Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1893 — SAVED FROM THE TIGER. [ARTICLE]

SAVED FROM THE TIGER.

A Trainer Attacked While Feeding the Animals. In one of the cages in tho circus parade at Walton, Mich., were a lion and a tiger. The beasts, especially the tiger, were fine specimens of their kind. In the same cage was the trainer, sitting in apparent unconcern. After the performance was over in the afternoon, in advertising the concert, which immediately followed, it was announced that Professor Reed, the lion tamer, would at the close go into the den in which he rode with the lion and the tiger in the morning and would feed them fresh meat from his own hands, to show the perfect subjection of the beasts. It was done as advertised. The beasts, however, were not in good humor and snarled, showing tholr teeth and lashing their tales as meat was handed to them.

When the trainer, in carrying out his programme, took a piece of meat in his mouth and held it out for the tiger, the great cat sprang forward partly against the trainer, knocking him backward and getting only a portion of the meat. Quick as thought it made a second spring, this time npt for beef but for human blood. It struck tho trainer on the right arm and breast with one of its £reat olaws, tearing through his olothing and flesh, inflicting seven deep gashes in the fleshy part of his arm. The other claw struck his hip, tearing off the clothing, while its terrible jaws closed over the trainer’s arm just below the elbow. The man never moved a muscle nor for a moment took his eyes from those of the tiger, whose savage nature was beginning to assert itself; its tail lashed its great striped sides and Its eyeq, flashed fire. The nerve of the trainer saved his life. He called to the attendants near, “Bring the scrapers,” all the time keeping his eye fixed on that of the beast and talking in a low tone to it. It seemed an age, but it was only a few seconds, before two attendents, half dead with fear, thrust the iron rods through the cage against the sides of tho tiger. The beast, which the trainer, pinioned as he was, still had partly under control, loosened his hold and crouched back in his cage, while the man backed slowly from the cage. As the door shut the tiger gave an angry growl, jumped forward, but the bars had closed. The lion showed great excitement and roared furiously. The trainer’s life was saved. A great sigh of relief went up from the excited crowd, women fainted and men struggled to get from the tent. The trainer was conducted to Dr. Morrow, who dressed his wounds. He was very weak and faint from pain and the terrible strain of the ordeal through which he had passed, but bore the operation without flinching. His arm was badly lacerated from the shoulder to the wrist. Three deep cuts were made by the tiger’s claws in the fleshy part of the arm, and seven gashes, made by the beast’s teeth, just below, penetrated deep into his arm, large enough to insert a man’s thumb. After his wounds were dressed he went to the hotel.—[New York Telegram.