Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1872-03-09
Tossed in the Air.rAttempt of
y the .ElephaHt Romeo to kill
This Keeper.,isoism sd, NJ ygse4eI

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ono gag7ul YhaaT-- gaissa fghi .3sai
THE tiger scenes. at, Eorepaugh's
menagerie, which created such intense
excitement a few days ago, game very,
nearly being eclipsed on "Wednesday
morning last, by, q performance OF the
trick elephant Romeo" which was
most decidedly not down, in, the bills.
Observation-Disclosures he. would
have killed his keeper Mr., George
Forepan sh,a whose death would have
been the sixth be- caused ggsses byo 3 this vicious
nrpte,io oe yllsnlya a ssysl 9di 10 jTmr
Is The. stable injo which { Romeo is
housed is wooden stryIcttpre yI s,T on + the 7
north side of the menagerie grounds,
at Twenty second and Master streets,
and immediately adioius the building
in which the trick; horses belonging to
the cifGus are stabbed, On last We'd
nesday morning Mr. George Ferepaughh
entered the apartment of :. Romeo to
put him through his customary ring
lessons. JUS, for a moment he turned
TO look throug a. chink. in the boards
at the amphitheatre, where the horses
were being exercised. This was the
moment .. Romeo was waiting for.
Like a fish he extended his huge trunk,
entwined it aroand the body of his
keeper, and threw him up against the
roof OF the stable. Fo, tunately the
keeper fell upon . pile Of blankets,
where. hedlay stunned and helpless, +,
n Now to complete the work of death
Theileng trunk was again distended
and lappedsarppnd q feet Of the pres
tratee man. In. another moment he
would, have met with the fearful doom
overshadewing him. just. at this mo-
ment Charles Forepaugh enters, sees
his brothers danger and utters q cry
OF horror as he springs for his training
spear. & Deep, deep into the trunk OF
the beast goes the iron barb, aud the
blood spurts out as it is withdrawn.
Still the hold is not relaxed, and the
keeper still lies upon the verge of the
grave. Again and again is the shaft
applied, and the, whole head Of Romeo
is bathed in blood. He can stand the
pain no longer, and releasing his hold
backs against the wall. Then in an
instant Mr.. Forepaugh is dragged rom
his perilous position. He is considera-
bly, bruised, but beyond that has ,suf-
fered dno serious injury. =, 49,,
This elephant is the most vicious
animal of the kind in the country. He
was, brought here in 1865 by Mr..
Maibe, and purchased, after his death
by Mr.. Adam Forepaugh. He is,
beyond all odds, the best performing
elephant in the country, and is for that
reason extremely valuable, or he would
have been killed long ago. by reason
of his malicious fits that come upon
him .byspells. He has already killed
live keepers, the latest being the case
in Hatboro in 1861, which created
such an intense excitement that all the
farmers around carried rifles with them
whenever they, ventpred from home,
SO great, was the terror created BY the
antics of Romeo. -, 80, -
IA The i've keepers killed by Romeo
are as follows: Shortly after. his, arri
val in this country, and before he was
brought thoroughly under submission,
hekiiled an East Iudian named Weeks,
WHO came ever with liimI This was
hfs fitsti deedAofs blood.s Thelnext was
the killing of the Keeper Moran while
tile show was aexhibiting in Canada.
The next victim was Nicholas Mick,
who met his fearfurdoom ia Missouri.
After him came q Long JOHN Evans,v p
killed dnring q SIMMER tour offthe
circus in Florida The last, and that
which lives latest III the memory of
The public, IS the sad death of BID
Williams, 'aiias q Canada Bill, (which,
Ioecurred at Hatbor6 ia this State in
s,ee- "a fio6s1i M f3tJ zftdi sfsIretrtfy