| Show A MENAGERIE HE koose LOOSE IS IN sippi forest miss march several days previous immense posters were posted on all the walls walla in town announcing that reynolds great mexican gymnasium and menagerie would exhibit in forest on that day early in the morning all the roads leading to town were thronged thron led ged with people of all ages sexes and co colors I 1 ors and by ten the whole town was alive with visitors awaiting the arrival of the menagerie na gerle gerie at eleven the fine brass band announced the arrival of the show and by twelve the canvas was stretched and the cages of the animals arranged the huge elephant hercules the largest ever imported into this country was chained to a stake and by way of caution to those entering the canvas mr john alston his keeper stated that he ho had for several days manifested a disposition of insubordination and be begged gg ed that no one would approach sufficiently clent chent I 1 y near to receive a blow from his trunk mr mark alark kite from the northern part of this county coming in after mr alstonsr Als tons admonition thoughtlessly handed him a piece of tobacco which so enraged him that he struck at him with such violence as to dislocate his der although it was a glancing blow he plunge plunged with such force that he broke his chain and though his keeper used every effort to subdue him he was entirely uncontrollable and he would strike and kick at every object near him by this time the scene was beyond description the vast crowd fled for life he flew at his keeper and pursued him from under the canvass the eleven freight train being behind time and not having any freight for forest and the engineer not intending to stop came rushing along at the rate of twenty miles an hour when it had approached within two hundred yards he looked up the road and seemed doubly enraged he immediately ran toward it with and met it with such h i shock that he broke one of his tusks and was immediately killed the engine was detached from the train and thrown from the track and mr wharton the engineer having failed to shut off steam it unfortunately ran into the canvass and smashed the lions cage killing the lioness and releasing the lion the lion ion finding himself uninjured and at liberty and being frightened by the s steam t earn and whistle of the engine started at full speed down the homeward road roaring terrifically he had gone but a short distance when he met mr sheppard eppard Bh and gave chase mr sh sheppard eppard fin din finding ing that he was gaining on him rapidly and that he would certainly be overtaken attempted to climb a sapling he struck at him with his paw as lie he ascended but fortunately did no other damage than to tear off his coat tail tall and carry away a part of his pants mr john smith of raleigh who was on his way to forest riding his fine p pacing ing horse with his attle little son behind him met him four miles from here As soon as his horse saw him he neigh ed when the lion rushed at him seized him by the throat and threw him upon the ground mr smith with his little son escaped to the woods and made t their heir way to forest on foot iw while he was devouring nil ali r OP horse mr james J ritch bitch on his way to forest with a load of chickens drove up As soon as he saw him he reared on his hind feet lashed the ground round with his tail tall and sprang at him kil kin mr ritch bitch eluded him by jumping from his wagon when he mounted and began to tear open the boxes containing the chickens and turned them out he then seemed to lose sight of everything in his efforts to catch them when the excitement in town abated about twenty mounted men well abid armed started in pursuit with all the dogs belonging in town as well as many that had bad followed their owners mr reynolds the owner of the lion begged them not to kill hill him and sent several men imen with the crowd with instructions to capture him if possible but no doubt the citizens will kill him as soon as they overtake him it is reported that he killed a freedman in smith county near mr thomas husbands and thal that when last heard from he was going down ocola the news that a lion is at large spreads like wildfire and the citizens are greatly excited mississippi republican publican Ke |
