Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-25
AN ANGRY ELEPHANT.
He Knocks Over a Cage of KangaroOs
Seasons Some Lumber-KiIlsa Mule
-smashes a WagOn-PuIIs Up a Big
Apple Tree-Tries to Murder Some
Yankees aud Gets a Trashing.

AOAh 1AC 4NCn maven INtSlSb6I.
OBrien's Menagerie exhibited in Meriden
yesterday, according to advertisement, at
the usual grounds on State street. Just
after the close of the afternoon performance,
the great elephant Mogul took it into his
head to enact tragedy not on the bills. So
walking majestically out of the Enclosure.
he went for his keeper in a fit of rage. The
keeper sought refuge under the cage con-
tanning kangaroos, which Mogul disdain-
fully turned over in .jiffy, and walked
through the canvass out of doors.
Then he went on tour of inspection,
and if not seeking whom he might
devour," he certainly seemed willing to ac-
commodate any body or any thing that
might wish to set-to. Meeting a pile of
lumber in an adjoining yard, he quickly
spread the boards in good shape for season.
ing. Then meeting in his path one of the
mules belonging to the company, he ran his
tusks completely through its body, pinning
1t to the ground. The next obstruction in
his majesty's path was wagon belonging
to MesSrs. Grether & Hall, which he scorn-
fully seized with his trunk, and, raising it,
smashed it to pieces; then he returned to
the dead mule, and again plunged his tusks
through it, and breaking off one of his tusks
close to the jaw, sauntering carelessly into
State street, with none to molest or to make
him afraid, the crowd following at a safe
distance behind, while before and about
him every body seemed to be very busy in
getting out of his way. The keeper and
other attaches of the menagerie
soon rallied and by strategy
and good tactics he was
induced to enter field belonging to Mr..
Camp, thence into an orchard, where he in
dulged in the pastime of tearing and smash
ing whole lengths of picket fence. The
novel mode of subduing him, temporarily,
by shooting him in the face and trunk with
buckshot, was adopted. Some fifty heavy
charges were fired at him; the singing eff
feet acted well as a slight check upon his
operations, during which his keeper fear
leSSly approached and chained him to an
apple tree about twelve inches in diameter,
which was no sooner discovered by the en-
ragged animal than he instantly, and without
apparent effort, but with greatest ease, tore
1t up by the roots, and again created the
greatest CONSERVATION among the immense
crowd who had now collected in the imme-
date vicinity. All went, and stood not on
the order Of going, but some tall running
was done, and some laughable incidents oc-
CURED in the stampede, leaving the ground
free to MOgul and his would-be captors. He
was, by great daring and agility on the part
of his keeper again secured by claiming his
hind feet to very large tree here he was
left for the night, and a guard stationed
with rifles loaded with ball, to kill him
should he again break loose during the
night. He was evidently much chagrined
at his confinement. and continued to
q ~ e%,-- L, L Al
afiording much excitement throughout the
city during the entire night, but fortu-
nately he was held until five O'Clock this
morning, when his keeper, with the assist
ance of the entire force of the concern and
about 800 citizens, undertook the job of
Furnishing and subduing the monster.
Large ropes and chains were procured,
and after many attempts, in which
the same were broken quite easily,
he was finally, at the end of two hours,
thrown down and secured in that position,
when simultaneously his beating began by
a dozen strong men with clubs, iron bars,
spears and pitchforks, and continued until
the men were exhausted, and again re-
newed from time to time for about two
hours, at which time, after many wounds,
and pounding enough to seemingly kill him,
Ae Vas dS OoSILldte dS ever heluSlllS 10
surrender, he was left to his own reflections
in this condition, and the beating abated for
a time. At the present time of writing
twelve hours) he seems determined not TO
sUccumb. A choice he has of doing so or
being killed, as in his dangerous mood he
will not be allowed to rise without evidence
OF a change of heart. 1t is estimated that
the damage done in his tantrum will cost
over 500. Fortunate it is that no lives
were lost.