Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1916-06-08
Al Enraged Elephant
Causes CONSERVATION
AT Village Of Elkton
Graphic Account of the Actions of a,
Enraged Elephant That Broke
Loose at Eikton.

The Clark Courier gives an excel
lent account of the trouble caused by
an enraged elephant at Elkton, S. d.,
recently, following the decision to
give no performance. The animal.
was known as Hero" DR.. Bugbeeis
the Courier's informant.
"The monster animal was noted as
the largest in captivity in the world"
says the Clark paper, "and at times
very hard to handle and has a record
of having killed three men. 1t was
formerly with a large circus, but due
to its viciousness was sold to Orion
Bros. show. This show was going to
exhibit at Elkton On Monday of last
week and cuts had been put up but
owing to the rain it was decided not
to show that night but to nov to,
next scheduled place. 1t was about
five o'clock in the afternoon when the
animal went mad. Mrs. Bugbee was
also an eye witness and took an acs-
i've part in the animal hunt and it is
related by them as follows:
"'The trainer appeared to be un-
der the influence of liquor when he
brought the monster elephane, Hero,
which is reported to have weighed
almost twenty ones, the brute was
being used in pulling up the tent
stakes and assisting in loading the
Aircus outfit and from all appear
ances was doing his work well. but
the keeper tried to show off and
prodded the big fellow with a sharp
iron until the animal lost it's temper
and began to resent the inhuman
treatment and charged on the keep
er in such a that caused the
people around to look for places of
safety.
atFor a time the many people that
were around there did not fully real
ize the %precarious situation that pre-
vailed and the keeper tried three
times to get back and subdue the
animal, but the brute kept getting
madden and the man, realizing he
was unable to control him, threw off
his coat and shoes and made for
safety, but the big fellow was alert
and threw the man to the ground and,
attempted to crush him with his head
but by mere chance the ground being
soft and slippery, he managed to slip
from under the death maui and jump.
ed to his feet ~endeavoring to escape,
but the brute was too quick and
again knocked him down, but again
managed to free himself just as tue
brute raised his foot to stamp the
life out of him and crawled under
one of the big wagons nearby. The
animal, seeing him there, made a
charge on the wagon, which was
heavily loaded and smashed 1t into
kindling wood. About this time he
heard his keepers voice v by the
train and made a dash in that di-
rection, throwing the wagons right
and left off the fiat cars so the crash
could be heard all .over the town.
About this time ONE one took a
shot at the animal and he made q
dash down Main street and the crowd
could not have disappeared faster
had they seen a cyclone coming.
"'The manager then gave orders
the telephone should be shot and a
large number Of town people began
to- gather rifles and ammunition, also
horses, and about forty in number
took up the chase, following the brute
several miles into the country, shoot
ing at intervals. The chase kept UP
until eleven o'clock that night when
a bullet struck him behind the ear
and the monster dropped dead, hay
ing been hit about two hundred times
with shots from rifles such as 5000
Savage, $3.50, heavy Martins, etc."