The Washington times., 1894-05-13
Last interviews with the Famous and
Vicious Elephant.
HOW HE HAS BEEN WRoNGED
He Tells How Beasts in Captivity Are Nal
treated by the Trainers and Others.
The Cruelty Of the Superior Race-Hov
He Heard Of His Fate.

There is no need to speak. friend" he sale
gently, as IL to spare me pain. "Your fac,
tells me the decision. Do not grieve!'
"Poor, poor Tipr' I cried brokenly, as
reached out my hands and clasped the sensi
tive trunk held forth to me in kindly greet
ing. 81 have failed, miserably failedl''
| "Grieve not. if you are my FRIEND" b,
pleaded. 81 am glad to 90. Your dream O
freedom did make me feel for while that lif,
was sweet, but be resigned; we do not know
what your dream might have brought to me
| we know this means eternal rest"
could only bow my head to hide my fall
ing tears. Tip andG had long been friends
knew him well and loved him. Often had
we talked together. and fear gave him un.
wise advice that led to his destruction. So
felt owed him all the greater loyalty when
it was rumored that he must be put to death.
The day before the park commissioners mel
to decide his fate I went to Tip and told him
my dream. A mad one, he warned me. but
still he seemed happier while listening to Il
than l had ever seen him before.
would go to the commissioners, 1 said
and ask them how much dead elephant or a
bad one was worth to them. would give
them 81 600 for Tips life, and then I would
ship him back to his native country and set
him free.
Tip met all my plans with wise arguments.
The thought OF freedom was very sweet, but
there were obstacles. l reminded lin that
there was no harm in trying.
But failed to save him. Without word
in his defense, except mine, he was con-
demned to death. l could do no more than
carry the sad tidings back to my friend. /
wanted to be the first to break 1t to him.
at is useless, Tip. can do nothing"
confessed with tears.
''You can do much, friend" Tip answered
gravely "When am dead speak for nv
kind. Tell of mans inhumanity to beast.
Use me as the subject of your text and ask
that justice may be granted the beast. They
call me brute, they condemn me to death
why?"
He gave a heavy sigh and leaned wearily
against the side Of his small stall.
Look at me. look az my surroundings"
he continued slowly. Have / committed as
many sins against man as man has against
me?"
They say my temper Is bad, but they do
not say anything about my poor sore feet and
cramped body" he went on, bitterly. "They
say tried ia kill my keepers. but they do not
say how much howled in pain at the prod
ding OF the cruel steel"
Tip swayed from side to side, and then
bound his right foreleg.
"Does your leg pain much" asked.
''Yes, and, strange TO say. do not get used
to it. Look at my feet Did you ever gee
anything more callous and soreg That comes
from standing three years upon board floor.
II could but be permitted to step upon the
groundi Sometimes on wet days the smell
of the earth penetrates my little prison. and
l almost 20 mad with desire to beat down
my bars and cool my burning feet upon the
wet Sod"
He stopped suddenly, and looking at me
for a moment, asked: lis the grass green and
have the trees budded?"
''Yes, Tip. / never saw the park look
lovelier than it does to-day" was my reply.
''How often you have told me am in q
park, yet what do l know Of its beauty?
Through my only window, that small skylight
high above my head, can occasionally get q
glimpse of the sky. but that is all. OF course.
not being beasts, people can't know how 1
long to gaze upon nature. Oh, this life Is
cruel, crueir'
Poor Tip broke down and 1 dared not
speak, because l could not say one word in
defense of my race.
when l am dead" be began again,
'tell them love cleanliness. No human
ever loved bath better than l do, but for
three years what have / had? II my keepers
thought was about to die Of the heat in this
miserable box they would sprinkle me with
hose. Look at my hide! 1t is in such state
of filth that my own odor makes me ill. Often
when l have heard heavy rain have almost
gone mad in my desire 10 feel the cleansing
shower upon my back.
"And how mucn we drink / can take
eleven gallons of water into my stomach at
once-I need it-and get instead a bucket
full Then look at my foodl We are all par
ticular about our eating. cannot eat dirty
food any more than man can. say can
not. 1 must or starve. Tell them that when
am dead. Ask when I am dead il have
been given justice. Ask them this: If man
who had never committed fault was made
prisoner and confined by chain around
his leg to the floor OF a small stall. his head
chained down so that he could not raise 1t,
and for three years he was given no exercise.
had no baths. was fed unpalatable food, and
roughly handled by his keepers, IL he should,
in utter despair. attack his keepers, would
men say he did wrong?''
''They would not, they could not" reply
emphetically.
s'why, my kind have always been mans
friend,' Tip added, thoughtiUlly. I'VE have
been domesticated from time immemorial. /
have heard my father, n leader OF herd,
say that we were always used in the armies Of
kings in India, and that. housed on our
backs, the monarch s subjects sought to repel
the invasiors Of Alexander the Great and Of
Temerlane. Even now in my land we help
men to build bridges and make roads. Would
that my fate had been in such lines. My
mother used to warn me against the danger
OF capture thinking that life in the jungles
and mountains was better than life among
bridge builders, but little she knew OF the hor-
rors of q menagerie. Work is heaven by COM
parison. for by that We do get exercise and
fresh air and baths. I thought nothing could
be worse than circus when l first became
mans property, but 1 look back to my train
ing, cruel as it was, as Joy untold in compari-
son to my present position. Training at least
gave me exercise. oh, how long to use my
cramped legsr'
l could not speak. After a moment Of
thought, Tip asked:
Have you told my fellow prisoners?"
'1 told them yesterday that intended to
try to save you"
''What had they to say?'
"They fiercely denounced mans inhumani-
ity and some uttered threats. There was not
one spoke in favor Of sparing your life. They
said death was the only hope for you, and
many envied you. One little monkey, who is
dying of consumption, wished he had your
he would not die calmly. but would
die revenging his wrongs. I told the robin
with the broken wing what the monkey said,
and the robin bade me give you his farewell
greeting and tell you that he will sing a re-
QUEEN at your death hour. Ali OF our friends
speak kindly of you. Tip, and envy your
release"
Tips intelligent eyes were filled with
tears.
"Oh, the cruelty OF man, he cried, in an
outburst of woe. What sin did I commit
against him or nature? What sin was COM
mitted by any OF the animal prisoners here?
For what crime against man are they pun
ished so inhumanely2 What crime are the
little birds guilty Of? Have they injured man
that they should be shut out forever from the
green trees and blue skies? Tell me. friend,
what wrong have we done man?'
None, Tip; it is not that say in deepest
shame. "You are not kept a prisoner for any
crime, but to satisfy curiosity"
.'To satisfy curiosity2'' he repeated Doubt