Electrocution of Topsy, Luna Park, Coney Island 1903

Electrocuting an Elephant
Photographed January 3, 1903.
Thomas A. Edison, Inc.

Edison opposed capital punishment, but his desire to disparage the system of Alternating Current (AC) led to the invention of the electric chair. Harold P. Brown, who was at this time being secretly paid by Edison, constructed the first electric chair for the state of New York in order to promote the idea that Alternating Current was deadlier than Direct Current (DC).
Edison carried out a campaign to discourage the use of alternating current, including spreading information on fatal AC accidents, publicly killing animals, and lobbying against the use of AC in state legislatures. Edison directed his technicians, primarily Arthur Kennelly and Harold P. Brown, to preside over several AC-driven executions of animals, primarily stray cats and dogs but also unwanted cattle and horses. Acting on these directives, they were to demonstrate to the press that alternating current was more dangerous than Edison's system of direct current. Edison's series of animal executions peaked with the filmed electrocution of Topsy, a Coney Island circus elephant. He also tried to popularize the term for being electrocuted as being ''Westinghoused''.
- excerpt from wikipedia

"[Tesla's] ideas are splendid, but they are utterly impractical." - Thomas Edison

Nikola Tesla, who was a former employee of Edison's and now worked for George Westinghouse, was the man responsible for Alternating Current. In the end his was the superior technology.

The Commercial Advertiser, Monday, January 5, 1903
BAD ELEPHANT KILLED.
TOPSY MEETS QUICK AND PAINLESS DEATH AT CONEY ISLAND
''Topsy, the ill-tempered Coney Island elephant, was put to death in Luna Park, Coney Island, yesterday afternoon. The execution was witnessed by 1,500 or more curious persons, who went down to the island to see the end of the huge beast, to whom they had fed peanuts and cakes in summers that are gone. In order to make Topsy's execution quick and sure 460 grams of cyanide of potassium were fed to her in carrots. Then a hawser was put around her neck and one end attached to a donkey engine and the other to a post. Next wooden sandals lined with copper were attached to her feet. These electrodes were connected by copper wire with the Edison electric light plant and a current of 6,600 volts was sent through her body. The big beast died without a trumpet or a groan.

Topsy (ca. 1875- Jan. 4, 1903) was brought to this country twenty-eight years ago by the Forepaugh Circus, and has been exhibited throughout the United States. She was ten feet high and 19 feet 11 inches in length. Topsy developed a bad temper two years ago and killed two keepers in Texas. Last spring, when the Forepaugh show was in Brooklyn, J. F. Blount, a keeper, tried to feed a lighted cigarette to her. She picked him up with her trunk and dashed him to the ground, killing him instantly.''

''Nature is what we know. We do not know the gods of religions. And nature is not kind, or merciful, or loving. If God made me—the fabled God of the three qualities of which I spoke: mercy, kindness, love—He also made the fish I catch and eat. And where do His mercy, kindness, and love for that fish come in? No; nature made us—nature did it all—not the gods of the religions."
- Thomas Edison (New York Times interview October 2, 1910)

Recommended reading:
Gilded City / Scandal and Sensation in Turn-of-the-Century New York - M.H. Dunlop

01/01/12 - 19,112

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[phoebecatgirl]

Tesla was far greater than Edison. We would be much more advanced by now had he been acknowledged!

[Reul30]

eddison was just keeping up with the new jersey tradition of coming to new york and making an ass of themselves

[XPeaceGirlX12]

Edison also paid children to catch animals for him to kill and this was the inspiration for Dumbo.

[jedihunter176]

@eatmypies She killed a man for trying to feed her a lighted cigarrete.

[crazygamer3D]

Poor elephant

[hippie6996]

edison just trying to show that his way was better, when they could have done the same thing with edisons way of electricity. he just wanted the money, so he killed things.

[ChristineCreature]

@phoebecatgirl Completely.

[solisvictor1991]

@blue81357 Look buddy,im an engineer...i solve problems...practical problems.

[aMpeDDUp]

looks like Topsy lived up to its name

[lokeycmos]

AWESOME

[eatmypies]

what was topsys crime,? its a fuckin ancient video,weve moved on get a grip all of you

[noahkravetz]

@BeBrandMedia topsy killed two others also