Saturday, August 23, 2014
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Monday, April 10, 1899
Big Elephant Wintering at Argentine Kan., Crushes Frank Fisher to Death.
Kansas City, Mo., April 10.-“Rajah,” a mammoth elephant owned by Lemen Bros’. Circus company, which has been wintering in Argentine, Kan., near here, on Sunday killed its keeper, Frank Fisher. Fisher had returned to the tent intoxicated and tried to make the different animals perform. Coming to the elephant, he hugged the beast’s trunk and ordered it to open its mouth. Becoming enraged, Rajah crushed Fisher’s arm, and throwing him to the ground, made repeated efforts to pierce the prostrate trainer’s body with its tusks. Unable to reach him, Rajah finally knelt upon Fisher, crushing his life out before assistance could arrive. Fisher was 28 years old and his home was in Montreal, Canada. He is said to be Rajah’s ninth victim.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Wednesday, November 23, 1898
Frank C. Bostock, manager of a Zoo, is Rescued from Death by a Woman.
Frank C. Bostock, manager of the Hagenbeck zoo, which is wintering at Kansas City, Mo., was terribly bitten and lacerated by Brutus, the big lion which has already maimed several men. He was saved from being killed by the energetic action of Mme. Pianka, the lion tamer.
At the afternoon’s rehearsal, just prior to the public performance, Mme. Pianka had trouble with Spitfire, a sulky lioness, and called Manager Bostock to her assistance. Bostick entered the cage cracking his whip and striking at Spitfire. As he did so Brutus, with a savage roar, sprang upon him, sinking his teeth to the bone in Bostock’s thigh and lacerating the victim’s back terribly with his claws.
Mme. Pianka fired several blank cartridges from her revolver full in Brutus’ face and was about to fire the one ball cartridge when the beast loosened his hold. Mme. Pianka then threw her arms about the animal’s neck and held him while Bostock was removed from the cage by attendants. Bostock, while dangerously hurt, will probably recover.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Wednesday, November 23, 1898
Dog Comes to the Rescue of Colorado Cow Herder in Nick of Time.
A cow herder, Mike Sullivan, encountered a large gray wolf at Prospect lake, near Colorado Springs, Col., the other day while attending to his cattle. Armed only with a club, he pursued it a short distance, when it turned on him. He flourished his club, but the beast snarled and refused to retreat. The two were but a few feet apart, and matters were getting quite serious for the man. At this juncture a Russian wolf hound appeared and a fierce fight followed.
The hound was shaken off and the wolf escaped into the lake, but returned to shore soon, as the water was quite cold. The fight between the wolf and the hound was renewed. This time the latter fastened onto his antagonist’s neck and held it until a few well directed blows from a club ended the struggle.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Thursday, October 6, 1898
Grasshoppers, Wasps, Etc., Driven Out by Forest Fires, Fly Over City of Wichita.
Wichita, Kan., Oct.-Several hours before sunset Monday there began to arrive here, flying low over the city, a cloud of insects comprising grasshoppers, wasps, bald hornets, several varieties of butterflies and wild bees. They are drifting slowly with a light breeze toward the southeast, the lowest flying wasps and hornets clustering in great numbers about the peaks and spires of the higher buildings. The cloud of winged creatures, extending into the air to the limits of vision overhead, had been passing for hours and was still to be seen until darkness fell. The air is thick with a smoky haze, and the theory here is that the haze and accompanying insect visitation are due to the forest fires now raging in Colorado, the insects, it is supposed, being driven from their haunts in advance of the flames. The advance guard began to arrive Sunday, but owning to their comparatively small numbers no attention was paid to them until they were noticed in myriads late Monday afternoon.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Thursday, August 20, 1908
Chicago, Aug. 20.-Like the heroic Ursus, who wrestled with a bull in the arena, John Maffey clung to the horns of a maddened steer which had escaped from the stockyards while children and other pedestrians fled to safety. For fifteen minutes Maffey kept up his battle with the animal, and was about to fall exhausted when the police ran up and shot the steer. Then the young man was taken to his home at 4554 Paulina street by the bluecoats. Policeman Loula, while firing, at the steer, suffered a flesh wound in the left leg when his revolver was knocked from his hand by an excited women and the weapon discharged.
Steer Butted Out, Not In.
The steer, which had just been brought from the west, butted through a railing surrounding its pen in the Morris & Co. plant, and before cowboys could intercept it dashed through an open gate at Forty-fifth street and Ashland avenue. Children were playing in the street, and they fled in panic. Several dogs ran in front of the animal, barking at it, only to be gored to death. Maffey was walking in Ashland avenue near Forty-fifth street when the animal came thundering along. Its head was lowered and it was making directly toward Maffey.
Maffey Does the Ursus Act.
Without hesitating he seized the steer by the horns, already red with the blood of the dogs, and clung to the beast desperately. A number of men gathered about the two and watched the battle. “Don’t stand there looking,” Maffey panted. “For God’s sake help me or this steer will kill me.”
Police Artillery in Action.
A call was sent to the New City police station and Policemen Jordan, Loula and McCall responded. Maffey was struggling feebly and seemed about to fall. While he held on the policemen opened fire. Shot after shot struck the animal, but it only snorted and jumped. Finally a shot from Policeman Jordan’s revolver struck the beast in the head and it rolled to the ground mortally wounded.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Friday, May 13, 1910
Infant Snatched From Mother’s Arms by Beast in Theater.
Cleveland, Tenn., May 13.-A trained lion which was being exhibited on an open stage here suddenly snatched a baby from the arms of its mother, carried it to the back of the stage, dashed it to the floor and planted both forepaws on the little one’s body.
Frantic witnesses, seizing anything available as weapons, advanced on the lion and diverted its attention while a man snatched the baby up from the stage. The child is so badly injured that it may die. The lion was driven back into its cage.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Thursday, September 1, 1910
Rodent Nibbles at Bacon on Bruised Foot and Sinks Teeth in Toe.
Anderson, Ind., Sept. 1.-Arther, the 4-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Schofield, almost bled to death as a result of having been bitten on the toe by a rat. While playing about the yard the child stubbed his toe and the mother applied home remedies to the bruise in the form of a generous slice of pork fat.
The boy then played in the wood shed and the rodent was evidently attracted by the odor of the meat. It nibbled at the bacon unknown to the child and finally plunged its sharp teeth into the toe. The wound bled profusely and the child was at the point of death from loss of blood when a physician arrived.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Tuesday, August 23, 1910
Light-House Keeper Discovers Dog Watching Coat Last Night and Crowning Story Results.
One of the light house keepers discovered a dog standing watch over a boys coat on the south pier last evening, and at first it was believed that there had been a drowning.
The dog was taken to the police station and an investigation was made without results until this morning when a little boy came to the station, and claimed the dog as his and the coat as his brother’s.
He said that they had been fishing and that the dog had been left behind with the coat. He did not explain why, but said his brother was fishing again today.
The dog remained near the coat all the time, and well shows the faithfulness which is so characteristic of this animal.
Published in the Waukegan Daily News, Waukegan, Illinois on Thursday, September 23, 1897
Kentucky Boy and His Brother Meet Horrible Death While Playing.
Willie, aged seven, and Eddie, aged nine, sons of Matthew Cox, a farmer living near Mannsville, Taylor county, Ky., met terrible deaths from rattlesnake bites the other evening.
They were playing hide and seek with some other children and Willie ran into the bushes and failed to reappear at the proper time. Presently Eddie heard cries from his little brother and, hastening to his aid, found, as he at first thought, that he had become fastened in the hollow of an old stump.
In trying to pull the child from the stump Eddie discovered that four big rattlers were biting Willie time and again. Badly frightened, but determined to rescue his brother, Eddie reached in for a better hold, and was himself bitten repeatedly.
The cries of the two children attracted some men and they were finally rescued from their perilous position, but not until they were past all aid. One died in five minutes and the other in ten.
The four snakes were killed, and it was found that the youngest child had jumped into their nest in the hollow of the old stump.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Friday, August 5, 1910
Cattle Sought in Pines of Wexford Chase Their Pursuers.
Cadillac, Mich., Aug. 5.-Wild cattle made so by years of roving in the pine slashings north of this city, made a rush on Bert Gardner, Albert Rupers and Charles Gipe and would have gored them to death had not they been able to shin up some trees.
The men sought the cattle for beef. Finally after a two-hours rest up the trees, Gardner succeeded in getting to a place of safety. Then securing a rifle he dispatched three steers.