Big Charlie
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) at
Great Wallace Shows in United States

Biography

☨ ♂ Big Charlie
Big Charlie as museum specimen.

Museum locations
Present / last location:	Circus Hall of Fame Peru, in United States

Date of arrival

	Circus Hall of Fame Peru, Peru, United States

Identification

SSP nr	690

Description
Species:	Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Sex and age:	Male ♂

People killed:	1
Origin
Born:	* wild
Birth place:	in Asia unspecified location
Death
Dead:	†1901-01-26
Death reason:	shot: being aggressive and uncontrollable
Locations - owners
Present / last location:	Great Wallace Shows, in United States

Date of arrival

1900-00-00	Great Wallace Shows from J. H. Lapearl Railroad Show

1898-00-00	J. H. Lapearl Railroad Show from Leon Washburn Show

1893-00-00	Leon Washburn Show from Adam Forepaugh Circus

1890-00-00	Adam Forepaugh Circus from Frank A. Robbins Circus

1886-00-00	Frank A. Robbins Circus from Adam Forepaugh Circus

Record history
History of updates	2013-07-13: new record 2016-01-05: SSP nr 2025-03-24: text corr, photo

Latest document update	2025-03-24 12:01:10

† Big Charlie is a dead Male ♂ Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), , who died 1901-01-26 at Great Wallace Shows, in United States, . Official death reason described as being aggressive and uncontrollable.

Museum locationThe Museum specimen remains of this animal is within the collection at Circus Hall of Fame Peru, in Peru, United States.

Casualties

1 casualties

1900: elephant trainer Harry Hoffman fatal attack by Big Charlie. 1. Crushed his handler of 8 years Harry Hoffman, OR 2. Drowning Harry Hoffman as he was being watered out of the Mississinewa River at the Wallace Quarters † Harry Hoffman Died 1900, Ben Wallace winter quarters at Peru Indiana.

Origin

Big Charlie was born wild at Asia unspecified location.

Comments / pictures

Records about Big Charlie from SSPNorth American Studbook for Asian elephants state following records for the asian elephant Big Charlie:

690 M ???? WILD WILD ASIA ???? NONE Capture Charley
LAPEARLCI ???? CHARLI Transfer
BENWALLAC ~ 1899 BIGCH Transfer
26-Apr-01 Death

Source: SSP studbook for Asian elephants online

Records about Big Charlie from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog at http://www.bucklesw.blogspot.com/
BIG CHARLIE

1882-85 Adam Forepaugh Circus
1886-89 Frank A. Robbins Circus (Leased from Forepaugh)
1890-92 Adam Forepaugh Circus
1893-97 L.W. Washburn Show
1898-99 J.H. LaPearl Circus
1900 Great Wallace Shows
(Executed by poisoning 4-26-01 after killing Harry Hoffman)

William "Buckles" Woodcock

Records about Big Charlie from William "Buckles" Woodcocks Blog at http://www.bucklesw.blogspot.com/
CHARLIE
1882-85 Adam Forepaugh Show
1886-89 Frank A. Robbins Circus (Leased from 4-Paw)
1890-92 Adam Forepaugh Show (Owned by Bailey)
1893-97 L.W. Washburn Show
1898-99 J.H. LaPearl Show
1900 Great Wallace

William "Buckles" Woodcock

Killed after crushing his handler of 8 years Harry Hoffman at the Ben Wallace winter quarters at Peru Indiana in April 1901.

Contradictory records:

As I recall, his demise came as the result of drowning Harry Hoffman as he was being watered out of the Mississinewa River at the Wallace Quarters in April of 1901.
"Charlie" was only on the show for a brief period, having been purchased in August of 1899 from the J.H LaPearl Show (along with Ding) and died April 26, 1901 in Peru as the result of poisoning.
Buckles Woodcock

Charley was shot dead at close range, it would seem because the bullet holes in the skull, clearly marked with arrows, are tightly packed. The pachyderm's Skull is exhibited a few Feet away from a large Cadillac that once belonged to the songwriter Cole Porter, born Peru, in 1891.

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2026). Big Charlie, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) located at Great Wallace Shows in United States. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 20 May 2026 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=2590. (archived at the Wayback machine)