Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1870 — Terrible Accident—Three Men Killed by Lions. [ARTICLE]

Terrible Accident—Three Men Killed by Lions.

ihe usually quiet village of Middletown was thrown into a painful fever of excitement on Thursday morning, by an awful catastrophe, which occurred i a the band lately attached to James Robinson’s circus ana animal show, and led by Prof M. C. Sexton.

Upon starting ont from Cincinnati for the season, the management determined to produce something novel in the way of a band chariot, and conceived the ifiea of mounting the band upon the colossal den of performing Numidian lions, and which wotlld form one of the principal Mid most imposing features of the show. Although repeatedly warned by Prof Sexton that he deemed the cage insecure and dangerous in the extreme, the managers still persisted in compelling the band to ride upon it. Nothing, however, occurred until Thursday morning. The band took their places, and the procession commenced to move amid the shouts of the multitude of rustics who had assembled to witness the grand p&seant, and hear the enlivening strains of music. Not a thought of danger was entertained by any one, but the awful catastrophe was about to occur. As the driver endeavored to make the turn in the streets, the leader became en-tar-vli J and threw the entire team into confusion. The driver lost control of the n, and, becoming frightened, they broke into a violont run, the fore wheel of the csgc coming in contact with a large rock with such force as to cause the braces and stanchions which supported the roof to give way, thereby precipitating the entire band into the awful pit below. For an instant the vast crowd were paralyzed with fear, but for a moment only, and then arose such a shriek of agony as never was heard before. The awful groans of terror and agony which arose from the poor victims who were being torn and lacerated by the frightful monsters below was heart rending and sickening to a terrible degree.

Every moment some one of the band would extricate himself ficm the debris, and leap over the sides of the cage to the ground with a wild spring of terror, and mint away upon striking the earth, so great was his fright. But human nature could not stand and see men literally devoured before their very eyes, for, there were willing hearts and strong arms ready to render every assistance necessary to rescue the unfortunate victims of this shocking calamity. A hardware store which happened to stand opposite wasdnyaded.and pitchforks, crow-bars, and long bars of iron, and in fact every available weapon, were brought into requisition, the side doors of the cage were quickly torn from their fastenings, and then a horrible sight was presented to view. Mingled among the brilliant uniforms of the poor unfortunate victims lay legs and arms tom from the sockets ana half devoured, while the savage brutes glared ferociously with their sickly green-colored eves upon the petrified crowd. Prof. Charles White, arriving at this moment, gave orders in regard to extricating the dead and wounded, he well knowing that it would be a difficult and dangerous undertaking to remove them from the infuriated monsters. Stationing men with forks and bars at every available point, he Sprang fearlessly into the den amid tho savage monsters, and commenced raising the wounded and passing them upon the outside to their friends. He bad succeeded in removing the wounded, and was proceeding to gather np the remains of the lifeless, when the mammoth lion known to showmen as old Neio. sprang with a frightful roar upon his keepef, fastening his teeth and daws in his neck and shoulders, lacerating him in a horrible manner. Prof. White made three herculean efforts to shake the monster off, but without avail, and gave orders to fire upon him. The contents of fonr Colt's navy’s were immediately poated into the carcass of the ferocious animal, and he fell dead; and the brave little man, notwithstanding the tearftal manner in which he was wounded, never left the. cage until every vestige of the dead were carefblly gathered together and placed upon a sheet, preparatory for bnnaL It was found that three of the ten who mounted the cage a short time before were killed outright, and fourothersUrjibiy lacerated, Tho name* of the killed

ana an immediate btirtal determined doon, as the bodiek weieso frightfully tegnand lacerated as to be unreoQgnfaabTe by their mbst intimate frienda—Jffl&iowh, Mr, Bmmur._ . • . .. ,v -..i