| Lions killed a man here in 1915 |
By: MAGGIE LEE, Staff Writer
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Posted: Friday, September 18, 2009 10:34 pm
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The News received an inquiry from a resident of Nabb, Ind., this summer about something that happened in Northfield in August of 1915. A group of lions — animals, not club members — killed a man here.
Sure enough, I found the story in the 1915 bound volume of the paper and I thought that you would be as fascinated as I was to find that something that strange had happened in Northfield. “Lions kill their trainer” was the page one headline.
Since I was a little girl in Northfield, any carnival that has occurred here has featured a group of booths with various things for sale or things to be won. Sometimes there were variety shows in a tent, presenting music and gymnastics. But I don’t remember one with animals.
However in 1915 the Patterson Carnival presented a show with the climax of a performance by five lions. The animals attacked their trainer, Major Dumond (his real name was Frank Lewis and he lived in Nabb), the tragedy occurring within three minutes.
The newspaper story stated, “There are various explanations by eye witnesses of how it started. It was commonly stated that as the lions were coming out of their cages into the arena, the door fell on the tail of a big bull lion, the last to enter the arena, and that thus infuriated, he attacked his trainer.”
The story continued that a slightly different explanation came from the office of the carnival company.
“It was stated that the lion fell off a pedestal, his tail then catching in the door, and that as he fell he caught Dumond’s leg between his teeth. Aroused by the taste of blood, he attacked Dumond furiously. The trainer had been busy with the other four lions and had not seen the accident. When the lion grabbed him he looked around and struck the animal with the butt end of his whip. The lion did not let go and threw the trainer on the floor.
“Then the other lions leaped from their pedestals and in a minute had terribly mutilated their trainer. It was said that one of the lions, Dumond’s pet, did not touch him and was the first to go back into his cage. Dumond had called his lions by name, for a time holding them off by sheer animal control and nerve, but the sight of blood made them beyond control. Dumond’s cries for help were agonizing, but the carnival employees and the spectators were helpless. At the express command of Dumond, who preferred to rule by kindness instead of force, no firearms were kept in the tent. His predecessor with the Patterson animal show had carried a revolver and had given it to Dumond, but he carried it only twice.
“As soon as Dumond was attacked, his assistants ran to other tents for revolvers and soon several were shooting at the lions. The 22-calibre weapons had the effect of frightening the animals a bit, but did not injure them seriously, the bullets no more than piercing the hide. A big calibre revolver in the hands of Mr. Patterson was more effective, one shot killing the large lion. The other lions then retreated and Dumond was pulled out of the ring.
“One of his ears was mangled, an artery in the left leg was severed and his back was torn open. He remained conscious until the last, but was in awful pain.”
The trainer was taken to Northfield Hospital where he died at 3:25 a.m.
The story stated that Lewis had been with the Patterson shows seven years and was 32 years old. He had raised all of the lions from the time they were cubs. Three years before he had been attacked by lions and thought to be fatally wounded, but recovered.
The story stated that “the tragic event cast a pall of gloom over the entire carnival company for Dumond was better liked, it was said, than any other person in the more than 125 people traveling with the show. Keen sympathy was felt for his young wife, who was prostrated with grief. They were married June 2 in Minneapolis.”
The funeral was held right here in Northfield the next evening. It was held at the Lee furniture store and undertaking parlor which I think was in the building that now houses Hogan Brothers restaurant. The service was conducted by the Rev. J.W. Stebbins, a much beloved retired minister who had served in the Civil War.
The story says that associates of the deceased marched in double file from the carnival grounds (it is likely that a carnival of that size took place in what is now Ames Park) with the carnival band in the lead playing hymns, “Nearer My God to Thee” and “With the Cross of Jesus Going on Before.” There were 125 in the column. The Patterson automobile carried Mrs. Lewis and other relatives.
The body was taken to Nabb for burial. Mrs. Lewis must not have stayed in Nabb and was not eventually buried there, because the recent inquiry from Nabb from a relative of Dumond wondered whether the newspaper story included her name. It was Grace.
The newspaper story ends with the information that “pictures of Major Dumond were shown at the Gem Theater last night. The pictures were taken a few weeks ago in Minneapolis and show Major Dumond putting the lions through their tricks, also an attempted attack on him by the same lion which later killed him.” One wonders why the carnival did not get rid of that animal.
Adjacent to the story (which ended on an inside page) was a card of appreciation from the family which stated, “We wish to extend to you our thanks for your kindness and sympathies shown in our recent trouble, the death of our beloved husband, son and brother; also for the beautiful floral offerings.”
— Reach Maggie Lee at 507-645-1119 |
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