The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-29
THE PRESS.
THURSDAY MORNING., FEB. 20, 1879.
An Enraged Romeo.
TERRIBLE SCENE IN A MENAGERIE-THE
ELEPHANT ROMEO ATTACKS HIS KEEPER
AN EXCITING AND PRRILoUs SITUATION.
From the PHILADELPHIA Press. 24th.

From the Philadelphia Press, 24th.
Out at Twenty-second aud Bolton streets
yesterday transpired another terrible combat
with an infuriated beast, in which human
life was nearly sacrificed At this place are
located the winter quarters of Adam Fore
paughs menagerie, an establishment con-
tanning every variety of bird and beast.
Yesterday morning, Mr.. George Forepaugh,
keeper Of the celebrated elephant Romeo,
which is known to be the most vicious ami
NAL ever publicly exhibited, and whose title
among Snowman is the champion man kill
err" entered the building as usual to attend
to the wants of his huge pet. The brute was
apparently in the best of moods, and Mr.
Forepaugh apprehended no danger. How
ever this fancied security, while peering
through an aperture at the performance of
some members Of the troupe who were exer-
cising in the ring attached to the building,
Mr.. Forepaugh was reminded of Romeo's
presence and dangerous instincts by suddenly
finding himself encircled in the coils of the
trunk of the animal In an instant the un-
lucky man was hurled through the air with
roof of the stable. Fortunately he fell on
pile of blankets. But he was now in more
imminent danger than ever-directly under
the feet and completely in the power of the
infuriated beast. A single tramp, one blow
from the terrible trunk, and he was a dead
man.
In this perilous situation, with the weapon
of the treacherous animal raised to deliver
the fatal blow, relief came from Mr.. Charles
Forepaugh, who was in the rear part of the
stable. With rare presence of mind and un-
usual courage this man seized an immense
pitchfork, with which Romeo is occasionally
tanned into submission, and dealt the mad
monster thrust after thrust. Writhing with
pain the brute turned upon his assailant but
his chains prevented him from reaching him.
Howling with rage he essayed to deal the
newcomer a deadly blow, but, alert and ac-
tive, this gentleman continued his merciess
thrusts until the fanks of the beast streamed
with blood. All the time Mr. George Fore
paugh was crawling further and further away
from his position. He was painfully bruised,
and moved slowly and cautiously away, but
finally succeeded in reaching the middle of
the floor and a place of safety. Other assist
ance then came, and additional chains were
thrown around the feet of Romeo, and he was
made perfectly secure, but he continued to
show signs of rage for some time, and his
keeper says the fit may last on him for sever
al days.
Romeo is kept chained by the legs in sta
Bile adjoining the department appropriated to
the cages that contain the lions, tigers, pan
theirs, &C., and in one portion of this stable
the performing horses have their stalls. This
stable is divided from what is called the per-
forming or practice ring by wooden parti-
ton, and the elephant is confined in corner
or angle of the stable in such manner that
he faces the partition that separates the ring
from the stable. r +
The Press has more than once recounted
the bloody deeds of this animal when incensed
Not year ago, in country village in Ohio,
he killed man and destroyeda house or two.
A few weeks back, when the establishment at
Tenth and Callowhill was used as circus,
he demolished one of the walls and assaulted
some half dozen people. Two years ago,
while quartered for the winter near German
town, he got into one of his sulky moods,
and when approached by his keeper he seized
the unfortunate man with his trunk, tossed
him into the air, and then placing the lifeless
body under his hoofs, trampled it into a
shapeless mass. After overturning few
cages he was finally brought under subsection
when briskly piled with thrusts from har-
poon or other sharp instrument. He is a
dangerous animal, and it is about time he
was killed, t1.H