A Burglar Caught by a Skeleton & Other Singular Tales from the Victorian Press

by Clay, Jeremy

  The Manchester Evening News, September 2, 1899

  Extraordinary and Startling Appearance of a Runaway Horse at a Tea-Party, at Wragby, Lincolnshire

  A scene occurred on Saturday last at Wragby, which we shall find it difficult to describe by mere words; we must, therefore, refer our readers to the front page of this week’s Police News. The large engraving gives a faithful representation of the consternation caused by an unlooked-for visitor to a family tea-party.

  The particulars of this remarkable and singular freak of an animal of the genus equine are as follows. It appears that the driver of the mail cart between Horncastle and Langworth, Lincolnshire, was performing his usual journey Saturday last; the horse he was driving had always been accounted a steady going, docile animal, being, as horsedealers say, ‘warranted free from vice.’

  After proceeding along for some considerable distance without any mishap, one of the traces broke and the mail cart-horse all of a sudden dashed off at a furious rate. He, luckily for the driver, disengaged himself from the cart after which, like Mazeppa’s wild steed, he ‘urged on his mad career.’ He did not meet with any vehicle on the road, and consequently no fatal or serious accident occurred.

  At length upon reaching Wragby the animal bolted through the window of a house occupied by Mr Weightman and landed on a tea-table where ten persons were just taking tea.

  The panic-struck family and guests started back, but strange to say no one was hurt, but the crockery and furniture sustained serious damage from the hoofs of the eccentric quadruped, who was not secured until he had broken no end of crockery, and smashed up the furniture. At length the uninvited guest suffered himself to be conducted out of the house.

  The Illustrated Police News, March 23, 1867

  Elephants On The Loose

  A Keeper Killed. Panic At A Concert

  A remarkable scene occurred at the Crystal Palace, London, on Sunday afternoon. Two elephants forming part of the circus which closed its season there on Saturday escaped from control, and after killing a keeper invaded the refreshment-room and then ran amok through the transepts.

  A concert was in progress and the audience scattered in all directions, a terrible panic being only narrowly averted. Finally the Palace was closed and one elephant captured. The other escaped through the grounds and was caught on Sunday evening at Beckenham.

  A later account by a representative of the Press Association who visited the Palace on Sunday night says that one of the elephants who escaped was a large animal known as ‘Charlie.’

  All the keepers succeeded in getting clear but one who was overtaken just at the door and trampled to death. The other beast made its way across the nave to the buffet and thence to the concert-room.

  Much alarm was caused, but the elephant did not attempt to pursue the flying crowd, turning in an opposite direction, proceeding through the glass and wooden framework into the centre transept.

  Tearing down some 15 feet of the wall it walked leisurely around, and then proceeded to make its way through numerous side courts and the roller skating rink to the door opening on the North Tower Gardens, by which it made its final exit.

  ‘Charlie’ meanwhile quietly stood over one of the numerous statues in the south nave. Cyanide of potassium had, however, to be administered to it before it could be taken into custody. Then it was led back and chained to a younger elephant. Charlie was afterwards shot.

  The Western Times, Exeter, February 20, 1900

  Peculiar Railway Accident

  On Saturday morning a ferocious bull rushed at a train on the Llandilo branch of the North Western Railway, killing itself and throwing two carriages off the line. The passengers escaped with a good shaking, and after being transferred to fresh carriages the train proceeded all right.

  The Dundee Courier and Argus, June 14, 1881

  A Puma in a Schoolroom

  A Denver (Colorado) correspondent records a remarkable act of bravery on the part of an 18-year-old girl, a school teacher in the village of Owyhee.

  While Eva Bates, the girl in question, was teaching her class an enormous puma, or mountain lion, sprang into the room, and falling upon a little antelope, which had been brought there by a child, whose pet it was, killed it, and at once began to devour it.

  The children were panic-stricken, and fled to a corner of the room, where they huddled together for mutual protection, while the puma, which had left the dead antelope, seemed to be preparing to attack them.

  As soon as the antelope had fallen the little teacher saw she would have to be prepared to defend her charges, and remembering that there was a gun loaded with small shot in the next room, she decided to get it.

  To do this she was compelled to cross the room and go out by the door which opened near where the puma was crouching. She hurried by, and in a moment seized the weapon.

  Then she lay flat on the floor, and, creeping along quietly with the gun in front of her, pushed it until the muzzle rested against the head of the beast, and a moment later, as he was about to spring, she drew the trigger, and the beast fell back with its head blown to atoms.

  The Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, January 12, 1895

  A Swarm of Bees on a Man’s Back

  Considerable excitement was caused in Oxford Circus, Regent Street and some of the West End thoroughfares the other morning by the appearance of a man whose back, from his collar to his waist, was literally covered with bees, whilst hundreds more hovered over his head and all around him.

  The man walked on in a state of evident fear, and as may be imagined this strange sight in the midst of the crowded streets led to his being followed by a large crowd. It seemed that the man was in the employ of Messrs. Mappin and Webb, and was ordered to convey a swarm of bees, which had been enclosed in a basket, to a railway station.

  Whilst in the act of placing the basket in a van, the lid came off and the queen bee and her followers, numbering many thousands, swarmed upon the man’s back, shoulders and head. Terribly frightened, he made an attempt to run away, but the bees maintained their hold, and the man walked about in the hope that his friends would take their departure. Ultimately, a bystander advised him to throw off his coat. Taking the hint, he slipped off his garment, when the host of bees rose en masse and the man made off as quickly as possible, and so did the bystanders. Strange to say, the man was only slightly stung in the neck.

  The Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, July 18, 1885

  An Extraordinary ‘Dog Story’

  Considerable interest was excited in Leicester by the publication of a remarkable, and indeed almost incredible, ‘dog story’ from the accident ward of the local infirmary.

  It is related that while a Bible woman was visiting the accident ward some days ago and talking to one of the patients, a terrier dog made its way to her with difficulty from near one of the adjoining beds, and appealingly held up one of its fore paws.

  She called the attention of one of the doctors to the animal, and it was then found that the limb was broken. The bones were set and a bed made up for the canine sufferer in the ward, due instructions being entered upon the patient’s card as to his treatment and diet.

  The animal progressed favourably, and became a general favourite with both the patients and officials, until a day or two ago, when it was claimed by its owner and taken away.

  How the terrier found its way to the infirmary is not known, but it entered the institution unobserved, and curiously enough, was found in the accident ward, where men were being treated for ailments similar to that with which the dog was afflicted.

  But it will be readily believed that the officials and patients regretted to part with so interesting a patient – one that proved so amenable to treatment and discipline.

  The North-Eastern Daily Gazette, Middlesbrough, March 26, 1896

  A Child Stolen by a Monkey

  A local paper reports a somewhat remarkable case of purloining a child, which occurred in the small village of Manxbri
dge, in Somersetshire, on Monday last.

  It appears that Mr Judcote, a gentleman of independent means, has for a long time past kept a large monkey, who has been accustomed to range over his master’s garden and grounds, as the creature was esteemed harmless, and, to use a sporting phrase, ‘was warranted to be free from vice.’

  On Monday last, Mrs Hemmingway, near neighbour of Mr Judcote’s, while walking in her garden, was surprised and horrified at beholding ‘Hulch,’ Mr Judcote’s monkey, suddenly snatch her baby from the arms of her youngest sister Clara, who, as a special favour, had been permitted to take charge of the infant.

  The monkey, gibbering and chattering, rushed off with its prize, and gained the roof of an outhouse with very little difficulty. Mrs Hemmingway was driven to the uttermost extremity of despair, and she vainly strove to repossess herself of her last born.

  She beheld, to her infinite horror, the monkey pass over the roof of the outhouse, until he and his burden were both lost to sight. The anxious mother at once hastened to the house of her neighbour, Mr Judcote, who appeared to be as much troubled as herself at the unlooked-for disaster.

  His man-servants were despatched in every direction in search of ‘Hulch,’ who was however, too wary to allow his hiding place to be discovered. In the meantime the parents of the child were kept in a constant state of anxiety and trepidation. It was impossible to say what had befallen the child.

  The day passed over without any news of either ‘Hulch’ or the infant, and it was by merest chance that both the fugitives were discovered by some farm labourers in an adjacent wood towards eight o’clock in the evening.

  At this time ‘Hulch’ seemed to be tired of his companion, whom he purposely resigned to the farm servants. The delight of the parents upon regaining their child may be more readily imagined than described.

  The Illustrated Police News, July 9, 1870

  An Alligator in a Bedroom

  A correspondent at Ajmere sends the Times of India particulars of a curious adventure with an alligator.

  At the sacred city of Pokur, near Ajmere, one of the numerous alligators which abound in the lake there, and which are looked upon with the greatest reverence by the Brahmins, managed to crawl from the water up a flight of high stone steps into the courtyard of a house used by the European officials and visitors as a dak bungalow. It is supposed that the reptile was frightened by some noise.

  Turning, it missed the steps which would have led it back to the safety of the water and entered the room in which the servants were sleeping.

  The astonishment of the men at finding themselves lashed by the tail of the monster in the dark may be imagined. Their master, coming with a light, found the alligator, which was ten feet long, hard up against the wall on one of the servants’ beds.

  The Brahmins are highly incensed at this gentleman for shooting the alligator even under these circumstances and have preferred a complaint to the Commissioner of the district.

  It is doubtless very necessary to respect the feelings, especially the religious feelings, of our fellow men; but it does seem rather hard to object to one’s shooting an alligator when he gets into your servant’s bed in the middle of the night.

  The Edinburgh Evening News, December 1, 1876

  Fight Between a Wolf and a Baboon

  A remarkable fight was witnessed at Chicago the other night in the window of a shop occupied by a dealer in animals.

  It took place after the premises had been closed for the night. An immense cage filled the window, and contained ‘a happy family,’ among which were a grey wolf and two baboons.

  The wolf snapped at the female baboon, and the male, resenting it, attacked the wolf, which was a large specimen and considerably larger than himself. The battle, which was a desperate one, lasted for half an hour, the wolf giving evidence of being considerably stronger, but the baboon was decidedly cleverer and quicker in his mode of attack.

  The fight was, however, a very unequal one, and the monkey got rapidly tired, becoming at last too weak to defend himself from the wolf, which throttled him to death. The female baboon tried to help her mate, but she was too small and weak to be of any service against the superior strength of her antagonist.

  The occurrence created a great deal of excitement, and a crowd of fully a thousand people gathered to witness it. Several tried to interfere, and distract the attention of the animals by beating on the window-pane, but could not succeed, and it was impossible to get into the shop.

  When the wolf was examined next morning he was found to have been very badly bitten and scratched.

  The Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, January 12, 1895

  Fearful Attack on a Steamer by Alligators – Three Seamen Devoured

  The Palatka (Florida) Herald publishes an account of a desperate attack on a river steamer by alligators. The steamer whilst going up the Ocklawaha river, and on rounding Sockett’s Point, where the stream widens and deepens, suddenly encountered a sea of alligators, floundering and splashing water in all directions.

  The captain of the vessel says he never saw such a scene, and never wishes to do so again. Before the speed of the little vessel could be checked she was in the midst of the monsters. To go back or to go ahead was impossible. The passengers endeavoured to drive them away by shooting, and the hands on board beat them with band-spikes, yet they were determined to obstruct the passage of the boat.

  The situation became more critical, and the crew and passengers more and more exhausted, and the destruction of the boat seemed inevitable. Already three of the crew had been destroyed and several others wounded. Several of the planks were torn from the hull, and the vessel was with difficulty kept from sinking. Just at this period a source of relief came.

  A huge serpent appeared making his way from the lakes, the same, it is supposed, that was seen at ‘Devil’s Elbow’ last year. The alligators soon disappeared, following the sea devil, and such fighting never was witnessed. A point below where the river suddenly narrows, soon became blocked with dead alligators, and the river was red with blood.

  It is difficult to account for the number and sudden appearance of these animals, but the latest theory may throw some light upon the subject. It is believed by many that there is a large subterranean passage of water between the head waters of the Ocklawaha and the waters of the Ocklawaha lake, and these monsters have found their way here in great numbers, and if not soon exterminated will obstruct the navigation of the Ocklawaha.

  The Illustrated Police News, August 26, 1871

  Curious Adventure Near Ilfracombe

  An Ilfracombe correspondent states that a party of visitors sailing in a pleasure yacht off Lee yesterday afternoon met with an extraordinary adventure.

  A large fish suddenly jumped on board and with its tail smashed all the vessel’s gear and broke the main boom. A gentleman received a blow in the face which blacked his eye. The fish then thrust its nose in the cabin, and remained quiet, and the party made for the shore.

  The unwelcome visitor proved to be a whale thrasher, fifteen feet long and weighing half a ton. The fish is now exhibited in Ilfracombe.

  The Western Times, Exeter, September 5, 1899

  An Elephant’s Revenge

  Some time ago, Mr Sanger, the proprietor of a circus, dismissed an attendant upon his elephants, a man named Baker, for cruelty to the animals. Last week Baker obtained a fresh engagement from Mr Sanger as labourer.

  On Sunday evening, Baker went to the stables to fetch a man, named Tottenham, to his tea, when the elephant Charlie, hearing his voice, rushed at him and pierced his skull with his tusk. The unfortunate man died shortly after he was removed from the stable.

  The Western Gazette, Yeovil, January 15, 1897

  A Queer Importation.

  180,000 Mummified Cats

  A Liverpool firm has just received a consignment of nineteen tons of embalmed cats, which are to be used as manure.

  The cargo contains no less than 180,000 of the feli
ne species, supposed to have been buried two thousand years before Christ in a subterranean cemetery about two hundred miles from Cairo, into which an Egyptian fellah was accidentally precipitated.

  The cats were found laid out in rows, one on the top of the other, and carefully embalmed as though Egyptian mummies. They were bought for consignment in Egypt at 78s 9d per ton.

  The Dundee Courier and Argus, February 4, 1890

  A Cat Walking Seventy Miles

  Some weeks a family named Shaker lived at Dawley, in the County of Salop, but had occasion to leave and come to Nottingham. They of course removed all their ‘household goods,’ including a fine cat, which had been in the family for years.

  Arriving at Nottingham the cat showed signs of dissatisfaction with her new abode, and after a few days disappeared, to return to her old home at Dawley, to the great surprise of the neighbours. As might be expected she was very footsore and lame, but otherwise all right.

  The distance travelled on foot by the cat, from Nottingham to Dawley, is over seventy miles. Hundreds have flocked to see the four-footed pedestrian, and large sums have been refused by the owners for their favourite.

  The Grantham Journal, April 20, 1878

  An Escaped Python at Middlesbrough.

  Stoned To Death By Boys.

  About nine o’clock this morning considerable consternation was created at the lower end of Gladstone Street, near the bridge at the foot of Boundary Road, Middlesbrough, by the appearance of a snake measuring 12 feet in length.