The broad ax., 1897-06-05

history on record, says the New York
Journal. The elephant is OF Asiatic
birth, is known as Charley and is the
star performer in a circus. He held
that position before the tragedy In
which he recently became involved and
will continue to do. thanks to jury
Of liberal-minded Englishmen- Char
ley is an animal OF phenomenal sagac-
ity and dexterity. He can stand on
pegs with the ease and grace Of a
first-class acrobat. II is a pleasing
sight to behold him standing on two
pegs, with two feet and holding the
other two gingerly in the air. For
an animal Of the elephants build this
Is quite remarkable. 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 admirable pre-
cision. He has been in the business
or thirty-one years and knows much
more about II than the average keeper.
1t Is said that he is as highly educated
as an elephant can be. Having so
much education and experience, Char
ley exacts a considerable amount OF
respect from keepers. He regards only
first-class elephant trainer as his su-
perior. For more than a year Charley
had a keeper who beat him cruelty.
About a year ago the man was dis
charged from the circus. Recently he
was re-engaged to work in another de-
partment. He visited the elephants
quarters the other day to speak to
the keeper. Charley 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. The owner
of the circus was the great witness in
Charley's favor at the inquest. He
said he was the kindest elephant ever
known. He added: Elephants do
not forget injuries or kindness. / re-
member several remarkable 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 go until
he had Rugged and caressed me for a
long time. Tears Of pleasure ran down
the brute's cheeks. Some years ago a
nephew Of mine. child OF 3. was play
ing around Charley and climbing up
his legs. Charley gently resented this,
but the child continued. 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 a 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 than he would knock a knot
out Of a partition with his trunk and
kneeling down peer through the hole
to see what was going on in the next
room Those who hold the theory of
elephant perversity say that the only
way to keep the animal in subsection
is to thrash him numerically. A pitch
fork 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. Ac-
cording to this view Of the elephants
character the homicide committed by
Charley was wiliful murder and should
have been punished by 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 a eowardly advantage
~ fhfa and kfIlod him