Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-02-27
AN ELEPHANT ADEFENDANT.
Accused of Numbering a Man and Acquit-
ted After Legal Trial.

Accused of Numbering Man and Acquit-
ted After a Legal Trial.
An elephant accused of murder has
been exonerated by coroner's jury.
The occasion was the inquest on the
body of man who had been killed by
the animal. 1t took place in London
and is probably the most remarkable
event in natural history on record.
The elephant is of Asiatic birth, is
known as Charley and is the star per-
former in Sanger's circus. He held that
position before the tragedy in which ne
recently became involved and will con-
tinue to do so, thanks to jury Of lib
eral minded Englishmen.
Charley is On animal Of phenomenal
sagacity and dexterity. He can stand on
pegs with the ease and grace of first
class acrobat. 1t is a pleasing sight to
behold him standing on two pegs with
two feet and holding the other two gin
gerly in the air. For an animal Of the
elephants build this is quite remarka-
BILE. Charley also stands on his hind
legs and waves his fore legs in the air.
He waltzes with much grace and takes
part in any kind Of procession with adj
mirable precision.
He has been in the business for 81
years and knows much more about it
than the average keeper. 1t is said that
he is as highly educated as an elephant
can be. Having SO much education and
experience, Charley exacts considera-
BILE amount of respect from keepers. He
regards only first class elephant train
er as his superior.
For more than year Charley had a
keeper who beat him cruelty. About
year ago the man was discharged from
the circus. Recently he was re-engaged
to work in another department.
He visited the elephants quarters the
other day to speak to the keeper. Char
ley was eating his supper when he saw
his old enemy. He Immediately seized
the man with his trunk, pushed him
against the wall and crushed him to
death.
Sanger, the owner of the circus, was
the great witness in Charley's favor at
the inquest. He said he was the kind
est elephant ever known. He added:
elephants do not forget injuries or
kindnesses. I remember several remark
able instances. On one occasion, when
I had been separated from an elephant
for two years, the elephant, on seeing
me, seized me round the waist with his
trunk and would not let me 60 until he
had Rugged and caressed me for long
time. Tears of pleasure ran down the
brute's cheeks.
Some years ago nephew of mine,
child of 8, was playing around Char
ley and climbing up his legs. Charley
gently resented this, but the child con-
tinued. Charley then took the child up,
shook him gently and put him down
some yards away. :"
Others testified to the good character
of Charley, and the jury returned YER
dict of accidental death without blam-
ing the elephant.
There are persons experienced with
elephants who will not agree with this
decision. They hold the views expressed
in Charles Reade's exciting story Of an
elephant trainers life, Jack Of All
Trades %
Chief among these views is that the
elephant is the most cunningly malig-
nant animal in existence. Charles
Reade's elephant was always on the
lookout to smash a man. He was SO
clever that he would knock q knot out
of partition with his trunk and kneel
ing down peer through the hole to see
what was going Gil in the next room.
Those who hold the theory Of ele-
plant perversity say that the only way
to keep tie animal in subsection is to
thrash him numerically. A pitchfork
is often used. a punishment which
the elephant fears very much is beating
on the soles of the feet, which are in
him extremely sensitive.
According to his view Of the ele-
plants character, the homicide conf
mitted by Charley was willful murder
ard should have been punished with
death.
The enemies of the elephant explain
that while he was in the custody of
this keeper he never dared to attack, be-
cause the man was always on the alert,
knowing the evil character of the beast.
But when the elephant was in another
mans care the old keeper naturally
forgot his precautions, and the animal
took cowardly advantage of this and
killed him.-New York Journal.