The Indianapolis journal., 1894-05-12

4'Ullducipiid.
The execution was in private, newspaper
reporters being strictly excluded. 1T Is an
outrageous star chamber proceeding"
chimed all Of the scribes Of Gotham.
1T was a question Of saving all your
lives" said Park Commissioner Bell, two
hours later, "for If drop of that elephants S
saliva had touched the mucous membrane
of any one OF you, the eye or the lip. then
there would have been a dead man almost
in an instant"
When, a few days ago, the conclusion
was reached that the gigantic pachyderm
was incorrigible and constantly becoming
more vicious, means of ending his ensan-
guined career were discussed. The conclu-
sion was reached on Wednesday to kill him
with poison, and cyanide Of potassium was
selected as the most likely drug to do it's
work quickly and painlessly. Tip was the
object of much interest after his doom was
announced, and visitors to his quarters in
Central Park numbered well up into the
hundreds of thousands 1t was the inten-
ton to administer the fatal dose soon after
daylight to-day, and, in order that the task
might be the easier, Tip was deprived of
food for twenty-four hours
THE FIRST ATTEMPTS.
Surause and Bell, accompanied by Super
intendents Smith and Burns. arrived at the
arsenal in Central Park. A few minutes
later Drs Huntington. Allen and Spitzka
joined them. Tip was meanwhile swaying
restlessly around in his cage and swinging
his enormous trunk viciously. Tom. the
trick elephant and runo, who occupied the
adjoining cage. were driven out TO the open
space behind the elephant house and
chained there, so that they would not be
disturbed or frightened by the unexpected
trumpetiug of Tin when he would get his
pill" Thirty park policemen surrounded
the building 10 keep the crowds away
from the doors. AT $50 o'clock everything
was in readiness. To avoid possible acci-
house except those directly concerned with
the momentous event
Exactly at 6:5SI a. m. Otto MoDs, who
has been for years an animal trainer both
in Germany and this country, walked up
to the cage and handed Tip rosy colored
apple which had a big dose Of cyanide OF
big fellow nibbled at il for a moment with
his trunk. and finally put it into his capa-
tween his teeth he evidently felt that there
was something wrong with the taste and
spat it out. Mops then. tried him with a
carrot which was similarly drugged. but
Tip refused to taste it, as he did another
apple and carrot which were passed to him
afterwards; Keeper Mops then gave Tip
a
ounces Of the deadly drug, but the big fell
low, after munching it slowly couple of
times. threw 1t also upon the floor. Tip
dainty morsels which were being fed to
him. but the doctors said that he had GER
tainly got enough poison into his system
seem to have very much effect on him until
nearly an hour afterwards. when the vio-
lent motions of his head, body and trunk
became. less rapid and his legs seemed to
be getting weak. This lasted only short
time. however. and then Tip regained his
wonted vigor. But a way was found later
TO administer poison in fatal dose.
HOW TIP DIED.
George B. Burns, assistant superintend-
ent of the menagerie. told the story brief
ly. "All through the day." he said, 1--WE
tried to administer the poison (cyanide of
potassium) by one means or another, but
did not succeed. At last we decided on
bran, and using small capsules, Snyder
made UP balls of wet bran. in each of
which was placed a capsule containing
about five or six grains of the cyanide
They were placed In the ordinary. pail in
which food had been given him before. At
seven and a half minutes past o'clock
he put his trunk in the pail, and. taking
up ball OF the bran blew 1t dcwn his
throat Several others followed and then
he stopped; something seemed to affect
him. He moved to the front of the cage
and rubbed his side against the bars, then
ne tTUDnpete0 once OF TWICE.. "A the END
of four minutes he seemed to go into a
convulsion. his body swelled and his ei-
forts to strain and burst the chain were
tremendous. Finally the chain that went
around his body burst. Getting down on
the floor he dragged himself toward the
door of the cage until reaching the limit or
the heavy chain which secured his foreleg
to two of the front bars. he stumbled and
fell. He did not go down with a crash
however, but went over on his side front
first stiffened out and died in just twelve
minutes from the time he took the first
ball Of wet bran.
I'VE had at first decided to use hydro
cyanic acid. but finally decided to use the
cyanide of potassium, not only because IL
was tasteless and inodorous. but chiefly
for the reason that it was not dangerous
to the operators making the dissection
The use of the hydrocyanic acid would
make the whole carcass a deadly poison
Besides, we have now demonstrated that
this is an easy and humane way of killing
elephants"
Before the information was all impaired
the dssectors. eight in number, under Cle
direction OF John Rowley, chief taxdermist
of the museum, had commenced their
work, so that before the sun rises to-
Ccrrow Tip will be divided up. His hide
and skeleton will go to DR. William Wal
lace, TO be placed alongside Jumbo in
the Museum of Natural History; his Wis
cera will go to Dr. s. II. Hungtinton for
the College Of Physicians and Surgeons
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