The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-12-01
A NOVEL SPECTACLE.
when an unruiy Eicphnnt Is Tried
by Court-MartiaI In Central
India.


The court-martialing of an elephant
isn't such an everyday occurrence as to
pass unnoticed, even in central India,
where the doings of the jungle folk are
unusually dark and vain. Consequent
ly, the celebrated trial and punishment
of an elephant residing in the vicinity
Of Mhow form theme upon which the
native loves to dwell. The elephant
had killed his keeper That fact was
clearly established. A number of wit
nesses bore testimony to the manner of
the mans death. He had been native
soldier. He and his charge didn't seem
to hit IL off very well. There were fire.
quent jars engendered by the ele-
plants indisposition TO yield readily
to the demands and commands of the
native. These occasional demonstra-
tions were invariably followed by the
introduction of sharp spike into the
tenderest part of the elephants an
atomy. After that the situation was
somewhat strained, and when this par
ticular elephant met other elephants
and stopped to pass the time Of day, he
complained in trumpet tones of the un-
reasonableness of men and of his keep
er specifically.
Matters appear to have reached eli
max when the keeper one day appropri-
ated a portion of the food supply al.
lotted to the elephant. This was more
than elephant flesh and blood could
stand. The big fellow remarked to him
self that while he might occasionally
be induced to work overtime at the
arduous labor of drawing heavy trucks
--rhus laying himself liable to expul-
sion from the Elephants Central Labor
union--at least IL could never be said
that he so far forgot his position ms to
suffer the loss of n square meal at the
hands OF mere man. And SO II came
about that Mr.. Keeper suddenly felt the
weight of great foot. What follow ed
is not eupplied by the keeper, for he was
by this time subject for the obituary
writer's. Eye witnesses, however
averred that the elephant raised him by
the trunk line and thoughtfully beat q
tattoo with him on the stoniest ground
in that vicinity.
The elephant was properly tried In
lne pTcStuce ol dll the tltpHhhts Dt
longing to the station. These had been
marshalled in two parallel lines. In
the center stood the prisoner, his giant
feet chained into four holes. A chair
held his neck secure and each end of thu
chain was firmly attached to big ele
plants. which stood on either side o.
him. The brigade major was the judge
He and his staff were mounted OF
horses. The facts in the case were re
lated after the major had announced
to the elephant that he was on trial
No counsel was assigned to the pris
oner. The prosecution had things al
its own way and the sentence of 4
. lashes with chain was carried out i'm
: mediately it had been passed. The cor
poral elephant was selected to put tn
Judgment in execution. He was pre-
, vided with heavy chain and, graspini
, it tightly in his trunk, he applied tn
r four dozen strokes so vigorously as I
bring forth most agonizing groan
from the prisoner. In addition to tn
! hogging, the murderer was sentence
J. IL draw log chain attached TO his lie
e for three months.-N. Y. Herald.