The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-20
BARBAROUS.
FiendiSh Torture of a Refrac-
tory Elephant.
Scene in North Carolina Worthy
of Sayages.
THE BRAVE CREATURE
Is Chained to a Tree and
Wounded and Burned.
Pitchforks Used But He Never
Surrendered.

Greensboro, N. c., Oct. 2O.-The sick
ening brutality of the bull-ring has
been exceeded here by an atrocious but
unsuccessful attempt of circus men to
subdue a vicious elephant. OF all the
revolving and cruel torture resorted to
in Furnishing animals this was the most
horrible. Instead of killing the brute
the men resorted to what seems saw
age revenge that may cause their ar
rest if they do not get out of the state
too quickly.
sgd is the big elephant belonging to
Robinson and Franklin Brothers cir
Gus. He became enraged, and when
Keeper Smith went to quiet him, he
was hurled 20 feet through the air.
Master of Animals jerks rushed up
and was instantly hurled to the ground
by the elephant, but was hauled away.
sgd has killed two men without being
punished, and the master of animals
decided that he must be conquered.
Accompanied by another elephant, sgd
was led into a thicket of pines. Here
his front feet were bound with heavy
chains to two trees, and his hind feet
shackled. Then a block and tackle car
rying a twO-inch rope was fastened to
his feet and to another tree, and 80 men
caught hold of the rope and began to
pun. With a scream of rage and pain
the elephant plunged forward, and the
rope snapped like thread. Again the
rope was made fast, and again, as the
men pulled on it, the animal plunged
forward, Swapping off the hook All
the while he was trumpeting fercely.
Finally he was securely fastened, and
the men fell upon him with spikes,
pitchforks and clubs. The animal
screamed and lunged while the men
beat and prodded him. The forks stuck
in the tough hide, necessitating two or
three attempts to get them out. The
blood was oozing from a hundred
wounds.
Directly in front of the elephant was
a tree foot in diameter. Putting his
forehead against this, he sWayed it
back and forth like a bush Suddenly,
with one stroke of his trunk, he swept
it clear of limbs as high as he could
reach. With one limb held in his trunk
he struck f1ercely right and left, and
his tOrmenters scattered pell-men to
get out of his reach. One man ventur-
ed too near, and with a single push the
elephant threw him a dozen feet away,
where he lay stunned. Two others
were treated in the same manner.
A fork thrust through one of the an
imal's ears was pulled out of the han
die. The elephant caught the fork and
drew it out himself and threw it away.
He threw a. stone so yards.
After the men had belabOred him un-
til they were exhausted the elephant
was still uncOnquered. Then they
brought straw and piled it under him
and fired it. AS the flames rose the
suffering beast screamed and strug-
gled. He caught quantities of dirt and
threw it on his back in efforts to pro-
tect himself against the fire. Three
times the straw was rearranged and
the flames curled about his body, but
still he would not give up. Finally the
tough hide began to loosen from the
sides until it hung in sheets three feet
square, exposing the smooth white
flesh. Owing to the struggles of the
poor animal the chains by which he
was held had cut into the trees two or
three inches.
But the elephant remained uncon-
quered and the attempt to subdue him
had to be abandoned.
Then the master of animals had a
tent erected around him and gallons of
vaseline were applied to his scorched
and burned sides. It is said that he
will be killed if he ever attacks a man
again.
Keeper Smith will recover.
Hundreds of townspeople looked on
at the horrible spectacle.