The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-21

tassium. Mr.. VIM Wallace had a satchel
filled with the poison in capsule form. Tip
had been chained securely In one corner
Of the elephant house. Double chains had
been fastened to his legs and tusks, as 1t
was feared that in his death struggles he
might break loose All of the other ele-
plants were taken out of the house.
The visitors took due precaution to al
low space to intervene between them and
Tip, not a few getting outside of the door.
Mr.. Wallace put two handfuls of the pol
son capsules into a bucket of mush. They
had been coated with beeswax in order
that their effect might be slow and easily
observed. This much was given to Tip
and the crowd stood about in breathless ex-
pectation.
Many looked to see the huge body fall in
stantly to the ground. others thought that
Tip might make a dash toward the door,
but Tip disappointed them all. He just
drank up the mush and apparently spit
out the capsules.
Mr. Wallace locked disappointed. Never
theless he insisted that Tip had eaten
some of the capsules, and the spectators
retained their waiting attitude. Apples
were split open and capsules inserted in
them Tip took all these Voraciously, but
invariably placed ne crunched fragments
OF the capsules on the ground.
One of the keepers suggested throwing
capsules into his mouth in the hope that
one might slip down. The keeper threw
several in and Tip ate these. The crowd
had gone nearer Tip by this time Several
times the elephant moved his body In a
spasmodic manner, and there was a rush
for the door. Mr. Wallace kept up the spir-
its of the crowd by saying that in the ami
mails stomach there were already two
ounces of poison, and death would be a
question of only a few minutes. Give the
bceswax time to dissolve" said Mr.. Wal
lace.
But the minutes wore into hours. and
still the elephant stood there with the
crowd watching him. The museum people
had made arrangements to cut him up i'm
mediately after his death, and they began
to grow impatient.
A Bridgeport plumber suggested that
they put the elephant in a boxcar and turn
the gas on adding that he would rig up
the pipes. An old Buffalo Bill man offered
to shoot Tip. Both suggestions were re-
1ected.
More capsules were fed to the ele-
phant, this time in molasses. but still the
crowd waited in vain. Tips stomach
now, Mr.. Wallace asserted, contained
more than four ounces Of poison; one
ounce he predicted, would Kill the ele-
plant Cyanide Of potassium, he said,
paralyzed the nerve centers, and Tips
began 10 shake His legs were, In conse-
quence watched steadily by all e. es, but
they didn't give way.
For six hours tho visitors watched that
elephant and for six hours Tip only
blnked at them and looked sleepy. To-
ward the end OF the afternoon he bright
ened up visibly. despite the doses which
were being administered TO him. Most Of
the visitors went away discouraged. Mr.
Wallace remained several hours more feed
ing Tip with poison and keeping his eyes
fixed on the elephants hind legs. But
even Mr.. Wallace finally gave up the at
tempt at poisoning, and then Il was de-
cided to try strangulation.
Tip was p years old, weighed three and
one-half tons and stood eleven feet high.
He has attacked several persons and In
jured one severely
After the execution to-day workmen be-
gan TO prepare his body for the taxlder-
mist. The great skeleton will be mount
ed. the hide will be stuffed and both viii
be delivered TO the Museum OF Natural
History In New York