A WICKED ELEPHANT. His Keepers Spend Five Days In Breaking His Spirit. Swinging the Mad Brute in Mid-Air—Ho Finally Cries Out, Sheds Tears, and Stands Up Conquered.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 99, 25 April 1885, Page 5

A WICKED ELEPHANT. His Keepers Spend Five Days In Breaking His Spirit. Swinging the Mad Brute in Mid-Air— Ho Finally Cries Out, Sheds Tears, and Stands Up Conquered.

It took a dozen men five days of last woek to break the spirit of a vicious elephant in the winter quarters of Adam Forepaugh's circus and menagerie. Early in February, one of Mr Forepaugh's European agents bought four elephants and shipped them to this country. The huge beasts reached New York two weeks ago, and were at once transhipped to Philadelphia. Three or the proboscidians were docile, but the other, Ajax, is a tusker, eight feet high and vioious. On the ship he was encased in a monster wooden cage, from which he was released when the vessel reached New York. He broke loose on the deck, and for an hour or two he tore round so desperately that no one dared approach him. Assisted by the other elephants, the men at last succeeded in hobbling him. Then, tied to the tail of a heavy truck drawn by four horses, he was led to the cars in Jersey City. On reaching this city he became sullen, but Jack Forepaugh, who has charge of the winter quarters, believing that the brute would become good-natured in a day or two, hitched him to a post and locked him up for the night. A few hours later Ajax broke his chains, butted down the ironbound door of his room, and rushed into an apartment in which a dozen of the more peaceable elephants live.^ He attacked a performing elephant named Bazie, and a desperate flight began. Five or six of the smnll elephants broke loose. Their frightened cries soon excited every animal in the buildings, and the air was filled with mars that aroused the neighbourhood. The nightkeepers were afraid to attempt to separate Ajax and Bazie, who were trumpeting and charging at each other with great fury. When their huge bodies came together at the end of every rush the shock could be felt throughout the place. SKFARATIN'G THE FIGHTING ELKVHANTS. Jack Forepaugh was sent for, but before he arrived the watchmen discovered that Ajax and Bazie were so engaged witk each other that they did not heed what was going on about them. The doors were opened, and all the elephants oxcept the fighters were driven out. By the time this was accomplished Mr Forepaugh arrived. He has had thirty years' experience with wild animals, and stands no more in fe.ir of an elephant than an ordinary person does of a dog. Grasping an elephant hook — a spike and a hook on a stout handle— he ran between the furious beasts and ordered Bazie back. Bazie obeyed, but the blood of the new elephant was up and he charged on the man, who eluded him and fastened tho hook in the beast's ear. Ajax turned and bore down upon him. The trainer stabbed him with tho spike and dodged behind a post. Ajax butted the post down as though it had been a reed. Tho other men ran to Mr Forepaugh's assistance.and assailed the elephant from so many points that he paused irresolute. During that pause a chain was passed about one of his hind legs and fastened to an anchored ring. This rendered him almost helpless. His other legs were hobbled, and he was left alone until daylight, Bazie being driven off to another part of the quarters. On Tue:day morning Ajax was as sullen and vicious as ever. Bad elephants sometimes remain in this mood for days, and no man can approach them with eafsty. Until such an elephant's spirit is broken he is worse than useless. Steps were at once taken to convince Ajax that he mui»t obey his keepers. Of the thirty six elephants now under Jack Forepaugh's care none were so hard to subdue as Ajax. The york of conquering the proud spirit of Ajax beecan at 9 o'clock on Tuesday morning, and ended shortly before noon yesterday. Beating has no effect upon a mad elephant. It only renders him mo# Btubborn and wicked. The breaker's only hope is to convince such an animal that he is powerless against man. That accomplished, the beast becomes as docile as ele phants ever are. On Tuesday morning four hawsers were passed through immense pulleys attached to beams under the roof. Then a set of harness, shaped eomething like a monster shawlstrap, was fastened about Ajaxs defiant body. The leather straps, which wore three-ply thick, covered small chains. All the loather plates were copper rive'ed and a foot wide. Ajax looked as though he was in armour after being encased in the harness. Three hours were spent in getting the harness on him, and dunng the job he slightly injured two of the keepers. Through iron rings, supported by great chains, were passed the hawsers. Then a dozen men grasped two of the lines of rope that passed through pulleys, and before Ajax knew it his hind feet Avere six feet above the ground, and he stood on his front ones in the most approved performing elephant style. For a moment he was paralysed with astonishment, but surprise gave place to fury when he appreciated the ridiculous postuie ho was in. He surged and trumpeted and flapped his ears, but all to no purpose. SWINGING OFF THE GROUND. When his struggles subsided some of the men ran off with the front ropes and in a jiffy Ajaxs borty was suspended in air. He made the most frantic efforts to tear the belting off with his trunk, but the chainß betAveen his fore legs and around his shoulders prevented it. There the monster brute hung as helpless as an infant. He was free to kick and plunge and butt the air as much as be pleased. From time to time he was lowered, so that he might rest his legs, but nono of the men were allowed to approach or worry him. In the evening he was lowered and fed, and allowed to spend the night on the ground thinking over tho indignities that had been put upon him. After his breakfast on the following morning ho was trussed up as before. He resisted, but his efforts were unavailing He was a stout-spirited brute, however, and the second day's punishment only Beemed to increase his rage. When he came down to pupper he was the maddest elephant that ever trumpeted in Forcpaugh's winter quarters. At the Bight of the harness on Wednesday he became greatly excited. Mr. Forepaugh said he was coming to his senses. This, however, did not prevent him from being hoisted up again. He surged about less in his comfortable swing on Thursday, but otherwise he was as stubborn and dangerous as ever. An anchor was punk five feet in the ground and covered withearthjin another part of the quarters. Only a ring was exposed. Ajaxs forelegs were hitched to the ring on Friday morning, Ropes were attached to bis hind legs, which were then drawn out, leaving him "spreadeagled " on his stomach on a bed of straw. Jack Forepaugh walked over Ajax 'a pros trate body every few minutes. The elephant was let up and thrown down several times during the day. After three or four hours' experience of this kind AJax beoaine meeker, andt he. was

quite dejected when, in the evening, he was unchained and ordered to stand up. He was hobbled and thrown down on Saturday morning, and when his body touched the ground he cried out, and tears trickled down his trunk. He was conquered. The chains were removed at once, and he got up quietly. At the word of command he walked into the room he had broken out of on Monday night, and was as meek as a sheep all day. Next week he will begin the course of training necessary before he appears in public— <• Philadelphia Times, >f March Bth.