dustintstreet
At four o'clock in the afternoon on September 13, 1916, in a muddy train yard in Erwin, Tennessee, roustabouts with Sparks World-Famous Shows marched a five-ton elephant named Mary to the instrument of her demise - a large crane designed to lift freight and rail cars for the Clinchfield Railroad.
Just twenty-four hours earlier, Mary had been found guilty of murdering the tour's new elephant under-keeper, Walter "Red" Eldridge. It's a story that the citizens of Erwin, and beyond, have heard since they were old enough to sit on a grandparent's lap. But Mary's tale is much more than people think they know. She was a performer. A friend. A child. She was smart, and funny, and courageous. She was Big Mary.
(Note: This story's excerpts, as they appear on Wattpad, are for promotional purposes only. All text is Copyright Β© 2017 by Dustin Street. The text that appears here may not be final, and is subject to change upon formal release of the print and e-book editions.)