ELEPHANTS IN GLASS HOUSES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11346, 14 April 1900, Page 5 (Supplement)

ELEPHANTS IN GLASS HOUSES.

MOST EXTRAORDINARY SCENES.

DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.

[FROM OCR OWN COIUIESrON'DEVT.]

LONDON, February 23. An absolutely novel and unprecedented situation came about quite unexpectedly at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, last Sunday afternoon. It was of a highly sensational and spectacular nature, and involved not only large destruction of property, but also, I regret to say, loss of human life. Tho usual numerous audience had assembled at one of the Sunday afternoon sacred concerts in tho special concert hall, which is sub-divided from the rest of the vast glass house at Sydenham. All was calm and peaceful, Suddenly a tremendous crash was heard, and a huge elephant calmly walked through the glass and wooden side of the concert hall, and marched straight into the middle of the auditorium. With a joint shriek and yell, so terrifying in its aggregate piercingness, that the huge intruder stood for a moment paralysed with amazement, the audience—largely femininescooted so rapidly that it is believed they made absolutely " record" time to the various exits. After staring for a moment with evident, disgust at the retreating crowd, the elephant gave a derisive snort, and, contemptuously turning his back on them, proceeded calmly to walk through another side of the hall, 'just as if it had been built of tissue paper. And then the'people began to , collect their wits and to wonder what the "'dickens had happened. This is what occurred:-—

Sanger's menagerie has been doing a season at the Crystal Palace, and its "cast" includes seven enormous elephants. One of these, known as Charlie, who has been in Sanger's Circus for no less than forty years, has a certain reputation. Three years ago a keeper who had been summarily discharged twelve months previously for playing some trick on him, was taken back on his earnest plea, but with a stern warning never to go near the elephants. He disregarded this order, and being instantly recognised by Charlie, was as promptly put to death by the indignant beast. in this later case, Charlie was said to have taken offence at being washed by means of a hose—an operation which the elephants usually enjoy—or perhaps he had got out of bed wrong " foot foremost—an experience which old elephants sometimes share, with human beings—at all events he flew into a rage and snapped his chain as if it had been pack-thread. And (lieu " things" happened, and there were "times" at tho Crystal Palace'.

First of all, Charlie seems to Lave been annoyed-at the way two camels stared at him, and to have detected a covert sneer on their pendulous underlips. Perhaps he took their hum]) as a personal reflection. That point is not yet cleared up. Hut Charlie's action in the' matter was very prompt and earnest. Ho at once walked up to those camels-and ripped them up with his terrible tusks.

According to the story first put forward, a keeper whose name was Baker, but who was known as "Wood," interposed very pluckily, and endeavoured to restrain the elephant, but Cltaijje, now more furious than ever, first felled him to the ground with a single blow of bis trunk, next ripped him up horribly with his tusks, and then fiercely trampled upon the prostrate man until his mangled body was crushed into a shapeless and unrecognisable mass. Another attendant rushed'into the main building to give the alarm, and warn visitors to flee, but " Charlie" was after. him like a shot, and a second elephant named Archie, believed to be over 100 years old, startled by the tearful scene of " Wood's" death, also broke loose, and followed tho elephantine murderer, A scene ensued which beggars description. The proverbial "bull in a china shop" cont'd never have come within cooee of two elephants in a glass house. Charlie went straight for several statues, pulling oil' their legs and arms, and when he reached the well-known statue of (he "Sleeping Student" he made one mighty snap at its head, which he took right into his mouth, and chewed hard.' The unexpected coldness and solidity of the mouthful seemed to give him a severe shock, for his career ended there and then. lie disgustedly rejected Due stone head, and stood stock still, with an aspect of immovable stubbornness. Nothing could induce him to return to the-menagerie, and as this was the second occasion on which ho had destroyed a human life, Mr. Sanger, who was quickly on the spot, decided at onco that ho must be killed, although the elephant, was his particular pet, and manifestly shared his attachment, while, more-., over, the immense beast was valued' at £2000. Accordingly a loaf of bread, containing enough cyanide of potassium to slay a small army, was offered to Charlie, who accepted it and munched it sullenly. The poison seemed to stupefy, but did not kill him, and as no rifle available would have had any effect, an urgent telegram was sent to the city for two experts, Messrs. Churchill, of Agar-street, Strand, to come with elephant guns. They came with three more men. Charlie, now firmly chained, stood apparently dazed close by the spot where the blood of the slain keeper was still wet. Mr. Sanger went up to tho doomed beast of which lie was so fond, and took a mute but touching farewell. A group of excited reporters and attendantsgathered behind the five "shootists," who all fired nearly simultaneously, every shot —each aimed 'at a different point—king mortal. Poor Charlie fell dead instantly. Meanwhile, his companion, Archie, had started off upon what is called in newspa percsque a " mad career." First he made straight for the concert hall, which he entered in the unceremonious manner I have already described, namely, by the simple method of walking right through doors and partitions. He did not carry out these operations without suffering from wear and tear, for as he emerged ho left a copious trail of blood which bad flown from numerous glass-cuts on his forequartera, Then back in the transept he dashed about wildly till lip came to a strong door. At this he went full butt, and then entered the skat-ing-rink, which, fortunately, was empty. Still bleeding freely, he then rushed into the great aviary, and terrified the'unfortunate birds into fits, but here again' tho general shriek of dismay seemed to alarm and daunt him, for he stopped short, and then, turning tail, be charged through another door into the gardens. Once out in the open, lie appeared to scent the breath of freedom, and loudly trumpeting Ins joy and defiance, he set oil at a smart trot for the country, levelling every fence and building that came in bis way. AH that day and all the following night the errant elephant spread destruction and consternation throughout the pretty suburban and rural residential locality which extends from Sydenham south - eastward through Kent, He avoided the main roads, but simply marched right through walls and sheds and hedges and trees and houses, levelling everything as if in mere wantonnets of mischief. All that Sunday night nobody in the line of route dared goto bed, The amount and variety of the damage <I3he by this single elephant is almost beyond belief. Some of the scenes were droll enough. During tl evening a lady went into her garden on her way to church, but instantly ran back into the house exclaiming to her husband, "Oh, John, there's an elephant in the front garden; do please go and turn him out!" But John, after prudently surveying the ground, thought discretion might, prove" the better part of valour, and preferred to wait indoors with Ins agitated wife until Archie voluntarily took his departure. All night a number of Mr. Sanger's men on horseback pursued the errant elephant, who also was followed by a crowd of men and boys on foot. He bad, however, a disconcerting way of suddenly turning every now and then, and charging bis pursuers, who were prompt to give him " leg-bail. i Ultimately, Archie, after travelling 25 or 30 miles in a curiously serpentine course, lay down to rest, utterly wearied, in a wood near Hayes. Five decoy elephants were taken thither, and with their aid tho truant was brought back safely to tiie menagerie, without'further harm being dono. But ths affair- to proved a sad loss both

to' Mr. Sanger— liability for damage 1 is enormous—and to the Crystal Palace. .. And now, after all, it turns out that the whole trouble was due to the tality of the keeper who paid the penalty with his life. It/came out at the inquest yesterday that' the'' keeper Baker —or "Woods' I had been '"'pushed" by the elephant Charlie, and* had 'declared lie would pay the animal out for it. After having his dinner. Baker announced his intention of giving Charlie a " good hiding," and got some other men to help him to shackle the elephant for this purpose. He then fetched a long pole, and gave Charlie several digs with it. The elephant. first merely tried to get out of the way, being a patient good-tempered beast, but when the brutal keeper prodded him with the pole on his other side Charlie's patience gave way. He made a plunge, snapped his shackles, and rushed at Baker, who tried to escape, but Stumbled against a camel, and fell. The elephant, aiming at Baker, gored the camel by mistake, but at once with' his trunk caught his tormentor, and, after raising him in the air, dashed him down, gored him, and finally trampled him into a shapeless mass. He deserves no pity, and none is bestowed on him now the facts are known. Evidently he was' a cruel brute like tho other ruffian of whom Charlie obligingly relieved the world three years ago. All one's regrets are for poor slaughtered Charlie. But even had the facts come out before his execution, it would not have been safe to keep an animal who had killed two men, however righteously and deservedly. Mr. Sanger, who gave his evidence at the inquest with much feeling, spoke of "poor 'old Charlie" as the most docile and affectionate of creatures.- He stated that Charlie had been on the stage at Westminster and on other stages, with 300 ballet-girls and children round him, and that poor old Charlie was as harmless as /i child. Respecting Baker, Mr. Sanger had never known him to be drunk ; but he recorded his opinion that, in taking an instrument such as that he used to torture a poor dumb animal, the man only met his deserts. (Cheers in court.) The jury did "not know the trouble Mr. Sanger had in keeping the men in his employ from knocking the animals about. A short time ago a. boy killed a pony worth 60 guineas, and, when he was brought to justice, there was a conspiracy against the man who was supposed to have given information, and he went about in hazard of his life. Mr. Sanger was sorry for the man Baker and his friends, but the torture of an animal who was as affectionate as a child to its parents made him sad. He could buy another elephant, .but he could, not buy another Charlie. After the occurrence on Sunday, he went up to the animal and said, "Come along old Charlie," and Charlie went halfway across to him, when another elephant was brought alongside, to which he was secured by a chain, and led away to be shot.

Ultimately the jury returned a verdict of accidental death, "under strong provocation," and the foreman wished to express bis opinion that the Crystal Palace was not the proper place for these performances, and to suggest that the directors of the Palace should try to avoid this class of entertainment in the future, It is recollected with some disquietude that at the present moment a large number of savage lions— than 20—are in captivity at a hippodrome in the heart of London. People wonder what would happen if through five or some other accident these 20 odd lions should be at liberty in the streets of London.