The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-12-17
The CrazY Fits Of Elephants.

BuRneifs Most elephants recovt
from mad fit within q few days, bu
EaRaI1al-well. he would keep up
e1Rtgtsm for weeks and months at
time. The longest spell he ever ha
began early one morning in June, 1885,
while travelling with Raymond an
Warnings menagerie from Pawtucke
to Fall River. He broke away fror
his keeper and ran the highway thir
teen miles, smashing everything h
could. Talk about elephants bein,
barge! Hannibal looked as big as
locomotive that morning. The keepe
attempted to check him and was chased
mad elephant met was a butchers car
loaded with mutton. He smashed thu
cart. killed the horse. broke the driver
arm and scattered the quarters of mutton
along the highways. Two vegetable
wagons were upset and the horse:
were killed. the drivers escaping I'M
hurt. When the fury of his fit was
spent. Hannibal was found beneath @
tree on the road side completely ex-
hausted. and for the time submissive.
TuSk chains were applied, and for
many weeks afterwards he was kept
under the strictest surveillance. To
approach him during this period was
dangerous. On turning out one morn
ing ia Burlington, VT. l found a num-
Der of women and children petting him
whilo he was swinging his ears in evil
dent enjoyment. Then L knew the
spell was broken. He was very docile
and tractable the balance of that season.
; "Hannibal was the most vicious
elephant that ever tramped with a
show. In 1849, while we were at Con-
nelsville, Ohio, a stranger gave him a
pail of water. He drank the water
leisurefy. and then, suddenly turning
bis head struck the man with his tusks.
The poor fellow died. While chained
ut Wiiliamsburgh, N. Y. in 1857, he
took fit and pursued the keeper into
@ stOneyard. when he got wedged in
among the boulders. and was subdued
iR&hat dilemma. Up to 1845, Hannibal
was noted for his Interchangeable good
nature. In those days old "Put"
Townsend used to be his keeper.
e Put had trained him to drive the
stake to which it was customary
TO chain him. One day, 80 Putt
started the stake and handed the sledge
70 Hannibal to complete the job. Han
niba made ponderous blow at the
stake head, but struck his foot instead.
He threw the sledge so far that it re-
quired an hours search to find it, and
never would touch one again, Han
nibal lived to be one hundred years old,
and killed twelve men.
g Columbus was another bad ele-
phant. In December 1849, while with
Raymond and Warnings menagerie,
Chestnut street, Philadelphia, he killed
ais keeper, took possession of the show
and retained it for three days, killing
In that time two camels and llama,
and upsetting large stove and two
animal cages. The doors were barri-
caded, cannon were mounted in the
street. and soldiers paraded the prem
Uses in readiness to give him a warm
reception should he appear. Finally
two keepers entered the building from
above. straddied the crossbeams. and
droppeda noesed rope to the floor.
lie walked into the trap, and when
he realized that he was caught, sub
n1iteed quietly to the claiming opera
zion. Columbus fell through bridge
at North Adams. Mass, the following
summer. and died few days later.
&" Bill Williams, or Canada BILL as
he was professionally called, was Col
ambus's first keeper. Forepaugh's
elephant Romeo killed him in winter
quarters at Frankfort, Pa, in 1865.
Bill went into the elephants den to do
some chores and his crushed and
nangled body was found a few hours
afterward George Waste was killed
IN much the same manner by Turner's
African Romeo. Before rescuing
party could get his body away from the
elephant it was denuded of everything
except one boot. The elephant ri,
zarro had mad spells oftener than
those have mentioned. In 1850, he
killed his keeper and two camels near
New Orleans, and then raided the
country for miles around, doing great
deal OF damage to farm property.
Chief, who is the only one of the mad
or rogue" elephants alive. killed John
King. the keeper with Robinson's show
In 1879"
What causes the madness of eIe-
phantse" was asked. 4ts
Hyou have ever noticed you may have
seen that there are issues from the head
of the elephant, just behind the ear.
When these are kept open. thin watery
substance exudes therefrom. 1 have
always remarked that elephants are
kindly disposed and easily handled
while these tissues are open, but Just
as soon as they become clogged mad
ness ensues. The insertion OF COM
mon tape needle brings relief"
Is it true that elephants are fond of
-stimulan:s and narcoticsP"
Yes, exceedingly so. Now there's
u popular error that should be cor
rected. It has always been thought
that il you gave an elephant tobacco
he would never forget it, and wears
afterward would kill you should an
opportunity present itself. That is not
so. On the contrary, there are only
two things which they relish more
;appietree boughs and thistles. Their
passion for line-cut tobacco is something
marvellous. Some years ago when /
was travelling with the, elephant Con-
queror.it was my custom to carry a
neerschaum pipe in a particular pocket
OF my coat. One day left my coat
within reach of his trunk, and in less
time chan it takes to tell it, he had
found the pipe, crushed it, and swal-
Anmah II oil