Wild Scenes Caused by the Stampede of a Circus in Africa.
Diamond Fields [Africa] Advertiser: Shortly after 11 o’clock last night a general stampede of all the animals comprising Fillis’ menagerie took place. This appalling occurrence is attributed to a miscreant-at present at large-who, possessed of a grudge against Mr. Fillis or members of his company, thought to pay it out by climbing on the fence of the enclosure in which the animals are kept and, at imminent risk to his own life and limbs, releasing from their cages and chains the whole of the wild animals. This fiend in human shape is evidently one well acquainted with the show, for not only has he exhibited a familiarity with the locks and bars of the cages, but he selected the day and hour when the supervision of the animals was most relaxed. He appears to have made good his escape before the animals realized their freedom from restraint, and as the four employes who slept on the premises have fallen victims to the ferocity of the wild beasts, it is impossible to say at present if his identity is known.
About 11:30 the residents within a mile radius of the circus building were roused from their beds by a most fiendish and indescribable noise. The fierce roar of the lions, the trumpeting of the elephant, the snarls and growls of the leopards, cheetahs, and jackals, the snarling bark of the wolves, the cries of the frightened horses, and the groans and screams of the mangled and dying employes, made a medley of sound which will never be forgotten by those who heard it.
From what we gather the four male lions, Pasha, Abdul, Caliph, and Mustapha, upon discovering the door of their cage open, immediately proceeded to the stables, where the large lion, Pasha, leaped on the back of Murat, the jumping horse, and fastened his teeth in his neck and withers. It is reported that he has always borne this horse a most unaccountable grudge and invariably gave signs of displeasure and dislike when within sight of him. The horse’s screams roused the four attendants-a Scotchman named Patterson and three Kaffir boys-and, hastily arming themselves with stable-forks, they rushed to the scene of the disturbance, evidently ignorant of the numerical strength of the foe they had to contend with. These four gallant fellows met a fearful death. From the few last dying words of one of the Kaffir boys to Mr. Fillis, when he arrived upon the scene, it appears that he and his mates, when endeavoring to beat back the lion Pasha, were attacked from the rear by the three lions and one of the cheetahs; they were then literally torn limb from limb by the ferocious brutes, and the scene of their death is one of indescribable horror. Having tasted blood, the lions [male and female], the cheetahs, the wolves, and the leopards seemed to regain all the ferocity of their class, and Mr. Fillis’ four Hungarian horses, Sang d’Or, Kremis, Lanore, and Etolie, and the performing horses Beauty and Black Bess fell victims to their lust for blood. The elephant, frightened at the noise, in his endeavor to escape burst through the heavy iron gate and rushed into Curry street followed by nearly the whole of the animals, who appear to have been startled by something whilst engaged in their work of carnage in the stables.
A cabman residing at Beaconsfield, Nelson, had a narrow escape. Hearing the noise, he drove down from Main street to see the animals rush out. He likens the scene to the exit from Noah’s ark. An elephant came first, and a few seconds afterward tumbled out a confused mob of lions, wolves, hyenas, baboons, leopards, cheetahs, and jackals.
The wolves, with the instinct of their race, immediately rushed upon Nelson’s horses, and two of the lions attacked them also. Strange to say, they left the man himself unmolested, and he managed to climb up a post at Glover’s Athletic Bar and secure his safety in one of the rooms. When last he saw the horses they were galloping madly down the Dutoitspan road, snorting and screaming with fear and pain, followed by the wolves and two of the lions. The remainder of the animals, Nelson says, dispersed in all directions, but the man appears to be so unstrung by his terrible experiences that nothing coherent can be obtained from him at present. We have as yet heard of but one death since the animals left the circus buildings. A little child named James Grindley, a son of Mr. Grindley, produce dealer, happened to be in the backyard of his father’s premises, in his little nightshirt. He noticed a cheetah which had taken refuge there, and with the fearlessness of childhood walked up to it. His agonized mother, from her bedroom window, saw the brute lay her darling prostrate with one blow of its paw, and then mangle him beyond all recognition. We have obtained from Mr. Fillis-who is, of course, terribly distressed by the fearful occurrence, but bears it as a brave man should-a full list of animals at large: Four lions, two lionesses, two tigers, three bears, two wolves, one hyena, two cheetahs, four jackals, one elephant, one camel, and seventeen baboons.
Only two of these animals have as yet been accounted for. Mr. Murchison, residing on Dutoitspan road, having been awakened by the noise, was looking out of his bedroom window, and seeing a jackal run across the yard shot it dead with his revolver.
Our G. O. M., Mr. Goodchild, was aroused by the shrieks of his parrot, and getting out of his bed to see the cause observed to his horror an enormous lion crouching under the trees in the front garden. With great presence of mind he took down his Martini-Henry rifle, and, firing through the window, shot it between the eyes-dead.
The whole of the police, armed to the teeth, are scouring the surrounding district and the town itself.
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