SCENE IN A LION'S DEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2017, 19 December 1888, Page 2

SCENE IN A LION'S DEN

An announcement made by the erfer (says the Sonth Wales "Daily Newa"l that a, «„„ named William Samuels, a looil Innkeeper §Q d the champion boiel of Wale^vfonld enter a den of Hon. Tt Mewrs Wombwell's menagerie, located It Swansea, omsed considerable excitement ■how. At nine o'clock the band played " For he's a v llj good fellow/* M -jf tfitn Hamuels, accompanied by Mr Bostock, th» man.ger of the chow, walked up to • dea containing a. lion and about a doaan lionesses. A great oro«rd at once assembled round the oage. Mr Boatock mounted » p atform and Informed the publio thai Ws old friend Samuel* had volunteered to perform a desd of dating anoh aa had nerar W done ia tb« menagerie alnee its establishment m 1805. Mr Wiltshire had, be said, recently at Cardiff entered the csge m company with Madame Salra. the llttn-tamer, and had by his action oansed a great sensation In South Wales. But Samuels wao going to surpass thl. feat, for though urged to let Madamo Ralva aooonapany him, he deolded not to 3S tm'k •»™l«""owed todoao ■»ne announcement was re eel red with great Peering, though It wi wH.it that, on.the part of many present, there Sin i ? Ucg Qf anxlet y «nd alarm. ?!?£ i 1 V?, 6Ter ' ? eemed to '*«w none I Attired welcome than he bai«, ned for! p"? c .' aad, apparently of nerTei o f steal, S "? ° * T' lked «^»MW up to end °* th ° °«« e w>ere the animals were huddled together, waiting only the slightest enconra gem 3n t to sprinj on the intruder, and heid his endiel threateningly before the Beg d O f 'S fieroest. Growls of race ffreetarf *hS wV k b , ut Bftmue ?' i D no ™* SSSJJS* walked amoQeat the animala and mada thorn fly righfand left bel m him. he did eeveraUimeß, a U d 9a one occasion acted bo raahly'tbAt grave fears weri entertained $or hia safety by thosa In charge oi th.a, exhibition. y Those-^ho as a precauhon, were armed with red hot uons-were ready to act proiaptty, when Samuels again obtained the maatery^vtr hia eavage companions, and showed his featlesflneaa o| them by firine a load«rf piatQUt their faces. ?hen his^Sge moiDtoined to the last, he went to^he gate of tho den, and waited m a dangerous position while Mr Bostock presented him. amidtho cheeraof thoae piesent, with a unique ohaiD, oompoaed of spade aid chain and with a cortißoate recoTding the fact tbat heaoqoitted himself hravelf