Murderous Mary was a circus elephant that was hanged to death at a railway yard after she stomped on her handler’s head and killed him during a parade in September 1916.
The circus had just reached the small town of Kingsport, Tennessee, and as a promotional activity, the circus held a parade along the town’s main street.
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Walter Eldridge, 38, a drifter and with no real experience of handling elephants, was riding Mary during the circus. Eldridge was told that he would do just fine as long as he wielded the elephant stick – a spear-shaped rod which is used to train elephants.
During the parade, Mary stopped to chew on a piece of watermelon. Impatient, Eldridge jabbed her time and again.
Now, elephants are known for the quick temper. Eldridge’s repeated jabs enraged Mary and she pulled him off her and stomped on his head. For Eldridge, that was the end.
The early 1900s was a time when mob justice ruled. The enraged mob demanded that Mary be put down immediately. Ever the performer, Charlie Spark acquiesced to the mob’s demand, but with a twist. He decided to make a spectacle out of Mary’s end.
After looking at and discarding various methods of how to put down Mary, Spark decided to hang her.
Now, the next town, Erwin, had a 100-ton crane that was used to lift railway carriages. Spark offered the crowd a free viewing of Mary’s hanging in exchange for use of the crane.
At the railway yard on the day of her execution, Mary was tied to a rail and a chain was placed around her head. As the crane hoisted her, a loud crunching noise filled the air – her leg was still tied to the chain attached to the rail – as her bones and ligaments snapped under the strain.
In pain, Mary writhed and let out terrible shrieks. She had just been raised five feet when the chain lifting her broke and dropped her on the ground breaking her hip. But that wasn’t the end. A stronger chain was attached to her neck and she was lifted once again and left hanging for half an hour as she choked to death until a vet declared her dead.
That was the end of Murderous Mary, as she had come to be known.
It is said that the town of Erwin is known for the fact that an elephant was hanged there. A huge grave was also reportedly dug out for Mary, but its whereabouts are not known.
The circus had just reached the small town of Kingsport, Tennessee, and as a promotional activity, the circus held a parade along the town’s main street.
Walter Eldridge, 38, a drifter and with no real experience of handling elephants, was riding Mary during the circus. Eldridge was told that he would do just fine as long as he wielded the elephant stick – a spear-shaped rod which is used to train elephants.
During the parade, Mary stopped to chew on a piece of watermelon. Impatient, Eldridge jabbed her time and again.
Now, elephants are known for the quick temper. Eldridge’s repeated jabs enraged Mary and she pulled him off her and stomped on his head. For Eldridge, that was the end.
The early 1900s was a time when mob justice ruled. The enraged mob demanded that Mary be put down immediately. Ever the performer, Charlie Spark acquiesced to the mob’s demand, but with a twist. He decided to make a spectacle out of Mary’s end.
After looking at and discarding various methods of how to put down Mary, Spark decided to hang her.
Now, the next town, Erwin, had a 100-ton crane that was used to lift railway carriages. Spark offered the crowd a free viewing of Mary’s hanging in exchange for use of the crane.
At the railway yard on the day of her execution, Mary was tied to a rail and a chain was placed around her head. As the crane hoisted her, a loud crunching noise filled the air – her leg was still tied to the chain attached to the rail – as her bones and ligaments snapped under the strain.
In pain, Mary writhed and let out terrible shrieks. She had just been raised five feet when the chain lifting her broke and dropped her on the ground breaking her hip. But that wasn’t the end. A stronger chain was attached to her neck and she was lifted once again and left hanging for half an hour as she choked to death until a vet declared her dead.
That was the end of Murderous Mary, as she had come to be known.
It is said that the town of Erwin is known for the fact that an elephant was hanged there. A huge grave was also reportedly dug out for Mary, but its whereabouts are not known.
Watch 10 famous elephants that died bizarre deaths:
The circus had just reached the small town of Kingsport, Tennessee, and as a promotional activity, the circus held a parade along the town’s main street.
Walter Eldridge, 38, a drifter and with no real experience of handling elephants, was riding Mary during the circus. Eldridge was told that he would do just fine as long as he wielded the elephant stick – a spear-shaped rod which is used to train elephants.
During the parade, Mary stopped to chew on a piece of watermelon. Impatient, Eldridge jabbed her time and again.
Now, elephants are known for the quick temper. Eldridge’s repeated jabs enraged Mary and she pulled him off her and stomped on his head. For Eldridge, that was the end.
The early 1900s was a time when mob justice ruled. The enraged mob demanded that Mary be put down immediately. Ever the performer, Charlie Spark acquiesced to the mob’s demand, but with a twist. He decided to make a spectacle out of Mary’s end.
After looking at and discarding various methods of how to put down Mary, Spark decided to hang her.
Now, the next town, Erwin, had a 100-ton crane that was used to lift railway carriages. Spark offered the crowd a free viewing of Mary’s hanging in exchange for use of the crane.
At the railway yard on the day of her execution, Mary was tied to a rail and a chain was placed around her head. As the crane hoisted her, a loud crunching noise filled the air – her leg was still tied to the chain attached to the rail – as her bones and ligaments snapped under the strain.
In pain, Mary writhed and let out terrible shrieks. She had just been raised five feet when the chain lifting her broke and dropped her on the ground breaking her hip. But that wasn’t the end. A stronger chain was attached to her neck and she was lifted once again and left hanging for half an hour as she choked to death until a vet declared her dead.
That was the end of Murderous Mary, as she had come to be known.
It is said that the town of Erwin is known for the fact that an elephant was hanged there. A huge grave was also reportedly dug out for Mary, but its whereabouts are not known.
