The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-23
A HORSE tanned BY ELECTRICITY.

Cognac, widely known as the man eating
horse was recently subjected to n new
treatment by his trainer, Prof. Tapp, in a
pavilion tent on Market street, San
Francisco. Two or three hundred specta-
tors had assembled, and the novelty of the
experiment and the fame of the subject
upon which it was to be tried attracted
several ladies', who accompanied their
husbands, to witness the exhibition. The
ring enclosure is about seven feet high,
and the seats for spectators elevated still
above this, so that they were presumably out
of the reach of Cognac. Notwithstanding
this he came very near making square
meal of wholsesome-lo looking citizen who
was unwarily leaning over the temporary
rail that surmounts the ring enclosure.
The horsa wss running at his freedom in
the ring, and charged with a wild fury
upon every person who approached the
railing, although they were above his head,
He seized the gentleman in question by the
coat lappet, taking also his vest, shirt and
undershirt in his teeth, and being an i'm
mensely powerful animal, it was with the
greatest difficulty that the man 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 discolored as if he had received
very heavy blow. This was before the
audience had assembled OF the Professor
had come in.
At two o'clock the work of securing
Cognac began, and by little man@uyring
two ropes were made fast to the headstall
he wore. This was accomplished by the
Professor and an assistant who stood on
the outside of the entrance door, which
was opened sufficiently to admit man.
arm. Cognac keeping his nose thrust
close to the opening in the apparent hope
of getting a nip at somebody. One of the
ropes was then passed up along the corridor
i'll 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 uisble
to follow the bent of his inclination any
further.
Prof. Tapp gave history of the animal,
and then retiring from the ring, in few
moments returned armed, as he expressed
it. He had on an overcoat and bucksliin
gloves. In the inside pockets of the
overcoat he had two small electro -galvanic
batteries one on each sde these were con-
nected by an insulated wire that passed
behind his back. A wire run from each
battery, one being positive and the other
negative, passing down inside of the sleeve
to his gloves and connected with small
metallic plate covering the ball of the
thumb. He had also bride bit, with long
reins attached. The bit was wound with
q coil of copper wire, which extended along
each strap to small button. With q little
difficulty he got the bit in the horse S
mouth the bride being put over his head
} by piecemeal. During this process Cog
. nae fought with his mouth and four feet az
best he could, but he shows no disposition
whatever to use his hind feet in war
fare. Prof Tapp then took the reins, one
e 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 it
, except when he wanted to give the horse {
! dose of lightning When all was ready
L, he dropped his right thumb on the positive