Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-17
ONE DEAD;
6 INJURED
DEACONESS G0RED AND TRAM
PIED TO DEATH
ACTOR WILTON LAckAYE AM oNG
THOSE HURT
Leviathan Becomes unmanageable
During Fire-Leader Kills Woman
In Yard of Famous Hotel
GlenWood
Special TO The Hernld.

Special to The Herald.
RIVERSIDE, April 16.-Miss Ella
Gibbs, deaconess, is dead here to-
night from injuries inflicted by mad
dened elephant, one of a here from the
Sells-Flo circus, which, driven iran
tic by the explosion of oil tanks nearby,
stampeded through the city streets,
carrying death and destruction in their
path.
Miss Gibbs was gored and trampled
and left mutilated and unconscious on
the ground. She died at 9:45 tonight.
Other persons injured by the crazed
levlathan are: Wilton Lackaye, actor,
cut by flying glass; Frank A. Bro,
broken leg; James Cuthbertson, badly
bruised. d. p. Chapman, bruised, and
two animal trainers whose names were
not learned One of these was gored
on the left leg and the other was pain
fully bruised
l.. j. Worsley, a driver for the Stan
dard OIL company, was fatally burned
in the conflagration and is not ex-
pected to survive the night.
Elephants Break Loose
The circus grounds are situated just
across the street from the plant OF the
Standard Oil company, where a lire
broke out shortly before the time set
for the afternoon performance. one
after another, with great cannon-hke
booms, the oil tanks blew up. The re-
ports threw the whole menagerie into
panic but all the animals were kept
under control except five elephants,
which broke from their keepers and
dashed from the big tent into the open.
Believing thunderously and swinging
their trunks, the huge beasts started
on a run toward the Box Springs grace.
They were headed back into town by
a crowd of keepers and, while the pop
ulation scuttled to cover, four OF the
animals were captured and led below
ing back to the tent.
The fifth elephant, one OF the largest,
dashed past its keepers and made for
the business section. Rounding the
corner at Fourth and Mulberry streets,
IL came upon Miss Gibbs. In vain the
unfortunate woman tried to reacn the
shelter of L house. Rushing upon her,
the animal struck her down, trampled
ner and gored her murderously with
his tusks.
Career of Crazed Brute
His rage unsatiated, the elephant
left the deaconess and smashed his
great body through the door of barn
belonging to Rev. Robert Fisher.
Gaining the inside, he attacked horse,
nearly killing it. From the barn the
fire-crazed demon took himself to the
public library grounds, smashing build
ings, fences and trees and tearing to
pieces every object in his path.
Through the Glenwood barber shop
he splintered his way, and 1t was there
that Wilton Lackaye was injured. into
Main street and through plate glass
windows into the store of the Riverside
Music company the beast went.
police officer took several shots at MIN
with his pistol, but to these the ele-
phant paid as little attention as he
would to the bites of fly.
One of the animal trainers. whose
name is not known, was the means or
saving at least two lives before the big
brute was gotten under control.
Heroic Acts Of Trainer
At Orange and Seventh streets the
elephant threw Frank A. Bird, and was
about to crush him with his full
weight. when the keeper came up close
behind and fired three shots from a
revolver into the elephants neck This
caused the elephant to swerve around,
his attention being detracted from his
intended victim. In the meantime,
however. Bird had sustained broken
leg and other injuries.
In the courtyard of the GlenWood
hotel ID. p. Chapman was thrown by
the elephant and might have sustained
fatal injuries had not the same keeper
arrived on the scene in the nick OF tline.
He fired the remaining four shots from
his revolver into the elephant, and the
brute at once turned his attention from
the man on the ground to his assailant.
THE left trouser leg of the keeper was
ripped wide open by the infuriated
beast, and the limb was painfully
lacerated. The flesh from the keepers
.I..1 olF a
AT the Glenwood hotel, Eva Howe,
guest, was sitting in a swing when the
inf,lriated beast made full at her. She
was about to fee, when the elephants
keeper, who was close behind the ami
mai, advised her to sit still. AS re-
suit the elephant rushed by without
molesting her.
Caught In Club Stables
The runaway finally dashed into the
Club stables on Market street, and
when the pursuing keepers shut the
big doors, he failed to break his way
out. When two of the circus men went
inside with their hooks and attempted
TO calm the animal, however, he turned
upon and nearly killed them. The ele-
nhant was subdued only when a herd
Of his fellows were driven into his
company. at which time the keepers
succeeded in claiming him securely be-
tween two of the members of the herd.
Miss Ella Gibbs was deaconess in
the First congregational church of this
city. Before coming here about three
wears ago, she had been a prominent
worker in the slums in Chicago. Since
her arrival in Riverside, she has been
doing mission work among the Chin
ese and Japanese population, and has
also made a life work of assisting con-
sumptives who arrived here penrtless.
L. ]. Worsley, the oil wagon driver,
is still unconscious and is not expected
to live The fire started with the ex
nlosion of the tank on the Worsley
- .,o,, hut ,uhnt caused this EXPLOSION