New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-16
a POIsON-PROOF ELEPHANT.
TIP. OF THE BARNUM-BA1LEY HERD. DE-
CLINEs TO DIE IN PUBLIC.
HIS DEATH WARRANT SIGNED FOR CAUSE AND A
BIG PARTY OF NEWSPAPER MEN GO TO SEE
~. HIS END-rHEIR FOUR HOURS
WATCH VAIN.

WATCH IN VAIN
A comedy which scheduled as tragedy
,eld the boards a, the winter quarters OF the Bar
mum & Bailey Show. Bridgeport. yesterday.
The spectators consisted mainly of New-Nork
} newspaper writer's. The chief comedian was
viilanous old elephant. Tip by name. and his sup
port composed OF William Wallace. OF the
Museum Of Natural History OF New-York. and
about eight ten OF his assistants. Mr. Wallace
came up from New-York loaded for elephant
and Tip was 10 be his victim. His pockets were
loaded with cyanide of potassium capsules. and his
assistants had n whole dissecting outfit wherewth
20 administer the earthly effects OF Tip after iha
supposedly innocent pachyderm had absorbed the
poison But Tip was tipped in fact as well as
;n name and firmly but courjeously refused TO be
stipped of" by cyanide OF potassium or any other
lisagreeable dose OF museum compromising
Tip the Wary. II should be said. is prominent
member Of the big herd of elephants who MUNICH
peanuts. stand on their heads. and In other ways
amuse the thousands who annually nock 10 the
Rarnum & Bailey Show. He has huge iusks
with beautiful brass knobs on the abbreviated ends
thereof and a large head Tip is also tweniy-one
years old. and yesterday he proved that his large
head was well supplied with brains by outwtting
Mr. Wallace and his myrmidons For some months
Tip has been persona non grata In Mt Bailey
diplomatic family OF men and beasts oy reason oil
a constantly increasing disposition 10 smash
things In fact. nc Is bad elephant and when he
playfully knocked one Of his keepers into the hos
pital recently and positively refused 10 listen 10
tho words OF advice of his chief guardian. Nliliam
Newman, or 20 pay heed TO the prods OF the eie-
plant hook with which that advice is usually
,punctuated. Mr.. Bailey decided 10 give him his
passports beyond that bourne from which no trav-
eiier, elephantne human. returns. So he in
vited Mr.. Wallace TO come up and assist Tip TO
perform the happy dispatch" But there was one
flaw in the arrangements-Tip was Lot consulted.
And when the proposition was presented to him
in the concrete form of pail of bran mash con-
tanning cyanide OF potassium. dozen or two paraf-
fine capsules OF the same. and a peck OF carrots
with poisoned kernels. ne incontinently spat the
whole thing out The net result was two score OF
disguised newspaper men. who lost their dinner
yainly waiting TO see elephant die and the
complete failure Of Mr. Wallace 10 play the part
of Borg1a 10 the elephant dynasty
The newspaper party went up 10 BridgePor, ~. in
ih ne snde Pho~Sphpr ana friend Of the whole
paper fraternity. in charge OF the PERSONAL! con-
posediy fatal dose was administered at 1920 in
pail OF euccuent bran mash. The natural hIslory
minutes. But TIP had other plans He did Yohng
of the kind, He ate the food with relish eng men
settled back to mediate on the best way 10 XIII an
70 results being observed. NJ Newman stepped
M unfastened the chains thai held the beasts
head down. and ordered him 10 hold up his mead
thus disclosed Newman deftly threw half dozen
enormous parafne-coated capsules OF the poison.
ittle eyes gaaed at his old keeper win an et
Brute expression, and then he calmly ctewed s me
ance OF the rules of the Board Of Health in such
case made and provided Tael he uHpeleu NE
opinion OF the entire proceeding and settled paeK
Another form Of strategy was next tried. Apples
and carrots were loaded with the poison ana given
him He took these in his trunk, crushed mem
against his tusks, let the poison drop out ana ate
the harmless residue with relish. For Tour wear!
hours the congregation sat about ana wae9 NOSE o9
symptoms but none were forthcoming except LIose
of excessive fatigue on the part u all Concerned
That elephant lived all day.
That elephant lived all night.
But elephant would not bite
At first everybody was nervous. and kept at
respectful distance The big doors OF the elephant
house were thrown open that the line OF ieftat
might be clear in case the DEAN agCies =, e
or incte the rest OF the herd TO rise IN mu'h ny
against their keeper; but. after the hrst hour, nr
enough 10 feel his pulse ana TAKE ms y mp @ -
desired. AT the last TIP grew trea sha as ,Tss HIS
BEFORE feeding Tip tie visitors were admitted 10
the boudoir of Johanna the famous cniihPa M
knife and fork and napkin after the most approved
forms Of table etiquette, win ing up WIN a bit
~ her valet Mckay she pun pair Of stockings
and shoes a red house gown with RULED irOnt ana
a stunning Easter nat. ana pTOmcnaded pack anu
forth in her cage with al the grace Oh d" ri''"-"'
belle. . o.r,u,.. had his from
of seventy trained horses IN me IlIs ,lai ,"be
and counter marching, and forming pyIaMus al me
word OF command Michael ho9hel, Ihe ne" Va lie
back rider performed wonderful Eynnaslcs on M
.dappe-gray steed. recently secured from a brewers
wagon, and Miss Newsome rode ihe morse 'h S
skips rope as neatly a. any schooerie Uu III mo
yard the monster team Of forty horses our aoreaS,
hitched to big band-Wason ana lnanoeun W.,
with d skill that would make Lawson y. Iui'er
green with envy. -, 49, -. nh,
The show viii arrive In New OK the iast weeE *
in March. The parade will take place ne night OF
March 81 and the first performance Will be given
on Thursday. April