Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-16
A CURIOUS STORY.
fompey the Elephant Avenges the Muir
der Of Old Man Thompson's Daughter.

|
Indiana. and Kentucky. Among the
SIX elephants in the menagerie was one
named Pompey, and his mahout or
keeper was an old man named Andrew
Thompson. He had been in the show
business all his life. and for the last fif-
teen years had been accompanied by
his daughter, who was down on the
bills as mile Josie Picard. the wonder
ful equestrienne The old man was o
wldower, you understand, and tell you
he was one of the kindest and best
fathers to Josie. which was her right
name. She was, at the time am writ.
ing OF, about 20y years of age, handsome,
vivacious well educated. and beloved
by all. During the winters she attend
ed seminary in the east. and had
many friends in good society. Every
summer she had score of would-be
lovers following her about, some be-
longing to the show and some outside
of 1t, but that was the one touchy point
with old Thompson. He had been
father and mother and brother and sis
ter to that girl. and the idea of any CON-
mon fellow trying to shine around her
put his nose out of joint at once. He
felt that she was worthy of the best man
in the land. even il she did wear tights
and spangles part of the year. What
her ideas on the subject of matrimonv
were do not know. She was born
lady in her demeanor kind hearted,
gentle and obedient, and every one of
us felt proud of her. In this we were
seconded by Pompey. The great beast
was such friend of hers that the father
| a Ifv oh
was never day that she did not pay
| hum visit, and she never approached
that he did not evince his great pleasure
in dozen ways.
One of our tumblers and acrobats
| that season was young fellow named
| Campi. remember he was down on
the bills as ''Mons. Camyi." or "Signor
Campi," and think he was an Italian.
He was a good-looking, daring young
fellow of 20, and we were no sooner on
the road than he fell in love with Josie.
She, perhaps, accepted it as matter of
course, neither sighting nor encourage
ing him, but when old Thompson came
to know about it he called the Young
fellow aside and said!
See here, Campi, want to tell you
right now that my daughter will never
marry in the profession.
''ls she, then, so much superior to all
others?" was the sneering inquiry.
That is not the question. | have my
plans in regard to her, and it is useless
for you to nurse your love. Be o man
of sense and let it stop at friendship
Il love Josie, and | hope to make her
my wife"
You never can"
Then it shall not be my fault.''
This interview had taken place in the
presence of Pompey. and it might have
lasted longer but for him. He NAV not
have conceived an aversion for Campi.
though elephants have their likes and
dislikes at first sight. the same as peo-
pie, but the young mans tones were
threatening. and Pompey closed the i'm
terview by rushing at him with a
scream. 1t was morrow escape for
Campi. The terrible trunk made a
vicious sweep at him, and if he had not
been an acrobat and had seconds
warning it would have been all day
with him. He beat q hasty retreat,
muttering threats, of vengeance, and for
time the affair was ended. He ceased
his attentions to Josie, avoiding her as
much as possible, and prudence re-
strained him from approaching Pompey.
The beast was continually on the watch
for him, seeming to nurse his wrath,
and thus matters went on for about four
weeks
We were showing at Bloomington,
Indiana Half an hour before the eve
ming performance opened circumstances
favored Campi by giving him an op-
portunity for conversation with Josie
at the door of the dressing room. He
poured out his protestations OF love and
reverence, vowed that life without her
would not be worth living another hour,
and besought her to elope with him.
She repulsed him with firm tones, and
in his passion he drew knife and stab
bed her to the heart and fled. There
was an accidental listener to the words,
and the same person also saw the blow
struck. You may believe there was the
greatest excitement as the news spread
among us. When Thompson was told
of it he came and raised The dead body
of the girl in his arms and kissed the
fast-paling cheeks. Then he asked for
some garment belonging to Campi, and
as he received it he returned to Pompey,
unclaimed him, and the two went forth
into the night.
The body of the girl had not grown
cold when ali the facts were given to the
police, who scattered in every direction
in hopes of securing the murderer. Fill
ed with jealousy and hate, Campi was
half crazy. He fled into the country,
and only the mahout and Pompey look
ed for him there The mahout on a run.
and the elephant swiftly lifting his
great feet and carrying the tip of his
trunk close to the ground, the two push
ed on through the darkness and present.
~ Pompey screamed out in anger. He
had got the scent of the fleeing man,
and he increased his pace. Half mile
further on he swerved aside, knocked
down couple of rods of board fence,
and entered broad field. Half way
across it was a shade trcc--a maple
with trunk foot thick. In the branch
es was Campi. He had heard the
sounds of pursuit on the road and had
turned aside to seek safety Safety from
father who had been rendered child
less by his hand, and from an elephant
who had nursed his wrath for month.
The great beast flung high his trunk
Campi climbed higher Then the trunk
was curled around the body of the tree,
and the Goliath braced himself and
shook it until no living creature could
have chung to its top. Campi came fly
ing down, shrieking with terror aud des-
pair as he descended, and the next mo-
ment Pompey had him. He raised him
aloft and whipped the body against tree
and earth until we who saw 1t an hour
later beheld such q shocking spectacle
as men seldom look upon. 1t was slmp-
ly bloody mass, with not one single
bone left unbroken. Thompson took
the body of his child and left us that
night forever, and before the season
closed Pompey had become so vicious
that be was sent to winter quarters and
loaded down with chains.
During recent poker game in Buff