The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-12
TOM THE I%NCORRIGIBLE.
,,rrsr AND WORST STATE or A
- rryTRAL PARK ELEPHANT.
pu,ldlny a Cage Of Boiler Iron for
,se Big Fellow who >ods"Yss'w when Boys
~. ni,i, Ask Hin n He Wants Peanuts
.,>w nab,hood. Now He's Murderous.

uTom. the tentfhl fhTh eieph"h'' huh''S'0a
M among his numerous justly celebrated
".r,J.hments he would spend his days sing
A., .,,h the utmost intensity Oi feeling I'm
m. W., 4, a gi.i-ildrd caige." The words Will
,oar.r To expressing Toms feelings next
80 and thereafter than any other lyric he
lid select. though Toms cage Is not TO be
sn,od bnt plated With boiler iron. The contract
~. been let and the pen on the north side OF the
..rbnnt house has been selected for the pur-
80 Tom. with hi, companion, Jewel VINO -
sn.rfsc, lady and would never think oil sharing
,,bs wicked and murdcrouS perverSity, stands
a., ,ba next box with "A chain on one hlnd leg
ono for, leg and watches the preparations
with suspicious eye.
Tou Il. , bad elephant" From his youth up
4, wars have bee the ways Of evil. lie IL
80, vhorrver circus men and animal
L,o,s eoth,r As one that i n bad rs they
make EN- llascnbeok, the animal importer,
h,ou,bt Tom 10 this country from India in
,sss Tom was very small then, not much
.,sgsr than a Shetland pony. Barnum ~
psilsy bought him from Iiasenback and turned
Mn over To George Arstingstall TO be made
into a clown elephant. ArstingStali Is as
.nscent an elephant trainer as there Il
f., these United States, He tells to-day that
Tom was just a little bit too much 'or
him one day when he was teaching Tom
a, steal the ringmaster's whip during the
nsrSormance Of tho other trained elephants he
Rad occasion to discipline Tom with the sharp
and Of A mahout's iron. To his utter astoniSh-
ment and to the huge Joy OF all beholders, tho
INV elephant turned and charged on him with
ip,antils ferocity. Arstingstall was knocked
over As much by surprise a. the force OF the
blow. but he got out OF the way before the
youngster could trampie on him. He had never
in all his life met with any animal quite 40 indie
nendent and self-reliant "a Tom had shown
himself 10 be and he predicted then and there
,hat Tom would come To no good end in tho
shov business and would almost My take
A keeper or two along with him 10 the eternal
hunting grounds,
Ina travelling menacerie a small elephant
that shows temper is leased lust as a mall boy
is leased on showing the first signs OF an I'M
reasonable disposition The elephants temper
Il not improved by this sort of treatment any
more than a small boys would be. Atom in
creased In size and strength his disposition grew
steadily worse. He became known as the
cray elephant lie went wrong without the
slightest warning and without any apparent
excuse on the circus raradrS through city
streets Tom would east his trunk on high and
80 hunting for trouble, trying To knock down
the man who was marching beside him or 10 in
lure the spectators or to make trouble in any
other way that occurred TO his guilty soul 1t
was common occurrence for the show people
TO have 10 send 10 the show grounds for the
head elephant man to come and Sllbdue the
brute before the parade could go on,
In 1893 Darnum 4 Bailey became convinced
that Tom in his prevailing state Of mind was
not. Tor a time NJ least, a ny subject Tor the
shOwman's activities. They did not want To
give him away or destroy him They offered
him 10 the city 10 be put on exhibition IN Gem
BY the quiet and even life he would live there
under the kindly and sympathetic care Of
Keeper Billy Snyder and the contemplating
scientific observation OF the Hon. John NJ,
a while he did not behay" any better in
Central Park than he had on the road
with, the, show In time, however.
easy a pupil as he had been a wicked fighter.
Snyder taught him to ring bells. 10 sit MP at n
table and eat a civilized dinner. to stand on his
hind legs and dance and TO hold the same
difficult attitude while artists came and made
sketches OF him for magazine Illustrations or
for higher purposes, SNYDER was very Iroud
OF Tom and used 10 go into the elephant house
y llA AlAlb nm ITllTNF wv ~ y ItSIlAltf
from the shooting of coyotes, the lasSoing of
rebras or any other Of the assorted duties that
have come 10 him and TO Keeper Shannon in
the course OF their service OF the city Barnum
& Bailey. after repeated efforts 10 sell he
brute here and abroad. made vain by his repu-
iation, gave him 10 the city outright.
4 change oime over Tom last fall 1t was
lot as sudden As his mood, had been when he
was with Arstingstall. SNYDER saw il coming
One Thursday he had the elephant out in the
yard back Of the elephant house making him do
his tricks for a newspa per artist, who was illus
rating an a%rticl" on the attractions Of the
Park. Tom did the tricks when he was told to
DO them. but there was that in his eve which
made Snyder the least bit doubtful Of him Re-
fore carrying out each order the elephant would
pause, a moment and think things over as
though he were not quite certain whether the
time for revolt was ripe. Snyder was devoutly
grateful when the newspaper artist closed no
his portfolio and said he had enough. Tom
went back into his stall ppaceably enough and
Snyder hoped tor the best. On SUNDAY morn
ing there appeared on Toms cheeks the wet
streak that shows that the ug.y mood has taken
possession OF an elephant II com : 10 him at
Irregular periods all through his life. SNYDER
tiys that it IL the beasts badness working out
OF his brain.
Snyder saw the sign and was cautious. al
though he was not really afraid Of an outbreak.
lie went into the stall and Tom rolled his eve
ont 81 him Snyder took care not to get within
reach OF n direct blow Of the big trunk. Toms
iu'k> We're cut Of close to their roots long aco.
- there was no danger from them. Tom
n'e,atd 10 be IN a most peaceable mood as far
pleased all over In the midst Of his glow 81
sAN'idcllpnS, one Of Toms legs shot out bnhind
sihe9 suddenly animated tree trunk. II caught
SNYDER on the hip. He was closer to the leg
Wnen II started ont than, perhaps. Tom ,hOuuht
ana II gave more of a push than n blow. But.
even a'it Wa, Snyder landed outside the barn
IKE door 81 The elephant house with "A look Of
dreamy surprise in his usually alert blue eyes.
Nnnattnr how ugly an elephant may be he
must De cleaned and fed and attended to if he
! 10 b" k"pt in captivity. SNYDER knew per-
I'rny wen mt Tom wanted 10 kill him Bv
gun AsaIn>i the wall, Snyder managed 80 mt
ul,lble chains on Tom Then he felt a littln
sshI S"v"ral 'l'nsN, though. Tomtried 10 crush
ii, E asaiuit lne sides Of tn" Ntallor to knock
nln dn"n ana tranpl" on him The ugly mood
ptsrrd on thea and Tom became tractahle
sthIh SNYDER was convinced that his charge
WI slhceI"ly 'I,rfy for the way he had behaved
ana mao" NJ. twas not a month, however To-
a.t1 IN" wet appeared on Toms check, again
anu Snyder had to look ont for his life every
,Rhe Pc Went into the stall Tom tried strategy |
S M AL 4nur re pun ont nj trunk .appeaIingly.
"a .u"! reached oHt TO pat II. and Tom drew i,
a. Ilu', S1|d't r"lChed ont "A little farther. !
sLI ON drcw back tho trunk a littln more !
S,yGrr rather suspected by this time what il
az ma lom was after lie braced himself for
lump ana moved mp n little closer. The bic
Gthp trunk shot tout with a swinging blow
SnchLt i had landed would have Knocked
S Sni sphI'l"Ns, snyder dropped to the floor
hnu 'taNl"d ont Of reach. Tom rolled his ayes |
oaEck and sighed de.poudently. '
IN hlG brute got well over the second tan |
dam ana Tor a month or two snyder has even
yTaIru 'o, put him through some of the tricks
,s seq 10 delight IN" children. But the Al
80 appdr"uilY are to Increase in frruuenCv
cnSH'' "''- mat now hc has about come TO The
no, D., 'I',I luaI ON i q rogue elephant md is
c c"o u. DO trusted a. any tim" or under any cir |
rmN,il'',, and for Snyder 10 -av that means !
i,Li",1L H"hI' with TIA" stulnus Of hi tusks Tom |
W. n"ufH nl unrest hAS tnken 10 gougipg tho
WOODEN walk Of his prison. They mr." rrooveed
or ~ >'or"d M angles 10 the depth OF an inch
>, n.'T' inl Director smith fears hat m. nnr- |
N-llI. WIN In M-nlLnnnI u IL. I''