MAN ATTACKED BY A BEAR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1332, 9 January 1912, Page 5

MAN ATTACKED BY A BEAR.

SENSATIONAL CIRCUS INCIDENT. BADLY BITTEN. ' ■AUDIENCE GREATLY EXCITED. (By Telcirraph.—Special Correspondent.) 1 ' Christchurch, January 8. A sensational incident occurred at tho first performance by Wirths' circus, which opened here this evening in tho King Edward Barracks. All went well until towards the end of the second turn, an act in which a young man named Syd. Rose made a dog, a goat, a lion, a lioness, and a bear perform. Tho first-named animals went through their business well. Tho lion and lioness wero fed with meat from a fork, and the bear ate its meat from the trainer's mouth, its jaws almost touching his lips. Then tho lions went to their accustomed places on platforms a few feet above the trainer's head. He took the bear by a fore leg and led him for a promenade. They were half way round tho oage when the bear hit suddenly with its free paw. The man went down with the bear above him, its teeth fixed in his arm. While they were on the floor of the cage the animal savaged him, while the man held on to the collar about tho beast's neck so that it might not have a chance to get 'full play with i(a dreadful claws. The lions sat aloft watching the struggle and taking no part in it. Mr. G. Wirth, who was near, was the first to act. He seized a great billet of wood and rushed into the arena. He struck the bear once on the head and then lost his weapon. A menagerie hand had followed him armed with an iron bar. As he belaboured the boast Herr Schmidt, trainer of the Polar bears, came to the fight with n heavy pitch-fork. At the same time a half-caste entered the enge, and beat tho boast with a piece of piping. Ready hands drew the trainer out. The . lions still sat aloft snarling, but offering to take no part in the brawling. The bear was beaten to his cage, and tho lions, who had. come down from their high places, to their dens. The wounded trainer meanwhile was being given first aid, two nurses, who were in the audienco, assisting. While the bear was being beaten'for its guilt, its victim was. being taken to the hospital. Amongst the audience there was great -.excitement. Women shrieked, and shuddered where they sat, men rushed to- \ wards the cage, which was'already surrounded by many circus hands, and there was some difficulty in clearing them away. The sight was a sickening one, but the spectators realised that they were safe, and there was nothing approaching a panic. Rose, the injured man, is a native ot Christchnrch, and has been with the show for eight years. Ho had trained the animals. The bear had not performed since tho circus was at Invercargili, and this afternoon Mr. G. Wirth asked Rose whether he desired a rehearsal. Rose replied that it was not necessary. The animal, an American grizzly bear, had been with the show practically all its life. It had never been a vicious brute, but was always uncertain, and needed , careful watching;,- Mr. Wirth is' undecided as to whether the brute shall be shot, but he is quite resolved that it should never bo performed again. ■ . Roso's injuries proved to be limited to wounds about the arm and thigh, the 'latter being deop cuts. Ho had also heavy scratches about the body. No vital spot had been touched,,..and his injuries were scarcely dangerous in themselves. The programme was gone- through as usual. ■ ,