Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-01-17
a4liseflla,,p.
Three Hours Combat with an Ele-
plant.

The particulars Of terrible fight with
Tinpoe Sahib, the well-known elephant,
now SO years old and weighing 10000
pounds, which occurred at Connersville,
Ind are thus related by the Cincinnati
Commercial:
The battle resulted in change in his
keepers. Frank Nash, his keeper for ten
years, was supplanted by Charles john
son formerly of Barnum's Managerie.
The elephant was in particularly bad hui
NOR with aii mankind. He would allow
nobody in his quarters, striking at every
intruder with his trunk and tusks most
viciously. On Tuesday morning last at
ten o'clock the combat opened. The new
keeper, with nine assistants had fully
equipped himself with chains and cables
for tying, and spears and pitchforks for
subduing Tippeo. The first thing done
was to fasten brickbat to the end of a
rope and throw it over the end of the
tusk-chain, which latter is fastened to one
leg and one tusk. BY means of this rope
a twenty-ton cable chain, formerly used
to subdue the famous Hannibal, was slip
noosed around the tusk.
Next an excavation three feet deep
was madeund the sill of the house, and
while the elephants attention was at
tracted to the other side of the room by
pail Of water poured into his trough,
the cable-chain was passed through the
excavation and fastened to heavy stakes
outside. All this time the infuriated
monster struck at all around him with
terrible ferocity, and tugged at his chain
with incredible momentum. The next
thing accomplished was the sharing of
his hind legs. This was consummated by
the singing of fresh ropes around those
two stately pillars of elephant flesh, bone
and muscle, and finally, by stealthy STRAIT
egy of the keeper and another man, these
ropes were fastened to stumps outside.
The elephant now was sufficiently pinion-
ed to allow the order charge pitchforks"
to be given. Ten men, armed with those
ugly implements ofofIence, plunged them
into the rampaging beast, taking care, of
course, to avoid penetrating his eyes or
joints. The tenderest spot in an elephant
is just behind the fore legs, and that To-
cality was probed most numerically.
By means of hooked spear sunk in
his back Tippoo was brought to his knees,
but he surged up again with such awful
strength that he swept his tormentors off
their feet, and made his chains whistle
like fiddle strings. After an hours fight
ing he was down on 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
giant gave in by trumpeting, which is the |
elephant way Of crying enough. The
moment this peculiar cry was heard the
battle ceased. The keeper made Tippoo
get up and lie down number of times,
and he was as obedient to the word of
command as gentle pony. The animal
was then groomed and rubbed off with
whiskey. He allowed all manner of lib
critics without so much as tapping an ear.
He was subjugated elephant. AT one
stage of the fight the dog Jack, Ga COM
panion of the elephant, thought some Of
the tieing business foul play. He flew
upon Johnson's back and tried to sink
his ifang inte his neck, but was pulled
off and dragged out of the room. Jack
evidently sympathized with his big friend.