Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1896 — TIGER AND ELEPHANT. [ARTICLE]

TIGER AND ELEPHANT.

Horribly Cruel Sport Practiced in a Region in India. At Tyzabad, India, the Mohammedan natives enjoy combats between wild beasts somewhat after the manner of the ancient Romans. A returned American traveler thus writes of a combat he witnessed between a tiger and an elephant: Trumpets sounded, he says, as a sign that everything was in readiness, afad a cage containing a tiger was brought into the arena, which was an inclosure guarded on the outer side by bamboo railings. Eye never rested upon a more splendid animal. He leaped to the ground with a supple grace quite indescribable, and reviewed the assemblage with admiring eyes, himself the most admirable object in sight. An immense elephant, more than ten feet high at the shoulders and of unusual length of body, was then goaded by spears and clubs to enter the place. He made directly for the tiger and attempted to kneel upon him, but the subtle beast moved away quickly and stood at bay. A large rocket to which a barb was attached was fired at the elephant, and struck him in the neck, causing him to bound forward with a lurch, and it seemed he would fall upon the tiger, but there was a flash of something in the air and the tiger had fallen upon him, striking the huge beast in the face with two cruelly pronged claws, sharper than poniards. The elephant bellowed with pain as the tiger released his hold and retreated to a distant corner, and the spectators yelled with delight. It gave promise of a brilliant combat. Simultaneously rockets were fired ihto the two beasts which set them in terrible commotion, and they ran around the inclosure roaring and bellowing with fright. The elephant was turned squarely around by a second rocket, and was brought face to face with his adversary. He seized the hind legs of the tiger with his trunk and hurled the cat high into the air. Again he tried to trample upon the tiger, but the latter was too quick and instead gouged out the eyes of the great brute, which bellowed with pain. The elephant then rushed round the Inclosure seeking in vain for his enemy and not finding it dashed against the bamboo railing, demolishing It and incidentally killing two persons and injuring others. Then the maddened animal escaped, but was pursued and killed. The tiger, too, escaped to the jungle. Notwithstanding its tragic finale the combat was loudly extolled by the natives, who declared it one of the best they had ever enjoyed.