The New York herald., 1922-04-21
Keeper Mangled in Struggle in
Toledo Zoo, Where the
Animal Is Killed.
NOISE CRAZES ELEPHANT
Police With Rifles Ready to
Slay Beast if She Breaks
Shackles.

Special Dispatch to THE New York HERALD
TOLEDO, April 20.-Tony. said to be
the largest ape in captivity. was killed
in the Walbridge Park Zoo this after
noon after he had attacked and Sc
verely injured Louis Sherer. keeper.
Babe. a giant elephant, driven wild
by the excitement. is trumpeting and
clashing furiously about the elephant
house late tonight trying to break
ankle chains which are anchored to
piles sunk deep into the ground. Out
side a dozen policemen are on guard
with heavy elephant guns, ready to
shoot him IL he breaks out.
The ape had been noticeably mo-
rose and untractable for several. days.
When Shcrer entered his cage to feel
him he was squattiag on trapeze. The
heavy body OF the ape suddenly hurtied
down and landed on the shoulders OF the
keeper. Clawine and biting and screams
ing. Tony bore Sherer to the ground.
The keeper threw his arm across his
throat as he fell and thus kept the AMI
mails teeth away from his jugular vein,
the first point OF attack. But the ape
ripped and tore at the mans head and
arm, slicing the flesh as with a knife.
Shercr managed to regain his feet after
the first shock and while he guarded his
own throat with one hand. with the
other he tried TO reach the throat OF the
ape to choke him into submission.
4 But the ape was TOO strong. He drove
the man back against the bars of the
cage outside, on the ground and lying
against one of the bars. was a brick.
Sherer got one hand through the bars
picked 1t up and, with his free hand
began smashing the skull of the brute.
The blows had little II any effect. The
first one staggered the ape, but It re-
covered and returned to the attack be-
fore Sherer could knock II down. There
after. although Sherer smashed steadily
at the thick skull the ape forced the
keeper back and finally through the door
of the cage into the park.
With the ape clutching him In both
arms. biting and clawing. Sherer stag
gered from the monkey quarters into the
park, in the midst of crowd of sight
seers. attracted by the sounds of battle.
Other keepers had come up. but the
ape and Sherer were struggling so
swiftly and were so closely intertwined
they could do nothing. Finally the ape
released Sherer as suddenly as Ii had
attacked Dropping the man uncon-
scious to the ground, it leaped to the
top OF an automobile. where 1t sat
grimacing and screaming In rage.
Other keepers took up the battle. and
one of them hit the ape with a spade
just as II was about to spring at him.
another smashed II or the skull with
{. pickaxe. II slid unconscious from
the top OF the car and Patrolman Hen
messy shot 1t through the brain. Sherer
was hurried TO Mercy Hospital. where
/. was said he would probably recover.
although badly mangled and very weak
from loss OF blood.
The uproar attending the struggle
penetrated as far as tbs elephant house,
where II put che finishing touches TO
the nervous frenzy into which the big
elephant Babe had been whipping him
self for several days. and Sherer was
the only keeper who could control him.
Babe went completely crazy within
half an hour after Sherer. unconscious.
was sent to the hospital. Keepers tried
to calm him. but he got worse. His huge
body rocked 10 and fro. his wicked little
eyes became bcady aud vengefui. and
he swept his trunk about the elephant
house In a desperate effort to wrap Il
around keeper and dash the man
against the walls. a barrel was In his
way and he ripped 1t 10 pieces he tore
up everything In sight. and then he
settled down into = stendy effort to
break the leg chains which kept him
back.
The police sent TO the gun stores and
got all the elephant rifles In the city
and the best marksmen oil the force sur
rounded the elephant house to wait for
will not kill Babe unless he breaks his
chains.