CIRCUS TIGERS AT LARGE

Evening Star, Issue 21505, 1 September 1933, Page 4

CIRCUS TIGERS AT LARGE

PANDEMONIUM IN THE AUDIENCE A woman was injured and a whole circus was thrown into alarm when three tigers escaped from their cage and ran leaping and snarling among the 3,000 people who had assembled in a giant marquee at Devonport, England, on the night of July 6. Two of the three tigers got out of the circus and ran off in different directions, scattering screaming women and children. One of the animals attacked Mrs Damerall, aged thirty-five, Plymouth. After being treated in hospital site was allowed to go home. The tigers dodged among the roundabouts and side shows with their trainer, Toga re, who was armed with a revolver, and soldiers and sailors in hot pursuit. After a chase lasting half an hour both tigers were captured, one in a compound outside the Devonport railway station and the other among the living quarters of the circus perr formers. Meanwhile inside the marquee, from which the tigers escaped, there were extraordinary scenes. Women fainted and screamed, and there was a rush for the exits.

Members of tho Plymouth City Council were sitting in front-row boxes surrounding the circus ring, and they had the frightening experience of two tigers leaping over thorn as th6y made their escape from their cage. The third tiger went quietly back to its cage. Alderman A. N. Hollely and his wife had narrow escapes when two of the tigers jumped into tho box they were occupying. “ 1 saw one of the tigers attempting to make a dive at me,” said Mr Hollely, “ and I immediately ducked. It jumped into the box, and was followed by another tiger, which went to where my wife was sitting. “ I did not know what to do, but tho animals wore frightened, and made no attempt to claw us. My wife sat still. 1 t)iink if we had made any movement tho tigers might have sprung at us. After walking round tho box they jumped out, and as they did so tho claws of one of them caught my flannel suit and ripped my trousers down the leg. It also tore my sock and grazed tho skin of my ankle, which I had to have dressed.”

Mr Charles Litchfield stated that he was sitting next to a member of the City Council with his wife when one of the tigers cleared them at a leap and fell into tho lap of a woman sitting a few yards behind.

“ Tho tigers were in the opening act.” Mr Litchfield said. “ The trainer, Togare, came into the cage first, followed by some attendants, who took his cloak from him-and withdrew, but something went wrong with a gate, which swung open. Then the three tigers came into tho cage by another

gate. They ambled across tho cage and out of the open gate. “ Togare rushed after the tigers, and then they seemed to get frenzied. Two of them, leapt the barrier separating tho boxes from tho ring. They ran up and down snarling. The third tiger, apparently frightened by the noise, slunk back into the cage and lay down. The two that had got among the audience somehow managed to get under the edge of the tent and ran off. “ Tho whole affair did not last more than a few minutes. The band kept on playing and clowns oarae into the ring and tumbled and joked about as though nothing had happened. This had the effect of quietening the audience, and very soon everything was normal.”

Mr Cyril Mills, son of Mr Bertram Mills, proprietor of the circus, said: ” The door from which the tigers escaped had just been closed, but it opened itself, apparently as a result of some knock which it must have received on tho journey from Newquay. “ It really appeared as if the tigers were more frightened than the audience or members of the staff. The show was resumed, but not until it had been announced that all tho tigers were safely housed in their cages and that Togare had said that he wished to do his act as the concluding item in the performance. “No member of the staff was injured. although practically all took important parts in recapturing the tigers barehanded.”