The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-09
BAD ELEPHANT PUT TODEATH.
MANDARIN, the GIANT or THE
HERD. WENT CRAZY At SEA
And They Couldn't Land Him Safely--I
Took a IIawser md Some Steam I'm.
sines to Choke Him Going TO sea
for His Funeral Barge aud Tug Wait.

Mandarin. the biggest elephant in the
Barnuin Bailey circus, was put TO death
by strangulstion AT II O'Clock last night
on the transport Minneapolis. which brought
the show to port yesterday. Mandarin
death was decreed because on the voyage
over he became manageable, as elephants
sometimes do, and worked himself into
such fever that his removal from the
ship was out Of the question.
The execution was carried out expe-
ditiously Mandarin apparently suffered
little. and what struggling he did when
the rope was tightened around his neck
was barely perceptib!e The circus peo-
| pie say he died in eight minutes.
Mandarin was brought over in big
wooden cage, which was put on the main
| deck. When his execution was decided
upon the cage was moved directly into the
hatchway and a cluster of electric lights
was put above the hatch.
AT iC2l O'Clock several men passed around
| the elephants neck a three-inch rope. the
ends Of which were taken up by two steam
| winches. Mandafias feet had been chained
| down securely long before this, and his
| trunk with which he had beaten the front
! Of his strong cage for days, was securely
fastened to his body.
When the rope was put around his neck
he got il in his mouth and began TO chew
| 1t. BY the time II was taken from him il
was so much weakened that new rope
was procured This was put in place
without any trouble The ends were tight
rned up at right angles 20 the brute's body
At the first puff of the engines Mandarin
turned his head as far a. the limits of his
cage allowed, and a. the rope came taut
| pulled his head up and down a little. The
winches didn't work very well at the start
and the rope slipped for a second. but was
quickly caught up again.
As the rope went on pulling, Mandarin
didn't struggle a bit and made absolutely
no sound. The rope was soon tight enough
and WAS merely kept In few minutes
the hind quartz of the big fellow collapsed.
| His head was held up by the rope.
| At the end Of seven minutes the rope
was loosened and the circus men felt Of the
elephant to sec If life was extinct The
| last spark, however, was apparently not
| out. 40 the ropes were tightened up again.
| In half an hour he was declared dead, but
the rope was left on for time after that
| fs a precaution.
Tody Hamilton said when il was all over:
l ih'iV boss u iltc Oiu ne was
| worth $4,000 In any animal market. but
nobody could have got him for that
| Alice, another 81 the shows elephants,
was In a cage right above Mandarin's while
| he was being killed. The circus men had
predicted that she might scent trouble
below and make fuss, but she didn't.
The Minneapolis had been out from Dun
| kirk only two days when Mandarin got the
80, d. i.
things From tina, time out his temper
grew worse and worse. He thra shed
around in his cage in the main hatchway
40 much that he smashed the front aud
sides of it, Then they loaded him with
chains and fastened his trunk to his body
SO that he could not move it more than
foot from him.
|, was in thi, mournful plight that Man
DARN came ~ port. 1t wasn't safe 10 lead
him through the streets, and 1t wasn't
feasible to leave him where ne was, 81
they decided TO send him to the happy
jungle TO join Tip and Tom and all the
other unfortunate elephants who have been
unable TO accommodate themselves TO the
conditions of their captivity. During the
five years Of the shows absence five other
elephants had gone the same road under
the same circumstances.
Mr.. Bailey consented TO the elephants
death only after compcten, judges Of animal
nature had told him that it would not only
b. practically impossible to e., Mandarin
out of his steamer cage, but surely impo--
sible to lead or carry him through the city
streets.
Preparations were accordingly begun
early to put the big beast out of the way
r -
animal men decided on strangulation
Big Tom the Central Park elephant. was
killed with go grains of cyanide of potas-
stun. 1t took the poison half an hour to
bring him 10 the floor and an hour to de-
stroy his life. The circus people didn't
want to kill their Pet that way.
Arrangements wer" made early in the
evening to run a big hawser around his
neck and then strange him with the power
Of the donkey engine on the Minneapolis.
Preparations were ALSO made for "A suit
able burial a, sea. A big barge was brought
alongside he Minneapolis at her West
Houston street pier.
ON the barge were 1000 pounds Of iron
rails This. 1t wa explained was to
weigh down the elephants cage 80 that it
and it, occupant would sink A tug was
NdlNl w ldNt Nl' lldIb' Illt'U UlllcS OUT
to sea and commit il 10 the deep.
John Bun Ike, the canvas superintendent
Of the show, had charge of the arrange
meute With him on board the Mime
apolis early in the evening were Tudy
Hamilton. DIR. Way, the veterinary surgeon
of the show; Charles X, Hutchins. the treas
urer, and Harvey Watkins, Whiting Allen
and Lewis l.. Cook of the publicity de-
partment.
George Conklin, the big shows animal
king" who has trained Mandarin for years,
refused to witness the beasts death. lie
said he couldn't bear the sight,
There was particular regret over the
necessity for parting with Mandarin, be-
cause he was not only the largest but the
cleyerest and one of the most famous mem
bcrs Of tho herd
He had belonged to the old London show
Mr., Bailey bought the herd tive nty-fo,r
years ago, and IL was one OF the first troupes
of trained elephants ever exhibited in
this country. Mandarin for years had
the reputation Of being one Of the most
docile elephants In captivity. The herd
is said to have been responsible for the
consolidate of tho HaTullin 4 Railey in-