Whoops! Meant to send this to the whole list! Vicki ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vicki Shaffer" <tngibson@worldnet.att.net> To: "Athol K. Foster" <athol@mail.bsc.net> Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 2:04 PM Subject: 106 Today > I haven't seen her since her 100th when she still lived in Texas. She was still > hard at work on making quilts then. > A man came from the TX House to present her with a plaque and had to ask, "Which > one is the birthday girl?" (he was serious, too) Then he proceeded to try and > read it to her, in a very loud voice, and she told him, "That's OK, I can read > and I'll look at it later". > She moved to AZ after that and finally decided she wanted to live at a > retirement home when she was 102. Her daughter told me she was visiting one day > and a nurse came up to her with tears in her eyes and told her, "Your Mother > made me an afghan and it will always be one of my most prized possessions but no > one will ever believe she was 103 when she made it." > She is a bit hard of hearing now but has a special phone and we can still call > her to talk! > She sure is an amazing woman! Reads constantly, too! > Her memory is so sharp, we just use her as the "source" in our families > genealogy records! LOL! > Vicki > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Athol K. Foster" <athol@mail.bsc.net> > To: <TNCHAT-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 1:53 PM > Subject: Re: [TNCHAT] "the truth is stranger than fiction" > > > > Vicki, Wish her a Happy Birthday from all of us....... > > > > Athol > > > > Athol K. Foster > > DeKalb Co. Coordinator, TnGenWeb > > www.tngennet.org/dekalb > > > > My Fosters in DeKalb Co., Tn. > > www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/3627 > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Vicki Shaffer <tngibson@worldnet.att.net> > > To: <TNCHAT-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 1:08 PM > > Subject: [TNCHAT] "the truth is stranger than fiction" > > > > > > > Here's one for you all................................. > > > > > > My great aunt was born June 15, 1894 in Ray Co. Missouri. > > > Today she is celebrating her 106th birthday in good health! An amazing > > woman, > > > and genealogist, too! > > > > > > Vicki > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Edgar D. Byler, III" <edby3@netease.net> > > > To: <TNCHAT-L@rootsweb.com> > > > Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 12:34 PM > > > Subject: Re: [TNCHAT] Lynched Elephant With Photo > > > > > > > > > > I've always been told "the truth is stranger than fiction". This story > > and > > > > the photograph on the link page certainly do lend credence to that > > > > statement. Po' Mary the elephant - all she wanted was some watermelon. > > > > > > > > Edgar > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Morom01@aol.com <Morom01@aol.com> > > > > To: TNCHAT-L@rootsweb.com <TNCHAT-L@rootsweb.com> > > > > Date: 14 June, 2000 9:16 PM > > > > Subject: [TNCHAT] Lynched Elephant With Photo > > > > > > > > > > > > >We got eight new subscribers tonight (fifteen for the day) and I'm told > > I > > > > >sent the story too early. So here it is again. And for all you people > > who > > > > >read it earlier, I found a link to the lynched elephant photo. It's at > > the > > > > >end of the story. > > > > > > > > > >This story is told many different ways. What I offer here is my version > > > > with > > > > >facts that I have read since childhood. I'm not sure any official > > version > > > > is > > > > >available in a book, but the newspaper archives give the story very > > similar > > > > >to this. Regardless of the details here and there, that have been lost > > in > > > > >time, the story itself is true. Somewhere in some time past I remember > > > > > > >someone showing me a picture of the hanging. If I find it and get > > > > permission > > > > >from the person I'll display it somewhere. > > > > > > > > > >In the year 1916 many changes were taking place in the world. War was > > > > >ravaging Europe, the country was in an economic decline. America was > > > > >beginning to face issues that would plague us eighty years later. But > > in > > > > East > > > > >Tennessee and Virginia, in the area most people know as the > > Appalachians, > > > > it > > > > >was a good time to see the circus. > > > > > > > > > >The town was Erwin, Tennessee a railroad town and home to the > > Cincinnati, > > > > >Clinchfield, and Ohio Railroad's repair shop. There were only two main > > > > >employers in the town, the railroad and a pottery factory. This meant > > that > > > > >most of the town had the same days off and spent them together at town > > > > >picnics and other functions. Any meeting was a time for the whole town > > to > > > > >come together and the execution of an elephant on September 16th, would > > be > > > > no > > > > >different. > > > > > > > > > >Mary, was a five ton elephant owned by the Sparks Brothers Circus. Mary > > was > > > > >their main attraction as she was billed as the largest animal to ever > > walk > > > > >the face of the earth. Her owner claimed she was three inches taller > > than > > > > >Barnum's Jumbo. She was rumored (by her owner) as to have killed eight > > men. > > > > >How much of this was true, nobody knows, but it probably helped to seal > > > > >Mary's fate with the public. > > > > > > > > > >September 11th, the circus played a town in Virginia, (I can't remember > > the > > > > >town's name) where a man named Red Eldridge asked for a job. Red was a > > > > >drifter and rode the rails of America as was very common at the time. > > Why > > > > Red > > > > >decided to seek employment at this time is not understood, but he asked > > the > > > > >circus and was hired. Red was put in charge of a broom and made clean > > up. > > > > But > > > > >on the next day, after the sudden departure of another man, Red was > > > > promoted > > > > >to elephant handler. Not quite experienced at this job, Red made up for > > it > > > > >with a big stick. It is said that Red tried to intimidate the animals. > > A > > > > >small man with a big stick may strike fear into the hearts of hobos, > > but > > > > >elephants aren't impressed with such nonsense. > > > > > > > > > >On September 12th the circus came to Kingsport, Tennessee. As was the > > > > custom > > > > >the animals were unloaded at the train yard and paraded through town to > > the > > > > >delight of the crowds that gathered to watch. This day Red led Mary the > > > > five > > > > >ton prize elephant of the show. Along the way Mary saw a half eaten > > > > >watermelon left on the street by one of the spectators. Mary reached > > for > > > > the > > > > >watermelon with her huge trunk. Red decided that Mary shouldn't have > > the > > > > >watermelon and gave a jerk on Mary's chain. According to witnesses, > > Mary > > > > gave > > > > >a loud trumpet and went for the melon again. This time Red decided to > > > > strike > > > > >Mary in the side of the head with his large stick. What happened next, > > (the > > > > >manner of Red's death) is debated to this day. Oh, nobody says the > > elephant > > > > >didn't kill Red, it's just that some say, she gored him with her tusks, > > > > >others say she squeezed him to death with her trunk, some say she > > trampled > > > > >him, and other say she kicked him. No matter what, Red was as dead as a > > > > >doornail and Mary had her melon. > > > > > > > > > >The owner of the circus, Charlie Sparks realized the publicity this > > would > > > > >cause. It was one thing for him to claim that Mary had killed eight > > people, > > > > >but if it were true and in the papers that was different. No town would > > > > allow > > > > >his circus to come with a real certified rogue killer elephant. Charlie > > > > >decided that with Mary around his circus was finished. Mary had to go. > > > > > > > > > >First it was decided that Mary would be shot. A local man shot Mary > > five > > > > >times with a shotgun while she was chained. The shot hardly phased her. > > > > Later > > > > >that day the sheriff shot Mary repeatedly with a 45 pistol. Still no > > good. > > > > >Mary was simply too thick hided for bullets to kill her. > > > > > > > > > >Next the town of Kingsport decided that they would electrocute her. A > > trunk > > > > >line ran the length of the railroad track that supposedly carried > > 44,000 > > > > >volts. Mary was chained and the voltage applied. She jumped a little > > each > > > > >time, but never seemed to be injured by the voltage. (Chips note: I > > doubt > > > > >this part of the story because electricity wasn't that common in the > > area. > > > > I > > > > >doubt that there would have been that much voltage in the town pre > > TVA.) > > > > > > > > > >Other options were discussed including hooking Mary to two train > > engines > > > > and > > > > >allowing them to pull her apart. Another said to put her between two > > > > engines > > > > >and let them crush her. Both of these were ruled out. > > > > > > > > > >It was decided that Mary should be hanged. But how do you hang a five > > ton > > > > >elephant? The heaviest crane in the area belonged to the Clinchfield > > > > >railroad. It was kept in their shop at Erwin, Tennessee. Mary was taken > > to > > > > >Erwin on a train to await her fate the next morning. > > > > > > > > > >The next morning Mary stood tied to a rail in the train yard. Witnesses > > say > > > > >that Mary seemed nervous and paced back and forth like she knew her > > fate. > > > > The > > > > >crane was brought out and a steam shovel dug a hole right beside the > > track. > > > > A > > > > >chain was placed around Mary's neck and the winch began to hoist Mary > > > > >skyward. As she left the ground a crack was heard. It was then > > discovered > > > > >that Mary was still chained to the track and her leg was breaking. > > Quickly > > > > >the chain around her ankle was cut. Mary began to thrash. > > > > > > > > > >Another crack was heard and Mary plummeted to the ground. The chain > > around > > > > >her neck was too small and it broke. The crowd scattered, fearing an > > > > enraged > > > > >elephant stampeding loose in the town. But Mary's hip was shattered and > > she > > > > >couldn't move. A railroad worker climbed Mary's back and attached > > another > > > > >chain. Mary was again lifted by the crane. > > > > > > > > > >Mary was held in the air for two hours as crowds gathered for a look. > > Then > > > > >later that day, the crane took Mary down the track to the hole that had > > > > been > > > > >dug and placed her body in it. It was covered with dirt and Mary's body > > is > > > > >buried there today. > > > > > > > > > >Some of the tracks are gone today, others are in bad repair. The area > > is > > > > >seldom used and the railroad long out of business. But there in Erwin > > lies > > > > >the only elephant found guilty of murder in America and publicly > > hanged. > > > > > > > > > >Chip's Comment: > > > > >Was Mary guilty of murder? No. I would say the circus was more guilty > > than > > > > >Mary. They put this untrained man in charge of a five ton animal and > > > > allowed > > > > >him to strike her with a stick. Common sense says this man is going to > > die. > > > > >Mary was never ill tempered and had never hurt anyone before. She > > wanted a > > > > >watermelon and Red paid with his life for his own stupidity. > > > > > > > > > >To see the photo use the following URL. I can't vouch that it's a real > > > > >photograph as it differs from the one I've seen. > > > > >http://www.blueridgecountry.com/elephant/elephant.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >==== TNCHAT Mailing List ==== > > > > >To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list please visit: > > > > >http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnunion/tnchat > > > > >This list is generously donated by Rootsweb for our use. > > > > >Complete rules for TnChat may be found at: > > > > >http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnunion/tnchat > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== TNCHAT Mailing List ==== > > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list please visit: > > > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnunion/tnchat > > > > This list is generously donated by Rootsweb for our use. > > > > Complete rules for TnChat may be found at: > > > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnunion/tnchat > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== TNCHAT Mailing List ==== > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list please visit: > > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnunion/tnchat > > > This list is generously donated by Rootsweb for our use. > > > Complete rules for TnChat may be found at: > > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnunion/tnchat > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== TNCHAT Mailing List ==== > > To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list please visit: > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnunion/tnchat > > This list is generously donated by Rootsweb for our use. > > Complete rules for TnChat may be found at: > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnunion/tnchat > > > >