WILD TIGER SENSATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22164, 18 January 1934, Page 4

WILD TIGER SENSATION

ESCAPE FROM JvA- GAGE MAN BADLY MAULED. Ail untamed tiger kept trainer, 'firemen and police at bay for over three hours in the Sheffield Empire Theatre a few weeks ago after escaping from its cage and badly mauling a man. Infuriated by blows rained-’ upon it by men who rescued the injured man, the beast took refuge in a cellar, where-it was ultimately recaptured;, after ~.. a thrilling siege. ' l ’ ' • -V ■ The injured man is Ernest': George Dalton, aged 30, of Brixham, Devonshire. He went to clean, out { the cages* at the back of the Empire stage and in some unexplained -way-the tiger escaped and leapt upon him.. He shouted 'for help and half a'dbzen attendants on the staff of the circus which was at the theatre rushed up. They beat the tiger off with shovels and bars, and dragged Dalton away and out into the street through the stage door. The man was taken to hospital‘and detained. While -this was happening the tiger dashed into the cellar. Three doors were quickly closed behind him. There were six women cleaners in the theatre at the time, two of them being-■ in the pit off a level with thef;sfatge. They were terror-stricken, and' - -Their screams mingled with the roars of the tiger. When Dalton was attacked one of the women, Mrs Florence Hirst.- was actually in the cellar. She heard Dalton’s screams, and rushed up the steps, colliding at the top with a gas meter inspector. Both fell and rolled down the steps into the cellar, but they jumped up and dashed into the street just before the tiger sought refuge in the cellar. All doors of the theatre -were closed and barred, and attendantsjendeavoured to pacify the beast by Throwing large - pieces of meat to it in th'^, cellar. Greatly daring, Superintendent Breaks, of the Sheffield Fire Brigade, and , the trainer, together with T-firemen and police, went into the - cellar, and managed to drive the animal into a corner by playing water on it from a hosepipe. The tiger rushed into the band room under the stage, and the doofpvas slammed to and locked. ■ Attendants then built a., tunnel ,of iron cage’sections 1 ashed., j,tbgetherwith the band room door,'/and up To the. steps on to the stage into the animal-scape. ■While the men were working the/tiger could be heard in the room, And Was afterwards found that he had wrecked the contents, overturning y instruments and ripping up the upholstery' of the chairs. Playing- their hoses upon the tiger, .firemen drove it through the improvised tunnel and into its cage.' f Dalton was * terribly -injured/ in- the back, and his shoulder was,nearly bitten through. ’ ' ' T- '