An Elephant Tragedy in India.

Manawatu Herald, 21 December 1895, Page 2

An Elephant Tragedy in India.

* _ Daring the late religious festival at Alvartirunagari, on the banks of the Tambramini (says the Madras Standard), a terrible tragedy wag enacted by an elephant. Like most large temples, it has its periodioal festivals, one of which has just been celebrated. Certain elephants were brought for the festivities of the occasion . All went smoothly till unfortunately a large elephant being at rut, ran amuck. The mahout unwittingly took up a little child and placed' it in front of him on the elephant's neck. Alarmed at the state of the elephant the mahoufc tried quietly to pass the child out oj danger by handing if; to somebody behind. He was not quick enough to elude the sagacity of the elephant, which snatched up the child, put it into its mouth, and began munching it. The mahout, horrified at the sight, jumped down and tried to ex'.iicate the child, which he^ succeeded in doing, but not before the child was well nigh dead. Indeed, it only breathed for a few minutes afterwards, and then expired, Eu« raged beyond all bounds, the animal became furious, and in its mad rage seized the mahout, dashed him to the ground, and then trampled out any little breath that might have still remained in his body. And here comes a strange and touching incident. Relenting seemingly of his awful misdeed, the elephans gathered up what was the moment before his master, proceeded to bis (the mahout's) house and depositing his mournful burden at his door passed on. The people generally in great dread closed all their doors and windows. The elephant rushed wildly along the Btreets and cams to the temple, the door of which, too, had been closed. It thereupon. battered the door, and passing into the enclosure furiously attacked the little elephant there, which it pierced with it 3 tusks and soon killed. Emerging thence, the animal rushed madly along to the river close by, where it began throwing mud and sand all over itself.