The Biggest Lynching in History

A murder was committed and the guilty party was hung by the neck until dead, without benefit of trial, by the good citizens of East Tennessee on September 13, 1916.

According to circus posters of the day, Big Mary, at 5 tons, was said to be the biggest elephant in captivity and was one of the stars of Sparks World Famous Shows. The details of her crime(s) have gotten lost in history. Ripley's Believe It Or Not, in 1938, says Mary was responsible for killing 3 people. Other rumors say 8. All that is known for sure is that she killed her trainer, one Walter "Red" Eldridge, on September 12, 1916. Attempts to shoot her to death failed so it was decided to hang her from a railroad derrick car until she was dead. A crowd of between 2,500 to 5,000 witnessed the vigilante justice.