Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-01
PRISONER TWENTY YEARS
Hugest Elephant Ever Captured, But
Jumbo Was Taller.
HIS HIDE TO BE STUFFED
Nobody Knows How Old He Was.
Ill Since Thursday-Mighty
Sling to Bear Weight.

Geological Gardens. He never had a
rival in captivity except Jumbo, and
Jumbo while taller. was lighter than
Bolivar. The Philadelphia monster
weighed six tons.
For twenty years the big fellow had
been confined within a small Enclosure at
the Zoo, and for twelve or fifteen years
he had not been allowed even to pass
out of his cell into the little yard. One
foot shackled with a big chain. he stood
there all day long, year after year. his
huge bulk swaying from side to side his
clumsy feet scuffling slowly on the floor.
He was kept prisoner because ne
wasn't safe. He had q fairly mild eye.
had Bolivar. but somewhere in the huge
head was bad streak. Twice during
his career. before he was chained up
that bad streak flared up into vicious
ness. and he trampled the lives out OF
two men.
No one knows how old Bolivar was.
Until recently it was believed that he
was f1fty-seven or. fifty-eight years OLD.
When Adam Forepaugh, the circus man.
bought him thirty years ago. he was told
that the elephant was twenty-seven years
old. But he may have been any age up
to 100 years. which elephants sometimes
attain. He died Of old age, the animal
doctors think.
His Hide to Be Stuffed.
Anyway, the big fellow is dead. and
lies there in his cell. a mountain of inert
flesh. Experts today will begin to take
of the heavy hide and separate the mass
i've bones Eventually the huge skeleton
will be set up in the Academy OF Natural
Sciences and near 1t will be the hide.
stuffed in the semblance Of life
Bolivar began to show signs OF old age
two or three years ago. But it was not
until q couple of days ago that his appe-
lite fell off. Until then. day and night.
he kept up his swaying and his munching
Of hay. for healthy elephant eats nearly
all his wakeful hours. The only signs OF
illness were rheumatism. which some
times caused the venerable monster great
suffering Even then he continued to
support his great weight upon his feet,
md seldom lay down except at night.
But last Thursday afternoon he began
to show unmistakable signs of illness
AS evening approached he lay down, and
it was for the last time. The kindly zoe
officials gave him every possible atten-
ton. and thought that his early retire
ment was due to his rheumatism. and de-
termined to give him relief from the bur
den of bearing the weight of his colossal
body upon his legs.
All day yesterday work was pushed as
rapidly as possible upon the erection OF
derrick and the making OF mighty
sling with which to raise the elephant
to his feet and sustain the greater part
Of his weight His ancient consort and
companion had been removed from the
cell into an adjoining one. In spite of his
mute but unmistakable protests. in order
to make room for the derrick and sling
Last evening at ) O'Clock, when every
thing was in readiness to hoist him. his
stertorous breathing told DR.. Brown that
it would be useless. Slowly and gently
his life ebbed away, and in half an hour
his restless body was still.
Old Trainer in Hospital.
1t is a curious coincidence that the only
man whom Bolivar acknowledged as a
real master Is lying PROSTATE in the
Presbyterian Hospital. battling with the
white plague, a struggle that may have
but one ending. That master was Epf
Thompson, a giant colored man. who was
for many years the head elephant keeper
for Adam Forepaugh.
1t might also be said that he had an.
other master in young Adam Forepaugh
but his mastery was one Of fear. wherea:
the mastery of Eph Thompson was one
of affection. Young Forepaugh did mo-
care to handle Bolivar, except when II
was necessary, during the absence OF
Thompson. He could do it. but 1t was
risky from the start. and in later years
very hazardous. Such thing as fear o.
an animal was impossible to young Fore
paugh. however, and Bolivar knew 1t ant
respected his courage.
Bolivar had never forgotten young
Forepaugh. He lives in this city in re.
tirement, and makes an occasional visit
to the zoo. Always Bolivar had shown
that he had known him, but there have
been no efforts made to see If he would
still respond to orders from his old mas
ter. The probabilities were that he would
not
Bolivar. an Asiatic elephant. was bought
by Adam Forepaugh in 1873 The rule
among elephants Is that the bigger the
animal is the better Its temper. But Boil
certain that he had never killed any one
before he came to America. for once ar
elephant kills a man. he will kill another
at the first opportunity offered.
Killed Practical Joker.
what is known as the 'musth' period
when he becomes dangerous. Bolivar had
an unusually vicious temper. The veteran
Snowman had him for nine years before
he became murderous. In the spring OF
1883 ne killed a man who was tantaliZing
him with the lighted end of a cigar.
Accustomed to stretching forth his
persons visiting the circus. Bolivar
touched the hot end of the cigar. OF
course, he refused second proffer and
the unfortunate man. in his eagerness to
again burn the big fellows trunk. ap-
preached too close. The curling tip OF
the great trunk seized him. and an in
slant later the mighty foot of Bolivar
had crushed the mans head out Of al
human seInblance.
1t was only question Of time before
he would claim another victim. and he
did. Ordinarily showmen regard death
as the only safety from a bad ele-
plant, and almost any other Snowman
would have condemned him. But Adam
Forepaugh was very proud Of Bolivar
and wanted him to be seen In real cap
tivity. where his enormous and SYM
metrical proportions might be viewed in
safety by his townsmen of this city.
Thereupon. Eph Thompson was put in
charge. He had nothing to do but to
watch Bolivar until the show returned
to this city to its winter quarters at the
eastern end of Lehigh avenue. Arriving
there. Forepaugh sent Bolivar in heavy
chains to the zoo where he remained a
prisoner for twenty years.
Compared With Jumbo.
Bolivar was undoubtedly the largest
and heaviest elephant ever seen outside
of India or Siam. Jumbo exceeded HIM
only In height over the front shoulders
and head He was higher across the rear
quarters than Jumbo. His tody was at
least a yard longer and foot wider and
deeper than Jumbo's.
He was Of the Asiatic species. with
greater intelligence and a brain of double
the size Of that of the African species. to
very big and square. His ears were small
and shapely and probably not more than
one-third as large as Jumbo's, for the
African elephant has enormous ears.