The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-17
MAN-KILLtNG ELEPHANTS
Many of Thene Should be Allowed to
Plead "Justffiable, Homicide"

i Many OF Them fheuid pc Allowed u
Plead "Just4fiable, Homicide"
Last Sunday afternoon, while con-
cert was being held at the Crystal Pal
ace, an elephant belonging to a circus
which had been performing there broke
from its fastenngs and killed Its keep
err. 1t then brushed through various
partitions Of woed and glass, and APP
peared in the main building, where a
great number ofinersons We're listening
1 to the music 1t did not attempt to
hurt any of the crowd though 1t broke
off with it's trunk the uplifted arm of
statue, probably under the idea that
this represented man about to strike.
After some time it allowed Itself to be
! secured by another elephant. 1t was
then decided to kill the animal, and af-
ter a dose Of poison had failed. Lon
don gunmaker was sent for as execu-
toner and shot the animal dead.
On the following wednesday an in
quest was held on the body Of the man.
If it had been one Of the trials of ami
mails held by jurists in the middle ages
for the exhibition of legal subtlety, the
evidence in favor of the elephant could
not have been more clearly put. Mr..
Sanger, it's owner, admitted that the
animal had once before killed a former
keeper; and he gave the facts which led
to the death Of the second. The facts
speak for themselves. The first man
had been discharged by Mr.. Sanger If
teen months previously fol' gross bru-
talty to the animals. came back and
asked to be employed again. This was
granted, and he was taken on, not as
keeper, but as laborer. The very first
time he went into the stable the ele-
plant, though it was quite dark at the
time, instantly recognized the mans
voice and at once crushed him to death
against the stall. That the creature had
acted only in a panic Of horror at the
temperance Of q tocmentor was so
well established at the previous inquest
that it was retained in the moragcrie
1t was exceptionally docile, and was
taken through towps and villages all
over England. Why .hen did he kill
the second keeper? Because this man,
after his Sunday dinner, declared that
he would pay out" the elephant for
striking him with his trunk. He actu-
ally took lance. one of those taken
from the Arabs in the Soudan. (Those
who have seen the trophies taken from
the Mahdi's followers, now kept in the
United Service Institution, will realize
what horrible weapon this was.)
Followed by another keeper, also armed
with lance, he proceeded to prod" i.
e., pierce, the chained elephant. The
tortured creature after backing as far
as it could "at length rushed forward
to escape the lance. broke its chains,
threw down the keeper and trampled on
him." If the elephant had been man,
and had been put on his trial afterward,
would II be too much to anticipate that
the verdict would have been one of JUS
tiflable homicide?
All these facts. it is worth remember
ing, were sworn to on oath. They leave
a very unpleasant impression as to the
of the elephant herd" i'm |
this country. 1t is perfectly clear that |
the animal was in each case Influenced |
by resentment caused by the cruelty of |
one individual. Male elephants, apart |
from their occasional attacks of frenzy, |
are not as unaccountably docile and |
submissive as the females and most |
accidents which do occur in their long
ives are due to the gradual forgetful-
hess of this difference of sex and tenn
per by men who are SO accustomed to !