Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-22
TAMED BIZ EIIcIRIcITK,
tFrom the San Frcncisco chi I

l.
The celebrated man-eating horse Cognac
was put under new treatment yesterday by
his new trainer, Professor Tapp. Two or three
hundre, spectators assembled in the pavilion
tent AT fba -. of the Record stables on Mar
10, S.~aet. near =, to see how an animal pos
kea s.. :, aeaT ns, ridiosyncrasies would
conduct himself under the C.. ~ Of the ex,
OF galvanic battery. The novel,, - upou
pertinent and the fame of the subIe~ Ia
which It was to be tried attracted severa,
dies, who accompanied their husbands 10 W.
ness the exhibition. The ring enclosure is
about seven feet high, and the seats for spec
presumably out of the reach OF COgnac. Not
outstanding this he came very near making a
square meal of wholesOmelooking citizen
who was unwarily leaning over the temporary
rail that surmountS the ring enclosure. The
horse was running at his freedom i'm the ring
and charged with wild fury upon every per-
son who approached the railing, although they
were above his head. He seized the gentle
man in question by the coat lapel, taking
also his vest, shirt and undershirt in his teeth,
and, being an immensely powerful animal, it
was kept from being dragged into the ring
and killed. AS it was, the horse got away
with large piece of broadclOth coat and a
hearty mOuthful of vest. shirt and red flannel
undergarment and the mans breast was dis
cOl0red, as if he had received very heavy
blow. This was before the audience had as
Sembed or the Professor had come i'm.
AT O'Clock the work of securing COgnac be-
gan, and by little manPuvring two ropes
were made fast to the headstall he wore This
was accomplished by the Professor and an as
sistant who stood on the outside of the en-
trance door, which was opened sufficiently to
admit a mans arm; COgnac keeping his nose
thrust close to the opening i'm the apparent
hope OF getting nip at somebody. One of
the ropes was then passed up along the CORR
dor in front of the seats and made fast to an
upright post. Then the trainer entered the
ring and secured the other rope to the tent
pole. Thus Cognac found himself unable to
follow the bent of his inclination any further.
Professor Tapp then gave history of the
animal. COgnac is a notified gray thorough
bred Normandy stallion, of symmetrical. but
powerful mould. At his native home he was
dOcile, and was worked in the plough He was
imported to the United states two years ago,
being then five years old. He became the
property of q man i'm Illinois. One day his
master put a halter on him, the style of which
he took as mortal affrOnt, and he became re-
fract0ry. All attempts to subdue him were
in vain. He was so terribly beaten about the
head that for some weeks he was but little
better than dead horse. He recovered, and
has ever since exhibited a deadly hostility to-
ward man. though perfectly harmless to ami
mails of his own species.
Tapp then retired from the ring, and i'm
few moments returned armed, as he expressed
ii; He had on an Overcoat and buckskin
gloves. In the inside pockets OF the OvercOat
he had two small electro galvanic batteries,
one on each side. These were connected by
an insulated wire that passed behind his back.
wire ran from each battery, one being posi-
tive and the other negative, passing down in
side OF the sleeve to his gloves and connected
WI Th % e tau Plate eGJer M the PAL
reinS attached. The bit was wound with coil
of copper wire, which extended along each
strap to small button. With little difficulty
he got the bit i'm the horses mouth, the bride
being put over his head by piecemeal
During this process COgnac fought with his
mouth and fore feet as best he could, but he
hind feet in warfare. Prof. Tapp then took
the reins, one in each hand. He kept the thumb
of his left hand constantly on the button of
that strap. His right thumb he held over the
other button, but not in contact with il, except
when he wanted to give the horse dose of
lightning. When all was ready he dropped his
right thumb on the positive button, giving at
first but light charge. COgnac started as if
he had been struck by bullet. As the shocks
were increased i'm strength the animal plunged
and reared as much as his strong faSteningS
would permit: AT length the side rope was
loosened. and he had the full circuit of the
ring. Tapp let on the electric fluid, and Cog
nae reared high in the air, endeavOring to
plunge at his tOrmentor, but Tapp kept his eye
thumb created wall which the horse could
not cross.
Ii was magnificent sight. The horse, COW
cred with foam, fretting, fling and painting,
reared and attempted to throw himself for
ward upon the professor, but the brute
strength and ferceness paled before the be
hest of science, and Cognac was .pOwerleSs to
do harm. The experiments continued about
twenty minutes, when the professor concluded
to test the dOcility of the animal. He said that
the principal thing to be overcome was Cog
macs disposition TO bite. Tapp approached
him, strOked him on the body, then on the
head, and took hold of his nose. COgnac,
either from exhaustion or good nature, per-
mitted this, and even showed the same dOcility
toward Tapps assistant. Tapp thinks he has
made great improvement in COgnac. He
thinks the galvanic treatment is a success, and
in this he was cOncurred with by number of
hOrsemen i'm the audience, although others
thought differently as the animal exhibited
his usual yici0usnesS toward any others who
approached him.
Before COgnac was taken from the ring he
would come and go back at his trainers
command. and in many respects act like an
intelligent horse. At the close of the exhibit
ton Professor Tapp hitched COgnac up in a
buggy, and the gates that lead into Nc AlliSter
street having been thrown open, he drove sew
eral blocks and returned. There were great
many vehicles passing and repassing, and hun
dreds Of people on foot watching to see how
COgnac would acquit himself i'm harness. He
behaved just like any other horse, and but for
the fact that the imam eater was followed by
large crowd, no one would have suspected
that he was the distinguished animal that all
the world had heard so much about.