Empress the Elephant vs. the King of Beasts in O'Brien's Circus Winter Quarters in Frankford, Pa.

Utica Daily Observer 22 Feb 1889

The Elephant Too Much for the Lion.

 A battle between a lion and an elephant alarmed the people of Frankford, and but for the speedy victory of the huge beast it is feared that disastrous consequences would hare resulted, says the Philadelphia correspondent of the Cincinnati Inquirer. 

The fight occurred in Lowande's barn, where a number of wild animals that travel with O'Brien's circus are being wintered by John Cather. On Saturday the lion broke the bars of his cage, and soon had his freedom. Having been kept on short rations, the king of beasts started in to have a royal feast, and a meek-eyed camel was selected for the principal dish. With one bound the lion was on the came's back, and his claws sank deep into the flesh. 

His huge fangs soon tore a hole in the neck of the camel, and the lion was sucking at its blood. The keeper conceived the idea of turning the vicious elephant Empress on to the lion. Empress was
undismayed at the growls of the lion. She had witnessed too many such scenes, besides she had killed five keepers since she had been in captivity, and seemed anxious to add to her laurels. The lion arose as Empress approached, but he was not quick enough to get out of the way, for with one powerful blow from her trunk Empress hurled the king of beasts against the stable wall. 

The lion made a dash at Empress with wild fury. He leaped upon her hind quarters and the elephant trumpeted with rage and pain as she felt the lion's claws scratching her think skin, but odds were against the king of beasts, for he was quickly routed from his position by the point of a pitchfork by a keeper, and the elephant turned just in time to catch her antagonist with her trunk. She held him high in the air for a moment, and then hurled him clear across the stable. 

The lion was evidently severely hurt, for he kept so still that the men had little trouble in moving and leading him into another cage. The camel's carcass was skinned yesterday and the meat served to the animals.