The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-29
COMING OF THE CIRCUS
THE WALLACE SHOW ARRIVED
EARLY THIS MORNING.
story of the killing of Keeper HUFF
man by the Big Elephant
HChariie."

The Wallace show, which Is getting to be
a regular visitor here, arrived this morning
with a finely equipped circus outfit Every
thing is brand new and looks as II many
weeks have been spent in preparing the
outfit. The usual street parade will take
place at 10 o'clock. 1t is claimed the per
formance is of the highest class.
In speaking of the killing of Henry Huff
man by the elephant Charlie. last week,
Harry Hardy, press agent for the Wallace
show, last night said: I'm the morning
after the feeding of the elephants while
the helpers were cleaning W, Charlie
was backing TO and fro. One of the helpers
by the name of Charles NORTH got closer
than usual II Charlie. The elephant swung
around, struck Moritz with his trunk and
knocked him at least twenty feet. Mr..
Huffman, the trainer, was outside the
building when they told him about the as
sault on NORTH. Huffman came in and in
sTead of chastizing the elephant. only
looked at him. My theory is that this was
one cause OF the murder of Huffman later
in the day, because the elephant feeling as
II he was the master. of the situation
i am the master here
AT l:SO in the afternoon Henry Huffman
called his assistants to take the herd of
PAN ~ IN lllSClSSllltNd river IOT
water as the regular supply had given out
at the elephant house. Charlie was always
the leader OF the herd and he was taken
out nrSt, the others following to the river.
As soon as the big elephant, Charlie. had
finished drinking, he turned and came I'D
on the bank. He grabbed Huffman around
the body with his trunk, as he always did
In their act i'm the ring. Huffman thought
the elephant was playing with him. AL
most Instantly Huffman was thrown fully
nifty feet. lighting in a small bush. The
elephant immediately started nm the hapE
thurman was in delicate health and this
together with his treatment by the elephant
greatly weakened him. But he managed to
call out. Charlie, do you want 10 kill me?
Why do YOU treat me like this? Come
back; L won't hurt you
The elephant halted, turned, came back
and grabbed him as before. Huffman.
thinking that everything was all right.
allowed him TO place his trunk about his
body as he always had done in their act.
The elephant instantly turned and went
Tor the river. Plunging into the river, the
elephant. still holding Huffman, pushed
him under the water and held him there till
ne was crowned. Lifting the helpless keeper
out OF the water the elephant looked at him
as If to see whether he was alive or dead.
Apparently satisfied with his work, the
brute then threw his dead keeper into mid
stream. He turned and came out of the
water, stood for a few moments on the
bank. then turning up the stream about
one hundred feet he went back into the
stream again and took his bath as play
fully as an innocent kitten. He then Waded
out and proceeded leisurely to the farm
where the show is kept.
quick as big Charlie threw Huffman in
the bushes the helpers took the rest of
their herd TO the elephant house. Aside
from big Charlie there were five i'm the
herd. and they are all females. Mr.. Ferris.
i'm charge of the animals of the show. told
me that in all his experience he never
heard such noises as came from the ele-
plant house after the tragedy. The five
elephants moaned most piteously. MY
theory is that they realized that some
thing awful had happened and they felt
they were all to be punished. At the time
Mr.. Wallace was in indianapolis, and his
private secretary. c. Il. Cory, took matters
i'm hand. He imediately telephoned out TO
the farm to kill big Charlie, If possible; that
he had on the way three apples prepared
with strychnine. When the apples arrived
one was tossed to the elephant. He ate
it and the second one he tossed away. The
third one he paid no attention to. In about
twenty minutes he seemed to be in great
agony, and by that time men had arrived
with their forty-fOur caliber rifles loaded
with steel bullets. A skilled marksman of
Peru had been sent for, and when he ar
rived he began shooting. He fired from
behind "A tree. a distance of about $50 feet.
in the neighborhood of twenty shots. They
all struck the elephant and all but one
failed TO penetrate his hide. One pierced
the hide back of the ear, and it is believed
this bullet TUNE him. As soon as this
bullet struck him he laid down. He Law
there for perhaps five minutes quivering.
The marksman, thinking he was dow and
out. started from behind the tree. As he
did so the elephant arose TO his feet and be-
gan staggering about as If he were intoxi-
Gated. He went through two fences as IL
they were mosquito bars. He went perhaps
half a mile and then laid down. He was
dead within ten minutes. After his death
his tongue was found TO be swollen and
black. which indicated that the strychnine
had caused his death, rather than the
bullet.
In my mind the killing of Huffman was
a deliberate murder. 1t was so deliberate
that it might have been planned by human
cunning. Henry Huffman was in very
delicate health. and II was believed that
he was a c~onsumptive. 1t is a weil-known
fact among men familiar with wild ami
mails that they shun persons who are dis
eased. This fact very likely caused the
elephant to take a dislike TO Huffman.
Mr.. Ferris. himself. is now in charge Of
the herd. The other animals are perfectly
tractable, and no further trouble is antici-
pated.'