The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-16
ONE ELK AND FIVE MEN.
they Have Stout Struggle and the Elk
Did Not Get the Worst OF It.

| ONE ELK AND FIVE MEN.
| they Have . Stout struggle and the Elk
Did Not Get the Worst oft.
! A desperate struggle occurred Satur-
day afternoon between Mr.. d. L. Pope
and a large elk owned by Mr.. d. j.
Frazee, and kept ON his farm. Mr..
Frazee shipped from the far West,
about five years since, at cost of about
$3.50. pair of elks. male and female,
which he has kept in park of about
two acres, fenced with high rail fence.
the road fence forming one side of the
park. They were supposed to be do
Gle pets and not vicious, portion of
the park being an orchard from which
people were accustomed to gather fruit
without mOlestation, and no one had
ever been attacked by them. Yester-
day afternoon MIR. Pope, accompanied
by the tenant on his farm. Mr.. Il. ID.
Harper, met boy with horse and
wagon, who said the elks were out in
the road and he could not get by them,
and had to turn back. Pope and Har-
per soon mot the elks, the male in adj
vance, in the middle of the road, and
about forty rods from the park. Mr..
Harper got out of the carriage, took the
whip, and attempted to drive them
back. when the male put down his
head, presenting his horns. and gave
a sniff. rather indicating a disposition to
show fight. Mr.. Pope told Harper to
get club and let the elk have it. He
then got out of the carriage himself, and
went to the fence and procured q piece
of rail to assist in driving the elk
back, when Mr.. Harper hit him with a
club and he gave back a few feet. Pope
followed him up. tlourishing his rail.
Harper then picked up club and hit
the elk on the horns. The brute seemed
to know that Pope was unarmed and
rushed upon him in an instant with all
the fury of maddened bull. Pope,
seeing no chance for retreat or weapon
at hand, grappled with the sharp horns
of the infuriated beast, but the rush was
so powerful and impetuous that he was
thrown to the ground. and it seemed
impossible that he could escape being
killed by the sharp horns being thrust
into him: but, by seemingly superhu-
man efforts, he kept them from piercing
him through, and was partially raised
from the ground by his firm grasp upon
tae horns, when he gained a position
directly in front and between the two
large horns. BY a desperate effort he
forced the animals head down, bring
ing the points of the sharp antlers upon
the ground, with head curbed under, SO
that his nostrils came in contact with
the underside of his neck. in which po-
sitiOn the elk could not 20 forward
with him, but he could back up. drag
ging Mr.. Pope along. Mr.. Harper,
who was unable up to this time to rem
der any assistance, got hold of the end
of the long horns back of Mr.. Pope, the
elk continuing to drag them around in
the road, struggling tiercely.
Rev. Mr.. Fairbanks wife, living
about 600 rods away, saw the struggle
and gave the alarm, and the reverend
gentleman, who is very strong and able
bodied, went to their assistance. taking
hold of the end of the other big horn
from Harper; but the Infatuated brute
continued to drag all three men about
the road and ditch, they not daring to
let go OF him, when Mr.. PunderSon, liv-
ing still further away, came to their
assistance. The elk made a desperate
effort to free himself, and shook them
all off but Pope. who hung to his posi-
ton and held for dear life. The others
soon caught on again and forced the
sharp antlers into the ground three or
four inches, and after a time Mr.. +. w.
Fox came with 4 log-ckain, which was
hitched about the animals neck with
slip-noose and drawn up tight for the
purpose of choking him down. but his
struggles and kicking and striking were
SO desperate that all were in imminent
danger. and they decided to let 60
and Jump away from him. and let him
go with the chain tightly drawn around
the throat and thrown over one horn.
Showing no more inclination to fight,
and with the aid of two more recruits.
the elk was driven into the park and
left wearing the chain ~ the trophy of
his first battle. The battle lasted fifteen
or twenty minutes. Rev. Mr.. Fairbanks
had his right wrist sprained. aud Har-
per is feeling sore from the strain. Mr..
Pope was not aware that he was Sc
riously injured, although his right leg
and ankle panied him severely, and on
getting off his boot it was found that
the elk had thrust one of his antlers
through the heavy cowhide boot near
the instep. -Clerelaad Herald