Chief the elephant was captured in Asia, 1872 and subsequently shipped to the United States for exhibition. He was a part of the John Robinson circus, along with his mate Mary and their baby. Chief's trainers and handlers were exceptionally cruel and, in return, Chief took every sliver of a guard let down to act out against the circus workers. Upon pulling into Charlotte, NC in September 1880, Chief's trainer John King entered the elephant circus car and Chief took that opportunity to crush him against the wall and escape. Chief was recaptured and John King died - his circus family paid for his burial in Charlotte and the headstone that told the story of his death by elephant. Mary and the baby elephant even accompanied the funeral procession to the cemetery. Chief was eventually returned to a zoo in Cincinnati, where he continued to escape and spent many days throwing rocks and bricks at handlers. After killing two additional trainers the Cincinnati zoo had Chief executed by firing squad, and his remains were distributed to various restaurants around the city, who proudly advertised "elephant steak" on their menus. To this day Chief's bones remain locked away in the Cincinnati museum zoology department while John King remains in repose in Charlotte, attracting visitors curious as to why his stone features a carving of an elephant under a palm tree. #mementomori #taphophile #nchistory #queencitycemetery #graveyard_life (at Elmwood Cemetery)
