Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-03
GREAT SENSATION In MISSIS-
SIPPI.
An Elephant and a Lion on the
Rampage.
Death Of the Elephant.

! Death Of The Elephant.
A Scott county correspondent o
| the Brandon Republican, gives tn,
following veracious account of do
ings at Forest, Miss, on the 22d o
March:
Several days previous, immense
posters were posted On all the
walls in town, announcing thai
Reynolds Great Mexican Gymna-
SUM and Menagerie would exhibit
in Forest on that day, Early in
the morning all the roads leading
to town were thronged with people,
OF all ages, sexes and colors, and
by ten o'clock the whole town was
alive with anxious visitors, await
ing the arrival of the menagerie.
At eleven the fine brass band an
nounced the arrival of the show,
and by twelve the canvas was
stretched and the cages of t he an
imals arranged.
The huge elephant, Hercules
the largest elephant ever imported
to this country-was chained to a
stake, and by way of caution to
those entering the canvas, Mr..
John Aston, his keeper, stated
that he had for several days mani
tested disposition of insubordi-
nation, and begged that no one
would approach sufficiently near to
receive blow from his trunk. Mr..
Mark Kite, from the northern part
Of the county, coming in after Mr..
Alston's admonition, thoughtlessly
handed him a piece of tobacco,
which so enraged him that he
struck at him with such violence as
to dislecate his shoulder, although
it was CHANGING blow. He plunged
with such force that he broke his
chain, and although his keeper
used every effort to subdue him, he
was entirely uncomfortable, and he
would strike and kick at every OBJ
ject near him. By this time the
scene was beyond description. The
vast crowd flew for life. He flew
at his keeper and pursued him
from under the canvas.
The eleven o'clock freight train,
being behind time, and not having
any freight for Forest, and the en-
gineer not intending to stop, came
rushing along at the rate of twenty |
miles an hour. When it had APP
preached within two hundred yards |
he looked up the road and seemed |
doubly enraged. He Immediately |
ran toward it with great speed and |
met it with such q shock that he |
broke one of his tusks and was i'm
mediately killed.
The engine was detached from
the train and thrown from the
track, and Mr.. Wharton, the en-
gineer, having failed to shut off |
steam, it unfortunately ran into the
canvass and smashed the lions |
cage, killing the lioness and releas-
ing the lion. The lion finding him.
self uninjured and at liberty, and
being frightened by the steam and
whistle of the engine, started at full |
speed down the Homewood road |
roaring terrifcally.
He had gone but short distance |
when he met Mr. George W. Shep- |
pard and gave chase. Mr.. Shep- |
pard finding that he was'gaining on
him rapidly and that he would GER
tainly be overtaken, attempted to
climb sapling. He struck at him
with his paw as he assembled, but |
fortunately did no other damage |
than to tear off his coat-tail and |
carry away a part of his pants.
Mr.. John Smith, of Raleigh, who |
was on his way to Forest, riding |
his fine pacing horse, with his little
son behind him, met him four miles
from here. As soon as his horse
saw him he Weighed, when the lion
rushed at him, seized him by the
throat and threw him upon the
ground. Mr.. Smith with his-little |
son escaped to the woods and made |
their way to Forest on foot.
While he was devouring Mr..
Smiths horse, Mr.. James j. Ritch, |
who was on his way to Forest with |
a load Of chickens, drove up. As
soon as he saw him he reared on his
hind feet, dashed the ground with |
his tail and sprang at him. Mr.. |
Rich eluded him by jumping from
his wagon, when he mounted and !
began to tear open the boxes con-
tanning the chickens and turned |
them out. He then seemed toloose
sight of everything in his efforts to
catch them.
When the excitement in town
abated, about twenty mounted men,
well armed, started in pursuit with
all the dogs belonging in town as
well as many that had followed
their owners. Mr.. Reynolds, the
owner of the lion, begged them not
to kill him, and sent several men
with the crowd with instructions TO |
capture him ifpossible, but no doubt
the citizens will kill him rs soon as
they overtake him.
1t is reported that he killed q
freedman in Smith county, near
Mr.. Thomas Husbands, and that
when last heard from he was going
down Ocoha. The news that a lion
is at large spreads like wildfire and
the citizens are greatly excited.