Fate's Awful Jest (1912)
This drama of the circus is one of jealousy and the love of a ticket taker for Mrs. Heinrich, the wife of the proprietor. He cannot refrain from showing it and finally declares it in a demonstration which is extremely distasteful to the woman, for she detests him and her dislike is shared by her little boy Joey. The pet elephant of the circus, Nellie, who is a close friend of Joey's, has a natural antipathy for Michael, and when he strikes the boy, the faithful beast does not hesitate to show it. Joey's father, Mr. Heinrich, when he learns that the ticket taker has struck his boy is only prevented from knocking him senseless by Michael accusing the elephant of having struck Joey with his trunk. Heinrich despises Michael and the crisis of his feelings comes when Michael insults his wife. He discharges him and the ticket taker determines upon revenge. He knows that the money is kept in a strong box in the living room of the van of the Heinrich's. He plots to get possession of it by breaking into the van, setting fire to it, burning the Heinrichs to death and escaping with the money. Joey accidentally detects Michael's plot and tells Nellie, the elephant, to watch the man's actions and protect him and his father and mother from harm. Michael, in the darkness of the night, opens the door of the van and secures the money from the strong box. The elephant sees him and makes him drop the money, which Mr. Heinrich afterwards picks up. Returning again, Michael enters the small vestibule, saturates the walls of it with petroleum, lights a candle and ignites the oil. While he is doing this, the elephant closes the door, the spring lock snaps, and Michael is held a prisoner, in his own trap caught. He tries to burst open the door, but the elephant holds it closed and the man is suffocated. In the meantime, Joey arouses his father and mother from their slumbers and they escape in safety through another entrance.
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GenresDrama
Short
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