Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-11-26
THE HERALD.
A Three Hours Combat with an Elephant.
From the Cincinnati Commercial. Nov. 49,

Il Three Hours Combat With an Elephant.
From the Cincinnati Commercial, Nov. lsl
Mr.. Hyatt Frost, ofVan Amburgh S
menagerie, gave us, few days since,
the particulars IF Il terrible fight with
Iippoo Sahib, the well known ele,
phant. which occurred at Conners-
vile, Indiana, not long since. The
mcnagcrie has gone into winter quar-,
ters NJ that place, and toe colossal an,
imal il chained IN a small building,
where he will H. k PIT until the show
season opens next year fippoo Sa>
bib, BY the way, is no>r the lal gest
elephant in America He is thirty
six years old, and weighs ten thousand
pounds
The battle with fippoo resulted
from a change in his keepers. Frank
Nash, his keeper for ten years, was
recently suprlanted By Chas. John
son, formerly OF Barnum's menagerie.
The elephant will not accept Il new
master without a battle, and Mr.. J.
fully prepared himself for an exciting
encounter. The elephant was in pa
ticularly bad humor with all mankind.
lie would allow no one in his quarters
striking at every intruder With his
trunk and tn ks most viciousiy.
On Tuesday morning last, at ten
o'clock, the battle opened. The ne "
keeper, with nine assailants, had fully
equipped himself with chains and ca
bles for tying, and spears and pitch>
forks for subduing 1ippoo. The first
thing done was to fasten a brlckbat to
the end of rope and throw it over
the end of the tusk >chain. which lat
ter Is fastened to one leg and one
tusk. BY means ofthis rope 90 ton
cable chain formerly used to subdue
the famous Hannibal was slip .noos-
ed around the tusk. Next, an exca-
walton three feet deep was made un>
der the sill of the house. and while
the elephants attention was attracted
to the other side of the room by a pail
of water being poured in his trough,
the cable chain was passed through
the excavation and fastened to heavy
stakes outside. All this time. the in>
turlated monster struck all around
him with terrific ferocity, and tugged
at his chain with incredible momen.
! tum.
The next thing accomplish ed was
the sharing of bis hind legs. This
was accomplished by the singing OF
fresh ropes around those two stately
pillars of elephant flesh, bone and
muscle, and finally, by the stealthy
strategy of the keeper and another
man. these ropes were fastened to
stnmps outside. The elephant was
now sufficiently pinioned to ALLOW
the order, "charge pitchforks" to be
given. Ten men armed with these
ugly implements OF offense, plunged
them into the rampaging beast, TAX
ing care OF course TO avoid penetrat-
ing his eyes or joints. The tender
est spot in an elephant is just behind
the fore legs, and that locality was
prodded most numerically. By
means of a hooked spear sunk in his
back Tippoo WIS brought to his knees.
but he surgod up again with such aw
FIJI strength that he swept bis tormen>
tors off their feet and made bis chains
whistle like fiddle strings. After an
hours fighting he was brought down
his side, but for two hours longer he
| tugged at his chains with frenzied
obstinacy. He pulled so hard at times
that his hind legs were straight out
behind him. and three feet off the
ground.
At the end of three hours, the gi>
ant gave in by ''trumpeting," which is
the elephants way of crying enough
The moment this peculiar cry was
heard the battle ceased. The keeper
made Tippoo get up and lie down a
number of times, and he was as ODE
dent to the word of command az a
gentle pony. The animal was groom
ed and rubbed off with whisky. He
allowed all manner of liberties with
out 50 much as tapping sn ear. He
was subjugated elephant.
At one stage of the fight The dog
"Jack," "a companion of the ele-
plant thought some of the wing
business foul play. He flew upon
Johnson's back and tried to sink his
faugs into Jonnsons neck, but was
pulled off and dragged out Of the
room. Jack evidently sympathized
with his friend.