The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-06-12
ELEPHANT HANGED.
Two Of the Elephants at Richmond Carni-
val Now Dead.
{ Baltimore Herald. }


Like q common murderer, James W.
Sp1rt. the Asiatic elephant Of the
Bostock Carnival Company, was hang
ed Thursday at the freight yards Of the
Northern Central Railway.
On the way from Brooklyn TO Balti.
more last Saturday he and Jolly, his
old side partner, became engaged in a
wrestling bout in their car. The latter,
in his usual jovial manner. gave his
mpatrlot heavy blow below the belt.
Sport, half stunned. crashed through
the side Of the car and ont upon the
sandy soil Of tie State Of New Jersey.
Hurriedly the train was stopped and
the fallen monarch lifted, but his spine
was injured.
Jolly, when he saw the full outcome
Of his little jest, gave himself up tQ
pite0us grief, aud on Wednesday morn
ing. utterly overcome by his emotions
fell dead at the Elks' Exp 'sition. Mean.
while Sport lay upon his side and
patiently bore sufferings which must
have been little short Of maddening
From side to side he tossed aud up and
down he lashed his great proboscs
Mr. Bostock decided that he should
be killed At first electrocution was
selected as the mode Of death, then
poisoning and finally hanging One
suggested guillotining, another CARROT.
ing, another shooting and another stab.
bling.
At the yards Sport lay upon his bed
OF straw. Sadly he Rroanfd and
patheticslly he brushed the flies from
his body with his trunk
On the long fence at the western end
Of the yard 500 boys aud men roasted
like crows on a branch. Ga the house.
tops along Mount Royal avenue we're
800 more, and On the walls Of the Belt
Line tunnel. the cross arms Of electric
poles and the roofs Of freight cars were
q thousand
Sport was patient and resigned to his
fate. and while a dozen photo
eraphers climbed over him and
prodded him, he sighed wearily The
engine attached 20 his car snorted
and the ride to the scaffold began. 1t
was but a short journey and in min
ute the engine came to a halt Oh the
siding beside the derrick -gallows
Mr.. Bostock made a hangman's
moose, and slipped 1t around the great
beasts neck. The wheels Of the der
rick began to revolye AS the tighten
ing rope gripped the elephants neck be
gave q loud shrek, and for the next
minute or two there was trouble in the
car. Saysgely his trunk pounded the
floor and wildly his ponderous legs beat
the walls. Each time the moose slipped
up a notch he beloved -shrilly and m.
pleasantly, and in q manner which
made the crowd uneasy
But soon the rope was so tight that
his vocal efforts came to an end, and
while he wriggled and squirmed, he
was drawn out of the car and
swung clear Of the track, 90 die like
a felon. When his great weight fell
upon the rope, the moose tightened with
a cresk, and sank into his fsbby neck
until it almost disappeared. Then his
tail wagged slowly. AT intervals Of a
few seconds the muscles Of his back
drew up and he quivered heavily. Then
his eyes rolled sadly the lids fell upon
them his legs dropped Imply, his tail
ceased to wag and he was dead.
lover with him, said Mr. B0stock,
and the derrick was swung over, 10
that the lifeless giant hung suspended
with his sightless eyes gazing toward
the East-toward his native Burmah
and Rsngoon and MandAlay, "wheie
the best is like the worst "
The hides Of the two beast were sold
for 81. 900 for museum purposes. The
animals, in life, were valued at $40. COO
q piece.