Feeding the lions

DREADFUL OCCURRENCE AT THE AGRICULTURAL HALL. - This morning loud screams were heard at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, proceeding from the direction in which the lions are kept in their caravan during the intervals of the performances. An impression at first prevailed that some of the animals had escaped, and were making an attack upon those who happened to be in their way. The truth, however, was at once made manifest by seeing the body of an unfortunate man, named Thomas Greaves, who has within the last two or three days commenced his duties as keeper and feeder of the animals, drawn up close to the cage, and hearing from him the piteous cries and screams referred to.

Some of the men immediately seized the long iron rods with a species of hoe at the end, by which the cage is cleansed, and rushed to the spot. It was then discovered that one of the larger lions had the unfortunate man Greaves's right hand in his mouth, while another had seized him by the thick part of the fore-arm, and had dragged the limb through the bars of the cage nearly up to the armpit.

Having no hot irons, the men at once set to work belabouring the lions over the heads and eyes, in order to make them loose their hold. This at the outset only tended to increase the ferocity of the animals, which, with loud yells, commenced tearing the flesh from their poor victim's arm and hand with their claws. It was not until the brutes were nearly blinded with the blows in aflicted upon their eyes that they were induced to relinquish their grip, when poor Greaves was drawn away with his mangled limb through the bars, and fell fainting into the arms of those who had rescued him from his horrible position. He was at once conveyed to the Secretary's offices, insensible and deluged with blood. Dr. Thomas, of Cloudesley-street, and another medical gentleman in the neighbourhood were sent for, and attended in a few minutes, and administered brandy and other stimulants. It was then discovered that the hand was bitten completely through, and the flesh was torn off the arm in most parts to the bare bone, nearly from the shoulder to the wrist. A more frightful specimen of mutilation it is almost impossible to describe.

Dr. Thomas and his medical colleague, having placed the mutilated limb in bandages, had the poor fellow placed in a cab, and accompanied him to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where, on examination by the surgeons of that institution, and after a conference, it was understood that, in consequence of the frightfully mutilated state of the arm and hand, amputation would be absolutely necessary so soon as the sufferer should have sufficiently rallied from the first shock to the system. Greaves had, within the last day or two, commenced to feed the lions, so that they should know him. He had even, it is stated, had the courage to go once into their den and feed them. At the time of the occurrence he was engaged pushing some straw between the bars, either to keep it in the cage, or to attract their attention, and further familiarize himself to them. While doing this, one lion suddenly made a spring upon his hand, and, fastening its fangs into it, drew him by the arm inward. The roar and excitement of the first animal attracting the attention of the second, it sprang upon the arm and mutilated it in the manner described.