AN ANGRY LION. Narrow Escape of a New York Actor.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 211, 16 July 1887, Page 4 (Supplement)

AN ANGRY LION. Narrow Escape of a New York Actor.

Frank T. Frayke, a weHnkno-wn firearms and wild beast variety Epecialist, had a narrowescape lately from being olowed to pieces by his favourite stage lion, Robert lngersoll. Frayne has a country place called Ech Dell, about three miles frcin Madnon Village, near Morrinstown, 2\. Jersey, where he keeps his little menagerie while it is off duty. The big lion, 'Robert IngersoU ; two | hyenas, two trained horses, a plough-horse, and lots of rabbitsrwerein a barn. About fifty yards on", near the road, a big bear was chained to a cherry tree outside the barn, and a little bear suffering with lung trouble and a bad cough, was tied to the road fence, and' three or four dogs roamed about the front yard. Early on the morning. of May IGth the actor was awakened by a quick succession of yells, roarings and high-keyed nothings from the barn. Dressing quickly, ho rushed clown across the yard to the stables. The actor, in his shirt-sleeves and slorkiiigfeet, pulled one of the sliding barn-dooi-aside and stepped in. The lion's cage \\ ;tb empty, and the big barred front uas lying half tipped over on a pile of boards on thu main iloor. The lion was crouching behind the manger of the trained horse Bohvar, and was just spiinging as the door opened. In a second he had crunched the hoise\ neck, and the poor beast fell, still neighing, and .snorted in agony on the .stall Iloor. The lion sank his jaws again into the mangled flesh and was about to tear the quisling animal to pieces, when the actor &tiuek him a smart blow with a stick across the back. Frayne had seen his favourite kill t\\ o men in (its of insubordination, and he knew at once that only a quick stroke would sa\ c his own life now. He could not well back out either, for the ferocious beast's appetite once whetted with blood his escape would play haA oc with tho country round. The actor had picked up a stout rope with a noose like a hv-so, and as the lion tuintd quickly at the blow the noose was thrown cleverly about his neck. Then, with a pood deal of slack rope, Frayne ran far around tho end bar of the cage door and pulled. The lion was startled and half-cowed at the hi -t sight of his trainer and master. He follow ed the pull of the rope mechanically aa<>---the threshing floor into the cage. The whole face of the cage w as still h mci propped against a pile of lumber at one uul. It had fallen from two of its three hinge .it the other end and was almost ilat dov. n <>v the floor. FiayneJifted the bars a^ the lion crossed, and tried to catch them again on their hinges. The lion glared at him sullenly for a second or two till the fionM\a> neaily up, and then made a spring. It was too late, however ; one hinge was caught. and the actor succeeded in fastening thj others. The enraged beast slipped oil. Then he jumped again, and, clawing blindly through the bars, caught Mr Frayne"-> leit arm. Four of the claws stuck in, mo-t uf them about an inch deep. The Mood trickled down his shirt-sleeve, soaking it, but the actor got away 'without any niojf serious hurts. The whole thing was over so quickly thaieven Chief Keeper Knight had not time to reach the barn. The wounds were only in the flesh, and they had soon lulled up. The hor.->c died soon after the encounter. Leon has been ugly and sulky e\ er since. Frayne shot one of his niecc^ accidentally while doing a sort of William Tell riile act in Cincinnati some year* ago.