Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-11-10
A NOVEL SPECTACLE.
When an UnruIy Elephant In Triea
ny Court-MartiaI Am 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 thu vicinity
of Mhow form theme upon which the
native loves to dwell. Tho 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 it 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
ten6erest 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 I'M
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
thus laying himself liable to expul-
sion from the Elephants Central Labor
union-at least it could never be said
that he so far forgot his position as to
suffer the loss of a square meal at the
hands of a mere man. And so it came
about that Mr.. Keeper suddenly felt the
weight of great foot. What followed
is not supplied by the keeper, for he was
by this time subject for the obituary
writers. Eye witnesses, however,
Rverred that the elephant raised him by
the trunk line and thoughtfully beat a
tattoo with him on the stoniest ground
in that vicinity.
The elephant was properly tried in
the presence of all the elephants be-
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 chain
held his neck secure and each end of the
chain was firmly attached to big ele-
plants. which stood on either side of
him. The brigade major was the judge.
He and his staff were mounted on
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 all
its own way and the sentence of 4S
lashes with chain was carried out Inn
mediately it had been passed. The cor
poral elephant was selected to put the
Judgment in execution. He was pro-
vided with a heavy chain and, grasping
it tightly in his trunk, he applied the
four dozen strokes so vigorously as to
bring forth most agonizing groans
from the prisoner. In addition to the
fogging, the murderer was sentenced
to draw log chain attached to his leg
for three months.-N. Y. Herald.