MENAGERIE ACCIDENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1649, 30 August 1887, Page 2

MENAGERIE ACCIDENTS.

A Paris correspondent says not a week passes without some horrible accident m a menagerie. On Saturday a tamer named Agop, who was making hie beasts perform before a largo crowd at tho fair of Bourges, was suddenly knocked down by a blow from tho paw of ono of the animals. Half of the unfortunate man's skull was snapped off almost instantaneously by the terrible brute, and bis spinal column was cracked m twain as though it had been a dry twig. This is the most appalling of any of the menagerie accidents which have occurred for a long time, either m Paris or the provinces. It is quite probable, however, that Paris may yet be startled by a similar atrocity, if amateur liontamers or hysterical females be allowed to enter the dens of wild beasts. The experiments on the hypnotised woman who entered the cage at the Folia Berge*rea have already Joeen detailed ; but they were eclipsed on Saturday" by iho performance of a demimondalne, woo actually entered ono of the cages mM, Bidel's menagerie at Neuillo, and kept a Jion m momentary quietude by the magnetic force ojE M tyo lovely black «yei." Luckily tho doping venture of fchp darkeyed dumczal did not last long, anql she escaped without having left her limbs m tho mouth of the ex-monarch of $he forests called Sultan . osr exploit was vociferously cheered by a cFowd i^ mashers who bad expressly attended to see the strange spectacle.