On September 13, 1916, Mary, the star elephant of Sparks Brother’s Circus, paraded to Derrick Car 1400 at a railroad roundhouse in Erwin, Tennessee. She was unaware that the onlookers in the Clinchfield Railroad Yard were viewing her final moments. Perhaps she thought the crowd was gathered to witness one of her performances, but that thought may have quickly been extinguished when the elephants behind her were led back to their cages. She allowed a chain to be placed around her neck, and she was lifted into the air to be hung. The chain snapped, and Mary fell, breaking her hip. Unaware of her injury, witnesses scrambled for cover from the elephant who had recently “murdered” a man in Kingsport, Tennessee.

A circus roustabout climbed Mary and secured a chain around her neck. She was lifted into the air and dangled for thirty minutes before her lifeless form was lowered.

Many of the recorded witnesses were not horrified by the spectacle. No one cried out for animal rights. In fact, most of the people who watched Mary gasp for her final breaths felt as though justice had been served.

I like to believe we live in a progressive era. I want to see modern society as a group of well-informed individuals; however, people continue to surprise me with their archaic beliefs and their willingness to believe old rumors that are circulated on the internet. The true accounts of the event have been stretched and blurred over time and many retellings. Thankfully, the accounts of eye-witnesses have been recorded and stored in the Charles C. Sherrod Library at East Tennessee State University.

I worked in a business and the patrons always asked me the name of my hometown. I annunciated words well, but my accent was always present when I talked with people from around the world. When I told the customers that my roots were planted in Erwin, Tennessee, their responses were similar: Didn’t you hang the elephant?

Well, no. I did not hang the elephant, and my parents and grandparents did not hang Mary, the circus elephant.

I was surprised by the number of stories that had circulated about my small hometown. One gentleman from Canada told me that he was warned never to go to Erwin because the people in the town hung anyone, or anything, that wasn’t born there.

It’s hard to advertise the town’s annual Apple Festival and the beautiful walking trails when you have to overcome that kind of reputation.

The town may have felt some of the sting, because they promoted artistically painted fiberglass elephant statues to auction and the proceeds went to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. In August 2016, during the first year of the auction, Erwin hosted an Elephant “Glow” Parade. My husband, children, and I fell into line behind other members of the town, glow sticks in hand and around our necks, to show our support for the better treatment of elephants.

During the time of the first auction, I read an article in a newspaper. In it, a man from a city approximately fifteen miles from Erwin, claimed that current Erwinites had a moral obligation to Mary, and all the attempts to honor Mary and raise funds for The Elephant Sanctuary would not “cleanse” us of the responsibility. I did not fully agree. That’s like saying a serial killer’s great-grandchildren should be required to provide much more than an apology and sincere condolences to the victim’s great-relatives. I find it puts undue stress on individuals who have their own measure of guilt for their personal actions in life. Also, and most importantly, it promotes a cycle of unforgiveness. 

Should this horrible event be swept under the rug? Did I think the individuals who allowed the hanging were justified or absolved? Of course not! The story should be used as a lesson to outline the way animals were abused and start conversations about the ways to truly tend to their needs with compassion. 

How did Erwin, Tennessee, become the focal point for the outrage over the treatment of circus elephants? There were certainly many other cases that involved the mishandling and deaths of elephants that were seen as “unruly” or “dangerous” animals.Why does Erwin get the reputation for executing the poor pachyderm?

Prior to their event date in Erwin, the Sparks Brother’s Circus performed in Kingsport. After the show, the elephants were led down Center Street to a watering hole. Along the way, Mary spotted a watermelon rind and she veered off course to grab it.

Walter “Red” Eldridge had been handling elephants for a couple of days, and he carried a metal rod with a hook on its end as he rode on Mary’s back. Some researchers have called him “an inexperienced elephant trainer”, but I feel the description is understated. He hit Mary over the head with the metal rod and hook.

It is unclear if Mary had an abscessed tooth, or other medical concern, that may have aggravated her response. Witnesses agree that Mary lifted Red Eldridge off her back with her trunk and threw him into a wooden stand. She walked over to him and crushed his head with her massive foot.

Men, women, and children scattered in fear, and some witnesses claim men pulled pistols and began firing at Mary but their bullets did not penetrate her thick hide. Circus employees were able to contain the animals before further violence took place.

The public cried for justice. They had witnessed a murder, and they were ready to see Mary pay for her supposed crime.

Charlie Sparks, owner of the Sparks Brother’s Circus, had to make a choice. In the past, circus owners had secretly traded elephants to other circuses under alternate names when an animal had caused an injury or death. It was not an option for him because so many people had witnessed the incident and were convinced Mary had purposely killed a man.

Sparks was approached with several ideas to extinguish Mary’s life. Rumors circulated that Charlie Sparks had allowed 44,000 volts of electricity to be applied to the Asian elephant. It was a decision that only caused her to “dance a little bit.” He opted for hanging instead of having her pulled apart by her limbs or shot in the head with a shotgun. 

The next scheduled circus was in Erwin, Tennessee, so the animals were loaded into rail cars, and transported by train. Mary, called “Murderous Mary” after the incident, did not perform in the circus on the day she was hung. Instead, she was led with her fellow pachyderms to an area near the railroad roundhouse.

Ticket holders rushed to the site after the circus to witness the hanging. Their purchase guaranteed them a place to watch as Mary’s life slipped away.

Who should feel remorse for the tragedy? Should Erwin or Kingsport accept the blame?

Certainly, the townspeople in both places deserve a measure of the guilt. However, Charlie Sparks played a large role in the decisions surrounding Mary’s execution. It would have cost him a great deal of money, and his business, but there were other options available to him that would have preserved Mary’s life. After all, some reports suggested that he had kept Mary as a pet and performer since his father purchased her in 1898. 

In the end, Charlie Sparks continued to tour his circus in 1916 after Mary was dragged into a grave 400 feet from the place she died. Kingsport citizens proceeded with their lives, Erwinites moved around the grave they dug near the spot where an unfair execution took place, and poor Mary’s bones rested in a rail yard in Erwin, Tennessee.  

So, who should carry the guilt? Charlie Sparks, the people of Kingsport, and Erwinites should all have a measure of the blame. However, how many towns have a history that contains a horrific event? Should the citizens of that town carry the guilt of that occurrence for a century or more, without regard for their efforts to atone for their ancestor’s mistakes?

Moving forward, my hope is that Mary’s tragic ending can be used as a lesson for the future. I would like to see animals run free in their own habitats, unless it proves dangerous for them due to poaching (in which case an animal sanctuary may be a better option for them). 

Can we continue to have circuses without animals? Yes! A human circus has toured within forty minutes of my home, and I heard it was fantastically entertaining!

Mary’s hanging in 1916 has blotted Erwin’s reputation, but our town is trying to make restitution for the part we played on that sad day. Every contribution from the annual elephant statue auction helps the pachyderms in The Elephant Sanctuary receive better treatment than poor Mary.

One day, cotton candy sunrises may open on a day where animals roam free in their natural habitats, circuses are performed by talented people who enjoy their shows, and Erwin may be recognized as a town that loves elephants…and all other animals, too.