A cruel story about the elephant Mary (3 photos). Vasilisa Yaviks - intelligent search engine
It's hard to tell if this photo is fake or real, but one way or another, Mary's story is very sad. Mary is the only elephant in the world to have been hanged. Cruelty to animals is not uncommon in this world, but stories like these beg the question, will it ever stop? 
Mary's fate was captured on a cold February day in 1916 when Charlie Spark's traveling circus arrived in the small town of Kingsport. The elephant was the main star of the circus - she could play 25 tunes on the horns using her trunk. She also knew how to play baseball. To advertise their performance, the circus drove down the main street of the city. Mary was ridden by Walter Eldridge, a tramp who had just been hired to look after the elephant. In his hand he held a special stick with a sharp spear at the end, which is used to train elephants. Elephants are very afraid of her, as the spear pierces their skin, and they do everything that the trainer asks. Mary was also trained with this stick. And it seemed to Eldredge that he was well in control of the elephant. But, unfortunately, on that very day, Mary had a bad toothache, and when she stopped to chew on a watermelon peel, Eldridge jabbed his spear right into the pain point in her jaw. 
Everyone knows that elephants can instantly succumb to anger, especially from pain, and this happened to Mary. She pulled Eldridge off her and stamped on him for a long time. The crowd that was on the street was scared at first, but then they also became furious and began to chant “Kill the elephant!”. Mary stood calmly, but they began to shoot at her. The bullets caused her almost no harm, and the owner of the circus had to promise people that he himself would deal with the recalcitrant elephant. 
All sorts of ideas poured in on how to end Mary. Finally, we settled on one - the elephant should be hanged. For this, they decided to use a multi-ton railway crane. When Mary, wrapped around her neck with a chain, was lifted into the air, the chain could not stand it, and the elephant fell to the ground, breaking her hip. And although the animal screamed in pain, the tormentors brought the matter to an end, and at that time onlookers photographed the process.
The photographs of Mary's agonizing death are most likely genuine, although many call them fake. And they, as silent witnesses of human cruelty, captured this terrible incident forever.
This tragic event took place almost 100 years ago in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. In 1916, on September 12, a caravan of wagons and a wagon with circus artists, animals and props entered the city, it was the Spark Brothers traveling circus (Sparks World Famous Shows). The small town of Kingsport, like many similar places, for the Spark brothers was another locality, where the next circus performance was to be given, then no one could have guessed what a tragic event would happen here.
The circus has arrived. Routine preparations for the upcoming shows began, the workers laid out the territory, raised a colorful tent, artists and animals began to rehearse. In one of the numbers, an Asian elephant named Big Mary was supposed to perform, they also decided to bring her to the arena so that she would refresh her memory of the main actions of the number.
To care for Big Mary, a young boy was taken into her trailer, he first went to work and had no experience in dealing with animals. Colleagues inadvertently advised him to use painful methods in case of disobedience of the animal, he, following their parting words when taking the elephant out of the car, at the moment when she hesitated, pierced her ear with a stick with a sharp metal lance. The wound turned out to be so painful that Big Mary howled angrily, the pain instantly infuriated her, she grabbed her offender with her trunk, threw him to the ground and trampled her feet to death.
A fuss began among the circus performers, who had weapons at hand, began to shoot, but the bullets, causing yet another pain, only kindled fury and anger in the animal even more. In a panic, people rushed around the territory of the circus, the elephant, apparently, accidentally crushed several more people to death in this fuss. Nobody could catch the angry animal, Mary left the territory occupied by the circus and headed to the city, only an hour later, when the pain subsided, the rage and panic had passed, the sheriff of Kingsport managed to lure Mary into a cage next to the city jail...
This story could not have taken place if rumors about what had happened had not spread to the cities neighboring Kingsport. After the incident, activists were immediately found in them, who began to whip up panic among the population there. The authorities had to put the Sparks brothers on the condition that the circus would not be given permission to perform in these cities while the elephant responsible for human deaths was alive. The Sparks brothers were left with no choice but to decide, under public pressure, to take the elephant's life.
History is silent about who owned the idea public execution, apparently the mores of that time did not allow people to accept the death of an animal in absentia and by more humane methods.
Without trial or investigation, the authorities demanded the death of the elephant by public hanging. For many who came, it was another show; according to various sources, from 2000 to 5000 spectators gathered. For lynching, the most powerful crane available in those places was prepared, and a port chain was used as a rope. When the animal was picked up, Mary, still alive, suddenly fell, the chain could not withstand the 5-ton weight, the elephant broke her hip during the fall. The chain was changed and the animal was hanged again, this time the chain held up - Big Mary died.
She was buried near the place of execution. Circus tours were no longer under threat, the public was happy, and there were no elephants in the Spark Brothers circus performances for a long time ...
| Mary | |
|---|---|
| English Big Mary | |
| The execution of the elephant Mary. Kingsport, Tennessee, USA, 1916 |
|
| View | Asian elephant |
| Floor | female |
| Date of Birth | approx. 1886 |
| Place of Birth | ? |
| Date of death | September 13(1916-09-13 ) |
| Place of death | Erwin (English) Russian, Tennessee, USA |
| The country | USA USA |
| Master | The Sparks Brothers (circus troupe) |
Murder
On September 12, 1916, the Sparks Brothers circus troupe arrived in Kingsport, Tennessee for a performance. They brought with them 30-year-old elephant Mary, who was also supposed to perform. Mary was followed by a certain Red Eldredge, a circus novice who did not know how to handle animals. Before one of the performances, Eldridge pierced her ear with a hook to bring Mary on stage. Mary got angry, grabbed him with her trunk, and, throwing him to the ground, trampled to death. There was panic. They began to shoot at the elephant, but the average caliber of the bullets did not kill her. Elephant hardly managed to stop. Local sheriff Hickman "arrested" Mary and locked her in a cage next to the city jail. Residents of neighboring cities, having learned about the massacre, declared that they would not accept this circus as long as the elephant was alive.
Although one dead is known with certainty, in “Believe it or not” in 1938, it was reported that the elephant was responsible for the death of 3 people, and popular rumor spoke of 8 killed.
Hanging
Under pressure from the public, the circus owners, the Sparks brothers, made a decision - the next day, Mary was hanged on a railway crane in front of a crowd of spectators. About 5,000 people gathered. But the chain by which the elephant was hung could not bear the weight and broke. Mary fell, breaking her hip. She was hanged again and Mary died. Mary was buried near the place of massacre.
Big MaryMary (Big Mary; English Mary, Big Mary; OK. - September 13, %D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%82<=>%5B>https:%E2%95%B1%E2%95%B1en.wikipedia.org%E2%95%B1wiki%E2%95%B1Erwin,_Tennessee<%5D<)+%7D" class="extiw" title="en:Erwin, Tennessee">Erwin (English) Russian, Tennessee, USA) - an Asian elephant who performed in the American circus of the Sparks brothers (Eng. Sparks World Famous Shows). Gained notoriety after being hanged for murdering a man.
Murder
On September 12, 1916, the Sparks Brothers circus troupe arrived in Kingsport, Tennessee for a performance. They brought with them 30-year-old elephant Mary, who was also supposed to perform. Mary was followed by a certain Red Eldredge, a circus novice who did not know how to handle animals. Before one of the performances, Eldridge pierced her ear with a hook to bring Mary on stage. Mary got angry, grabbed him with her trunk, and, throwing him to the ground, trampled to death. There was panic. They began to shoot at the elephant, but the average caliber of the bullets did not kill her. Elephant hardly managed to stop. Local sheriff Hickman "arrested" Mary and locked her in a cage next to the city jail. Residents of neighboring cities, having learned about the massacre, declared that they would not accept this circus as long as the elephant was alive.
Although one dead person is known with certainty, in “Believe it or not” in 1938, it was reported that the elephant was responsible for the death of 3 people, and popular rumor spoke of 8 killed.
Hanging
Under pressure from the public, the circus owners, the Sparks brothers, made a decision - the next day, Mary was hanged on a railway crane in front of a crowd of spectators. About 5,000 people gathered. But the chain by which the elephant was hung could not bear the weight and broke. Mary fell, breaking her hip. She was hanged again and Mary died. Mary was buried near the place of massacre.
This story still shocks with its cruelty, injustice and outrages with the mores of America at the beginning of the 20th century.
This tragic event took place almost 100 years ago in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. In 1916, on September 12, a caravan of wagons and a wagon with circus artists, animals and props entered the city, it was the Spark Brothers traveling circus (Sparks World Famous Shows). The small town of Kingsport, like many similar places, for the Spark brothers was another settlement where they had to give another circus performance, then no one could have imagined what a tragic event would happen here.
The circus has arrived. Routine preparations for the upcoming shows began, the workers laid out the territory, raised a colorful tent, artists and animals began rehearsals. In one of the numbers, an Asian elephant named Big Mary was supposed to perform, they also decided to bring her to the arena so that she would refresh her memory of the main actions of the number. To care for Big Mary, a young boy was taken into her trailer, he first went to work and had no experience in dealing with animals. Colleagues inadvertently advised him to use painful methods in case of disobedience of the animal, he, following their parting words when taking the elephant out of the car, at the moment when she hesitated, pierced her ear with a stick with a sharp metal lance. The wound turned out to be so painful that Big Mary howled angrily, the pain instantly infuriated her, she grabbed her offender with her trunk, threw him to the ground and trampled her feet to death.
A fuss began among the circus performers, who had weapons at hand, began to shoot, but the bullets, causing yet another pain, only kindled fury and anger in the animal even more. In a panic, people rushed around the territory of the circus, the elephant, apparently, accidentally crushed several more people to death in this fuss. Nobody could catch the angry animal, Mary left the territory occupied by the circus and headed to the city, only an hour later, when the pain subsided, the rage and panic had passed, the sheriff of Kingsport managed to lure Mary into a cage next to the city jail...
This story could not have taken place if rumors about what had happened had not spread to the cities neighboring Kingsport. After the incident, activists were immediately found in them, who began to whip up panic among the population there. The authorities had to put the Sparks brothers on the condition that the circus would not be given permission to perform in these cities while the elephant responsible for human deaths was alive. The Sparks brothers were left with no choice but to decide, under public pressure, to take the elephant's life.
History is silent about who owned the idea of a public execution, apparently the mores of that time did not allow people to accept the death of an animal in absentia and by more humane methods. Without trial or investigation, the authorities demanded the death of the elephant by public hanging. For many who came, it was another show; according to various sources, from 2000 to 5000 spectators gathered. For lynching, the most powerful crane available in those places was prepared, and a port chain was used as a rope. When the animal was picked up, Mary, still alive, suddenly fell, the chain could not withstand the 5-ton weight, the elephant broke her hip during the fall. The chain was changed and the animal was hanged again, this time the chain held up - Big Mary died. She was buried near the place of execution. Circus tours were no longer under threat, the public was happy, and there were no elephants in the Spark Brothers circus performances for a long time ...
