San Antonio Daily Light

BIG SCARE.

Which a Lot of Sporting Men Got in a Circus Barn.

"Do you see that white spot?" said a well known sporting man the other day as he placed his finger on a patch of gray hair on the side of his head. "Well, that's what I got through fright. I've been mixed up a good deal in my time and I've seen many fall from the knife and the gun and thought nothing of it, but I was mixed up one night in something that after that was over I had that gray spot. It was about 15 years ago, when there was no such thing as pulling off a fight in public with the protection of the law as there is now. In those days when you wanted to enjoy a prize fight you had to be on the inside, and it was a case of secrecy from start to finish. One night one of the gang asked me if I wanted to see a good fight, and telling him that I did he told me to be at a certain saloon at a certain time that night. I was there at the appointed time, and we were all directed to go to a saloon on Poplar street, near Linn. We went there and the tip was given that the fight was to take place in the winter quarters of the Robinson's circus. It was along about 11 o'clock at night when we were given the tip, and the crowd of about 100 walked slowly up the street and were admitted to the stock room of the headquarters. The door was locked, and we were then told to follow the leader back through the animal quarters. We had hardly got started when you could hear the lions and tigers and other beasts growling and prancing up and down the cages. That was enough to make your flesh creep, but just as we got in the middle of the building a hyena let out a yelp or a bark that made my hair stand on end. In an instant every animal in the place began to roar and growl. Somebody in the crowd said one of the lions had got loose, and broke for the door. Just then the elephants began to bellow and everybody became panic stricken and broke for the door. I had never had such an experience in my life. The animals were roaring and growling and there was a hundred men fighting in the dark to get a place of safety. When we reached the sidewalk the managers declared the fight off. "That night I discovered that gray spot, and there was nothing else caused it but fright."