| Were both "Tusko" and "Diamond" on the Barnes Show In 1929? |
Monday, October 01, 2007
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28 comments:
That is a good question and I am sure some expert knows the answer.
Now what I want to see is a better photo of this elephant car as I have heard that it had a posseum belly and a canvas top as both Tusko and Black Diamond were so darn big they would not fit in a regular elephant car.
Harry
I don't know about you other elephant men, but I know I would "flinch", every time this sight appeared in the doorway. Wade Burck
Did they take all those unsightly chains off when they did the ride.?
hi buckles - hell, i have a hard time remembering my own family's birthdays, much less the veritable plethora of circus trivia i've been exposed to.
slim lewis' rogue book indicates both tusko & diamond were not only on the show when the show played corsicana, tx. in 1929, but were also together the 2 previous seasons.
there's my 2 cents ... or would it be slim's?
oh, and wade: 1)that's exactly how i feel about ill-tempered carnivores. funny how that works.
2)not to bust up your good ol boy bubble or anything, but what is up with this "you other elephant men" crap?
where is the dutchess when i need her?
I believe Black Diamond came over to Al G. Barnes Circus in 1928 and was on the road in 1928 & 29. He died in October, 1929.
Tusko (aka Ned) came to the Barnes show in 1921. He performed through 1923 and stayed in quarters through 1926. He performed again in 1927 - 28, stayed in quarters 1927 & 28 and was back on the road 1930 - 31.
The two bulls overlaped in 1928 & 29.
Bob Cline, correct me if I am wrong.
"Tusko" was left in quarters in 1927 prompting the purchase of "Diamond" in 1928 since the public wanted to see a big male elephant in chains.
Surprisingly, both were on the show in 1928 but in my files, only "Diamond" is listed in 1929 and of course, only "Tusko" in 1930.
And as my dad used to say, "These are not the words as handed from God unto Moses."
Elephant Sandy, Relax, ease up a bit. I was going to say elephant person's, but I was afraid some broad would get hot, because I had "insinuated" women were not tough and fearless. I took, what I wrongly assumed was the safe route. I'm sorry, no disrespect intended. Wade Burck
(P.S. Buckles, is this what James C. Hall's Circus Dictionary would describe as a "patch")
I would go with Buckles’ records every time. I noticed on page 60 of “I Loved Rogues”, there is a 1929 poster advertising “Tusko” but Slim says it was really “Black Diamond”. (Which matches with Buckles’ records.)
Don Bloomer
I received two 1929 Al G. Barnes newspaper articles from BJ but too small to read. One heading said "Tusko Injures Man", the other said something about "Black Diamond".
This could be misleading tho since "Tusko" was usually the name applied to either while on the road.
When I started keeping elephant records about 10 or 11 years ago, I simply logged the information and not the source. As a result, I can't tell you where I got half of the information from except that it was in Billboard, newspapers, the Bandwagon, the White Tops, Circus Reports, Buckles files, the Chang Reynolds files, Don Marcks files, Richard Reynolds III, books, personal knowledge, friends, Museum archives, etc.
That being said, Black Diamond came from the Wilson Greater Shows to join the Al G. Barnes Circus in 1928. He was subsequently destroyed on the Barnes show on Oct. 16, 1929 in Corsicana, TX.
Tusko had remained in the Barnes Quarters in 1924, 1925, and 1926. The Barnes show had him on the road in 1927 and 1928. By 1929 he was too much to handle safely and he was again left in quarters.
So in 1928, both Diamond and Tusko were on the road together but in 1929, only Diamond was on the road. I agree with Buckles.
Bob
aww wade, telling "some broad" its raining when she knows you're *ahem* urinating on her leg doesn't count.
you should actually know yer onions before you post. (or patches, as it were).
:)
Hi folks, I started this question. I have the Slim Lewis book reference, then I also have a reference from a Los Angeles Times article from 1932 by Harry Payne who writes that atthe time of the events in Texas Diamond was billed as "Mighty Tusko" as oppossed to "Tusko" (who was also on the show). In the article Payne says he was the PR man for the circus at the time The article is called "I Witnessed th Execution of Black Diamond." Anyone who wants a copy can contact me at jonpult@gmail.com.
Elephant Sandy, Didn't understand that last poste. I looked in JCH's dictionary, and couldn't find onion. Do I know you, or have I ever worked with you? Wade Burck
Elephant Sandy, disregard that last poste. I talked to Gary and Michael,and they checked some elephant record's also. I guess the onion's must be a baseball bat, or another case of "mistaken identity", right Princess. Wade Burck
Buckles, I didn't mean anything bad by the term baseball bat. Let it go through. Wade Burck
I have read when Al G. Barnes played Coriscana, Texas and Black Diamond killed the woman, they took Diamond back to the car.
Didn't John Ringling wired back and say kill Diamond in some humane way.
Then Black Diamond was killed a few days later when Barnes played Kennedy, Texas?????
Right, wrong, the correct answer?????
Harry
I looked up some of these comments in that book again and it leans toward the saying, Listed as:
"Back door foreplay"
I have seen reference to the Barnes opening Los Angeles stand in 1929 including Tusko and the Great Tusko (another paper says "Mighty" ). However whether they bith went on tour...(Barnes wintered in Los Angeles, right?)
APPLETON POST-CRESCENT
Tuesday Evening, October 15,1929
Circus Elephant Facing
Death For Killing Woman
Bay City, Texas —AP— Like a human
murderer. Black Diamond, nine ton
circus elephant who killed a woman
In Corsicana Saturday, faced
death by firing squad or by the
noose today as he rolled on with the
Al G. Barnes circus, chained to the
steel floor or the box car which has become his death cell.
Circus men were in doubt whether
they would kill the elephant with
high calibre rifles or choke it to
death with a huge chain. In case, the
latter course Is adopted six of Black
Diamond's herd fellows will act as
executioners.
Three will be hooked to each end
of a chain, as if for a tug of war.
In the middle of the chain, however,
there will be a loop and Black
Diamond's head will be in the loop.
When the tug of war starts the elephant's
huge neck will be contracted
until he strangles to death.
The elephant, ordinarily meek and
placid like his mates, apparently
went insane Saturday. Unloading at
Corsicana, the elephant and his
keeper passed Mrs. Eva Donohue.
Something turned the beast into a
nine-ton maniac and it brushed the
trainer aside and charged the woman,
knocking her down. It then
picked her up, swung her aloft and
crashed her to the ground, almost demolishing an automobile in the
process.
Attendants and other elephants in
the herd succeeded in getting the
crazed beast under control. Since
that time it has been heavily chained
in a box car awaiting thinly pop
ulated countryside, where it may ex
plate its crime.
THE BILLINGS GAZETTE
Saturday, Aug. 17, 1929
BIG ELEPHANT
TOSSESTAMER
Circus Man Painfully
Injured When Tusko
Seizes Him.
John Elliott, 33. lion tamer with
the Al G. Barnes circus, which gave
two performances In Billings Friday,
:ics In a Red Lodge hospital dufferng
from shock and bruises received
Thursday night upon conclusion of
the evening performance at Red
Lodge when Tusko, said to be the
largest elephant in captivity, seized
him with his trunk and hurled him
against a near-by wagon. Elliott's
condition was reported as improved
Friday night and It Is believed that
he will be able to rejoin the circus
shortly.
Elliott, according to circus attendants,
was passing between the elephant
and one of the big wagons
when Tusko suddenly reached cut
his trunk and seized the lion tamer.
He tossed him aloft and then hurled
him against tho wagon. Elliott was
in a semiconscious condition when
he was picked up and rushed to the
hospital. As a result of shock his
condition was viewed as serious
Thursday night, but he began show-
ing Improvement Friday noon.
Elliott Joined the Al G. Barnes
circus early In the season. He came
lo the Barnes circus from the Wallace-
Hagenbach shows, which he
Joined a year ago upon his arrival
In America from Germany. He Joined
the Barnes circus as the successor
of an animal tamer killed by a vicious
tiger. It was his Job to put
the lionesses through their paces in
one of the acts staged in the steel
arena. He had been having splendid
luck handling the lionesses, It was
said at the circus grounds Friday,
and will probably continue handling
them when his recovery permits.
-BJ
We now know that "Diamond" was shot 10-16-29 in Kennedy, Texas which has been highly documented and numerous pictures of his execution exist including the march to the site.
I have a picture of Curley Prickett, ("Diamond's" handler) with his arm in a sling shortly after the Corsicana incident.
Lou Regan used to talk about a lion trainer named John Helliott from around that time. I'm wondering if he is the John Elliott mention in the newpaper clipping. Wade Burck
Two things stand out in regard to the escapades of Black Diamond that I have heard in the rumour mill of old timers.
She, the lady was some sort of acquaintance with Curly and she was standing with other people in the area and not alone and he, Diamond specifically chose her. And it was determined in an autopsy that she was experiencing her monthly period.
Another version was that she asked Curly if she could pet him and he assured her it was OK.
I worked in Corsicana today, had 6 horses to shoe. I had lunch with my wife at the old cafe on Beaton Street where the parade and Diamond did the old lady in. Watson construction company on the south end of town has a head mount of Diamond on the wall.
The woman's name was Eva Speed Donohoo who wrote a Society column in Houston before inheriting her father's "Shoestring Plantation." From what I gather when Curley left the circus he became overseer of her stock on the property.
First let me apologize for giving Diamond's town of execution incorrectly. Proofread Bob, Proofread.
Over the years several articles have been written in the Bandwagon issues. A couple were written by Homer Walton. Tusko had been called Ned up to the time he was purchased for the Al. G. Barnes show when his name was changed to Tusko. He had a pretty good set of ivory on him. In the Barnes quarters, a pen was made out of old railroad track to pin him in basically an immobile position. It was in this steel cell that he went into a terrible tantrum and broke off his tusks leaving only shattered stubs in front of him. Even with that, rings were attached and chains to prevent the throwing of the head and trunk.
Mr. Walton in another article about Diamond says that when they were both on the road, Diamond was called Tusko and Tusko was the Mighty Tusko. "That was the case when the show arrived in Corsicana, TX. on the morning of October 12, 1929, when the tragedy occurred that resulted in the execution of Black Diamond." That sentence taken directly from Mr. Walton's article suggests they were both there in Corsicana.
Bill Johnston's article about the Barnes show elephants in the July / August 1992 edition of Bandwagon clearly states that Tusko was left in quarters since the show had been sold to the American Circus Corporation in Peru, Ind. in January of 1929.
I don't know if that adds to the confusion or clarifies anything.
Bob
hey wade - drop me a line & i'll fill you in on "yer onions".
elephantsandy@aol.com
Be careful Sandy!
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