19/09/2025
*TW - contains extreme animal cruelty and desth*
MURDEROUS MARY
Background - in the early 1900s a man called Charlie Sparks created the popular ‘Sparks World Famous Circus’, a travelling circus with clowns, acrobats, knife throwing and a variety of performing animals.
Sparks circus would travel around Tennessee and surrounding states performing for enthusiastic fans.
Some of these animals included dancing seal, lions and a group of 6 large elephants.
Thr largest being ‘Mary’.
Mary was a 5 ton Asian Elephant who was the star of the circus. She was known to be Charlie Sparks best friend, having raised her from a baby and taught her everything she knew. Including playing the trumpet and standing on her head.
People would awe over Mary and her amazing talents. Noticing her overwhelming gentle nature, despite her size.
Every show would follow the same pattern.
They would enter the town or city in a parade like march, walking the streets performing, loud music playing, flips and cartwheel from the acrobats, classic jokes from the clowns etc.
It was always led by the 6 elephants, Mary at the front, with the others following, having thier trunks and tails interlinked.
They would then head towards a very large circus tent, perform their show and then end on an incredible once in a lifetime performance.
11th September 1916 - Sparks circus had competed their show in Sullivan County, Tennessee, when a homeless man called Walter “red” Eldridge approached Charlie Sparks and begged him for a job. Charlie took pity on Red, he was a man who was clearly down on his luck, so he decided to give Red the job as Mary’s new handler.
(We should point out here that Red had no training in this field and was an incredibly grumpy man)
12th September 1916 - the circus entered Kingsport, Tennessee, in thier normal parade way. The only difference was that Red was seen riding on Marys back at the front of the parade.
Something they always did after the parade was allow the animals to eat and drink before they performed in the tent.
So just after lunch on this day Red walked Mary over to a pond that was nearby.
On the way to the pond Mary became distracted by a watermelon grind that she found on the floor. She began eating it, despite Reds attempts to get her to follow him to the pond, she wouldn’t budge.
A group of towns people had followed the parade and had stopped to watch Mary and Red, amazed by her and wanting to see everything she did.
So when Mary “disrespected” Red by refusing to move her got angry with her for embarrassing him infront of all these people.
Out of this anger he took a metal rod with a pointy end that he carried and stabbed Mary behind the ear, drawing blood.
Mary yelped in pain and without warning grabbed Red with her trunk and squeezed him, then threw him over 10 foot away into a pile of crates.
Red, who was clearly ignored by this was groaning and moaning on the floor, when Mary stomped over to him, got up on her back legs then brought her front legs down on his skull, killing him instantly.
The towns people looked on in horror as the situation unfolded, most fled, screaming and crying.
After Mary had killed Red a lot of these people came back screaming “murderer” and “murderous Mary”. A
Others shouted “kill the elephant” and attempted to kill her themselves by shooting her, to no avail due to her think skin.
The commotion alerted Charlie to something. When he rushed over the Mary he quickly realised what she had done, he was horrified and confused. Mary had never hurt another living soul before.
He immediately moved Mary into a large cage and hid her away from anyone in order to protect her.
But he was very aware that people wanted her dead, and this incident was going to ruin his circus.
Other towns and cities had already got word to him by later that evening saying they weren’t welcome to come unless Mary was gone.
Charlie was extremely aware that his staff wouldn’t be able to continue on with him if they weren’t getting booked or paid.
So he made a plan.
13th September 1916 - the day after Red was killed the Sparks circus we due to perform in Erwin, Tennessee.
Erwin government had previously told Charlie they weren’t allowed to come, but he assured them he had a huge finale that involved Mary, that the wouldn’t want to miss.
So they allowed the ciscus to come.
The show started normally, with the parade being led by the elephants…but Mary wasn’t there. She was transferred to Erwin via train, in order to hide her.
They made it to the tent and performed thier normal show. Mary was in the tent. She was kept in the cage and was seen attempting to dance and trumpet, but was very confused.
After the show, around 5pm, Charlie and several others linked up the elephants, this time Mary was included, she was in her usual front space.
He then led them up a hill and on to a train track. Once there he released Mary from the other elephants (who went back down the hill) then tied her back legs to a train track with a large chain.
1000s of people from the town had now gathered, many being children, it was absolute silence.
Everyone aware of what was happening.
Charlie fussed and hugged Mary, whilst behind her a huge crane was approaching. Attached to the crane was another large chain.
The crane stopped behind them.
The chain was lowered where Charlie placed around Mary’s neck like a noose.
He then told her he loved her and stepped away.
Mary, who by this point was clearly confused and scared kept looking at Charlie for reassurance as the chain around her neck tightened and began lifting her off the floor.
Within minutes Mary’s entire body was hanging from the crane, the chains on the back of her legs snapped, she took one more look at Charlie before she died from being hung.
There was silence, then cheering from the people around.
In thier minds…..Justice had been done.
After the murder if Mary Charlie struggled to go on. He spent another few years in the circus before her retired.
The town of Erwin is still known to this day as the “town that hung the elephant”
