I really think that this time I am bringing you some unique history and I believe the picture backs up my claim.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I got the idea for an elephant post from the Discovery Channel. I subsequently stumbled across the story which has 3 "E" related subjects.
It is the narrative of Mighty Mary, a large elephant (E #1) performing with Sparks World Famous Shows circus in Tennessee in 1913. On the night of September 12th, she apparently tossed her assistant trainer, Red Eldridge (E #2) against a drink stand with her trunk and proceeded to stomp his head repeatedly, killing him. In her defense, most accounts agree that Eldridge, a hotel worker who had been a trainer for exactly one day, provoked the reaction in the five-ton animal by pestering her while she ate. This strange event became an immediate media sensation and agenda journalism took over. Rumors flew about "Murderous Mary's" past violent behavior and nearby communities that had been eagerly awaiting the circus' arrival, instantly began lining up to boycott the event. The furor quickly became so intense that she was shot two dozen times by a local blacksmith, which apparently did very little to the killer beast.
The purveyor of the circus, Charlie Sparks, bravely stuck by his animal for nearly 12 hours before succumbing to the community pressure and deciding that in order to save his traveling extravaganza, he must publicly execute poor Mary. She was taken by train to Edwin, TN (E #3) where she was to be hanged by a rail car crane on the 13th. The first attempt merely served to show that their noose chain wasn't strong enough and to break Mary's hip. The second try proved to be successful and she was buried next to the train tracks.
As far as I or Wikipedia know, this is the only known instance of Jim Crowe-style elephant lynching and a black mark on the history of the great state of Tennessee.
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Are you implying this is the only black mark on the history of the great state of Tennessee?
ReplyDeleteI'm on Mary's side, and I'm far from an animal activist. I like meat as much as the next Missouri girl. But, for real, what do we crazy humans expect from wild animals, trying to train them and pen them up and such? Why are we surprised when they go nuts like this?
On a separate note (or is it?), does anyone really know what the CCR song "Proud Mary" refers to?
I never said it was the ONLY back mark, just that it was A black mark. I am likewise not a PETA-type but I figure if you're a bellhop, maybe poking a 5 ton animal that you've known for exactly 24 hours while it eats puts you into the "expendable" catagory.
ReplyDeleteWikipedia says that Proud Mary is about a river boat and the WIKI knows all.
I seacond the answer Proud Mary" is a river boat, But what I want to know is there still a 8 ton elephan buried in so train yard? can you imagine some guy doing so work on the tracks and unearths an 8 ton elephan bone.
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ReplyDeleteNow, now Marshall...let's not exaggerate! My story clearly states that Mary was a 5 ton elephant not an 8 ton elephant. I imagine that in Edwin, TN they try not to emphasize their elephant lynching (or any other variety of lynching for that matter) heritage. I doubt there’s a memorial to the poor pachyderm.
ReplyDeleteApparently they never heard about the Emancipation Pachymation.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it didn't get a whole lot of coverage down there (stolen directly from "Fletch Lives").
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