The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-01-23

CHIEF. OF Adam forePaughS Circr
strangled In Phiisdclphia, for Murder

CHIEF. OF Adam forePaughs Circus,
strangled In Phiisiclphia, for Murder.
Chief, the most vicious elephant in
America, and the murderer OF seven
men, was executed in the winter quar-
tiers of Forepaugh's circus, at Lehigh
avenue and Front street, writes Phil
adelphia correspondent. Chief was
forty years old and had been in this
country nine years. He crushed man
to death shortly after his arrival, and
since then he has gone from bad to
worse. He was known all over the
country as the most wicked elephant
that ever crushed circus peanuts.
Though always closely watched, he
would go on periodical rampages.
In October last Chief broke from the
winter quarters. up on Lehigh avenue.
He was III a rage, and was driving
men, women and children before him
and creating panic, when the police
were called out to stop the mad rush of
the elephant. He made such des-
perate fight that ten policemen opened
fire on him, but it was only when eight
bullets had been planted IN his left leg
that he was forced back to the winter
quarters.
Chief was at once chained, but broke
from the chains that night. He was
chained again, all his feet being fas-
tened to the end of heavy iron cables.
He was quiet for few weeks, but
lately he made repeated struggles to
burst his chains, and, as he threatened
to get loose at any moment and clean
out the winter quarters, it was decided
to execute him.
Two other elephants were the exc
cutioners. A moose was made in the
center of piece of rope half an inch
thick and ten yards long. AS two men
tried to put the rope round his neck
the doomed elephant got in a rage and
tried to toss one of the men against a
wall. By hard work the moose was
finally pulled over his trunk and
placed behind his ears, with the knot
directly under his throat. Then Basil
and Bismarck, the most powerful ele-
plants owned by Forepaugh, were
fastened to an end of the rope on either
side of their murderous comrade.
Then young Adam Forepaugh gave
the word, Basil and Bismarck were
given prod with iron hooks, and the
death line began to grow taut. An
other signal and the elephants pulled
with all their mighty strength in oppo-
site directions. Chief began to totter.
In twenty seconds he dropped to the
ground a dead elephant. Bismarck and
Basil had strangled him.
Chief was ten and sone-half feet
high and weighed over 10000 pounds.
He was an Asiatic elephant, and was
bought from Carl Stagenlack, the
noted animal dealer in Hamburg, nine
years ago. He began life in America
by killing a man just after the ship
came into port. A year later he caZght
a keeper and dashed him against tel
egraph pole. Since then he had muir
dered Eve more men and had tried to
kill scores OF others. He was terror
when he started out on his rampeges,
and swept everything before him, even
the lemonade, purple candy, and pea
nuts of the circus butchers. He tore
down a wooden house at Grand Rap
ids, Mich, and when he had finished Il
visit to q sideshow one fair SUMMER
day, at Topeka, the show looked as if
it had been struck by Kansas cy-
clone. He took possession of the town
of Akron, Ohio, and was finally arrested
by country constable ON the charge
of disorderly condEct and malicious
mischief.
He was again arrested in Cincinnati
chasing German saloonkeeper and O
hundred patrons out of q place on
Vine street in that ciiy. He had been
employed to appear in a spectacular
play few years ago, and had done
good work until the second act, when
he lay down on the stage, and refused
to let the play &c on. While on &
"tear" down near Cairo, ILL.,, he
Erasped canvasman of the circus and
threw him into the Mississippi River,
and was .ducking him until he was
almost dead, when fifty men attacked
the elephant and saved the man. He
was the only elephant that Adam Fore
pauph Jr ,eouldn't conu1ler