Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-05-31
TERRIFIC COMBAT.
The Recent Elephant Fight in Virginia
Graphic Description of Most
Exciting Scene.

! Exciting Scene.
The Piedmont Tuyinion gives the
following particulars of the elephant
fight, telegraphic mention of which was
made week or two ago: "A rather ex-
citing scene occurred while old John
RObinson's circus was travelling en- route
to Louisa Court House. The belliger-
ents, Chief, Princess, Mary and Bismark
were the actors and actresses in the lit
tie difficulty 1t had been apparent to
Mr. King(their keeper) and several older
attaches of the show that trouble was
brewing between the two factions, Mary
and Chief (Asiatic) on one side, and Bis
marck and Princess (African on the
other. The denouement occurred
while crossing South Anna river, on a
bridge; the elephants crossing in the
following order: Princess first, Mary
second, Bismarck third, and Chief bring
ing up the rear of the squad, the other
elephants not being allowed to come on
the bridge at the same time on account
of it's apparent weakness, their weight
being twenty TONS About midway of
the bridge the Chief became unmanage-
able, and despite the efforts of Mr.. King,
with hook and spear, made fearful
onslaught on Bismarck; and such was its
force that he was knocked headforemost
into the river As the water was very
deep, he sustained no injury from the
fall, but when he rose to the surface he
emitted from his flexible trumpet such
an unearthly blast that it was heard
for miles up and down the river. And
then scene commenced which is in
describable. The elephants on the 9TH
er side rushed into the river to the as
sistance of Bismarck. Chief ran off
the end of the bridge into the river
where he renewed the contest with re-
doubled fury Emperor Gan Indian ami
maD got to Bismarck about the same
time Chief did, and then a trunk to-
trunk contest commenced which beg
gars description. They fought right on
top of Bismarck, who did not come to
the surface for ten or fifteen seconds.
At this juncture Radjak, Whoodah and
Caliph came up and the fight became
general. Bismarck gradually worked
himself up to the shore, but the banks
being muddy, and he being weak, he
sank in the mud completely begged and
perfectly helpless. just then Mary,
together with Princess, who had been
passive spectators of the trouble, sound
ed their trumpets and pitched in. They
made short work of it, and soon put the
rest to flight. They then, with almost
human intelligence, turned their atten-
tion to old Bismarck. Mary put her
tusks under his back, and with the as
sistance of Princess, succeeded in get
ting him into a sitting posture. Mr..
John f. Robinson, Jr., with all the man
ayers, canvasmen, grOoms, performers
and musicians, with rope and block and
tackle came on the scene at this time,
and after two hours hard work succeed
ed in getting old Bismarck on dry land.
Chief and Mary were bound together
with chains, and, although they looked
daggers at one another, they could not
hurt themselves or any Of the herd.
In this manner they were marched into
town. Chief was conquered but not
subdued, and the old fire still flashed
from his eyes. Mr.. Robinson saw that
more punishment was necessary to make
him perfectly tractable. He ordered
him to be taken down into a thicket,
where, being properly secured, he was
beaten until he cried enough, that is,
blew his horn like a good fellow He
then walked to his quarters as meek as
the lamb that followed Mary"