head to foot. His soalp was torn away, and a hole had been made through his skull to the brain. His condition ia very critical. Higginß, who has been in tho habit of constantly entering the cage, states that he went in to clean it, and whilo doing so Peter opened the door, although ordered to keep away from the cage, and the tiger sprang out. The police authorities have under consideration tho danger to the publio from the possible escape of tigers from their cages, and Higgins was notified that unless the cages were oovered with iron from top to bottom the tigers would be destroyed.