Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-01-10

THREE iIouEs CoNBArwITH An ELErHANT.-
The particulars of a terrible fight with
Tippo, Sahib, the well-known elephant, now
3G years old and weighing 10000 pounds,
which occurred at Comersville, Ind, are thus
related by the Cincinnati Commercial:
The battle resulted from change in his
keepers. Frank Nash. his keeper for ten
years. was supplanted by Charles johnson,
formerly Of Barnum's Menagerie The ele-
plant was in particularly bad humor with all
mankind. lie would allow nobody in his
quarters, striking at every intruder with his
trunk and tUsk- most vicously. 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 sub
| DUNG Tippoo The first thingdone was to
| fasten a hrickbat to the end of rope and
/ throw It over the end Of the tusk-chain,
which latter is fastoned TO one leg and one
tusk BY means Of tins rope a twenty-ton
/ cable chain. formerly used to subdue the
famous Hannibal, was sliI-noosed around
the tusk.
Next an excavation three feet deep was
made under the sill Of the house. and while
the elephants attention was attracted to the
o:her side of the room by pail of water
loured into lis trough. the cable chain was
nassed through the excavation and fastened
| to heavy stakes outside All this time the
infuriated monster struck NJ al arCunh hun
, Nth tonilie icrocity, and tngged at his
r,ain with Incredible momentum. The next
thing accomplished was the snaring 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 strategy Of
the keeper and another man, these ropes
were fastened to stumps outside The elc
hant was now @nfiPieai.y p,n.lned to allow
the arier .' Charge ritchforhs'' to DO given.
Ten men, armed with those ugly implements
f, offence, plunge, them into the ramTagine
beast. tnking care Of course, 10 avoid pene-
treting his eyes or Joints. The tenderest spot
in an elephant Is Just behind the fore legs
and that l0cality was prodded most unmerci
fully.
Bv means Of a hooked spear sunk in hi
hack Tipp,o was hrcugh. q his lneos, but h
.ur.ei a again With stith awful strength
that he swotA his t1rnentors of their feet
and made Is Chains whistle like fiddle strings
| After an hours fighting he was down on hi
. side, but for two hours longer he tugged a
= ms chains with frenzied obstinacy. He pull
e ed 50 hard at times that his hind legs Yer
i a.lsian' qut 1ehmd hil., and three 1eet OF
! the ground, At the ond Of the three hour
the giant gave in by trumpeting, which is tn
elephant way Of crying enough The mo
ment tins peculiar cry was heard the battl
ceased. The keeper made Tipnoo get nm an
lie down number of times. and he was a
{ obcdient to the word Of command as a GENT
~: pony. Tho animal Nas then groomed' an
!, rubbed Of with whiskey. lie allowed a
c manner of liberties without 50 much as fla,
= ping an ear lie was subjugated elephant
u At one stage of the fight the dog Jack, {
= \ companion of the elephant,) thought some
= e the tieing business foul play. He flew upc
Johnson's back and tried to sink his fan :.
into his neck, but was pulled aIi ssnd dra
: ged out of the room: Jack evidently ssr
as lathized with his big friend,