The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-19
LASHINe ELEPHANTS.
THEY ARE COURT-MARTIALED
LIKE HUMAN OFFENDERS.
FIogsed for Murder-HOw These
Huge Animals Serve in batteries.
Their Remarkable Intelligence.

Of all the animals in the world the ele-
rbant is by far the most intelligent. Few
reople who have not Travelled in India are
aware of its extraordinary sagacity. Ev-
ervbody will doubtless admit that he is
the strongest animal living and possessed
Of A most marvellous memory, but beyond
thfs there is very little known or thought
about him, excepting that he Is exceed
inely awkward and ungainly to look at
But those who have lived in India and
visited places where the elephant convict
stations are and who have met an ele-
phant battery have a little more to say
on the matter Elephants are used for
many purposes, but principally for carry
ing heavy loads from one part of the coun-
try TO another. The Indian government
procures the best of them, which they use
as transports and for their artillery. When
garrison artillery go TO India they become
either mule or elephant batteries. There
are elephants to each battery. To each
gun 0orty pounders) there are attached
Two elephants tandem fashion. and a third
elephant follows as a reserve. When they
come to very rough road or steep hill,
where the two are unable to pull It, the re-
serve elephant catches hold of the gun
behind with his trunk and pushes.
Elephants are very particular about
II formed
up on parade, the senior, or longest serv-
ing elephant, takes the right of the rank
the rest forming up in succession accord
ing to their seniority, just like soldiers
the tallest man always taking the right
the others forming on his left according
TO size II, say, NO. elephant, by mis-
of No. Z, elephants No. and No. would
push him bodily out of their way. There
IS quite frequently tremendous row in
the ranks, occasioned by this sort of
he off in,
command shouting Attention. There
was one battery in India of which l took
particular notice, as | lay in the same sta
ton with It for long time; in fact, 1 be-
came Just as well acquainted with the
men and elephanOts as If l really be-
l0nged to the battery. 1t was known as
OF garrison artillery. We were stationed
at Campbellpore, near Rowal Pindi, Ben
gal. on one occasion 1 noticed, as the
battery iel in as usual for morning pa
Iade. a scuftie in the center between two
elephants, originating by No. elephant
forming up on the right hand side of No.
elephant No. objected to this, and
by reigning back out Of the ranks and
pushing forward into them again
Jamed IN between No. 8 and
10. Z, being particular TO knock against
No as roughly as possible No. gun
4er was angry and not easily pacihed.
He said No. s gunner did it himself and
not the elephant The consequence was
q fierce fight.
No. proved to be more than a match
Lot NJ p ana kept nlLllng MIN unmercl-
llIy, when No. elephant, vino had lin
SeIed behind the other elephants, appar-
ehuy suspecting mischief, ran to the res
sue and, picking No. gunner up with
us trunk, threw him up into the air. He
was afterward found in an unconscious
s3oallLon and revived with difficulty,
plant was brought as prisoner to or
derry room and charged with violent as
sault 1t is fact that in India elephants
are trled and punished by reducing their
terms III
slng all according to the merit Of their
On a certain occasion there was an af-
ternoon parade ordered. 1t happened to
De pay day, and, as the canteen had been
epeh al day. some of the men were little
late IN turning out, but the one that
seemed more more troubled than anybody
else was No. elephant, who moved about
searching for his absent rider. The ele-
phant continually turned his little eye in
IHe direction of the canteen, and was pre-
sently rewarded by seeing his worthy mas
yer come running from there with very I'M
steady steps, but when within a few feet
OF the parade ground the unfortunate gun
Ier lei! nat on the ground and, though
strusSllng hard to get up, appeared utterly
sr1bc sIPt OF doing SO. His friend, the ele-
pnant' TOOK the position in at glance In
onrSe strides he was at the gunners side
Snq picking him up gently with his trunk
ana placing him in his correct position on
ans mead, formed up in his proper place on
pdIdue, with Burke, the gunner sitting to
ATTENTION as If nothing unusual had hap
Piiid5Hl went through every movement, in
CluahiS the march past, without a single
ttnlslake, although his rider was practically
incapable of guiding him. The following
ItoIIhhg the lieutenant temporarily in
GGharge of the battery sent for Gunner
burke ana addressed his as follows: Gun
~ ~ burke 40 not run away with the idea
Ia uld not notice your drunken condi-
tSloh on parade yesterday. BY right should
nave you confined to the guardroom, but
my reasons for not doing so were simply
1 no n nlaan
SNtry respect, except being. too partial to
peer good soldier The noble act per-
I'm nj rneq by your elephant showed that you
we're KIND to it, and, further, should l
nave mad you put in the guardroom, the
Slepnant might possibly have thought it
Iad done wrong in lifting you up and per-
maps at another time, where it might be
Leally the means of saving your life by so
9olng, the elephant might let you lie to die.
S ,os Try and keep sober on the next after
noon parade
Shortly after this I happened to be APP
eolhted member of court-martial or
0ered TO assemble at Campbellpore for the
purpose of trying Elephant Abdul mo.
~ Tor causing the death of Syce Ram
poucles. This court-martial was certain
-; lne most impressive one l had ever
miitnessed. The prisoner, with eyes filed
t%lth tears, was marched in front of US
SetlWeen an escort composed of No 2 and
~ elephants. Along with them came all
me Witnesses. The president of the court
martial was Maj. Cameron, a gray-haired
nan of the Thirty-fourth Hogras Native
TI-ol4tI y, VINO mad been for years in India.
49, - read the charge: Elephant Abdul is
TP.adIged with causing the death of Syce
i3sdnooucles by catching him by the legs
a. Hls trunk and beating his brains out
SSsalhst the wall of the grain hut" The
i u5 witness called was Orderly Bonn
ijia,Ier Roberts, who said he was in the
tttss at y o'clock seeing the elephants
- ~, W hen the trumpeter sounded
1Teu ne saw Syce Ramboucles run with
Dds OF grain toward Elephant Abdul.
"a - ms time all the other elephants were
- consequently Syce Ramboucles was
he he IN feeding Elephant Abdul He, the
I'm oIipS qler, ordered the Syce to hurry and
s TSu MN, but he did not seem to move
BY quicker. AS soon as he approached
ddralePHant Abdul seized him by the legs and
Issued his brains out against the little
5 am nut Eight Syees and the Jemmo-
~ gave similar statements. When they
kep+ Hnlshed the president, who had
1 nJpI MS head down the whole time
I'm the elephants defaulter sheet in
In onC OF him, suddenly looked up and
SSibareu at the prisoner. Seeing the ele-
!,IISinL eyes swimming in tears he said
o-,i.s no use; that game won't do me. I'm
fa - accustomed to see tears and never
49, any notice of them. / see by this |
CS auIter book that you have been guilty
{5 no leWer than sixteen crimes of injur- |
Us people, and / have NOT tho eligbtast