The Washington times., 1903-01-05
TOPSY ELEGTROCUTED
At COMFY ISLAND
Elephant Found Guilty of
Many Crimes.

NEW YORK, Jan, 6.-Coney Island
awakened from the sleep Of winter Sat
urday to make holiday OF the execution
Of Topsy. an elephant. By poison and
electricity. Men, women and little chill
dren to the number OF several thousand
crowded into the grounds Of the amuse-
ment enterprise which owned the beast
or on the roofs Of nearby tall buildings.
where they paid a quarter each for the
privilege
Some OF them afterward said It was q
pitiabIe sight TO see a beast docileiy. at
the word of command. assist her execu-
TONERS; but agents for the Society for
the Prevention Of Cruelty OF Animals de-
clared it was in every way humane.
The crimes for which Topsy was exc
cuted were announced to be three mur-
ders and the promise Of more II shs got
the chance Scheduled for noon, the ex-
ecution did not take place until nearly
three hours later For two OF these
hours T0psy stood in the center OF
morbid crowd, calmly eating her last
bale OF hay Around her electricians.
carpenters and machinists we're busy ad-
justing wires. arranging chains and
tackle and fastening a steam winch in
place Several times it was necessary
to PASS chains and ropes around her
neck and legs. Her regular keeper.
Hartman Alt, had positively refused to
be present, but she quietly obeyed her
temporary mahout, kneeling or lifting
her feet at the word
Wires which tapped the entire voltage
/ of the Coney Island Electric Light Com
pany had been brought into the grounds
during the night The wires ended In
boards On which we're nailed thick cop
per disks. There were two OF these
electrodes, and at 2:90 o'clock Topsy
docileIy IiJed her right forefoot and
left hindfoot while workmen fastened
them in place. This appeared TO worry
her for moment and she kicked them
away once. but ct a sharper word OF
command allowed them to remain. A
moment later she suffered q moose.
which Was run from the winch, to be
adjusted around her neck. and the
crowd was ordered TO scatter.
With the people driven back to a safe
distance, T. D. skarkey, the electrician
in charge, mounted a pile Of lumber
near by and raised his hand As he did
so an empIoye Of the firm went for
ward with three carrots loaded with
$50 grains Of -yanide Of potassium. At
his command Topsy's trunk went up
in the air and the vegetables we're swat
lowed As the man did this he jumped
back and Sharkey's hand dropped There
was a cracking noise and a blue fame
and the full current Of $500 volts. with
every dynamo at the electric plant
working at racing speed, struck through
the copper. plates.
ToDsy's trunk curIed, her eyes closed
and the great body surged forward in
the ropes and chains until they threat
ened TO give way. Her body was ab-
solutely rigid and fmmovable, There
was not a culver after the first move.
For ten seconds il stood thus. and then
at q sign from Sharkey the current was
cut off, the body sank slowly to tbs
knees and rolled over on its side.
Another signal was given. the winch
was whirled vfciously and the moose
around her neck was drawn taut.
It was unnecessary. The veterinarians
declared she had been killed almost in
simultaneously. An autopsy afterWaTi
disclosed the fact that the poison had
not had time 10 work