PILING ON THE AGONY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 305, 20 June 1879, Page 3

PILING ON THE AGONY.

The following is from the Post: —A San Francisco journal^published the following' in its ". agony, column " a short time ago:— "GoOper and Bailey's menagerie, which will open in this city shortly, was the scene of a terrifying occurence while" exhibiting at Marysville recently. It seems that some raisclieivous youngster in the audience inserted a piece of tobacco in a peanut given by liiih to the largest of the sixteen elephants attached to the show* The enraged creature uttered the singular halfhuman cry peculiar to its species when aroused, and hurled the hoy with great force through the roof of the tent, breaking every bone in his body, and an almost new hummingtop in his pocket-. Bursting the 10-inch chain that secured its foot like a bit of twine, the furious mammoth seized the clown .and in a second had crushed him into a shapeless pulp,of flesh and old conundrums. The elephant's companions now. became excited, and charged upon the audience, which was wildly applauding the clown's just fate, little thinking what wasin store for itself. In a twinkling the ring-master had been disposed of, and the first four rows of spectators had. become a mass of writhing victims. The ring ran with gore, and the wild shrieks and roars of the other animals lent additional horror to the terrible scene. Presently, several cages were upset in the melee, and the lions and tigers took part in the awful fray. The hippopotamus bit off the sheriff's head. A frightful contest occured between the grizzly bear and one of the largest elephants.. The latter was undcrueaih, and in his struggles rolled over and snia-'ued fiat a whole half-price Sujnday; School. The rhinoceros paid exclusive at-tention-to the dead-head seats, and at one time was noticed with two editors and a politician on the same horn. The performing elephant, ' Jim,' got under a bench occupied by six Sisters of Charity, and managed to keep one of the Sisters in the air all the time. The camels and zebras tore round the ring, uttering terrific cries, above which could., be faintly heard ■ the agonizing cries of the County Recorder, who was being skinned alive by a couple of gorillas on top of the centre pole. Heaven knows how the terrible scene would have ended, had not the 'Marysville Light Battery arrived just then, and began to fire 10-inch cannon, loaded with red-hot railroad spikes into the. mass'; of infuriated In course of time the carnage was quelled, and the animals and curiosities- secured, with the exception. of -a • oorniorant, that will go practising law in the spring, if not detected in time.' The. scene after. the conflict, waft never to be -forgotten.' Sixhundred and forty-one persons, and a bookagent, had bitten the saw-dust: ,The 'remains of-tho' Mayor and six Couneilmen were sent home in the golden chariot (cost 40,000d015. to build), preceded by the band (74"first-class"soloists). -The unrecognised dead'Were"Uuried in a trench ,2Qoft; - long. The animals- are now secured by chains weighing 41bs. to the link, and iron bars 2ft. thick. Owing to .the •olossal; exppnse attendant upon thist niammoth exhibition of the century, the price oi admission has been reduced to 50 cents., children; -under ten, half-price." ; ;, -~-.-;.,