FINGER JOINT LOST
VISITOR AT A CIRCUS TRIED TO STROKE TIGER Wandering with the crowd through the sideshows at a circus in London, 30-year-old John Murphy, of Southwar k, saw a tiger "pushing its face through the bars." Disregarding notices warning that the animal, one of ten Bengal tigers, was dangerous, he climbed the barrier and tried to stroke it. The animal snapped nt him and tore off the top joint of n finger of his left hand. Murphy was taken to hospital, and after treatment was allowed to go home.
A show was proceeding in the circus ring at the time of-the accident, and tho tiger's trainer, a young blonde Viennese girl named Cicily, was not near the cages. She was behind the scenes preparing for the next performance.
Through an interpreter, Cicily told n reporter that the animals were always very tame with- her.
She took tho ten tigers into tho ring a few minutes later. Tho circus was crowded, but few members of the audience were aware of the incident.
Mr. W. Wilson, the producer, declared that Murphy was "lucky to escape without more serious injury. The tiger is used to being petted and handled by Cicily," he added.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23275, 18 February 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)
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202FINGER JOINT LOST New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23275, 18 February 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)
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