CIRCUS PANIC.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10881, 26 January 1907, Page 5 (Supplement)

CIRCUS PANIC.

STRUGGLE WITH MADDENED LIONS.

: BERLIN, Dec. 4. Five thousand spectators were thrown into a wild panic at the Circus Busch yesterday evening, when the trainer Peters's troupe of Eons and tigers, which nearly mangled him to death a month ago, celebrated his return to the arena by another murderous revolt'. Peters and his assistant managed to escape from the cage before harm was done them, but the beasts were only subdued alter the firing of numerous revolver shots and brutal proddings with pitcliforks, while the leader of the rebellion, a giant lion named Leo, had to be strangled by eight men before he could be pacified. Meantime, the huge audience assembled to welcome Peters, whose left arm was still in a, sling, was terror-stricken and made a mad. stampede for the exits. The crash of revolver shots' added to the pandemonium caused by the agonised shrieks of women and children. That hundreds were not trampled to. death was nothing short of a miracle, ■-■

Peters had held a rehearsal of his act during the afiernoon before a few invited guests. It proceeded without incident, and the management did not expect 'further trouble. T When the trainer entered the cage for^lhe evening performance -Leo made a menacing gesture with his big right paw but was quieted by a couple of revolver shots and a jab with a pitchfork. While, however, the trainer was engaged in putting a couple of tigers through their performance, Leo's temper and that of the other lions was observed to be rising. The two" trainers immediately turned their attention to the lions, but had no sooner done so than the tigers massed for ,an attack from tho opposite side. Within a few seconds tho entire troupe had jumped from their pedestals, growling ferociously. Wild shouts from the spectators ran through the amphitheatre, and in re sponse to warnings from hundreds of terrified throats the two trainers fled from the cage with the least possible delay. When they had gone* the beasts quieted down, Leo remounting his pedestal as if nothing Jiad happened. the outside of the cage, with the aid of a pitchfork, a heavy coil of rope was then thrown rot-id his heck. . When the arena hands" began to tighten the rope., Leo roared with frenzy, struggling to release himself. The other beasts, aroused by his bellowing, threw themselves -upon his prostrate form and sunk tlieir teeth viciously in his loins. Strengthened by 'the' pain, .Leo wrenched himself from the noose," but, more revolver shots and pitchfork prodiiigs finally availed to subdue him and the other animals.