The Death of Thomas Bridgeman

Cardona was unable to induce one animal to leave the corner, in which it assumed a threatening attitude. Directly the trainer had turned his back, however, another lion, which is a splendid specimen named Wallace, threw himself upon Cardona, bearing him to the ground. Here he was considerably mauled, until strangely enough, other lions rushed to his rescue, beating off the attacking beast.

The audience were in great panic.

It has been decided not to perform with the animal again. He has been placed in a cage for breeding purposes and since then it has manifested very sulky behaviour

Captain Cardono's name was Thomas Bridgeman, he died 1891 at Gunnislake, age 44.

His brother Robert Thomas E. Bridgeman lived in New Zealand.

Thomas Bridgeman, whilst trying to get a young lion into a corner, Captain Cardono turned his back on a large lion named Wallace which struck him on the back with one of it's paws and knocked him down and bit him.

Assistants attacked the lion and Cardono got to his feet, made the lion run round the cage three times and then left it, and walked to his own dressing area. It was customary to have hot irons ready when the beasts were savage, but they were not so on this occasion. Captain Cardono had been with the Bostock circus since he was a boy, performing with lions for 15 or 16 years.

Later, when he died, the doctor said that the cause of death was bronchitis, accelerated by his wounds

Cardona was unable to induce one animal to leave the corner, in which it assumed a threatening attitude. Directly the trainer had turned his back, however, another lion, which is a splendid specimen named Wallace, threw himself upon Cardona, bearing him to the ground. Here he was considerably mauled, until strangely enough, other lions rushed to his rescue, beating off the attacking beast. The audience were in great panic. It has been decided not to perform with the animal again. He has been placed in a cage for breeding purposes and since then it has manifested very sulky behaviour