New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-06-20
Death of the Elephant Romeo.
sketch ofthe Life and Career OF the D.s,In.
3D.. ,.-e guished Beast.

Chicago, on Friday week, was the scene of
an event, the occurrence Of which will excite
interest in almost every city, town, or VII
lage in America, being no less than the death
OF the celebrated performing elephant s'Ro-
meo," the largest and most valuable of his
species ever brought to this country, and
more famous than any who have gone before
him. Without an elephant the most extern
sive of menageries would be regarded as a to-
tai failure, and in the possession of Romeo"
Adam Forepaugh has for years been envied
among showmen. The animal had been all
ing for several weeks, the disease being To-
Gated in his fore feet, which, from some I'M
known cause, had become affected with in
tiammation, resulting in acute pain and gem
eral debilitation of the system, the effect of
which had been noticed by rapid wasting
OF flesh. On Tuesday last it was determined
to have an operation performed upon Gro
meo's" feet, and DR.. Boyd, of the Chicago
Medical College, was entrusted with the I'M
dertaking. An examination developed the
fact that numerous small bones of the feet
had become broken, detached, and dead, and
accordingly these bones wefecut ont, the pro-
cess being accompanied by the loss of several
gallons o. blood. No danger on this account
was anticipated, and it is believed that the
death OF the patient was not fastened from
this cause, as to an elephant the loss of n
couple of buckets of blood would be about
equivalent to an ordinary attack ofnose bleed
on the part of one of the human kind 1t was
observed that "Romeo" was suffering the
most acute pain, and it also became apparent
that the inflammation was rapidly extending
upward toward the breast. For the first time
in two weeks he laid down on Thursday night,
his SYMPTOMS of distress being so marked as to
convince Mr.. FOrepaugh that he was about
to lose the most valuable feature ofhis show.
Early on Friday morning the proprietor Wis
tied the menagerie tent, and found Romeo
lying in the same position, his colossal TANKS
heaving with quick, short Gasps, his eye fixed
and tilmy, and the further extremity of the
trunk cold and pulseless. The sound of Mr..
FOrepaugh's voice calling him by name was
recognized by the dying mastodon, and he at
tempted to raise his head in response to the
touch of his owners hand, but his strength
was departed, his life was cbbing fast, his
head dropped back upon the ground, and
after few weak convulsive struggles, he had
ceased to breathe, and all that remained of
" Romeo" was mons!rous heap of mani
mate flesh.
The circumstance occasOned a profound
sensation among the attaches of the show,
who gathered about the spot and soIrOWfuly
surveyed the huge carcass. Aside from the
great financial loss estimated at $50 ,000--he
had sustained, Mr.. Forepaugh was deeply
moved by the catastrophe, as he regarded "Ro-
meo' as the most valuable elephant in exist
ence, attributing to him degree ofintelligence
almost human. He had made study of the
animals pecularites of disposition, and had
succeededin establishing the most aifectionate
relations with him. "Why, dash it," said the
great Snowman, with a curious CULVER of the
voice and Il suspicious aversion Of the head,
''he knew more than any trained horse ever
owned. He knew he wasn't right these last
few weeks, and when I'd 90 up to him and say.
How do you get along, old fellow 'he'd reach
out his trunk and take my hand and put it on
his forelegs, as much as to say, There where
it hurts me; can't you do something to help
it"" And then the disconsolate proprietor
went on TO enumeratc "Romeo's" great quail
ties how he would do any conceivable trick
in the ring-stand on his forelegs or his hind
legs, turn on pivot, waltz, go lame, kneel
down, walk over his keepers body, taking the
incest care not to touch a shred of his clothing
with his pondcrous fOot--ln short, do anything
which you could possibly think of asking an
elephant to do how, when the wagons would
get stuck in the mud, old Romeo" with the
power of n hundred horses, would Get behind
and push them along with the greatest of ease
how, when he was sulky and savage, and they
had thrown him down upon his side, he would
lay there day or two before lie would give
up, but finally would weaken, and with his
pleading eyes fairly beg to be released-and
so on with volume of interesting reminis-
cences.
"Romeo" has an eventful history, having
killed five keepers since his advent in
America, besides destroying any number of
fences, barns, garden patches, corntields,
orchards, etc. He was purchased by an agent
OF j. Mabie, in Calcutta, about twenty-five
years ago, having been taken from brick
yard, where he was being used in grinding
clay. The price paid for him was $40, 900 in
gold, and he was brought to America along
with nine others. In 1852, while south of
New Orleans, he killed his keeper, known as
Long John, whose successor, "Frenchy"
Williams, shared the same fate near Houston,
Texas, in 1855 a third, Stewart Craven,
was killed in 1860 near Cedar Rapids, Iowa
the fourth, Bill Williams, was sent to his
last account in Philadelphia, in 1867, and the
fifth, named McDevitt, i'll Ohio, in 1869, COM
pleted the list of "Romeo'sn Victims In the
winter of 1868 he made himself disagreeably
conspicuous in Chicago, by tearing to pieces
the building in which he was confined, on the
site Of the present City Hall, and rushing out
on the street in reckless manner, greatly to
the alarm of the inhabitants, who brought
out cannon with which to cope with the
III iIutDle DlOuSIcT, DuJ nc WIS GcCapIurcu
before further damage was done. Similar
depredatiOns have been committed by him in
various places, and his grim hide now bears
the sears of numerous bullets and red hot
irons used to subdue him. His left eve was
shot out in 1865, near Philadelphia. He
was bought in 1868 by Adam Forepaugh
at an auction sale of Mabie's Menagerie, s25,-
600 being the price paid. He was held to be
worth at least twice that sum, Mr.. FOrepaugh
having been offered $4,000 year for the
use of him five years. His weight when in
full flesh, was O,l53 pounds, and he stood
IL feet p inches high. He was supposed by
competent elephantine chronologists to be
about one hundred years old.
The body has been donated by Mr.. Fore
paugh to the Chicago Medical College, where
the mounted skeleton and stuffed skin will
be placed in the anatomical museum. Scarce
ly had "ROmeO" breathed his last yesterday
morning when Mr.. Forepaugh, with charac-
teristic energy, sent a telegram to his agent
in New York, authorizing him to draw upon
Jay Cook & Co. to the amount of $50, 900,
and directing him to proceed at once by the
first steamer to London and purchase the
wild and ferocious elephant Gagged in the Brit
ish Geological Gardens, preferring an untamed
specimen because, as he qucerly expresses,