Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-04-12
OONOUERING AN ELEPHANT.

After the regular performance at For
paugh's Circus and Menagerie, Tenth and
Callowhill streets, on Saturday night. March
10th, says the Philadelphia Age, novel
and exciting scene was presented to a
number of persons who were allowed to re-
main in the building. The fit of madness
which has rendered the great elephant
Romeo, now on exhibition with the show, to-
tally unmanageable for week past, has
already been noticed in these columns, and
also the attempts of his master, Mr. Craven
to pacify the huge beast without resorting
to extreme violence This elephant is the
largest now in this country, weighing over
five tons and standing nearly 10 feet high
| The enclosure now occupied by Romeo
measures about twenty-eight feet square.
When signs of ill-Ium0r first became APP
parent the beast was secured by chains so
that he was kept about midway in the
space. In that position there was no pos
sibility of the elephant doing furthe dam
age than to occasionally raise with his
head a girder that sustained several tons
weight. The influence usually exercised
over Romeo by Mr.. Craven is certainly
wonderful, and the ready obedience and sa-
gacity of the beast has, perhaps, never
been surpassed by any other performing
elephant exhibited in the United States
The first bad treatment to which the fur
| ious Romeo was subjected, was the stop
page Of his daily food, measure which,
however unpleasant it might be to the off
ending beast was undoubtedly favorable
to the purse of his keeper. For seven
days nothing whatever was given the
elephant to eat or drink, and he remained
upon his feet the whole time casting his
trunk restcssly about, while his keen eye
! flashed the fiery spirit that governed him
! No person dared venture within his reach
without increasing his disposition to be
violent
Anything whatever within reach of his
trunk was made a weapon of offence, and
several bricks lying in his way were taken
up and thrown with great force to the ex-
tremity Of the building. Mr. Craven closely
watched his prisoner during the entire time,
and when escape was threatened rifle
was brought into use, and it's contents
fired into his head. During the few days
of trouble no less than dozen loads were
discharged at Romeo, one of them destroy
ing his right eye, an accident which great
ly distresses Mr.. Craven, but its result is
acceptable, as by no other means could
the life of the favorite little elephant, Juli-
ct, have been saved After every means
had been tried to force obedience had fail
ed Mr.. Craven determined to subdue him
by throwing him from his feet, and about
! 10 o'clock on Saturday evening the effort
was commenced. Tackle sufficient TO rig
small sized ship was brought into use
and made fast to the chains bound round
| the feet of Romeo, and then attached to
heavy stakes driven i'll the ground about
thirty yards distant 1t required much
! trouble to get the animal into the desired
! position, and to intimidate Romeo, two rifle
shots were fired, one entering his trunk,
and the contents of the other flashed off
his side as if it had struck upon a rock
! About fifty men took hold Of the ropes at
| tached to the elephant, and in a short time
! his feet were so drawn together that a few
/ pulls upon q line a. the side laid Romeo
! fairly upon the ground. The wells of the
infuriated beast as he was being conducr-
ed Were terrific and for a few moments an
uncarthly chorus was kept up by the numcr-
GUS other animals. After being compelled
to remain upon his side during the night,
! Romeo was released and subsequently, went
through his usual performance in the ring
with readiness and submission. The ele-
phapt is now as docile as ever he was, the
only evidence Of his late bad humor being
the loss of an eye and scars with which he
is marked